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People Explain Which Childhood Meals They Now Realize Were F**ked Up

People Explain Which Childhood Meals They Now Realize Were F**ked Up
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Oh the things we've all eaten.

Sometimes I look back on the day when my stomach was adventurous and I'm stunned at my stupidity.

Or I'm shocked by the adults who were around me.

But even into my 20s things didn't get better.

How we get through life with what we're willing to consume... it's a miracle.

Redditor MawedUpScribble wanted to chat about the questionable menus we've been fed or eaten by choice.

They asked:

"What did you eat as a kid that you now realize was really f*cked up?"

Fun Dip! Anyone we remember Fun Dip?! Flavored sugar consumed on a sugar stick. Yeah that sounds smart. LOL. I LOVED IT!

From the Bottle

Luke Drinking GIF by Australian SurvivorGiphy

"Not me, but my best friend used to eat bullion cubes and drink worcestershire sauce straight from the bottle. (Haha, every single reply assumed my friend is a man. This was a twelve year old girl.)"

ChatGarou

Green

"When I was a kid, I did anything my dog did, including eating grass. One day I realized the grass I ate was also the spot where he peed."

Wabisabi_girl

"Dog pee on a blade of grass once, versus chewed gum spat onto public sidewalks from the mouths of strangers with God knows what diseases multiple times? I'm not gonna pretend that either is appealing, but I think a single experience with dog piss grass is less awful than multiple wads of stranger gum."

hakamamalo

nibbles...

"Horse biscuits. They were green, rather hard and delicious. There was nothing on the packet to say they were not suitable for human consumption, and all the ingredients sounded innocuous. So my best friend and I had a test nibble whilst feeding our horses. After that I regularly pinched a biscuit. Very yummy. And no ill effects."

CountessCraft

'cook'

"My sister and I when we were too young to be left alone in the kitchen decided to 'cook' and make something. We took grapenuts cereal, sugar, peanut butter and cola and mixed it up. We thought it was the best thing ever. Today clearly i think the idea is disgusting but I can still remember how it tasted. I also remember eating saltine crackers with sliced of 'government cheese' melted in it in the microwave for lunch often because we were poor but I liked it."

Tricky5342

Anything

mug sip GIF by Steven KraanGiphy

"I remember when my buddy was broke, he'd get a bunch of coffee creamers, ketchup packs and crackers from the condiment bar of a cafeteria and make tomato soup in a mug."

CantTakeMeSeriously

That last one made me ill. I need a minute.

SPOONED

baby fail GIFGiphy

"I used to eat frozen concentrated orange juice out of the container with a spoon."

justflush*t

Pizza?

"One time my dad made a 'pizza' with unseasoned tomato paste and sliced hotdogs."

Erberderbadoo

"A friend growing up was Korean and his parents would make us 'hot dog soup' which was just hot dogs sliced up into a spicy pepper soup base, maybe gochujang. To be fair, it was pretty tasty, as a young kid."

dcux

The Bell

"Taco Bell hot sauce packets. Not on or with anything, just a straight shot of hot sauce. Like 10-20 of them in a row sometimes."

DelphicProphecy

"There was a guy like a year ago or so, who was snowed in his car for 5 days and he survived on nothing but taco bell sauce packets."

DrDeuceJuice

"My high school job was Taco Bell in Southern Oregon. For a while there was a .39 burrito day. Each time we had this special a 'very large man' would order 20 burritos with red sauce and 20 burritos with green sauce. He would sit and eat all 40 burritos and downed a hot sauce packet with each burrito. RIP that dude, no way he’s still alive."

PacoMahogany

White Stuff

"I would routinely grab a handful of fresh, powdery white snow then head to the curb of my street and slop a big glop of slushy, grey, gritty, curb slush right on top and eat it like a cupcake. Tasted nice and salty. I was probably between the ages of 6 and 8 when I did this."

Rokuformula

Straight Up Raw

Awkward Oops GIF by I Can’t Believe It’s Not ButterGiphy

"I had two favourite snacks as a kid. Butter straight out of the tub or onions. Raw onion."

Sienna-hart

Not much choice...

"Ketchup sandwiches."

