Sometimes changes in eating habits have nothing to do with health. It’s just a matter of patience. The dishes we used to love to prepare or enjoy eating are just too much work. Who wants to peel, crack, scrape or do the dishes any longer? Many older adults say they’d rather keep things simple and stress-free.
Here are 11 food items from a recent lifestyle survey where participants over sixty shared which foods no longer feel worth the trouble.
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Pomegranates
Lots of people mentioned pomegranates; they loved the way they looked but found eating them a chore. They cause stains on their hands and clothes and sticky sap on their fingers. Also, picking around the pith takes so long. A few said they now just pour the juice and drink that.
Artichokes
Many people described artichokes as “too complicated for what you get.” They talked about having to trim, boil, peel, peel some more to finally get to the small heart that’s finally edible. One woman said she hasn’t cooked one in 10 years, because it “takes too much patience for too little payoff.”
Hard shell tacos
A number of people said they’ve just given up on hard shell tacos entirely. The shells always break with the first bite, spilling everything everywhere. They reported that soft tortillas were easier to handle and “don’t crumble halfway through dinner.”
Popcorn
It still smells incredible, but now every handful seems to end in anguish. Kernels wedge between teeth, gums ache, and there’s always that one unpopped kernel that feels like it’s laughing at you. The majority of people said they now swap it for roasted nuts or simple crackers.
Spicy food
It’s not that they lost their taste for spice. It’s that their stomachs revolted. “My tongue says yes, but my body says no,” one senior lamented. Mild curry has replaced hot chili, and people with upset stomachs look at spicy food longingly while healthily refusing to eat it.
Corn on the cob
Most respondents said it still smelled wonderful and sweet, but the act of chewing and those pesky little kernels getting stuck in their teeth, all make it more irritating than pleasurable. Some described it as “too much dental gymnastics”. Now most buy pre-cut, than eat the kernels off the cob.
Big salads with lots of ingredients
After a certain age, all that washing, chopping, and mixing starts to feel like a second job. Most people confessed that they now just prefer a simple salad with two or three ingredients.
Biting into apples
Cutting into an apple used to be a quick, no-brainer task. Now there is a sense of fear: “sensitive teeth, dentures, and the fear of that one hard crunch make it less tempting”. Most people said they just slice them up or cook them now.
Watermelon
A few people said they love watermelon, although the whole ordeal of buying and cutting it is not their jam anymore. It’s also heavy to carry, slippery to slice, and fills up half the fridge. A few mentioned making the switch to smaller, seedless varieties, because “they’re easier on both the hands and the patience.”
Shellfish
Shellfish is a tasty treat, but it’s just too much work. Peeling and cracking, and prying little morsels of meat from the casing just takes so much energy. A few respondents said they still enjoyed eating it, just only when someone else has done the work.
Fresh coconuts
Most people described cracking a coconut as “something you only do once past fifty.” It’s hard, messy, and not worth the struggle for a few spoons of coconut flesh. Many said they just prefer packaged coconut water or grated coconut now.
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