Learning to Like Foods You Hate

Published on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, by Sarah Perry / Edit Post

Can you learn to like foods you've hated since childhood?

That's the case for al b. darned. "There are certain foods from my childhood that I remember in a less than favorable light," al b. darned says. "As such, I have avoided them like the plague since. Then at dinner at a friend's house, Brussels sprouts were served. To be polite I put a couple on my plate. They were pretty good. I went back for seconds."

For mattstolz, preparation changes everything. "I've actually been finding that most things I disliked as a kid I really like now," mattstolz says. "The problem was often not that what I liked was bad, but the times I had it, it was prepared very poorly. Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, salmon burgers, sweet potato casserole, pork chops, and several others are all on this list. My mom used to have a problem with severely overcooking vegetables and (still) is bad about overcooking meats. Led to several of these aversions that I have discovered are almost ALL misguided. Moral of the story: Cook your food correctly! It tastes better!"

Sometimes it's more a matter of association than of taste. sueatmo hated raisins as a child because they reminded her of bugs. "If I encounter a raisin today, I will eat it and say to myself, that's not so bad. But I still don't really like them, and almost never cook with them," she says. montrealeater feels the same way about the tiny dried fruits: "I can, and do, eat them now, but not enthusiastically, and I still have to consciously fight the 'dead fly, dead fly, dead fly' thoughts as I do."

And sometimes you just need to give detested foods another try. "Just last week I [was] working on a Caesar salad at a seafood restaurant, and I waved an anchovy at my husband," says DuchessNukem. "He responded with his usual 'Oh I hate those.' I sliced up a few salty bits and strong-armed him into eating them. And magically, the years of dislike melted away. Now he wants to re-try the classic anchovy pizza."

Discuss: Hey, It's Not So Bad

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  • Every year I have a "food project," where I eat a disliked food repeatedly until I learn to like it/love it. It's worked for most shellfish (oh man, oysters are the best!), mushrooms, beets, spinach, strong cheeses, etc. I agree that it's a matter of finding the right preparation when you're starting to dive in again, though.

    However: during the course of this experiment to make myself like...+READ

    Every year I have a "food project," where I eat a disliked food repeatedly until I learn to like it/love it. It's worked for most shellfish (oh man, oysters are the best!), mushrooms, beets, spinach, strong cheeses, etc. I agree that it's a matter of finding the right preparation when you're starting to dive in again, though.

    However: during the course of this experiment to make myself like foods, I've also found that a lot of my childhood dislikes still hold true, but not for the reasons I thought. Turns out a large number of fruits and vegetables, if uncooked, give me a slightly unpleasant allergic reaction. So there's a reason I never liked peanut butter on celery (celery makes my face go numb), or a nice crisp apple (despite loving apple pie)!-COLLAPSE

  • Absolutely. I detested Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, and Roast Beef. Why? I think it all had to do with the way it was cooked. As an adult I was free to experiment with different flavors and cooking methods to determine what tasted best to me. I also think as you grow up so do your taste buds. They also change over time. I still have a few items that the smell of it makes me ill because of either a...+READ

    Absolutely. I detested Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, and Roast Beef. Why? I think it all had to do with the way it was cooked. As an adult I was free to experiment with different flavors and cooking methods to determine what tasted best to me. I also think as you grow up so do your taste buds. They also change over time. I still have a few items that the smell of it makes me ill because of either a bad experience or just a dislike. But I will try just about anything once whereas I remember saying as a kid I didn't like something just because.-COLLAPSE

  • as a child I had to at least taste what was put on my plate, if I didn't care for it, I was not 'made' to eat it, but I did have to try it. I do remember 'cutting off my nose to spite my face' with a couple of things - Sweet potato casserole - tasted it, liked it, but wouldn't admit it! Matter of being 'right' I guess! also creme of spinach was a big one -- but I still prefer it w/o the nutmeg.