PolyDrew

"I had a friend who ate ketchup sandwiches. Other kids would make fun of him for it. But his family was poor and he didn't have much choice. He grew up to be one of the hardest working guys I've ever known. House has enough food in it to survive a zombie apocalypse. Because he doesn't want his kids to ever worry about their next meal."

kalgary

Tough Times

"This isn't what you were probably expecting but my siblings and I basically grew up on game meat. My parents were starring down the barrel of some really dark times so my dad bought some game tags every year and we ate elk and dear every day for six years. It was one of those situations where the fact that my brother and I could fish everyday without getting a ticket meant that our dad sent us fishing every day since we were 6."

"We eventually pulled through and there were times there was something other than whatever we caught, shot, or trapped, but in hindsight it really put into perspective just how fucking hard times got for us."

anothersatanist89

Love it Today

“'Cheesy peas' were one of my favorites. It was just plain green peas with a slice of melted American cheese stirred in. I didn’t realize it was just one of many struggle meals my parents fed us until I mentioned it to friends later and they were all completely aghast. I'd still eat it today though."

tsuto

Eat Anything

Dog Ate My Homework School GIF by Guava JuiceGiphy

"I ate a fist sized ball of Saran Wrap when I was 12. I also ate construction paper and would label them different flavors."

bitis_gabonica

INSTANT REGRET.

"We would get a short little cup, pour in a mound of sugar, and dip strawberries in. Usually there was a little sugar left over and we would wet our finger, stick it in, and suck on sugar straight. Well. One day after sucking on strawberries and sugar I went down into the basement."

"I noticed a little mound of white sugar crystals to the side of the top stair! I wet my finger, stuck it in, and sucked on it. INSTANT REGRET. so I poked my head out of the basement and said 'HEY this sugar tastes gross!!' And my parents had me drink lots of orange juice."

JohnHowardBuff

Earth's Menu

"Dirt."

Freddy704

"My mom did this as a kid, and also ate the walls which were made of dirt. The smell of moist earth was delicious to her. She told us this while laughing. I was like, mom... you were suffering from malnutrition."

Patomaxe

"I ate dirt, grass, and other such stuff as a kid. I also had pinworms once, however I don't get sick very often and I think it's cuz I built my immunity up by doing such things as a child."

TFlo904

Delish?

Excited Winnie The Pooh GIFGiphy

"Bread, butter, and sugar. I thought it was a treat. Turns out we were broke."

Crazy-Leadership-634

Jacks

"My mom was an addict and on weekend I was at her house she would regularly disappear for hours. Sometimes she’d not have electricity. Sometimes no gas. Almost always little to no food. One time I was starving and the only option was super stale Apple Jacks and half and half. She also had mice, so I try not to think about what else was in that box. 30 years later, I still can’t eat Apple Jacks."

ohidontthinks0

Make better diet choices. Our bodies are going to seek revenge!

The Weirdest Animal Facts People Know

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People accumulate facts throughout life on a wide variety of subjects.

Some are mundane while others are weird, wild or wonderful.

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Content Warning: Mental Health, Suicide, Domestic Violence

We all know that we technically can't make anyone else do anything, and we certainly can't "fix" other people. Other people will only change or do something if they choose to; the only person we can really control is ourselves.

But some people really love to try, often to hilarious and terrible results.

Already cringing, Redditor Dapper_Algae6280 asked:

"People who entered a relationship thinking 'I can fix them,' how did that go?"

Time for an Upgrade

"There is a weird thing that happens when you 'fix' someone. They tend to think if you liked them broken, then they deserve better than you now that they are better than they were."

- TheRealLifePotato

"As horrible as it sounds, to have a happy, emotionally healthy relationship you need two happy, emotionally healthy people. If you want to be in that sort of relationship, you need to fix yourself first."

- inactiveuser247

"This right here. After three sh*tty relationships in a row, I realized this is a me problem. I took a few years off from dating to reflect and really learn to see red flags and understand myself so I wouldn't make that mistake again."

- MikoSkyns

No More Spark

"My now ex had PTSD, depression, and a variety of other issues she claimed. After two and a half years of dating (being my first and only relationship), she became more social, less suicidal, and overall happier as a person."

"She decided to cheat on me with someone else due to 'lack of communication' and us 'no longer having a spark". The irony."

"For context, we were 17 at the time, in high school, and I worked full-time hours with initiatives to hang out, which were refused. Red flags everywhere."

- elteragxo

"Your situation is eerily similar to mine, what the f**k?"

"I met a girl with mental and emotional issues and decided to fix them through a healthy relationship. She recovered and found someone else because 'the spark was gone.'"

