Hi! New reader here and glad to have found this place! I’m a 28 year old woman. As a baby and toddler, my mom always told me I had absolutely no trouble with food. I’d eat almost anything and spit out what I didn’t like (very few things, just like all babies do). Then around the age of 3, I went to a babysitter while my parents worked. She ran a daycare through her home that I assume was under government guidelines, so she had to feed us certain foods to follow along a balanced diet. Which meant vegetables, among other foods. Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, turnip greens, just to name a few. If it was green, it was served. I was forced to eat it, and I can vividly remember being repulsed by the smell of steamed/sautéed vegetables. So I refused to eat them. One night, I was there late because my mom worked until 8pm or so. My mom said she walked in the house to pick me up, and I was sitting at the table in the kitchen, ALONE, and in the DARK. The rest of the family and few kids were in the living room, watching tv. I was told I wasn’t allowed to leave the table until I finished my dinner. I’m sure I had eaten everything but whatever vegetable was served that night. My mom was furious, picked me up, threw the plate in the sink, and told the babysitter I wouldn’t be coming back anymore. I truly believe because of this babysitter, I’m the picky eater I am today. I’ve branched our much more over the years. But there’s still lots of foods I won’t eat or am afraid to even try. My go to foods are: pizza, spaghetti (plain noodles with marinara sauce and cheese, no tomato chunks), grilled cheese, tomato soup (smooth only, no chunks), almost all sweets, chicken tenders, potatoes in any way (but not sweet potatoes), tacos (only soft shells, and meat and cheese), burgers (cheese only unless it’s a McDonald’s burger), hotdogs (only ketchup on it), macaroni and cheese, fish sticks, chili (but only when I make it because I use certain kinds of beans and no tomatoes, just sauce), pancakes, waffles, breads (sourdough or wheat only), cereals (only the sugar ones though. No Raisin Bran for me), some fruits (apples, pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, grapes), corn, meatballs, peanut butter, and jelly. It seems like a large list, but really isn’t. It’s all foods that are usually only on children’s menus at restaurants. My any restaurant “safe food” is a burger. Because most places have that, and it’s not only on the kids menu. You can forget Chinese or Mexican restaurants, or any other cuisine, except American and Italian. I have horrible anxiety whenever I’m invited out to a meal with someone other than my mom, or my husband. I find ways to casually ask what restaurant it is, so I can look at their menu online ahead of time and find something I will eat. As a child I never wanted to sleep over at a friends house, for fear of what their parents would make for dinner or breakfast. Dating was hard as a teenager. Thankfully my husband understands my “quirk” with eating and is very patient with me. I’m willing to cook different things for him, I just have to hold my nose while cooking it and not have any. As I said, I’ve branched out quite a bit in my life. There was a time where I’d only eat pizza huts pizza. No other pizza. Or only McDonald’s fries. Now I’ll eat any pizza as long as it’s plain cheese. Same with fries. There were other “certain brand” foods I’d eat too. I’m proud that I’ve come out a little with my eating. I want to be better. I want to be able to eat a salad, or eat anything put in front of me. I’m tired of turning into a ball of anxiety whenever someone invites me over for dinner. I’ve literally cried on the way to a restaurant or someone’s house in fear of what’s going to be served for dinner. It’s awful. People think that I’m just being stubborn, or that I was spoiled as a child, and it’s carried into my adulthood. Quite the opposite. My parents were forever trying to get me to try new things. Once a kid, my dad told me he’d give me $5 to try a bite of the pizza at a new restaurant we were in. I said no. He and my mom turned it into a game to see how far I’d go. Finally they said $100. I ate one bite. A few days later, my dad gave me that money. I’m embarrassed by that story. It was a plain piece of cheese pizza, which I LOVED and still do! I’m currently in therapy, and I’m discussing this issue with my therapist, and am hoping to get some guidance on how to break through this. It’s put so many boundaries on my life, and I’m ready to be free of it!