 Poster: A snowHead
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Having done my first European ski trip last week I'm exploring further trip options for the future.
The notion of a chalet full of my mates & their families sounds quite appealing to me. But. My OH is the pickiest, fussiest eater alive. Well maybe a slight exaggeration but still. He pretty much eats only plain meat and potatoes. Absolutely no veg, and at a push will stretch to cheese and bread or a plain margarita pizza. I've seen him practically cry when his pizza had actual tomato slices on and olive garnish.
What's the craic with a chalet holiday? Is it a no go with my fussy hubby? Do you have a set menu for the week? Would he be able to fix himself something?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Is it a no go with my fussy hubby? Do you have a set menu for the week? Would he be able to fix himself something?
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in most chalets the answer to those questions are yes, yes and no.
If he's that fussy, then unless you can afford an upmarket chalet with your own personal chef (the cost of the latter will be a couple of thousand euro before you pay for the chalet or the food) I'd stay you should stick to self-catering. He sounds a complete nightmare, to be honest.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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but I expect he has many counter-balancing strong points.... 
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Been to a chalet twice before and they seem to have a weekly menu that they stick to. However they do cater for veggies, kids and if you have specific needs they have been very flexible and helpful on the occasions that I have been. They generally ask you at the start of the week or even beforehand if any special dietary needs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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v1cky24, there are usually only two main meal options with a chalet holiday; vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The standard of food can vary but is generally a bit more interesting than 'plain meat and potatoes' but most chalet hosts will try to accommodate different diets as much as possible. The kitchen areas usually aren't available for guests.
If you can fill a chalet with a group of friends you will be amongst people you know, if not there will be other guests and it is far less formal than a hotel. Bedrooms might not be ensuite, might not have locks and in general the whole thing feels a bit more like a house.
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Ha, thanks Pam. And yes, it is a nightmare. Complete pain in the backside. He just can't eat other things, I've seen him try things before and almost vomit and he's quite embarrassed by the whole thing. When friends organise dinner parties we often have to decline, as well as meals out to the Indian/Chinese/Mexican restaurants etc.
Such a shame, maybe I'll leave him at home.
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v1cky24, While there will be set menus it would certainly be worth asking if plain meat and potatoes could be served to him every night. It's not a big ask IMHO
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Thanks everyone.
alangibson73, does being a fusspot count as special dietary needs? Having said that, on top of his food phobias he has a bloody peanut allergy too. He ordered profiteroles last week and was most annoyed when the kind chef had sprinkled almonds on them.
queen bodecia, sounds perfect really, especially for the babies etc. I reckon I could get 3-4 couples to join us with 3 kids.
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Try a more specialist chalet provider such as YSE. They, for example will cater for alternative diets at a small additional cost. The host or chef in larger chalets then tend to adapt the night's menu for the special diet e.g. Will substitute chicken for those that don't eat pork etc. the other thing about a smaller chalet operator is that you can check out what they can / will offer before you book.
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I'd say more viable than in a hotel, not as easy as self cater. Most chalet's I've been in can cope with various fussiness and allergies far better than hotels especially if it's just he won't EAT veg rather than cannot stand to even have it on his plate. There is always lots of french bread. Most nights they can make the meat 'straight up' without much additional effort. You are always welcome to store ham and cheese in the fridge so he can fall back on sandwiches  Potatoes probably 2-3 nights. If he eats roast chicken you are onto a winner - most resorts have places that sell roast chicken you can always buy him one in the event of food emergency! Just be appreciative of the extra effort the hosts are putting in and it should be fine. How is he with desserts? Chalets usually fall back on icecream for fussy eaters at dessert. Breakfast might be the one to watch - usually museli/frenchbread/cereal etc and much less swappable - does that work? Lunch you'll be okay - everywhere does burger and chips or chicken and chips.
don't try it in a mixed chalet (it will annoy the other guests, fussy eaters always seem to cause tension).
aj xx
p.s. how have you not killed him yet? That would drive me nuts!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We did Chalet twice, both times I didn't really like it, I hated the set meal times, and the general experience. Once it was in the states, and once in courchavel. Both times the chalet girls were lovely so it was more my problem than theirs. I am not a fussy eater, but that doesn't mean that I will like the way that food is cooked by someone else, . For us we either hire a house if there are a few of us, or just do bed and breakfast in a hotel. That way we can pick our meals.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| a.j. wrote: |
don't try it in a mixed chalet (it will annoy the other guests, fussy eaters always seem to cause tensions!) |
wouldn't bother me if it had been pre-arranged. If someone was constantly complaining at the table that they didn't like what was served that would be different.
I like the idea of bunging him a spit roast chicken every now and again then he can just sit and eat bread and drink wine all night.
