[ollie82]

it annoys me even if i'm not the one who cooked it - like in the cafeteria, when someone sits next to me pushing food around their plate. or picks up the limpest piece of salad and cuts it into little pieces and then takes one tiny bite. i mean, why did you take the food???

but generally, only my friends cook for me. so they know what i like. and if you're having a dinner party or something, one of the first things you do is think about who eats what!! so the rudeness can be avoided in most cases by a bit of thinking on the host's part. for example, i went to a friend's dinner party having just come out of hospital and couldn't eat properly. she (incredibly thoughtfully) made some plain rice and sauce that i could eat, as everyone else was having spicy food that i wouldn't be able to handle.

but if someone sits next to me at uni and *picks* at their food in that annoying attention seeking way, i am going to give you the attention of throwing your food in the bin.

the only thing i really don't eat are pulses. i will not eat them. ever. under any circumstances. but people don't just cook lentils, do they? i'll eat the rice or whatever, and ask them if they've got any marmite to put on top - yummy!

[When you see it...]

I'm a very fussy eater (i.e. vegan, very picky about which vegetables I eat, check the packets of everything) and I think if I was in a situation where someone expected to eat some meat or something and I refused, but they insisted that I ate it, then I would consider it rude of them to be so fascists about it.
...and yes, it is the same principle as the homophobia issue (definitely not as extreme though as there is hardly violence against fussy eaters and the centuries of oppression are not quite as extreme - being forced to eat what your parents make is not as bad as being prevented from being with people of the same gender). You all don't understand because you eat WTF you want.
I don't go to restaurants or eat at other people's houses for this exact reason. I don't feel rude at refusing to eat some food because it is not my choice - I just get sick of people thinking they are better than me because they will 'try anything'.

[shephi]

Was always taught it's rude not to clear your plate, but I've always been one to eat more or less everything, as their's very little food i dislike.

[LipstickKisses]

(Original post by Like a BAWS)
For instance, when round someone else's house for a meal, should you eat whatever you're given even if you detest the food ?

No it isn't rude. I just tell people in advance I only eat certain foods, and if it's too much trouble I'll eat beforehand and still come to the meal just because we're friends. As long as you tell people, it's fine.

(Original post by When you see it...)
I just get sick of people thinking they are better than me because they will 'try anything'.

This. It's not as if I chose it.

[OU Student]

(Original post by examination)
I have a friend who claims to hate things without even trying it! SO ANNOYING.

I was once given something that I had never had before. Mum said "you've never had it. You can't say you don't like it". As it turns out, I do like it.

No it isn't rude. I just tell people in advance I only eat certain foods, and if it's too much trouble I'll eat beforehand and still come to the meal just because we're friends. As long as you tell people, it's fine.

Same here. As someone who is wheat intolerant, I am limited to what I can and can't eat. My friends know this and I will eat before going out. A friend is aware that he's very unlikely to have something that I can eat and he's said this. I am ok with most drinks and was just given a drink.

[The Rusty Spork]

It isn't rude or impolite to be one. It isn't even rude to refuse to eat something somebody has cooked. If you don't like something you don't eat it. I really don't understand why somebody would argue that someone should be forced to eat something out of 'politeness'.

[SpicyStrawberry]

If someone who is unfamiliar with your tastes has taken the time out to cook a meal for you it would be really rude to turn your nose up at it. If you really detest the food you could say you aren't very hungry so would only like a small portion to lessen the amount wasted. However if the circumstances were different e.g. you paid for it, then you could ask that certain things weren't put in the food.

[NietzschanGuy]

It is considered very rude indeed, so since most foods tend to induce gagging reflexes in me, I tend to refuse to eat publicly, a choice I am eternally grateful that I can make when I remember being smacked quite a lot as a child for it. Incidentally, smacking me around didn't make a damn difference to the gagging reflex XD

[LipstickKisses]

Shocked at how many people think it's rude, I don't see what's rude about not eating something you find repulsive

[SpicyStrawberry]

(Original post by LipstickKisses)
Shocked at how many people think it's rude, I don't see what's rude about not eating something you find repulsive

If someone who doesn't know you well e.g. parent of a friend has spent their free time cooking a meal free of charge for you, I would think it pretty rude to flat out refuse to eat it.

You could say to them for future reference (if it's too late to mention that you dislike the odd thing before the food has been prepared) that you dislike mushrooms for example so they know not to put them in, but sometimes you just have to grin and bear it out of politeness. That's the way I've been brought up because you're wasting other people's time and money otherwise. It's not always about what you want and like, it's about other people's feelings as well.

[The Rusty Spork]

(Original post by SpicyStrawberry)
If someone who doesn't know you well e.g. parent of a friend has spent their free time cooking a meal free of charge for you, I would think it pretty rude to flat out refuse to eat it.

You could say to them for future reference (if it's too late to mention that you dislike the odd thing before the food has been prepared) that you dislike mushrooms for example so they know not to put them in, but sometimes you just have to grin and bear it out of politeness. That's the way I've been brought up because you're wasting other people's time and money otherwise. It's not always about what you want and like, it's about other people's feelings as well.

But if you don't ask for something why should you then force yourself to eat it?

