Everything Else

There is a difference!

Here’s the thing: I don’t like being called “picky.” I really don’t enjoy the connotation that goes along with that description in regard to food. To me, “picky” means that you’ll eat certain things, but pretty much refuse to eat others. “Picky” makes me think of a spoiled child crossing her arms with her nose stuck up in the air (sorry for the crude description). I prefer to use the term “particular.” In my eyes, “particular” means that the person chooses to partake in certain things over others. It doesn’t mean this person will never eat something; they just prefer to have other things.

Let me explain a bit further. Here is a great example from my personal life:

Calamari. I don’t love it. I don’t despise it. I would never order it for myself off of a menu, and if there are other options for me to nibble on, I’ll most likely nosh on them instead. However, if a big plate of fried squid shows up on the table for everyone to split I usually will end up eating a few pieces. Is it my favorite? Not really. I can appreciate it and try a few bites, but if you were to ask me if I LIKE calamari, I’d probably say no.

There are other types of food I’m “particular” about (aside from the fact that I can’t eat red meats):

  • Creamy sauces (ex – Alfredo sauce, cheese sauces, etc. I rarely eat any food featuring them)
  • Fried food/fast food (try to avoid. That doesn’t mean I don’t eat some french fries every once in a while…)
  • Dressings on salad (they need to be on the side, or sometimes not on them at all)

Does this mean I’m picky? Personally, I think not. Yes, I’ll try a bite of your linguine with a touch of cream sauce; I just don’t want a big plate for myself. I love being able to eat out at restaurants with Justin and my parents; forks are usually flying across the table…everyone has to taste everything. I like being able to sample certain items, but I also want the option of ordering an item I know I’ll enjoy.

So…please don’t call me a picky eater. I’m just particular…that’s all!

Are you particular about certain types/kinds of food?

12 Comments

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    • Oooh soda! Interesting…I wish I had the strength to get rid of my Diet Coke habit. I maybe 4 in a week…not too much, but still…

  • *My first comment 🙂 (I’m a fellow Tampa Bay-er)
    As someone who can not eat gluten, I have to be particular.
    I’m insecure about it because when I go out with a group of people and they all feel like going out for pizza or some cusisine that is bread based I’m always like, “um…well I can’t eat most of the things on the menu, but I’ll have a salad”. But inside I’m thinking, “If I eat one more salad I’m gonna spew.”

    • I totally know how you feel! I can’t eat red meat, so I get really uncomfortable when, say, I am over at someone’s house or at an event that has a set menu. Sometimes it is really hard for me to find something other than just side dishes when it comes to things like that. And I never want to ask people to make something special just for me!

    • Exactly! I don’t look at certain foods and say “eewwwww gross!” I might eat a bite, but I’d prefer something else. Haha!

  • I feel like the difference is more in the amount of food a person likes/how easy it is for them to find a food they do like (at a party, restaurant, etc)… I figure everyone has foods they don’t like (mine include mustard, watermelon, and mushrooms), but trying new things with a positive attitude is the difference between picky and particular. (A truly picky person–if they don’t refuse food–will go in to a situation negatively, *knowing* they won’t like the new food.) Wanted to tell you my hubs read this post and told me he’s particular, not picky…whether I agree with that or not (in his case) is up for debate!

    • That is such a good point! I had that experience once with a roommate. We were on a trip and as part of our experience we were supposed to try some new foods. I remember that one day the entire group on the trip was going to eat at a Thai restaurant (included in the cost…we weren’t paying extra for it); before we even got there she was saying how she wouldn’t like anything on the menu, even though she’d never had that cuisine before. I was trying to be helpful, telling her that she could always order something to try since she wasn’t paying for it out of pocket that day…and then if she didn’t like it she could always just eat white rice or something…haha. She flat out refused to order anything other than a bowl of white rice and then sat there pouting. Blargggghhh!

  • Lol! I came across your blog, because I was trying to explain to my friends what the difference between “picky” and “particular” is. Not so much for food, but with women. Your explanation can easily be applied to relationships. It amuses me how many people cannot understand the difference between the two. 🙂

  • OMG…love this post!!!! My best friend of 34yrs has referred to me as “picky” from time to time. I find myself feeling annoyed by this as I do not consider myself picky at all. We recently found ourselves at an airport waiting for a delayed flight home and needed to eat. She said ” you decide where since you are the picky one”. Probably because it was the end of a whirlwind trip and we were exhausted (and hungry), I could not let it go this time. I asked her to explain her position or give an example to which she really couldn’t and just kept stating that I refuse to acknowledge how picky I am. It actually began to get tense but I could not drop it. This needed to be settled once and for all!!!! To me, “picky” is someone that snubs their nose at most things, refusing to eat MANY foods. I do have a few foods that I do not eat…I have never ate eggs or drank milk. My husband offered me $100 to eat a breakfast burrito (w/egg)…nope!!! And I do not care for mushrooms or sushi. That’s my list, but I have been known to try both on occasion. What I do do however, is expect my hot food to be served hot, cold food cold, I will request green sauce over red every time, I expect quality to be equal to price charged…..! I told her I preferred to think of it as “particular”. I know what I want. Yes, I may have a hard time deciding what I want off of a menu, but it is because it ALL looks good rather than NOTHING looks good! We agreed on verbiage and have now moved past this!!!!

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