Putting food into safe and unsafe catogaries

[yummymummy]

I was just curious to know whether anyone else, like me, segregate food into safe and unsafe catogaries regarding how likely they are to make you sick?

I have always had trouble with eating meat, anxiety around it not be cooked properly increase the chance if food poisoning. These days I'm more relaxed around meat, I eat beef, lamb with no problems, I can eat pork but I very rarely eat chicken.

Examples of safe and unsafe food

Safe

Crisps (chips for Americans)
Toast
Crackers
Biscuits
Salad
Dry cereal

Unsafe

Pasta
Rice
Hot milky drinks
Stodgey foods (casseroles,stews)


My problem around food is that I don't like to feel food in my stomach so I tend to snack on dry food as I find this easy on the stomach.

[randall3329]

I dont eat meat, so dont have to worry about that. My only unsafe foods are seafood and fried foods as they dont sit well in my tummy. Ironically i consider 2 of your unsafe foods my safe foods - pasta and rice (althiugh i never reheat it)

[renaesays]

I think I'm getting to that point, I try to avoid foods like KFC where I know my friends have gotten sick from. I also worry when I re-heat things like chicken, what if they're not hot enough and the germs are still alive? Or what if it's not kept cold enough in my bag for school and the germs have started to form again? It's mostly junk-foody things that get my heart racing and stomach churning, because really, anybody could have cooked it, touched it, and there's a good chance that it's still dirty.

This is going to sound very selfish, but sometimes, if I'm eating something and I don't trust it, I try to force it onto other people, to get their opinion on it, and just in case I get sick, then I know I won't be the only one.

[heydani]

I haven't eaten fast food in 5 years. My therapist recently assigned me to start eating more of my unsafe foods. She said that to avoid certain foods, is to exaggerate our fear, and build our anxieties even higher.

[kaiilyn_23]

When my anxiety was really bad I did the same thing. I lost so much weight from it to the point where I was underweight because I wasn't getting the right nutrients! I only ate mashed potatoes, veggies, little portions of pasta (and pasta is my FAVOURITE meal of all time) and fruits. Hated eating at other peoples houses, at restaurants, etc. I didn't even realize it at the time. I stopped eating junk food, which isn't a horrible thing but I'm 13, at the time I was 11/12, I'm supposed to be eating it while I can... then I started Zoloft, and my life was magically altered LOL. I started pigging out again, feeling like eating all that crap food. Even with pigging out like crazy (I've been feeling better for about a year,) I'm only just at the "healthy" weight!

[yummymummy]

I think I'm getting to that point, I try to avoid foods like KFC where I know my friends have gotten sick from. I also worry when I re-heat things like chicken, what if they're not hot enough and the germs are still alive? Or what if it's not kept cold enough in my bag for school and the germs have started to form again? It's mostly junk-foody things that get my heart racing and stomach churning, because really, anybody could have cooked it, touched it, and there's a good chance that it's still dirty.

This is going to sound very selfish, but sometimes, if I'm eating something and I don't trust it, I try to force it onto other people, to get their opinion on it, and just in case I get sick, then I know I won't be the only one.

I have been doing that for years to regards of forcing food on other people.

[kam00096]

I've given up eating meat altogether for the min as it just wasn't worth the stress. Will probably go back to it - I don't want to let the emet win (and I really miss steak )

[Elski]

I look on almost all food as being safe, just with some carrying slightly more risk than others. Those that are riskier would include stuff like chicken, eggs, shellfish etc. But sometimes I have to remind myself that even the slight risk with these is reduced to pretty much nothing when cooked properly.

The only thing I consider totally unsafe and wouldn't touch with a barge pole is oysters.

[yummymummy]

I go through phases of anxiety around specific foods, I more or less never eat chicken and will occasionally eat pork, both beef and lamb I have no issue with. I have no issue of eating under cooked eggs even though in more than aware this can cause food poisoning. I don't like fish and seafood so that isn't an issue. I have now developed anxiety around rice as if rice is not cooked or stored properly it can cause food poisoning.