- Aimlessdrifter8778

Misery Loves Company

"Now we are both broken."

- Brave-Butterscotch76

"The same thing happened to my sister-in-law. She married a very negative and miserable guy while saying 'he will get better' or 'we’re working on it,' and now she’s a very negative and miserable person."

- Moreofyoulessofme

Getting to Watch a Partner Grow

"At first we were only f**king. I don't know if I ever thought I could fix her, but I did fall in love with this beautiful lady with severe anxiety, depression, and trust issues after being in a domestically violent relationship."

"We were f**k buddies for about six months and I got a glimpse of her issues but I still went ahead and asked her to be my girlfriend The heart wants what it wants."

"We dated for a year and a half (two years since meeting), and I actually got to see her at her worst a few times, but I was finally able to get her therapy with a great psychiatrist and treatment, this is when I asked her to move in with me. We've been living together for six years."

"Four years ago, she had the worst breakdown I've seen. She went full-on paranoid, wall-scratching nervous, she was even doubting me and my motives to be there. It was a very difficult week, and she left the house and went to her mom's house in the middle of the night."

"Eventually, her therapist was able to get a hold of her and get her back to her senses. Her doctor then suggested that I also should go to a counselor or at the very least we should do couples therapy so we had strong bases for our relationship and we did."

"I now look back and won't change her for anything in the world, she has grown so much, and she glows right now. I now see her smile and it's glorious. She's achieved a great position too and it's amazing just to see how much happier she looks."

- Spiritual-Narwhal666

Not a Match

"I fixed what I wanted to fix, but that still didn't make us right for each other. In the end, I think she's in a much happier place than she could have been, so I think it was worth the time invested."

"We were wrong for each other, but at least we both came out better positioned to receive the happiness that would come to us later."

- MrWeb20

In Their Nature

"A couple of months into the relationship, I fixed him."

"After some irritation, he stopped peeing on the carpet. Now, my cat still brings mice, but I guess, that's just his nature."

- mobileJay77

The Importance of Boundaries

"I don't know if I would say that I 'fixed' her (and I wasn’t trying to), but I definitely taught my last ex the importance of being able to set boundaries and to stop going out of her way to please people who consistently hurt her."

"Eventually this would lead to us breaking up, but I have no regrets. I have issues of my own that were wearing her down and she did what she had to. Same rules apply. We’re both better off because of it."

- TylerTexas10

Happily Ever After

"She fixed herself and I fixed myself with each other's support, and we are living happily ever after, it seems, with ongoing work on ourselves and our relationship."

- DonPronote

An Uncommon Ending

"I didn’t fix them. But I tried my hardest to be patient and supportive while they fixed themself. Sometimes I was better at support than other times. Sometimes they were better at fixing than other times."

"It ended up being worth the patience. Things have been great with us for years now. I know this isn’t the normal outcome though, and I feel incredibly lucky."

- I_Invented_Frysauce

A Little Help from Our Friends

"Usually I'm the one people try to fix.. I think the repeated attempts definitely helped me. Now my current partner gets to enjoy the previous hard work."

"...I think I just got tired of hurting the people who love me and fixed myself, though."

- addrien

All Their Idea

"You can't fix anyone. You can only fix yourself, but if you really want to try and fix someone, you have to make it seem like it's their idea."

- BuhrZap

A Helping Hand

"I don't think you can fix anyone. You can only help them fix themselves, which is very different."

"If someone is actively trying to fix themselves, and you can actually be the person to support them through it, then it can work, but it could also not work."

"I do think there should be a distinction between the two. I mean, trying to fix someone is a bad idea, but if you like someone and are willing to support them in their journey to fix themselves, it's probably not the worst idea in the world."

- brooksie1131

Lesson Learned

"It went so well that they managed to cure me of the desire to 'fix' anybody."

"I’ll toss you a life preserver if you’re trying to save yourself. But I’m not jumping in the water with anyone so they can drown me on their way out."

"People who need to hit rock bottom in order to better themselves will use you to soften their landing if you let them."

- GlobalPermit5428

Best Friends Forever

"It went well but it didn’t work out."

"So we kind of fixed each other we were both at very weird points in our lives and we only dated for about one and a half years. We didn’t need a romantic partner but we did need a friend in each other."

"We’re both in better places now and the best of friends. We both want each other to be part of our lives just not as lovers."