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v1cky24, Is he a "supertaster"?
http://supertaster.com/
A friend of mine was exactly like this - the pickiest eater ever and would only eat really bland food. If you found out he was a supertaster, it might be a helpful label!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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a.j., he eats most desserts, as long as they are nut free. So icecream will be welcomed. And yes, I wonder why I married him most of the time. But I remember it's because he's good looking and I'm shallow  only joking.
We went to a restaurant in Morzine last week and he was in his element. A little hot stone platter with as much meat as you could eat that you cook yourself. Complete with a big bowl of chips.
He's good in that he'll eat any meat at all really, even the obscure varieties as long as it doesn't have sauce on it. But where do you find that? Lol
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How very odd 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You are always welcome to store ham and cheese in the fridge so he can fall back on sandwiches
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in several of the chalets I've stayed in the kitchen was completely out of bounds to guests - and so it should be, really, from a food hygiene point of view (though that wasn't necessarily the reason). In the most upmarket place we stayed (Le Ski) we were welcome to nick bits out of the fridge as long as it wasn't obviously "main meal" preparation stuff but they couldn't have coped if we'd all wanted to stash our picnic stuff in there.
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holidayloverxx In theory yes, but not everyone knows what was prearranged and inevitably there is at least a couple of nights of minor issues and unless the staff are genius there is either a small delay OR menu alterations for all (gluten free cakes for example). Perhaps it's just I holiday with grumpy hungry blokes all the time, but they don't seem to deal well with anyone who won't eat what they are given, and when we have shared with other groups I've noticed the same impatience in other guests. And this case does seem rather extreme - I remeber doing a sailing holiday with a young guy who sounds similar who broke down at dinner towards the end of the week as even the chicken and chips they had made him was 'weird and foreign' -he was genuinely quite distraught, like a food homesickness I think!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hmmm....... meat, cheese, bread and potatoes? Sounds like typical Savoyard cuisine to me. He's going to love fondue, raclette and especially pierrade. Making my my mouth water just typing it.
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| Violette wrote: |
v1cky24, Is he a "supertaster"?
http://supertaster.com/
A friend of mine was exactly like this - the pickiest eater ever and would only eat really bland food. If you found out he was a supertaster, it might be a helpful label! |
Ooh, hadn't heard of this before? Interesting!
I blame his mam, his sister and the grandkids are the same and she is the lowest common denominator. Lol
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Store yes always - except one very grumpy chalet host with ski amis. Access unescorted not always (some have had separate fridges, some haven't cared whether we are in the kitchen or not, some have provided a fetch and carry service in the mornings/evenings)
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| v1cky24 wrote: |
| Violette wrote: |
v1cky24, Is he a "supertaster"?
http://supertaster.com/
A friend of mine was exactly like this - the pickiest eater ever and would only eat really bland food. If you found out he was a supertaster, it might be a helpful label! |
Ooh, hadn't heard of this before? Interesting!
I blame his mam, his sister and the grandkids are the same and she is the lowest common denominator. Lol |
Well it might be inherited rather than just a bad family habit! - you can dye your tongue blue and count your tastebuds to find out. Or rather, he can dye his tongue... Looking forward to the photo!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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One option might be to book a chalet for everyone then arrange for catered meals for all members except the fussy eater. For him you could pick up a rotisserie chicken, and as the chalet is yours for the week you can put what you like in the fridge! It is an option that is becoming increasingly available, and I even found one that was willing to do evening meals just two or three nights of the week. However most seem to want the full weeks booking (minus one evening) for breakfasts, afternoon tea and dinner.
I looked into this option in some detail with Compagnie Altitude but in the end we decided to cook for ourselves because efficient raclette machines came with the apartment (also fondue machines) and it is really easy just to wash and boil a load of potatoes, purchase meat and cheese and let everyone cook their own. (We have some difficult eaters to cater for too) We also cooked veg on the raclette and opened bags of prepared salads. We bought patisserie for dessert, (bread and croissants etc were delivered fresh every day to our door) and this Xmas an ice cream bouche de noel was possible as the supermarket was on the ground floor of our chalet.
