Anybody Else Have Texture Issues with Food?

Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
In my other discussion, favorite style of pizza, I got to talking about not liking doughy crust and then started talking about what makes me gag. Okay, it's not the most polite discussion, but I'll go there

So, are there any foods you just can't swallow? How about work arounds you have to prevent gagging on some food?

One big thing about foods that I need to prevent my gag response, is they must be well browned!! What about you? Any of this an issue for you?
07/02/2013
  • Save Extra 50% On Sexobot Attachment
  • Upgrade Your Hands-Free Play!
  • Complete strap-on set for extra 15% off
  • Save 50% On Shower Nozzle With Enema Set
  • Enjoy 50% Off Selected Items
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
All promotions
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Mushrooms. Link sausages. I have a huge issue with mayonnaise on most things and I prefer to get my sub sandwiches without condiments and add my own once I get home. I too must have something crunchy with my sandwich and prefer my bread to be toasted. I can eat things like chili fries but only the first few bites and only if the fries are insanely crunchy. I'll get half way through a hamburger but as soon as the bread gets soggy, that's it - I'm over it. So I often order things like sliders.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Trysexual Trysexual
Yes yes..mushrooms and mayo ..to name a few...nasty..agree w/Stormy.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Mwar Mwar
Not sure. Chewy isn't a big issue for me. I'll eat squid and mushrooms and clams.

Oh! Rotten or ripe fruit. I will buy unripe fruit to make sure I avoid that gritty/mush texture from fruit. Like watermelons. When they get too ripe that grittiness makes me gag. I like the firm texture and bitterness of unripe fruit since I know it won't be rotten.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Mwar Mwar
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Mushrooms. Link sausages. I have a huge issue with mayonnaise on most things and I prefer to get my sub sandwiches without condiments and add my own once I get home. I too must have something crunchy with my sandwich and prefer my bread to be ... more
Link sausages like breakfast style or the Italian ones? Is it the intestine skin that bothers you or the overall squishy-ness of breakfast link sausages? I remove the skin from sausages to avoid it.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Mwar
Link sausages like breakfast style or the Italian ones? Is it the intestine skin that bothers you or the overall squishy-ness of breakfast link sausages? I remove the skin from sausages to avoid it.
Both. It's the pieces of gristle and the casing...really just the whole thing grosses me out. Not a huge fan of hot dogs either.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
In my other discussion, favorite style of pizza, I got to talking about not liking doughy crust and then started talking about what makes me gag. Okay, it's not the most polite discussion, but I'll go there

So, are there any foods you ... more
OMG, are you my twin or what? This is getting a little scary how we keep agreeing on things!

I LOVE toasted bread, that or crackers. I'll eat just the crust of french bread and will hollow out bagels & only eat the shell, but it has to be nice and brown to begin with!

All condiments, if I use any, must be on the side!! I want control & no soggy....ack...can't finish....typing.... you know what I mean anyway! I wasn't even able to eat mayo until a few years ago when I mixed a little in with a mustard to tame it, but it's a delicate balance, even then. I get revolted looking at the gloppy stuff that passes as mayo, it's much better made fresh and used right away, but still...it has an inherent gag factor that many can attest to!

I laughed out loud about the burger/slider thing. I am the appetizer queen because the small portions, like sliders, don't overwhelm me. My mom also gets the 1-3 bite limit on a burger; I can't even start most times. Even watching people scarfing big burgers can make me nauseated! I do better watching if they are using a fork & knife, without the dripping, sloppy mess...ack, again!

Oh,no hotdogs, EVER and don't get me started on gristle & cartilage. I saw what looked like a blood vessel in a piece of meat in Chinese food once & almost embarrassed myself at the table. I HATE when someone tries to hide undesirable pieces of anything in my food, which is why I get the fixins & assemble stuff myself @ home!

@Mwar, my girl, I knew you would find this topic!!! I am surprised about the squid & clams! But, there's no way to totally predict what sets people off, is there? Oh, and the fruit thing I totally get! I hate grit so much, I don't like most pears, purely on texture.
07/02/2013
Contributor: LoveX LoveX
Cake. I hate cake.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
I don't like the texture of bamboo shoots.

I also dislike "slippery" cornstarach-based sauces (like the stuff you're supposed to dip crab rangoon in, and other Americanized Chinese sauces that are cornstarch based. Cornstarch-thickened pie filling makes me gag too.

I won't enjoy a sandwich if the bread is mushy or untoasted (why does Wonderbread exist?), but it doesn't make me gag. Cornstarch sauces are the only thing that make me just say "nope, not going to even bother putting that near my mouth."

I'm cool with a little cornstarch as a thickener for stew. But once it gets to the 'coat your tongue' level, count me out.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
I don't like the texture of bamboo shoots.

