I'm glad to come across this site. I'm 24 and have been a picky eater all my life. Most people don't understand when I explain that I don't eat certain foods. They make me feel that I'm just being stubborn.

I always tell others I'd rather have a child's diet. I love cheese sticks, chicken nuggets, bacon, mashed potatoes and fries. I mostly eat carbs like bread, rice, plain noodles because they are "safe" and are unlikely to have a strong "smell" to me.

I can't take fish. Or most seafood for that matter. I absolutely cannot stand the smell. I do take crabs though. And maybe scalllops if they are fresh. I don't like alot of meat because they can be smelly to me. Chicken breast is usually safe but not other parts of the chicken. I don't like fats on meat such as pork belly. I think meat usually smells bad because they are frozen meat. I love eggs, but only egg white. I will do my all to pick out any speck of egg yolk on my plate. Vegetables and fruits are somewhat safer except that I am also picky about them. I prefer bland fruits and vegetables. I dislike bananas, melons and any vegetables that can be bitter. Oh and I don't drink coffee cause it's way too bitter even if I put lots of sugar and milk.

So there. It's hard for me to explain things to others. Even to my family. I sometimes say I'm allergic to seafood cause that's easier but then many questions will come when they see me eat crab and scallops. I usually eat chicken breast but if other parts of the chicken are served fried I might be able to take them. So my food preferences don't fall neatly into categories e.g. no meat or no seafood. It's hard because others think you're just being difficult. They don't know how it's like when my stomach does this reflex thing to make me gag when I smell fish or when I try to force myself to eat something at the dining table just to be polite. It's annoying when they always get surprised that you don't eat "expensive" seafood like lobster or abalone.

I've read about supertasters and I can relate because I am hypersensitive to smells. And also sounds. I think I have selective eating disorder but am not sure because there are also many other foods that I can take as well as long as they are not "smelly" to me. But the gagging reflex I have for certain foods seems to be similar to others' accounts here.