I mentioned in my previous post that I simply didn’t like certain foods, and that got me to thinking about food preferences in general. I concluded that when it comes to food, I’m simply weird. There’s a whole list of foods that I don’t care to eat, and there’s no reason at all for these negativities (which are only preferences, by the way, as when I’m hungry, I’ll eat anything).

First, I’m a vegetarian. Like most Americans, I’ve always eaten meat, and after over a decade of not eating it, I still crave it. But I won’t eat it, except in extreme circumstances. I used to feel less guilty about eating seafood, but nowadays I don’t want to touch either fish or shellfish, and I’m working on eliminating dairy and eggs from my diet and leather from my wardrobe.

So here’s the list of non-meat foods that I don’t care to eat:

• jams and jellies (peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches: total yuck)
• any kind of candy other than chocolate, which means no to caramels, licorice, jelly beans, tootsie rolls, lollipops, candy canes, marshmallows, gumdrops
• applesauce, jello, any kind of pudding or custard
• any kind of pie other than pumpkin, key lime, or pecan, which means no to blueberry, cherry, Boston cream, lemon meringue
• fruitcake (if I have to eat it, I spit out the green, yellow, and red citron bits)
• mint (if I’m making a recipe that calls for it, I leave it out, and I don’t like peppermint patties or thin mints, or mint-flavored toothpaste)
• hot cereal like oatmeal or cream of wheat, or even polenta
• filled doughnuts

I generally don’t like squishy desserts — I have no idea why, as there are three major exceptions to this rule: cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and ice cream. I also generally don’t like sweet main dishes, which means I prefer main dishes which don’t include fruit, though I’m working on expanding my tastes to include different flavorings for the bean dishes which are a staple for anyone on a vegetarian diet.

Next post: food that I do like!