Yuck! Top 8 Foods I'd Rather Starve Than Eat

I love food, probably more than I ought. But it's no secret I'm a picky eater. There are certain foods I just cannot bear to smell or taste, let alone consume. I'm not a fan of vegetables in general--raw celery? You might as well shove bamboo shoots under by nails. And no, peanut butter does not make it better. Brussels Sprouts? What are those, a Cosmic joke? While we're at it, who decided it was a good idea to eat liver or tripe? That must have been some kind of Double Dog Dare.

And meat that's sweet? Ewwww! So, so repulsive. Believe me, my life would be easier if barbecue sauce didn't gag me, if the very thought of pineapple on pizza or apricots on chicken didn't send my tastebuds into a blind panic. One of my foundational food philosophies is that sweet is sweet and savory is savory and never the twain should meet. I love dessert--I'll even eat it first--but it shouldn't be on my dinner plate. Seriously, sweet and sour dishes? An abomination. That raw broccoli salad with raisins and onions that my sister-in-law makes? Dude, no wonder we don't get along very well. What kind of sadist decided on that combination?

It's a pain in the neck for a "foodie" to have such a limited list of acceptable ingredients. Know what's even worse than being fundamentally opposed to such a vast percentage of food? People who try to convince me that I'm wrong. Seriously, their tastebuds may enjoy that stuff, but mine do not. Unless they want to donate their tastebuds and pay for my transplant, I'm not going to like their filet of sole with mango salsa. I'm all grown up, I don't need people (like my mother-in-law, God bless her) telling me that something is good for me or that I should just try it again because maybe I'll like it this time. If it's got certain ingredients in it, I don't care if it's served on a solid gold tray brought in by Christian Bale riding shirtless on a unicorn's back--I'm not going to put myself through the guaranteed torture of eating it. If other people like it, that's great--they can have my share. But food is more personal than religion or politics--no amount of proselytizing is going to convert me to any of these enemies of my tastebuds:

1.) Bell Peppers (especially the green ones)

2.) Onions (especially raw)

3.) Curry (just the smell nauseates me, and I'm not even pregnant!)

4.) Cantaloupe

5.) Black Licorice

6.) Beets (especially pickled)

7.) Sweet Pickles

8.) Balsamic Vinegar

Which foods are worse than starvation in your book?