[LouiseR]

I don't really have too much of a problem with food. I can be a bit of a fussy eater but it's not really cause of emet, although I will avoid shell fish cos that is a more common food to make you sick.
I never worry about meat, a lot of my meals include meat, I sometimes think I don't know what i'd cook myself if I didn't eat chicken. I'm a bit fussy about defrosting, I don't like to defrost in the microwave or on the work top cause I get worried i'll do it wrong and contaminate the meat but that is about all.

Pasta and rice are odd foods for your unsafe category surely? I pretty much live on chicken pasta, and I never get sick

[ForeverrCaitlin]

I consider dry packed things (like rice-a-roni/mac and cheese/oatmeal etc) totally safe, trusted brands of frozen veggies or grilled chicken, canned foods,, and then salads are heading into unsafe for me and then all fast food chains completely unsafe and i'll only go to some resturants sometimes. Frozen meals are usually a no-go though and i love fish but dont really eat shellfish unless its clam chowder XD

Im actually suprised that pasta is considered 'unsafe'? I dont see why but i do understand meats/chicken, i eat chicken like ALL the time no-prob lol. I feel 'dirty now since i eat pasta frozen/canned/rotissiare chicken and pasta all the time XD

[yummymummy]

I don't consider pasta/rice as an un​safe food because I believe it would give me food poisoning, I find it almost impossible to eat because I don't like the heaviness in my stomach. It's really frustrating because I love to eat them and never had an issue before my Emetophobia went into overdrive.

[paulinek]

Apart from certain raw shellfish such as Oysters ans Mussels which have in certain areas been found to contain noroviruses on account of them being "filter-feeders" and potentially filtering noro-infected water (from seawater containing raw sewage) through them, then ALL food is safe so long as it is stored, handled and cooked properly. There are certain things I avoid if i am eating out purely because if undercooked can make you poorly so i would rather only eat them at home just to be on the safe side.

No criticism of the OP or any subsequent replies (I haven't read them as just about to go to sleep) and I hope I don't come across as being preachy because that is really annoying but I don't feel it is helpful to list foods you consider unsafem because there is no logical or factual reason why they are unsafe, it is only irrational emet fear making you feel this way and it is entirely up to you as we are all free to post what we like on here within reason, but it might be an idea to edit and remove the names of your unsafe food list as some members of the forum are on an already very restricted unhealthy diet and seeing this could encourage them to remove even more perfectly safe and healthy foods for no good reason xxx

[asianeko]

It's interesting to see how different everyone is! Thinking long and hard, the only foods that give me anxiety are ones that I suspect could normally contain peanuts, but however do not. New brownies and cookies, granola and fiber bars, etc. I'm anaphylactic to peanuts, and I think my first bad reaction is what caused my fear.

[DeadxxInside92]

Nothing is unsafe lawl...I'll eat anything....EXCEPT raw stuff...but that's a given.

[tallgirl]

I suppose I do to a degree but there isn't much I will avoid due to emet, although I wouldn't eat oysters. It's funny to see how different everyones views on safe and unsafe foods. Oh I get a bit worried about defrosting too, I'm trying to get through that though as I want to start batch cooking more.

[ktacserv]

My only unsafe foods are ones that I have seen on the CDC website as being prime to carrying viruses...salad, dressings, mayo, etc. I wont eat those things when I am out, but I do eat them at home where I know I've handled them.properly. I wont eat any food at parties, just because its typically big bowls of shared stuff that everyone is sticking their hands into, no thanks. Especially because last year that is how we all caught noro!

[yummymummy]

I posted this just out of sheer curiosity.

I am one of the orientation that doesn't believe in over analysing sensations/feelings around Emet or persistant posts seeking ways of avoiding it, I believe this behaviour reinforces Emet and OCD tendancies. BUT who am i say such things, everyone experiences and deals with Emet in different ways.

[paulinek]

I posted this just out of sheer curiosity.

I am one of the orientation that doesn't believe in over analysing sensations/feelings around Emet or persistant posts seeking ways of avoiding it, I believe this behaviour reinforces Emet and OCD tendancies. BUT who am i say such things, everyone experiences and deals with Emet in different ways.

Yes, i probably didn't word my post very well all it is, is i know some emets see lists of what others think are unsafe and then add them to their own list and end up eating a severely restricted unhealthy diet, it doesn't bother me as i like my food too much lol i just know it sets some people off. I didn't mean any offence