I also dislike "slippery" cornstarach-based sauces (like the stuff you're supposed to dip crab rangoon in, and other Americanized Chinese sauces that are cornstarch based. ... more
Ohhh, good call on the cornstarch based slime! And in the pies, it's like glue & slime, ack!

I expect most people don't actually gag at things like Stormy & I do, but I was certainly curious!
07/02/2013
Contributor: Taylor Taylor
I can't eat raw oysters because of the texture, but now that I am vegetarian it doesn't matter too much.
07/02/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
OMG, are you my twin or what? This is getting a little scary how we keep agreeing on things!

I LOVE toasted bread, that or crackers. I'll eat just the crust of french bread and will hollow out bagels & only eat the shell, but it has ... more
I do believe we are twins! Sheesh, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Man oh man, we had to stop going out to our favorite wing place because I had the hardest time watching guys take a wing and stick it in their mouth whole and come back with a clean bone. It made me so sick to my stomach and any time I see someone "shovel" food in their mouth I get sick as well. It's infuriating because I have embarrassed myself at the table in public with recently met in-laws and it was something I was forced to explain - twice. The second time I actually teared up a little bit because it was such an intimate setting and emotions were already running high due to the nature of the visit itself.

When we go to places where someone else has cooked, I pray for a fruit/veggie/cheese platter of some kind so I can kinda-sorta fill up on that and then hope there's a bread course or a salad course in there somewhere so I don't walk away starving. We've left places and gone somewhere else afterwards just so I wasn't hungry.

Every doctor I've ever asked about it thinks I'm completely insane and has no explanation for it whatsoever.
07/03/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I do believe we are twins! Sheesh, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Man oh man, we had to stop going out to our favorite wing place because I had the hardest time watching guys take a wing and stick it in their ... more
I never even thought to ask a doctor about it! I guess because my mom has similar issues & my sister. It's probably a sensory phenomenon and the Dr. would have to be very specialized to even know what you were talking about. Naturally, they slap the crazy badge on you because that's what they always do when something is out of their range of experience, (in my opinion and I am not going to get into that issue here )

I always claim food allergies when someone asks at a social event why I am not eating whatever they want to make me eat. (If you want, and it will make it easier on you, I can come up with a good medical name for the "condition", just let me ask my dad, the physician. He's good at knowing obscure stuff!) Granted, I have a bunch of food allergies, too, so it is a natural fall back. For the most part, I do exactly what you do, eat the cheese & crackers, salad , or fruit, etc. -- stuff they usually haven't fooled around with, ha ha!

OMG, the image you gave me with the wings did actually make me cringe & stop reading for a minute! I often come home from somewhere & eat at home, so I totally understand the going somewhere else, afterwards thing! I had an elderly friend that I had to stop eating with because food would literally fall out of her mouth as she ate. And she had bits all over her clothes, the table...she almost never used the damn napkin & she didn't care about the food all over! I actually brought it up one day, thinking she might have a problem with her teeth, or some old age thing. No, she has always been sloppy like this & it doesn't bother her! Her boyfriend said he can't watch her eat, either, ha ha!

And she's not as bad as what you see when people shovel food, oh lord, don't get me started! Yes, it's revolting & it's poor manners! You want to eat like a pig, then go eat outside with the pigs! OK, I have no tolerance for poor manners. Etiquette, which fork to use, etc. does not bother me, poor manners, however, get me every time. I had to stop after the first date with someone I met through eHarmony because we went to eat. That, combined with poor grammar...well, enough said. I am fairly tolerant, just not of those two things and I'm also particular about hygiene!

Funny thing is I was just pulling a small pizza out of the oven at the perfect amount of crispy, brown goodness & thought to myself, "Gee, I should take a picture of this & show Stormy...nah, she'll think I'm crazy!" I kind of wish I did take the picture after all!
07/03/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I do believe we are twins! Sheesh, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Man oh man, we had to stop going out to our favorite wing place because I had the hardest time watching guys take a wing and stick it in their ... more
You know what else I do when going to a place where someone else cooks, I bring a hostess gift and try to make it something I would be able to eat! That's assuming they know enough to put it out to share and not keep it for themselves.

Hey, I forgot to mention that I saw in another thread that there are people here who have misphonia and one of them, Hellzapoppin, can't stand to listen to the noises people make while eating, she get's insanely angry!

Oh, Stormy, I just found out you cannot hum & gag at the same time, supposedly. So it's worth a try sometime! I'm still looking into the whole issue because now I want to know and to give you a medical name to throw at people to shut them up!
07/03/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
I never even thought to ask a doctor about it! I guess because my mom has similar issues & my sister. It's probably a sensory phenomenon and the Dr. would have to be very specialized to even know what you were talking about. Naturally, they ... more
I pictures. Do you also use your fingers to test your food and leave the very last bite of something regardless of how much you enjoyed the food itself? If I can't pick it apart and test with my fingers first then there's a really good chance I'm not sticking it in my mouth.

