Being a picky eater can sometimes be a little frustrating, not only for yourself but for friends and family members as well. My parents always told me that ever since I was able to eat on my own, I've been very picky about the kinds of foods that I eat. Ever since I was diagnosed with a few digestive disorders in 2016, I would say that my picky eating habits have changed a lot, the diagnoses being the biggest reason why.

I can no longer eat some of the foods that I used to enjoy, and I've also learned from trial-and-error what I can and can't eat. Nonetheless, I'm still one of the biggest picky eaters I know, at 21-years-old. If you're a picky eater, then you'll be all too familiar with a lot of the challenges that come along with being one!

1. Eating out at the same restaurant every time you go out to eat

At least when you're at a place you're familiar with, you've tried almost everything on the menu, so you have a variety of things to choose from.

2. When you do venture out to a new place, you look for foods that you know you'll eat

For me, it's always chicken and fries, or a burger and fries. I also like tacos and quesadillas, so if I'm at a place that serves all kinds of food, I'll get those.

3. Your friends judge you if you order off of the kid's menu

If the "big kid" menu doesn't have anything that you like, you order off of the kid's menu. You can't go wrong with chicken and fries, am I right?

4. You have a "special order"

I don't like tomatoes and I can't have certain spices and seasonings because of my digestive issues, so every time we go somewhere new, I always have to say "no tomato" or "no bell peppers," and my friends always tell me that it'll be plain, but I'd rather order my food without those things and enjoy it!

5. Picking it off is not the same

Going back to number 4, people will just tell you that you can "pick it off," but it's not the same because THE TASTE LINGERS.

6. You look up the menu online before you go out

You always have to make sure there are at least one or two dishes you can eat.

7. The list of foods that you will eat is small

Through trial-and-error, I know what I can and can't eat, and I am perfectly content with eating these same foods.

8. Your friends get excited when you agree to try something new

I'm 21-years-old and I have never tried sushi before last summer. I tried it and my friends got excited, only to be let down when I did not enjoy what I was eating.

9. You get anxious when your friends invite you over for dinner

Will I like what's being cooked? What if there is an ingredient that I don't like?

10. You can tell you won't like a food just by the way it looks or smells

If it's got an odd smell or looks weird, chances are I'm not going to eat it.