[LipstickKisses]

(Original post by SpicyStrawberry)
If someone who doesn't know you well e.g. parent of a friend has spent their free time cooking a meal free of charge for you, I would think it pretty rude to flat out refuse to eat it.

You could say to them for future reference (if it's too late to mention that you dislike the odd thing before the food has been prepared) that you dislike mushrooms for example so they know not to put them in, but sometimes you just have to grin and bear it out of politeness. That's the way I've been brought up because you're wasting other people's time and money otherwise. It's not always about what you want and like, it's about other people's feelings as well.

You just tell them in advance you're picky and so will eat beforehand. If they still cook for you and try to make you eat it, then that's pretty nasty in my opinion. Also I think they'd rather I politely refused to eat rather than being sick all over their floor, which is what would most likely happen. I only think it's rude if you don't tell them about it.

(Original post by Mess.)
But if you don't ask for something why should you then force yourself to eat it?

This also. If someone gives me food with no warning whatsoever, that's not my fault and I can't prepare for it.

[SpicyStrawberry]

(Original post by Mess.)
But if you don't ask for something why should you then force yourself to eat it?

You'd look like a bit of a snob if everyone was sat around the table eating and you sat there with your arms folded not eating it. Using the excuse that you didn't ask for it is also really rude; you're basically complaining that someone is doing you a favour and feeding you when they didn't have to go to the trouble.

[Rascacielos]

(Original post by Like a BAWS)
For instance, when round someone else's house for a meal, should you eat whatever you're given even if you detest the food ?

I think you should make an effort to finish it, or at least most of it.

[SpicyStrawberry]

(Original post by LipstickKisses)
You just tell them in advance you're picky and so will eat beforehand. If they still cook for you and try to make you eat it, then that's pretty nasty in my opinion. Also I think they'd rather I politely refused to eat rather than being sick all over their floor, which is what would most likely happen. I only think it's rude if you don't tell them about it.



This also. If someone gives me food with no warning whatsoever, that's not my fault and I can't prepare for it.

You'd be sick all over the floor just because you dislike something? Surely that's a bit of an over-reaction, are you sure you're not allergic or something to the food and not just dislike it?

[LipstickKisses]

(Original post by SpicyStrawberry)
You'd be sick all over the floor just because you dislike something? Surely that's a bit of an over-reaction, are you sure you're not allergic or something to the food and not just dislike it?

I have sensory issues that mean I can't tolerate certain foods. It's difficult to explain to people, so I normally just say to people I'm a 'fussy eater', I'd be quite annoyed that they think I'm just being rude when I'm honestly not.

[The Rusty Spork]

(Original post by SpicyStrawberry)
You'd look like a bit of a snob if everyone was sat around the table eating and you sat there with your arms folded not eating it. Using the excuse that you didn't ask for it is also really rude; you're basically complaining that someone is doing you a favour and feeding you when they didn't have to go to the trouble.

You wouldn't look like a snob, you would look like a person who doesn't like the food so will not make themselves feel physically bad for some childish social norm. And if they just suprised you with the food then that is up to them, it isn't your personal fault that they have made something you dislike. If you also know you are going to someones house and they want to cook for you then most fussy eaters will say thanks but don't put yourself out because I am a fussy eater or they will eat beforehand / go the chippy on the way.

Forcing someone to do what they don't want to do isn't that great is it?

[SparksInTheSky]

It's rude if you are served something, at least try to eat some of it. What annoys me is when, for example, someone is making up a fruit salad, asks you what fruit you'd like/not like and then gets annoyed when you give your preferences. Why ask??

[The Rusty Spork]

(Original post by SpicyStrawberry)
You'd be sick all over the floor just because you dislike something? Surely that's a bit of an over-reaction, are you sure you're not allergic or something to the food and not just dislike it?

(Original post by LipstickKisses)
I have sensory issues that mean I can't tolerate certain foods. It's difficult to explain to people, so I normally just say to people I'm a 'fussy eater', I'd be quite annoyed that they think I'm just being rude when I'm honestly not.

This. I have left rooms because of just the smell of certain foods making me feel like I am going to throw up.

And because I know what I am like in terms of fussiness I will either not go to a restaurant or just find something I like on the menu if a great of friends want to go somewhere. I will never try and force them to do something just because I don't like the menu/place so I expect others to offer me the same courtesy.

[SpicyStrawberry]

(Original post by Mess.)
You wouldn't look like a snob, you would look like a person who doesn't like the food so will not make themselves feel physically bad for some childish social norm. And if they just suprised you with the food then that is up to them, it isn't your personal fault that they have made something you dislike. If you also know you are going to someones house and they want to cook for you then most fussy eaters will say thanks but don't put yourself out because I am a fussy eater or they will eat beforehand / go the chippy on the way.

Forcing someone to do what they don't want to do isn't that great is it?

I think we've been brought up very differently then. I think it's childish to refuse to do something because you don't like it tbh, we all have to do things we don't like doing every now and again it's life. You wouldn't refuse to do a task set by your boss at work just because you didn't feel like doing it if you didn't want to get the sack.

I'm not saying it's "your fault" you dislike the food they made you, what I'm saying is it would be impolite to refuse to eat it, you could at least make the effort to try it. You never know, they might have cooked it differently and you might find yourself liking it.