Category: Safe Haven
Hey all, I was wondering if any of you have any trouble cutting your food. I can do it but it took me a long time to learn how to do it correctly.
Whenever I'm out somewhere I always ask for help cutting my food because I don't want to make a mess. I have noticed other blind people asking for help with cutting their food.
Yes I have trouble cutting my food. I especially don't like cutting fish because it makes it harder to eat it if you do cut it.
Hi chocolate_girl, Did you say it is harder to eat fish when you cut it? For me, it would be easier to eat fish if it is cut. Although sometimes I do pick up fish and eat it that way.
I have a hard time with steak. I always ask for help with my steak. I've heard two schools of thought with regards to cutting food. My mum, and a lot of blind people I know say that if you need the help, you should ask for it. Besides, who wants to eat cold food? One of my former vision teachers, on the other hand, said we need to be independent and, especially at my age, it's inappropriate to ask for help with such things. I agree, we need to be independent, but that doesn't mean we need to be inefficient. If it's more efficient to ask for help with something, like cutting food, then we should. That's just my opinion, however.
depending on what i get when i go out to eat i will ask the food server to cut my steak if there is a bone in it, they are normally glad to do this and your food is still nice and hot when you get it.
Everybody's raised some good points here. I tend to be careful what I order when I'm out. If I'm not sure, I might ask is the food deboned or not. That's where life gets really dicy for me so to speak. Many times, it depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes, I just don't wanna mess with it, so there's sandwiches and salads. Depending on the cut of meet also helps make my decision. While I'm not entirely comfortable cutting meat, one technique that some used on me when I was a child was to take playdo and form it into a thick "Patty". I'd practice cutting this with a knife and fork. Whant I find more annoying are the knives that you can't tell which side is serated. Sometimes, there's a protrusion on the end of the handle. When this doesn't happen, I'll take the knife blade and run it between the fork tines where they join the fork. You can feel and hear the serations rubbing against the fork body. Yeah, I'e solved that problem, but its annoying just the same.
Gets dicy? Oh dear... Heheh. I've never really found meat to be the toughy, though avoiding spare-ribs and chicken-wings is definitely a plan, but spaghetti, and long noodles in soup, get me every time. There's just no way of eating noodle soup elegantly, so I try and resist it if I'm in anything like polite company. Same with pizza. Unless I'm having it at home, or on a friend's couch, or somewhere really casual where fingers is OK, I'll just avoid it, since it never cuts neatly and the cheese stretches and goes everywhere. And I love that we have a thread about what complete grots we all are when eating!
I am getting a lot better at it. Most things now, I am good. Although, as Erin said, if there are really long noodles in a spaghetti, I better hope I am nowhere fancy!!!
Yeah, I think blind people can just forget about being grceful while eating. I don't think my elegant way of cutting and gingerly picking at my food would ever impress a date, especially if I'm cutting steak with creamy sauce on it.
I like being able to cut things or rather, knowing that I can if I have to, but I happily ask for help if I think it will be particularly tricky or will make me look stupid. And I really appreciate eating my sauce, rice and potatoes of a plate rather than picking them of the table cloth and don't even get me started on spaghetti, tomato sauce and white shirts, because that is down right, dirty.
That's why I do like pasta and lasaagna, salads etc, grace wise, because we can order that for lunch/dinner e.g. with business contacts or some such, without having to appear awkward and either making a mess or getting help from the server.
cheers
-B
Hehe, I opt for re-tiling and re-painting the dining room every couple of years instead of skipping the steak with creamy sauce! :-)
If I actually liked steak, spare ribs, chops, well, you know, those things they sometimes serve bone-in, I'd probably ask the server to help with the cutting, or gladly accept an offer of such help. That is, if I were dining alone or with companions other than close friends or family. Who do I have to impress at this stage? LOL. Were I to accept such an offer of help or request it of the server, I'd add about 5% to the tip, too. The suggestion of ordering things you can eat neatly, and without help, is also a good one.
