Growing up, I was every parent’s nightmare. Whenever my friends invited me over, their parents had a very limited list of options for snacks and dinner.
It’s safe to say that I’ve tried every variation of chicken tenders and fries in existence. Even classic kid foods like pizza, spaghetti and some types of mac and cheese just didn’t appeal to me. I hated peanut butter, red sauce, any kind of bread other than white bread, cake, beans, alfredo sauce and the list goes on.
Full disclosure, I’m still not a fan of peanut butter and cake, but at least I grew to like most of the foods I used to avoid. I’m definitely still a decently picky eater, but I’ve grown out of the “I only eat chicken tenders at restaurants” phase.
My journey with food and trying new things has been quite the experience. Here are a few of my favorite foods that I can’t believe I didn’t try sooner.
- Hummus
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Christin Urso / Spoon I just recently tried hummus for the first time at a friend’s 21st birthday party. All I can say is wow.
I’ve definitely had the opportunity to try hummus before, but why would I? Whenever chips and dip is out, I’m going for the queso, salsa, buffalo chicken or french onion dips before I try hummus. What the heck is hummus anyway?
I was hungry and I had no other options, so I decided to give it a go. I fell in love. If you’ve never tried hummus, I 10/10 recommend heading to your local Aldi and picking up the hummus quartet.
The great thing about hummus is that it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and just as entertaining as your classic french onion dip.
- Green Peppers (and Peppers in General)
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Ellen Gibbs / Spoon When I was 16, I started working an after-school job at a local pizza shop. We sold all sorts of stuff — salads, hoagies, wings, strombolis, appetizers, you name it.
One day, I was chopping up a green pepper to distribute among the salads. I had a few pieces of the pepper left over so I decided to go out on a limb and try it.
Best. Decision. Ever. Now, I’ll eat green peppers raw as a healthy snack, I’ll air fry them with cream cheese and bacon for a fun appetizer and I’ll add them to almost any meal as a refreshing side veggie.
- Hazelnut Chocolates and Spreads
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Uncommon Goods Back in middle school, everyone was on a Nutella kick. I just didn’t understand it.
I hate sweet and salty things. I just assumed that since Nutella was a chocolate spread made from nuts, it would be sweet and salty, right? Since nuts are normally salty, it made sense in my head. Long story short, I refused to try it. It sounded disgusting.
Freshman year of college, I used to order smoothie bowls every morning for breakfast. My roommate suggested I try Nutella as a topping. I told her I don’t like sweet and salty things. She explained that Nutella is not, in fact, sweet and salty. I took a leap of faith, tried it and loved it.
- Hawaiian Pizza
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There is one exception to my “sweet and salty doesn’t belong together” rule: Hawaiian pizza.
Again, I tried this one for the first time at the pizza shop I worked at in high school.
My coworkers and I made a Hawaiian for a customer. Whenever we were topping it, the dough got too wet from the pineapple juice, making it difficult to cut whenever it came out of them oven.
It was cooked fine, but we absolutely fumbled when we tried to slice the pizza. Our boss was super cool, so he would let us eat the mess-ups or take them home.
My coworkers started to dig in on the pizza. I was a little hesitant, but I simply had to try it.
I’d never go out of my way to order a Hawaiian myself, but I definitely wouldn’t turn down a slice if I was offered.
- Salmon and shrimp
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Jocelyn Hsu / Spoon Growing up Italian, Christmas Eve was always the worst night of the year.
We celebrate with the Seven Fishes. Unfortunately for little me, just one fish was unappetizing enough.
The summer after my freshman year of college, I started my first serving job at Olive Garden. During training, I was required to eat my way through the entire menu. I was nervous to get to the seafood dishes, but the Herb-Grilled Salmon and Shrimp Alfredo were incredible.
I can’t believe I went 18 years without enjoying fish.
- asparagus
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Jenny Georgieva / Spoon Like most picky eaters, I used to avoid vegetables a lot when I was young.
I could deal with the classics like corn and carrots. Asparagus, however, especially confused me. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
Luckily for me, my roommate is an absolute chef. She would cook for me all the time during our sophomore year. One day, she decided to roast some asparagus in the oven as a side.
Asparagus is definitely one of my favorites now.
- Steak (without Ketchup)
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My entire life, I would put ketchup on my steak. Nothing else. No A1 Sauce or gravy or anything logical. Just ketchup.
This summer, on my 20th birthday, I ordered steak at a restaurant for the first time. I never ordered steak out to eat because I didn’t want wait staff or other customers to judge me for dipping my steak in ketchup. I decided it was time for me to grow up, order a steak and eat it plain like an adult. I was pleasantly surprised.
Being a picky eater is inconvenient and exhausting. I’m over it. Working my way through new foods is difficult and sometimes scary, but so worthwhile.
If you’re a picky eater, I suggest you step outside of your comfort zone! You never know where you’ll find your new favorite food!