"All and all, I say we got the best outcomes in our lives."

- CODMAN627

So Worth the Investment

"He was an Uber driver with only a high school diploma."

"I married him anyways and bankrolled his education because he was fun as f**k to be around, was the smartest person I’ve ever met, and loves me like I’m the only woman on Earth."

"Now, he’s a computer engineer and we are landlords together and have bought investment properties. We are very happy together."

"Partners work together to create success. I think selfish people ask, 'what’s in it for me?' Marriage is about selflessness."

"I’m glad I sacrificed for his education. His mind would be wasted otherwise and he’s a genius."

- BabyElephantWalks

In most of these cases, the situation went poorly after a Redditor tried to change someone, and for good reason. If that person isn't ready or doesn't want to be fixed, it's only going to damage the relationship.

There's also something to be said about unconditional love. If you don't want to date the person exactly as who they are right now, why are you even trying to date them?

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Guy at the gym
Anastase Maragos/Unsplash

Tough guys put on a facade that indicates to others that they always know what's going on.

But their confidence doesn't always match their intellect, which is probably why they cover their insecurities by walking around and trying to show everyone who's really the boss.

If that's the case, they should keep their mouths shut because not everything that comes out of their mouth needs to be heard.

Yet, it can be amusing to everyone else.

Curious to hear examples of these, Redditor PrototypeShadowBlitz asked:

"Reddit, what is the stupidest thing you've heard from the 'alpha male' community?"

You might find these guys at a bar.

The Dude Must Be Hungry

"Had a run in once with a group of young lads about something in a bar and one of them said we are top of the food chain bro and you will be the prey."

– insertitherenow

"'Whatever, mall ninja" -proper response."

– TheEighthLord

If The Shoe Fits

"That they were an alpha male."

– I_Have_A_Name37654

"The use of 'Alpha Male,' unironically is every indication that you're dealing with a child's understanding of manhood."

– 88Dubs

Brat Pack

"Me and my bros are all alpha males."

– SonOfDadOfSam

"I was skiing one time and rode the lift with a guy that said, 'I don't feel no pain. I live with 5 roommates and none of us feel any pain.' Okay, bud. That's a really interesting coincidence."

– NicPizzaLatte

They sure thrive on making sexist comments.

Contagious Femininity

"A coworker said, 'I don't spend too much time with my girlfriend because I'll become too feminine.'"

– Lazy_Natural6154

"FELLAS IS IT GAY?!"

– aliebabadegrote

Sexist Categorization

"I have been called a beta for saying that my wife makes more money than I do. She works in a more lucrative field and is more educated than I am, so it makes perfect sense that she makes more than I do."

"So I came back, and this post has really blown up. There's just a few things I want to clarify."

"1- I have only ever been called a beta online."

"2- I work full-time in project management. I have a master's degree. I have a 6 figure salary."

"3- My wife has a PhD and works in finance. She also has a 6 figure salary, it's just a higher salary than my own."

"4- I'm sorry to anyone who might feel as though my original post misled them."

– ExaminationDouble240

It's Teamwork

"A real man would be proud of his wife for achieving success, and not fall for that sort of insecure bullsh*t."

"It's not a contest, that's the real joke here. Good on you for seeing the big picture."

– Mrbeardoesthethings

Do these roles about parenting sound familiar?

Childish Things Are Too Girly

"Real men don't take their kids trick or treating is one that I heard recently."

– constructionguy89

"Related. Guys who brag about not changing diapers, not playing 'girly' games, etc. Essentially guys who brag that their only contribution to fatherhood is money and masculine things like fishing or football. Even then some of them brag about not paying a lot of child support to prove they didn't let the system take advantage of them."

"I can't imagine a life so empty my only accomplishment worth bragging about was being a terrible parent."

– Green7000

This Woman's Work

"I was told that taking care of my kids is woman's work. Apparently it's concerning that I try to spend so much of my free time with them. Oddly enough the meatheads at my grappling club think it's sweet I occasionally have my daughters' hair clips on and nails painted."

– MrFunktasticc

People discussed rules in the bedroom.

Never Submissive

"That a man is turned off when their wife/girlfriend seduces them, because if she wants sex and shows it she is a sl*t, also making the man the submissive one…"

– kamalaophelia

Stifling Emotions

"Not the whole community, but was cuddling with a guy once and could tell he was trying not to get emotional over something that was bothering him. He said, quite literally, 'it's not alpha male behaviour.' I told him that I liked that he showed emotions sometimes, and he looked disgusted by the fact that I pointed it out."