P. S.
Who ever heard of cutting spaghetti; I learned to wind it around the fork.
My mom always forced independence on me. She's flat out refused to help me cut anything since I was a little kid. When I was learning, I made a mess of things, but so do all little kids when they learn how to cut stuff. I've found a way to do it myself, because I don't want people to think I can't do something. I think I'm almost fiercely independent. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I'd be embarrassed to have someone cut up my food...especially in a restaurant. I'd feel like everyone was watching, and I'd feel like a little kid again. Then, they'd start calling me hun and cute little pet names like that. That makes me sick/angry/annoyed. I just want to be like everyone else. I do always feel like whoever I am with is watching how I eat, and I do feel very self conscious. I think I've said enough.
Meghan
I'll second that one Meghan, I'd never let someone else cut up my food for me. I'd just find it unnecessary and embarrassing. I can see though, that it clearly works for some people, especially those really attached to certain dishes in restaurants. And to the spaghetti-twirling comment, of course that's how to eat spaghetti, but if you can put away one of those huge bowls without a single splash of sauce, well, you're a better woman than me. Or a better man, heheh, who made the comment again?
I twirl my spaghetti if its, too long to drag in to my mouth. I even got one of those plastic plate guards to stop the rest of the food shooting off the back of the plate at 12.00 if I was say, cutting a difficult and extremely hard piece of bread, pastry, meat which is on the bone or whatever. It saves everyone else at the table getting a share in my dinner. Lollol. I hate people cutting food up for me too, because its, embarassing.
I definitely always cut up my own food. I have a big mouth so my bites are big. LOL Of course, no matter how careful we blindies are, there is always the potential to shoot food onto the table or floor when cutting up something stubborn!
My Mama is just like yours meghan, she'd die if she ever found out i asked for help cutting food, especially in a restaurant and frankly i'd die too.
as for blind people flinging food while they cut it, the way i see it is that the sighted could have the same thing happen to them and they don't ask for help cutting food so why should we?
I know in some instances it is easier to just have a sandwich or something but i never miss out on a favorite dish just cuz i have to cut it up.
Oh people, why in the world do you have to be so damn proud? Your abilities and success in life will not depend on your ability to cut your food, trust me on this. Sure, be as independent as you can but I'm alarmed that you say you feel ashamed even having the need to require assistance from time to time. You have to know when to accept help and when to reject it. You fighting with your steak for 15 minutes and finally eating it in huge bites when it's cold is not going to prove anything at all.
Don't get me wrong, I hardly ever get help cutting food but there are the occasional steaks/foods/places I know it's better to get someone to cut up my food for me. It won't look any worse than fighting with messy food for a long time or skipping your favorite dishes because of the difficulty involved with cutting up your food.
You need to spend your energy elsewhere, build your pride, don't be ashamed, go out there and do something, succeed, get education or become good at what you're interested in. That way you prove to the world beyond doubt there's no need for you to ever feel insecure. Being blind does pose some challenges sometimes and its ok to admit that. Just be confident in who you are and what you can do. I just needed to say this seeing as some of you indicate that not being able to cut your food at all times makes you feel like less of a person.
It's not that we (i) feel like less of a person, it's just that so many sighted people have such um...different views regarding the abilities of the blind and by asking them to cut food, their notions get legs to stand on.
Yes, wb, you're right, being too proud to deny any sort of assistance is pointless and more harm than good; we're blind, lets face it but to me, cutting food isn't something worth the trouble of asking for help...i was made to practice cutting my food by teachers and my parents when i was little so that i could handle it with ease. i know that may not be the case for everyone but i grew up thinking that it's better to get a little bit of steak on the table once in a while and be proud of the fact that i cut it myself than to just let someone else do it for me for fear of a little spill.
