100% red flag if they're mean to animals.

Yes, if you don't like the food, keep it to yourself. Act gracious. Act kind.

I once had to eat some lemon pie with meringue on it, the food I hate most in the world. But it was made with love by my parents' dear friend, a WWII veteran and the sweetest person I have ever met. I even had extra and told him how delicious it was and seeing his huge smile was well worth the torture.

I totally get what you're saying and I agree that you should never, ever be rude, there are just certain things I would not be able to eat. I would just be gracious and eat sides or if there's bread. I would never make a stink or complain. I'm just a super picky eater and, in fact, I almost never agree to have dinner at someone's house because of that. I always prefer a restaurant and I offer to pay. Some people just have stomachs and taste buds of steel and can eat anything but I have literally thrown up eating food I don't like. I just react differently and it's been a problem my whole life. And I'm not the only person. But I know this which is why I offer other things or I let them know ahead of time...hey I'm sorry I'm a super picky eater so please don't make a lot or go to a lot of trouble. I've heard of people who are a vegetarian/vegan who go to someone's house and get butthurt because there aren't options for them as if people should have psychically known ahead of time. Just be upfront if someone invites you over for dinner. Just say 'I'm sorry but I'm vegan and I don't want you to go to a bunch of trouble for me so how about we all go out to dinner instead?' Choose a restaurant that has vegan options. Offer to pay. Just be nice about it. Most people wouldn't care.

In highschool we could go out for lunch our senior year. I went to 1 of the few fast food options we had. I bought a girl a sandwich because she didn't have money. I had her order it so she could get what she wanted. When she got it, she looked at it and said, 'ugh actually I don't want this..' she threw it away without asking me if I wanted it or something. We weren't friends for much longer. To this day, I still don't understand why she threw it away. Eat your food. Don't have to eat all of it but each your food lol

I once went to a family friends house for supper. They were having fish chowder. I'm not a fan of fish really, but I ate it. Turns out, it was actually pretty good.

I know I will sound the a*****e, but I have some friends who let their cats roam free on every surface in their houses, including the dinner table (set table) and kitchen counters. They invite me for dinner. I politely decline. They force the issue, I go. But, I eat before I go. I will not eat anything prepared in their house because I don't do cat seasoning.

Also, if someone cooks you a meal, assume you're cleaning up. They may refute your efforts letting you know they will do it, but at least make the effort first.

I remember going to Edinburgh years ago and visiting my great aunt, who in her youth was a cook in the great houses of Scotland and once made breakfast for the young princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, I was told. Well she made me a lunch plate one day with tomatoes and hard boiled eggs, both of which I don’t really like, with some suspect ham, and I think there was a hair or two from her wildish cats, but I sure was respectful and ate what was put in front of me, with gratitude.

I find it's good practice to at least find something on the table to compliment sincerely, and do it with enthusiasm.

I have a date tonight and I'm making the guy dinner and I'm nervous as hell cause I want it to go perfect. I agree when showing hospitality it's immense respect, I don't make dinner for just anyone!

My cousin, & his friend Lynn went to my daughter & SIL home for Easter brunch. Lynn loved the cold salad, that was served, & she asked for the recipe. My low life, SIL who believes that he is better than anyone else said “I won’t waste my time making this kind of salad, for brunch, we purchased it and the rest of the food from The ***** Market!” At that point I wanted to crawl under the table or leave because my SIL obviously did not appreciate hosting anyone in his home, or sharing their food. This baby man is in his 40s & weighs 360lbs, neither of them have ever offered any senior or someone who lives alone, a take home container of food from these events, even if they brought a covered dish!

I did something similar to the friend. It wasn't the food was bad it was delicious but there some foods I don't eat and let my host know so the food wasn't wasted (like the veggies he was serving.). One of our friends said I should have just thrown it away after finishing the meal which I thought would be an insult. Instead my host was insulted by letting him know so the food wasn't wasted.

