For as long as I can remember, I have always been the pickiest eater in my family. It has gotten to the point where I have gotten so used to eating the same meals, it does not even make a difference to me anymore. I have just accepted that's all I like. Being a picky eater does have its downfalls, though, that non-picky eaters may not always understand. Here are some thoughts, confessions and experiences picky eaters have had.

1. We secretly like chain restaurants because we know exactly what they have.

No surprises or hoping for the best with this one. We know exactly what they have, what we want and more than likely how much it costs.

2. Immediately checking the menu of a restaurant you have never been to so you can be sure they have your go-to meal.

Seriously, when your family and friends surprise you by saying you are going to a new restaurant, it is the worst thing. What happens if they do not have what you want? Of course, the answer will not be trying something new, it will be the classic line "Oh, I'm not hungry."

3. Not liking foods you separate being mixed together.

This is probably one of my family's biggest pet peeves about my picky eating. I will eat hamburg, corn and potato separately, but if they mix it together in shepard's pie – I will not touch it.

4. Using extra plates because you do not like your food touching.

Having food touch is definitely my biggest problem and pet peeve out of all of these. If my food touches, I really will not eat it. It might all be "going to the same place" (as I have been told oh so many times) but I seriously do not want it touching. I resort to using multiple plates without shame.

5. Eating the same meals over and over again because it is one of the few you really like.

I touched on this a little already, but one thing you are bound to see when you encounter a picky eater is us always eating the same things over and over. We cannot help it; we like what we like just like you like what you like. Our choices just might not be quite as extensive.

6. Buffet lines are either a hit or a complete miss.

When I hear that I am going to a buffet I am not familiar with, I have just learned to prepare myself for the fact that I may not eat much of anything. Seriously, I feel like I won the lottery if I go to a buffet and find that there is actually food I like.

7. Saying you are not hungry because you do not like what is available.

As a kid, I always felt so guilty going over to someone's house and not taking all that was offered for food. They spend so much time making it and I am just so picky I did not like it. Sometimes I would take it out of guilt, but if it was *really* bad I would have to go for the classic "No thank you, I am not very hungry."

8. Actually taking the risk to try something new and having everyone stare at you waiting to see if you like it or not.

If you can actually get talked into trying something new, which in my case is a very rare occasion, you can almost count on everyone around you staring at you to see if you will actually like it. Through this experience, I have learned how uncomfortable it is to have people watch you when you are eating.

From being a picky eater for as long as I can remember, I can honestly say I have encountered all of these experiences at some point in time. We may get silently judged for always eating the same things and never trying anything new, but think of it this way, at least we can count on never being the annoying person who takes forever to order something off the menu.