Picky Teen Takes on Fruit
From September 2nd – 6th, I tried three new foods that I had previously avoided as a picky eater (pineapple, blackberries, and kiwi) in an attempt to break the cycle of my bad habits.
According to the Washington Post, humans are the only species who will reject certain foods. Why? We are the only species that care about taste, often disregarding the nutrients needed for survival in order to devour that cheeseburger we were craving. I’m not saying that as if I eat from ‘My Plate’ every meal, or to make fun of people that don’t. As a picky eater myself, my friends frequently laugh at the things I have never been willing to try, preaching the importance of fruits and vegetables, as if I didn’t already know. This past week, I finally listened to them. Taking their suggestions, I tried three new foods and saw if my fears held true or false.
For the week, I chose pineapple, blackberries, and kiwi.
I chose pineapple first because one of my good friends loves pineapple; more than I think she loves me if I’m being honest. I wanted to see if such a marvelous fruit was really worth the hype. I went to the store and purchased a small container of pineapple on Tuesday, actually excited to try it. Immediately after I got home, I popped a piece into my mouth. Surprisingly… it was a bit sour. It caught me off guard to be honest since I was told it tasted like candy. Texture, which is usually an issue, wasn’t too much of one this time around, just a bit tough to bite into, but other than that… I would eat pineapple again!
Next, I decided to try blackberries, considering my parents had only bought them once before. After opening the blackberries on Wednesday, which I was also excited to try, I found it strange that I was so pumped to try these new things. It could have been due to the fact that it was my decision, rather than my parents. I would definitely say that my parents have impacted my eating habits a decent amount.
According to Marcia Pelchat, a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, “If you have parents who don’t really like to try anything new, you will also be exposed to fewer new foods.”
This fact struck a chord in my life. I had never thought to blame my parents before, and I wasn’t going to now. But, that does make some sense, since they are the ones who purchase the food. So I eat what they buy, which would make sense why I am only exposed to what they wish to eat.
Both of my parents like to stick to what they like, so I had only been exposed to a selection of things, though they definitely eat better than I do. Plucking one from the container and into my mouth… the berry was… watery… and the texture, just like that of a raspberry, which I had never really liked. Though, I would say it was better than a raspberry, those of which had always seemed a bit sour to me. The blackberry was much sweeter. I fully intend to start eating them more, likely as a replacement to raspberries.
Lastly, on Thursday, I tried the scariest food. Kiwi, with its weird hairs sticking every which way, had always been a food I avoided. Today though, I would press on. Like the others, it was a bit sour. Now I’m unsure if that was because I didn’t know how to pick the fruits when ripe or not or if it was just because they were truly a bit sour. When I was younger I would have said my “tongue is sensitive.” Which, according to the Washington Post, some scientists believe that some kids and adults actually have more taste buds than others; to them, food flavors taste stronger. Such people tend to avoid bitter or spicy foods. I would like to use that as an excuse as I did in second grade, but I don’t believe that “too many taste buds” is my issue.
Looking back at most of the fruits I tried, none of them made me gag or never want to bring them near me ever again, and thankfully no unexpected allergic reactions. I would say this experience has definitely opened my eyes to the fact that these aren’t the end of the world type foods. I had always considered myself open-minded when it came to ideas; maybe it is time I become more open-minded when it comes to food.
Gabrielle, mainly known as Gabby, is a second-year writer and this year's Web Manager on The Live Wire. A junior at Liberty, she enjoys playing in the...