– LambLifts

In high school, a classmate who was on the football team said I was a "sissy" for listening to classical music.

The other classmates laughed at me, which was hardly surprising since all of the guys on our unbeatable football team were considered stars on campus.

This kind of mockery was a typical day for me.

I can laugh at their idiotic comments now but back then, I don't know why I ever let them get under my skin.

A shocked young man cups his face with his hands
Nachristos/Unsplash

Who doesn't love a first date?

The anticipation. The hopes and dreams. The romance.

Even those first-date butterflies are fun.

You're hoping this could be the one.

Or maybe this will just be a lot of fun.

Then you sit down with one another and they open their mouth and BOOM... dating disaster.

Life is ruined. Or maybe you were saved.

Redditor MiloMilkOnDrugs wanted to hear about the conversations that can ruin a romantic time, so they asked:

"What's the worst thing someone can say on a first date?"

Having worked as a waiter as long as I did, I can't tell the things I've overheard without fainting.

I'll just say... sometimes it's okay to stay single.

Promises

Players Association Sport GIF by NBPAGiphy

“'I need you to promise not to tell my wife.'"

FriendNegative6013

Honk Off

"My cousin (F) went on a first date where in the middle of the conversation, her date reached over and squeezed her breast and said 'Honk.'"

"She said 'What on earth do you think you're doing?'"

He said 'I've had quite a lot of success with that move.'"

"There was no second date. My cousin was the girl. I realized from a comment it was ambiguous."

blu3teeth

Circa 2005

"My mother was freshly divorced and we signed her up on a dating website (circa 2005) Helped her take pictures etc..."

"She met this guy online real smart, seems to have his sh*t together, independent, etc..."

"They set a date at a local restaurant they park side by side."

"The moment she greets him he says: WOW I love those big boobs I can't wait to taste them!"

"She 180° stepped back in her Mazda 3 and f**ked the right off this parking lot lol."

mageakeem

Safety First

"Does anyone know you're here?"

Baby-hazell

"It's a safety thing. Sometimes, people let others know where they'll be before meeting a stranger for a date. However for him to ask can be seen as a little creepy like he would be planning to do something to them and would need to know that info so he can figure out how long she'll be gone before the police are called. If that makes sense."

Hachiko75

Previously...

canadian what GIF by CBCGiphy

"I was on a date once, the woman apologized before looking a bit rough because she had just had sex before coming."

REDDIT​

What happened to putting your best foot forward?

My goodness, it's not that hard to at least run a brush through your hair.

Mirror Mirror

"'My ex looks way better than you.'"

Academic_Ingenuity84

"What a coincidence. My ex looks way better than you."

"Maybe they can get together and leave us ugly fools to mope about it together."

LurkerOrHydralisk

Oh Baby

"After pulling her chair out for her, you pet her head then rub her belly saying 'I’m gonna put a baby in here.'"

BuffaloInCahoots

"Ha, can you imagine, being a proper gentleman and then ending with a head pat and belly rub?"

phillmybuttons

"I once had a guy tell me on the first date he wanted to have at least six children. I heard later from his sister he married a woman who was already pregnant with someone else's kid, and he had her pregnant again within the year."

ashoka_akira

Family Dynamics

"'You remind me of my mom.' Bonus points if there is this weird attraction component to it."

Kiunan5

"My partner went on a date with a young woman shortly before we met, he said she repeatedly compared him to her father ('my dad drinks scotch', 'my dad is also bald,' etc). He said no amount of attraction could save the date after that."

Digital_Punk

"Oh God, I'm guilty of this one. It wasn't a date. but I told that to a woman I tried bedding later on. Honestly, she didn't look like my mom i was just shooting my shots at trying to keep her around."

Bobtheguardian22

Be Serious

Shouting The Goldbergs GIF by ABC NetworkGiphy

"I went to a nice French bistro in the Bay Area, there was a table right behind me and the friend dining. The guy literally said to the girl 'I am the alpha of this relationship.' (in a serious manner). Me and buddy sort of looked at each other while the girl literally burst out laughing, grabbed her bag, and then walked out of the restaurant."

295DVRKSS

It feels like some men have no one to bounce conversation ideas off of.

Or do they really believe what they say?