Trouble is Brew, in my case, if I try and cut up my own food, say, a piece of meat on the bone or a particularly tough piece of food, if someone lime my mum's with me, no matter where we're eating, even if we're eating out at a pub or restaurant or cafae, she'll grab the plate right out of my hands and cut it up for me without a by or leave. She'll say "O let me cut that for you Jen, that's quite difficult, shall I do it for you" and just grab the dish or plate out of my hands and just take over my bloody dinner for about five minutes, so by the time I get it back, I've sunk as low as I can in my seat and the food's almost cold. That's why I don't mind people asking if I need help cutting up meat, pizza, tough bits of pastry and stuff, but I'd rather work out my own methods of doing this sort of thing.
Ok, where is the twirl pasta or noodles class, 'cause sign me up! I have never got the hang of that one, wish I have. I love this topic y'all! I absolutely ask for help with cutting, sometimes it is embarrassing, but so is it looking like a 3 year old working on my food. It depends on the situation for me. Something I've noticed, when I'm making dishes at home, I prefer a lot of food in bowls instead of plates. Things like casseroles, pasta, or rice dish. My fave dish at Olive Garden is the chicken parmasogn; that one I'm comfortable cutting.
Oy and vey. I'm not proud, far from it. Please don't assume I am. I tried to make it perfectly clear that I am not! I just gave my opinion. Please don't attack opinions. That is what was being asked here, an opinion. It wasn't an oppertunity to try to humble people...and no, my life goal isn't to be able to cut up food. I just said that it's something I learned early on. I'm glad I learned it, because I hate when sighted people judge me. No, that isn't my greatest life victory, and I'm not going to go into what I am proud of. I don't have a great sense of pride because I can cut some blasted steak! It doesn't take me fifteen minutes, because I learned it early on. I actually usually cut it one bite at a time. That is an exceptable method, and it prevents me from nocking already-cut meat onto the table. I'm done, now. Attack me again if you wish.
When I was learning how to cut food back in school my teacher told me I had to cut my pizza, and fried chicken, both finger foods mind you so I thought it was a waste of time. As far as me cutting. I have trouble cutting meat with sauce or gravy or meat with a bone. It must be just a plain peace of thin meat before I can cut real good. I also have trouble cutting thick meat as well.
Troy
I can cut meat, but not very neatly, and I probably look like a cave man when I do it. Usually if I'm with my parents, I ask for help with steak, but that's about it really. If I'm outt with friends, I get something that doesn't need to be cut if possible, because I'm too embarrassed to have people watch me trying to cut things, and I just feel really awkward and blind, and I don't like it. Heh.
When going out to eat, I usually get something I won't need to cut or something that can easily be cut like enchiladas for example. When I do get something that might be hard or messy to cut, I usually ask someone to help, as (especially if it has too much gravy or sausce), I know I will get it off the plate. I also try to get something that can be cut all the way thru though like boneless meat, as when I do cut it myself, I don't like dealing with the bone either while cutting or eating. As for foods with big pieces, such as some fruit or vegetable salads, I also cut the large pieces into smaller ones or just eat them with my fingers. If I were going for a more business-like thing though, I'd probably try to get something that I liked that might be the easiest to eat if possible, such as something that doesn't have as much sauce or gravy (if it must be cut), or if possible something that won't have to be cut at all.
Bashful, I was not personally attacking you in any way, I was just pointing out a general centiment that was commong to quite a few posts i.e. that getting help cutting your food makes you feel embarressed and annoyed and irritated (well I guess those are mostly the same things). I just don't see it that way and I don't think you should feel so awfully conscious if you get help cutting something and I think you might attract more attention if you struggle and make a mess of e.g. cutting half a chicken with bone in and sauce and making a big mess of the whole thing. I know even if my cutting is pretty decent for a blind person I still end up with embarressingly large bites of meat and if I hit a bone a steak can take off flying across half my plate before crashing down in a puddle of sauce, which subsequently and without much finess splatters happily and, I swear, with a cheeky grin, onto my nice shirt that I was wearing and at that time I reliazed why we have napkins and ask myself why I didn't put it right there. At the same time I realized some of the vegetables on the side of the plate were disturbed by the flying steak and made a quick escape to the outside of the plate on the table. That combination of circumstances makes me a lot more uncomfortable than a nice looking waitress (even if she may be in her 50s, I'm sure she looked handsome in her day) calling me "honey" in a restaurant whilst helping me chop down the beast on my plate so I can more easily and cleanly inhale and ingest it.