I was working 2 jobs & raising kids. Ordered a catered Thanksgiving dinner from a small, local food prep business (it was delicious) because I had to work the day before Thanksgiving (I did make the pies from scratch). I Invited my single 4th cousin who has no family in the area. Mid-meal she learns that the lovely dinner she was enjoying was catered. She stands up and says "If I knew it wasn't going to be homemade I never would have come!" Ugh. Gratitude.

Free food is always good! Be grateful someone cares for you enough to share their food.

Seriously horse manure. There's literally dozens of reasons why people eat what they like to eat and why they don't eat what you may have served. If someone clocked me for eating half the roast but only a bite of the buttery biscuits and potatoes and string beans, I'd serve them raw monkey brains (faces of death) style to help them down from that high horse they're on.

I don't know. I agree that it would be very rude to leave DURING a meal and run out and grab food for yourself separately. And I agree that you must always act respectfully, kindly, gently, and compassionately. But this applies equally to the HOST as well. Under no circumstances should a guest ever feel forced to eat something against their wishes, and under no circumstances is it okay for the host to lie and state that a dish is vegan, vegetarian, shellfish-free, gluten-free ... whatever when they even suspect it is not. If the host serves dishes that the dietary restrictions of a guest do not allow the guest to eat, neither the host nor the guest should feel slighted or offended that the guest is not eating. Now, this does not mean the guest should complain about the food or even say anything about it. I do believe it is important that the guest understand that not everyone can accommodate their dietary restrictions, and it is THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY to eat before or after.

Yes, that's the way I was raised. My mother always said eat, what's put in front of you even if it's s**t and Thank the host.

Don't go out for fast food after someone has gone to the trouble of cooking for you.

My husband's friend and wife came over for a few days. I made a complex Asian meal. Wife says "that's ok,I'll have water and a bagel". Told my hubby I am never cooking for them again.

Gyoza dumplings is a side, but Polish pierogi are a full meal. Try to eat 12 of them. You will not need anything more.

What's Quiznos?

I'm a picky eater, but I do try to taste the common things I don't like once a year or more to see if things have changed. Most of the stuff comes from getting overstuffed with it when I was little, so it sucks as it's things like (shell)fish, tomatoes, mushrooms and strawberries and I remember them tasting good, but now it just tastes and smells awful for me. So if that get's served, I will try to eat around it, but I know I won't like it, so I won't force myself.

Agreed, I once had a friend that came over for curry - it was japanese curry so no coconut and she complained the entire meal how she was really hoping for that coconut flavor and was sooo disappointed. Then the b!t€h went back for 2nds

I've eaten things that I would never eat out of respect of the person who made it for me.

Yes. Be gracious and kind to your host. They've likely spent a lot of time preparing that meal. Also, just because someone has grown up preparing food differently, doesn't make it bad. Just because it doesn't taste like yours, it doesn't mean it's not good, MOM. My mom has passed away now, so I can say that. She was so critical of other people's food. If it wasn't just like hers, it wasn't any good. And she always seemed to forget her own cooking failures. She was a good cook tho. Lol.

Wooow, how extremely rude. Unless you're allergic keep it to yourself have your "snack" and politely get something later.

I love to entertain but w all the wild digestive and food allergies nowadays I always ask before cooking.. But I would NEVER be so rude as to go somewhere and bring back fast food. LAST invite

I will gladly and excitedly come over for Pierogis ANY time.

OMG try pierogi poutine THATS A MEAL! Ps. Screw em

The exception is if you have an allergy or dietary need. Let your host know ahead of time, and if they forget, politely remind them while complimenting how amazing and well made the food looks and how you wish you could eat it.

This would depend on where you are in the world, since different cultures have different etiquettes they follow.

Then you eat the pierogies with a f*****g smile on your face and get something later... not that hard. I don't like eating other people's food - really bad food poisoning (twice!), but I still make a small plate, eat what looks safe and push the rest around. 10+ years and no one has caught on.

My friends grandmother fixed me a plate once with something on it I didn't really like but I ate it anyway so as not to hurt her feelings.

As a kid I was allowed to say ''no thank you'', when someone wanted to put something of my plate, but if it was already there, I had to eat at least some of it and not tell them if it was revolting. Which makes me laugh now, but back then, it was rough.