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In my experience, if you book a chalet and explain EXACTLY what diet is required you will not be disappointed. The whole chalet hosting thing is geared up to this. Sequoiaboard junior worked a season hosting and was happy dealing with all sorts of unusual dietary requirements. Ask and it is likely to be delivered.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hmmm, as a former chalet host, I never had a problem with veggies, or coeliacs, but you have to remember that the staff have one oven and one hob, and a limited ability to tailor meals to individual tastes. We often found ourselves cooking 3-4 different meals some evenings if you took into account kids tea (with the usual fussy 8 year old) and the odd veggie. However, simply fussy eaters should book a hotel or self cater. (Sorry, but that's what most staff really think). A chalet holiday is cheaper that a hotel because it's most definitely NOT a la carte, and neither will there be the option to nip into the kitchen and cook your own stuff. However, if all he really wants is a chunk of meat and some spuds each night,then you may be able to swing it, especially if you as a group occupy a whole chalet and there aren't any other special diets to cater for.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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A lot will depend on the staff in the chalet. I worked several seasons in chalets as a chef and during the welcome meeting would ask people to let me know if they had any dietary requirements/anything they didn't like by sticking their head round the kitchen door and saying hello (some don't always like their dietary habits being made public, even if the chalet is fully booked by the one group). That way I would be able to cook something that they would eat every evening, and often make my life easier. Still didn't stop problems altogether (one guest declaring she was a vegetarian as the goulash was being placed in front of her, some 3+ hours after arriving in the chalet), but it did help and was often very much welcomed by guests with dietary requests.
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What Perty said. I think most chalet hosts will do their best, but you have to remember that they generally only have a domestic kitchen. Cooking a 3-course meal for 15 people with one oven and 4 hob spaces requires a bit of juggling even before you add in special meals. We had one week we really struggled, as a child had to have a special meal and there was a gluten free person as well. We just didn't have enough hob space for all the permutations we needed to do. If you have no other special requirements in your group you would probably ok in a chalet booked for exclusive occupancy. Obviously discuss in detail with the company before you book.
Guests in the kitchen is a complete no-no for insurance reasons. But also, there probably wouldn't be any space!
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You know it makes sense.
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Will he last a week on cheese sandwiches and plain Margarita pizzas? If so, then you shouldn't have a big problem as these are easy to make and you will be able to have normal meals unless there are other special requirements.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I think the whole thing will just be a bit of a nightmare for your husband as his strange eating habits will be on show in front of everyone, and a pain in the back side for the chalet hosts.
Book self catering and he/you can cook what he likes, or a hotel and eat out every night. Don't inflect that level of fussiness on chalet hosts or other guests!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds to me as though he might actually need some therapy if this if affecting his (your) life. How about trying Hypnotherapy or something. If he's not allergic, just has a mental problem. It might be textures, flavours or maybe he has been brainwashed. Do you have kids yourselves and if so how do you get them to eat stuff? Can you have a family-wide campaign on this one?
For kids, send 'em to Scout camp. They will eat what they are given, after a few days. They don't have to like it. Ketchup on it? or BBQ sauce? I'm not sure this would work that well for an adult though....
I hope he takes vitamin pills
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I thought I was a pain in the ass. What this thread has taught me is that I'm remarkably laid back despite my aversion to peas.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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But he's not fussy IMHO. Fussy is I" won't eat onions/tomtoes/courgettes/liver"..that is ingredients in other dishes. This is just a limited, and easily catered for,preference for 2 specific items I cant see an issue with putting a jacket potatio and half a chicken in the corner of the oven every night unless there is genuinely no room in the oven. Much easier to cater for than vegiie alternatives, for example.
They aren't strange eating habits either IMHO, and in any event are no-ones elses business - why would any other guest care?
...and what's with all teh advice on getting him to change his eating habits? Give the guy a break! how hard is it to live on meat and potatoes?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've witnessed a meltdown because he discovered his mum made gravy with the water from the boiling vegetables too
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Well one thing I'd do, without any question, is to suggest that he cook all his own food - his mum was probably trying to make sure he got a few vitamins..... Then he can do his own thing, with no discussion or interaction with anybody else, and no tantrums. I just wouldn't discuss it at all.
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Tell him to grow up and stop being an immature idiot.I honestly couldn't be around someone like that.Would drive me mental.
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How does someone survive without any vegetables? Surely there are some serious lack of vitamin issues there.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
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I've witnessed a meltdown because he discovered his mum made gravy with the water from the boiling vegetables too
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Well one thing I'd do, without any question, is to suggest that he cook all his own food - his mum was probably trying to make sure he got a few vitamins..... Then he can do his own thing, with no discussion or interaction with anybody else, and no tantrums. I just wouldn't discuss it at all. |
The funny thing about this is, he has been eating, (and enjoying) it all his life - it was just the thought of having the gravy made with vegetable stock that tipped him over the edge.
It is not rational/logical/healthy etc, and I have tried to encourage him to eat better and try new things many many times but tbh, I have given up now.
He doesn't eat vitamins either. Externally he is a healthy looking bloke, its his arteries that concern me. He is a strapping 6ft5inch man.
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I think the real problem with chalets is once you drop the sauces and the filler, the actual meat portions per head may be pretty meagre. Blame TO food budgets. I'd go for a n Austrian gusthous eand just have schnitzel and chips every night.
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