Of course I wouldn't ask for help with everything and I'd take a filet over, say, a t-bone steak even if it's $3 more because it's both better and easily cuttable (mostly) by a blind person.
My point is, I guess, why be so "firecly" independent, I don't think it' s a good thing, independence is good, getting around by yourself, doing well at what you do, living by yourself, managing on your own, cooking, sure, but why spend so much time and energy being embarressed about the food cutting.
And, again, I was not personally criticizing anyone, I was pointing out a centiment, if one feels so self conscioius about my comment that person must really, deep down, feel the same way I do.
I try to get things I can cut, such as stake with out a bone, or things that don't need to be cut like burgers. If I get something with a bone I'll ask the kitchen to cut it up for me. Crab legs are the one that's a disaster to try and get if your blind, I suggest you never try it.
I kind of see that cutting food is something we need to know how to do and not really ask....but like Tyr said sometimes it's more efficient that way, so i guess it depends on the situation. i mean. if you're out to dinner at some fancy restaurant with a whole bunch of people you don't know or for some business thing, then i think it would be kind of awkward to ask for help....but if you're at home with your friend and you're like lazy or something it's fine....but that's just my opinion. as far as trouble? sometimes I have, but i think the thing that causes it is the fact that I can tell people are watching me or at my house when people have tried to do it for me i tell them that I want to do it, and eventually it's just kind of strange because they think i'm just not wanting the help...i'm going off on a tangent but bare with me i'm getting somewhere, so they kind of give me tips which just makes it awkward. but it's pretty easy after having done it for a while, just go in a pattern. patterns are special.
I don't have trouble with meat generally and would rather not ask for help cutting. But I hate eating spaghetti in public. I also sometimes have trouble with salads. You can get a really huge piece of lettice in your fork and not realize how big it is until you get it up to your mouth.
I still have to master the use of a knife and fork. I would feel really awkward asking the water or watress, a total stranger, to have the kitchen cut up my meal for me, so I try to avoid foods that need cutting, sometimes.
I've gotten pretty good at cutting things like steak. I think the trick is to practice some when you're by yourself and what happens doesn't really matter. You can actually check to see how large the pieces of meat on your fork are. Eventually you should be able to tell by weight and also by using the knife to feel the meat after it's cut. Now I can concentrate more on the conversation I'm having and less on cutting.
Sorry for my attrocious spelling on the post before last. I don't think I could cut and chat at the same time. lol
Hmmm. Cutting stake can be alittle bit on the tricky side of things. I have had trouble cutting meat up. So I have practiced on my meats at home, and have gotten alot better at it. But as far as going out to eat, I will eat hamburgers, or chicken witch can be quite easy to cut up. But I have had blind friends tell me about having the surver cut up my food, but as far as today, I have never done so, sympley just because I go for the easier side of things. But yes it takes alot of practice.
Oh but if I go out to eat with my mom, she still to this day trys to cut my food up while we are out. And it drives me crazy.