I also have issues with the noises people make while eating. If I hear one smack, slurp or chomp I get insanely angry and have to stop eating until I can talk myself down. It's sad.
07/03/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I pictures. Do you also use your fingers to test your food and leave the very last bite of something regardless of how much you enjoyed the food itself? If I can't pick it apart and test with my fingers first then there's a really good ... more
OK, with the anger reaction to those sounds, it really seems like you have misophonia! And there are treatments to help that! They involve breaking down the sounds and retraining your brain to hear the whole sound a different way. It works! For whatever reason, people with this have their brains triggering anger when the sound is actually innocuous. The brain can be re-programmed to hear the sound as innocuous. My mom definitely has this, her visceral reaction to many sounds is strong anger & she has a hard time trying to squash it. It sounds like torture to have to deal with that!!

I think you might be interested in trying this checklist for sensory processing disorders!

I don't have to leave the very last bite of something, but I do often have to stop before the last bite because I can't eat it & the gag thing will happen if I try. Once I hit full, or more likely, gag level, I cannot go any further, even if I am still able to eat something else! For instance, earlier, I ate part of my mini pizza, then hit the wall after a few bites. But, then I had some pretzels! But, if I could only eat more of the pizza, I wouldn't be able to eat anything more. You might need to explain more, if you mean differently.

How do you test it with your fingers? Are you making sure there's nothing funky in it? Yes, I do that, but I can often do it with a fork if at a restaurant. I take the time of cutting into bite-sized pieces to inspect. But I don't need to specifically touch everything. I do rearrange sandwiches so that I get some of each item in every bite, though.
07/03/2013
Contributor: TransMarc TransMarc
Yes, but I don't know what these are since I don't eat these, or buy these, or anything. I had more issues like that as a child, though, and it was very difficult because I even couldn't eat more common, normal food.
07/03/2013
Contributor: TJax TJax
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
In my other discussion, favorite style of pizza, I got to talking about not liking doughy crust and then started talking about what makes me gag. Okay, it's not the most polite discussion, but I'll go there

So, are there any foods you ... more
I'm going to assume that you are talking about meat when you say 'well browned'. I can't eat a steak that is cooked past medium or I choke on the soot. Not exactly a gag reflex situation, but unpleasant none the less.

I also can't stand shrimp's texture, mostly because they pop when you chew them.
07/03/2013
Contributor: malicen malicen
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I pictures. Do you also use your fingers to test your food and leave the very last bite of something regardless of how much you enjoyed the food itself? If I can't pick it apart and test with my fingers first then there's a really good ... more
I get that rage too!
Onions in any form make me gag. No matter how they are prepared they still have a sickening crunch. I can't stand ripe bananas. The squishiness combined with the taste makes me retch.
07/04/2013
Contributor: RonLee RonLee
I really do not care for the texture of peanut butter. I just don't like it at all. Given that I don't like the flavor of it either but I think the dislike originated with the texture.
07/04/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by TJax
I'm going to assume that you are talking about meat when you say 'well browned'. I can't eat a steak that is cooked past medium or I choke on the soot. Not exactly a gag reflex situation, but unpleasant none the less.

I also ... more
I mean anything that is cooked and can be browned, I prefer to be browned. So, that definitely includes meat, but also cheese, veggies, bread (toasted), etc. My favorite parts of brownies, or muffins are always the well done edges an the tops! I like my cookies well done, too. I also like the cheese topping any dish to be browned. My favorite parts of lasagna, or mac'n'cheese are the crunchy, brown edges & top! Sure, there are things I don't eat browned, like chocolate, ice cream, most fruit (unless grilled), but if it's cooked, I like it well browned, just not burned.

When you said that soot makes you choke, it reminded me of a funny story: When my parents were dating, my father was running the grill at my my maternal grandparent's house. My grandfather was well known for liking his meat well done. Well, he made such a stink about it, bothering my dad, that my dad surprised him by placing a charcoal briquette (back in the days without lighter fluid) on a plate & covering it in ketchup, another of my grandpa's quirks.

My grandpa was delighted at first, crowing "Now this is the way you grill a steak! This boy's a keeper!" Yeah, then he took a bite. At least he thought it was funny as hell because everyone else fell over laughing, they never saw my dad do it!

My mom slathers everything she doesn't really like, such as meat & eggs, in ketchup, so I know where she got that from. If I don't really like something, I try putting garlic &/or cheese on it, not ketchup!
07/04/2013
Contributor: malicen malicen
Quote:
Originally posted by LoveX
Cake. I hate cake.
This makes me sad. Is there another treat that you prefer?
07/04/2013