If you’re a picky eater, you know how hard it is to find foods that you think are suitable to your selective taste. I know, because when I go to restaurants, I automatically look for the one thing I know never fails me. Pizza, pasta, and chicken tenders. If you’re like me, you would agree that these small plates are good options anywhere you go in the world, but to fully experience the world, you should try new and exciting things from new and exciting places.
Traveling the world can show you the diverse cultures, religions, and diets of international countries you may have not known about. I will soon be pursuing this in late 2026, and I hope to expand my knowledge (and diet) far beyond the carb-based meals of my daily life. The question is, how can I stop being a picky eater and learn to enjoy other cultures?
Being a picky eater is surprisingly tough. Stepping out of your comfort zone is particularly hard for some, whether it’s the smell that repels you, or just the flat out appearance of the meal. Finlay More Nisbett, a high-school picky eater, shares how it can be embarrassing to be selective with your food choices.
“It’s pretty rough, man,” Nisbett says. “I get bullied and feel pretty self-conscious.” He finds it hard to broaden his horizon, when all he can think about are “those delicious burgers.”
Nisbett would like to visit Indonesia or India. He says he loves the juicy tender samosas and since, “those places probably won’t have burgers on their menu, I’ll be forced to have the tuna mahi-mahi,” he says frustrated.
Nisbett expresses his anger, since his sister may have influenced and impacted his ability to eat diversely negatively. “My sister is extraordinarily picky,” he admits, hoping to start his de-picky-fication process as soon as possible and get on the road to eating more adventurous foods.
Though it may seem impossible to escape the spiral of picky eating, there is a way out. Traveling can help you, in many ways. Anaya Bajaj, communications major, (6), a formal picky eater, traveled and now she eats almost anything.
“My mom and dad aren’t the pickiest people in the world,” she says. “I kind of caught on with them. For example, when they try new foods, sometimes I do as well,” she adds. Bajaj traveled to places like India, where her parents are from. “We don’t go there that often, but when we do, we eat amazing food!”
An example of something Anaya tried is mayonnaise. “I used to DESPISE mayonnaise. Just the sight of it used to make me gag. But then, my family and I went on a vacation one day and we got Mexican food. One of the appetizers came with mayonnaise. My sister, Mom, and Dad were all dipping it in there and I thought I would give it a try. It was actually pretty good!”
Though the transition is hard, it is worth it once you reach the goal you have set for yourself. Anaya is excited to continue her journey exploring foods from all over the world.
But no one knows the world like someone who has traveled to all four corners. Alexander More Nisbett, a widely cultured individual, has been to lots of places that made him realize the rock-of-a-diet he’s been living under.
“I went to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong. I’ve also been to South Korea, Australia. Canada, and Brazil, ” says Nisbett, adding that he has traveled to a variety of places at the age of 19, with his close friend John. They explored many places and many foods. “You don’t have the option to be picky when you travel,” he says. “You either eat what they have or you go hungry.”
Nisbett recalls the Thai green curry from Thailand, and how it “blew his tastebuds away (in a good way.)” As well as good things, Nisbett has tried strange and unusual things. “I’ve eaten a scorpion covered in chocolate, alligator, crocodile, kangaroo, and the weirdest one was a dog,” he says. “Travelling can help you experience new things, cultures, and most of all, great food!”
Whether you visit the places by plane, train, or car, or through a book, or YouTube videos, opening your eyes (and food choices) to new places is an amazing way to expand your diet and get a taste of the world, too.