Have you tried telling her not to cut our food for you?
i hate cutting like french toast with yrupp and stuff, but i would be mortified to ask for help in a restaraunt for help, and my mom taught me to cut my food, and i suck, badly at cutting thick meat, but i survive
I've pretty much had to teach myself how to cut food. haven't quite mastered the use of a knife and fork just yet, but I'm getting there
For many years, I was one of these fiercely independent blind people who thought it was shameful to ask for help cutting food, and I became reasonably proficient at doing it myself, but I was never able to enjoy going out to eat with other people and trying to carry on a conversation while laboring over my food. So I'd be sitting there carving into a nice thick steak and trying to contribute to a discussion of a work project or a political argument or a philosophical discussion on the nature of man and God and the universe, and I could never enjoy either the meal or the conversation. With increasing maturity, I finally realized how neurotic all this superblink nonsense is. Now I ask to have my meat cut as a matter of course, and if any superblinks out there have a problem with that, it's there problem.
I agree with Meghan and Danielle's posts. I don't necessarily think being proud and fiercely independent are good things, at least not when taken to extremes, but they're not entirely bad, either. My mom was the same way, forcing independence on me and refusing to do things like cutting up my food at a pretty young age. I thank her for it now, because it's made it so that I'm able to do most things for myself with very little help. I don't see anything wrong with asking for help cutting up your food if it's something that's going to cause a problem, because otherwise, as someone else said, you're going to feel even more self-conscious while you struggle to cut up your own food than you would if you were to let someone else do it for you. I just don't like asking for help with things that I can do myself. The independence is worth a little struggle as far as I'm concerned. And I'm the first to admit that I'm more proud and self-conscious about such things than is good for me, but there you have it.
The business meetings are done for me since I don't work anymore but I have a neighbor who loves to go to italian restaurants to eat. is there any Italian food that requires little cutting? Pizza is the only thing i can think of any other ideas especially at olive Garden?
I don't really like asking people to cut up my food for me, but I will ask Mum to do it if it is something ike big roast potatoes or sausages or something. Once when I was younger, we were having batteered sausages and chips, I tried to cut the sausages up and because they were really hard to cut the chips ended up flying all over the place and fell ofrf the plate.
Wow! Getting people to help you cut things up!!! For those afraid to learn the fine art of cutting up food. Why not have a sighted friend show you while not in public? I do have some sight, but I still learned to cut food like chicken, steak and other dishes like lasagna. It's really not that hard to learn. Just find the edge of whatever you're eating with a knife and fork. Then cut slowly. This is especially important for thicker cuts of meat. If you don't want food to go flying while your cutting, why not eat any side dishes first! I know lots of people don't care what others think of them. But when I hear of people asking restaurant staff to cut food I do have to wonder what their friends and family who are with them are thinking. I can honestly say I've never asked for help in this area. perhaps I did when I was younger. Another poster was correct that many sighted people have preconceived notions about blind people. Having your food pre-cut for you may in many cases validate some of their assumptions. Has anyone ever surfed the net to find out how to propperly cut food? I live on my own and was out with my mom today. When i told her about this post, she was really amazed. Seriously people, blind people can and should learn to cut their own food. I'm wondering what those who ask for help in restaurants feel having to ask for this service. I am sincerely sorry if I'm coming across as harsh. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that this is not my intention. I suppose though that I do feel a bit sad. How could so many people not have been taught how to do this? For the poster who want's something easily edible at Olive Garden, try the chicken parmeseano. Sorry that's not spelled correctly. It does come with spaghetti. I too have never learned to eat this gracefully. But with the marguerita I usually have and all the bread, I'm usually full and have it boxed up. Dishes like lasagna and enchiladas are easy to cut as well. Just follow the steps I described before. it really is very easy to tell by feel when food is cut or not. For those intimidated by serratted knives, the waitstaff or cooks will usually place the blade of the knife facing the plate. This is true if it is already on the table or, if it arrives with the meal. if there's any other tips I can give you, I will be happy to write any of you. So please just write me with any questions. Oh yeah, with round food like meatballs, gently find one with a fork and gently slice in half or quarters. I just forgot about that issue. Again, write with any questions/tips. Honestly, I won't think they're dumb, and I'd be happy to help anyone.
I usually have someone cut my things for me. It's just easier that way. I guess if I were alone or with someone other than family or friends, I'd ask the people in the restaurant to do it. Personally, I don't care about anyone's notions, so long as they do what I need them to do. I'm not living with these people, so it doesn't matter. On ther other hand, I'd be a bit self-conscious among Greeks, so I'd probably either order food that I don't have to cut or food that's easy to cut. Mom has these amazing meat sizzors that she uses and I've always loved them. She got me a pair and I find them alot easier to use than a knife. But the weird thing is that I'm totally comfortable using knives when cooking. This is especially true for chopping, and I work with a professional chef's knife! But cutting my food? lol I'm weird I know.
oh wow. i thought i was the only one who felt embarrassed about somebody else cutting my food. i would rather someone else cut it up than to get it everywhere. especially in restaurants. my husband actually cuts my food as soon as it gets to the table at restaurants. that is, if he sees me struggling to cut it myself.
Nope. You're not the only one here. *smile* That's nice of your husband.
for those who have a little sight, that helps immensely with cutting food I believe. and whoever on here said we don't have to live with these people anyway why not ask for help in my opinion that is right on the money. thanks for the suggestion about olive garden.
mmmmmm olive garden. yummy
Hi, about the Olive garden suggestion. I should probably mention that the spaghetti is difficult to cut not the chicken. The chicken breast is coated in parmesean cheese, and served with sauce and monzarella cheese. It is boneless if I remember correctly. I don't remember having any trouble cutting it. Lasagna might be another good choice. If cut witha knife and fork, it shouldn't be that difficult. Also, you may want to try another type of pasta such as bowtie or penne. If you have reservations about ordering salad, the minnestrone is a good choice. I do know that having some sight does help with cutting/eating food. However, totally blind people can still learn to cut food! After all, it just comes down to practice. As an adult, I would think it'd be really embarrassing to have another adult cut my food. This is usually only done for children/elderly people who may not be able to do so. I love finger foods as much as the next person, but sometimes, like out with family/friends, I don't think it's always apropriate to order. Another thing which goes along with cutting food is holding silverware propperly. Did anyone learn this? I know it might sound like a dumb question, but this really helps when cutting food. I learned to hold a fork much later than I'd like to admit, but now I know how. This too is easy to learn. I guess if it were me, I'd rather have someone show me how to do these things than have them done for me. What's the big deal about asking to learn how to cut food? It might be kind of awkward to learn at first, but then you'll always know how to do it. I'd be horrified if I were out at a business meeting/date/social gathering and had to ask for my food to be cut. Just my oppinion though.
I prefer the continental method if I were to cut at all. The only thing is remembering which foods you keep the fork in the left hand while eating and which ones you can switch hands.
yeah i actually held a fork in my fist for a long time when i was little. i think i learned to hold it properly when i was 9 or 10.
i've always been lefthanded with a fork or spoon, and righthanded with the knife. still working on cutting food.
thanks for the feedback about the spaghetti. Looks like what we are all doing is doing what we feel comfortable with especially in restaurants. One Christmas work party our boss actually brought stuffed cornish hens that his wife prepared and there was plastic silverware to cut with. I certainly did ask for help on that one especially since the paper plates wer small. I did eat and enjoy the party though.
Lol, I still hold a fork in my fist, and I used to hold it in my right hand till I went to secondary Schhol. In fact, before I went to Primary School, I didn't even use a knife and fork. I just ate out of this small flan dish or baby bowl with a teaspoon. Mum probably thought that was easier for me than cutting anything up.
Jen.
lol. ow wow`
oh yeah and i cant stand plastic silverware and styrafoame plates. i cannot use them very well and they r absolutely terrible for the environment.
Don't we all know it, but people will insist on using those styrofoam cups, plates, bowls or their cardboard relatives for every, single, Birthday, Christmas or family party, with the acception of our family. All the silverware, champagne glasses, shot glasses, best bone china/cut glass Etc Etc makes an appearance, lol. We don't do anything by halves, lol.
Jen.