17 Foods Celebrities Absolutely Refuse to Eat and Why

When it comes to the foods we eat, celebrities’ tastes are more similar to our own than one might think. And while many of them have access to private chefs and endless dietary options that the average person might not, they still tend to draw the line at certain foods in ways we can all relate to.

In honor of the foods that make even the most adventurous eaters wince, we’ve compiled a list of celebrities and the foods they absolutely refuse to touch. From breakfast staples to airline meals and everything in between, you’ll see that, when it comes to food, celebrities are not so different from the rest of us.

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The Surprising Foods Celebrities Refuse to Eat

Whether it stems from a traumatizing childhood experience or something you’ve tried repeatedly only to be consistently disappointed, food has a way of challenging taste buds in ways that are unique to all of us. Follow along to see which foods have your favorite celebrities saying “no way” and how each one stacks up against your own taste preferences.

Cilantro—Ina Garten

Cilantro is one of those ingredients people either worship or swear tastes like soap. Ina Garten is firmly in the second camp. On Vice‘s Munchies podcast in 2017, she said, “I know people love it, and you can add it to the recipe. I just hate it. To me, it’s so strong—and it actually tastes like soap to me—but it’s so strong it overpowers every other flavor.”

Eggs—Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri has built a career on diving headfirst into diners, drive-ins and culinary chaos. But eggs are one breakfast staple he avoids at all costs. Rumor has it his aversion stems from a traumatic childhood experience involving a rotten egg.

“I’m not a big egg fan,” he admitted during an appearance on The Tonight Show. “They’re great for different parts of the menu, and as a chef, I use them all the time, but I’d rather have some corned beef hash or just a sandwich.”

Truffle Oil—Martha Stewart

Truffle oil might scream upscale, but for Martha Stewart, if it isn’t the real thing, it’s not worth the drizzle.

“Oh, I would never use truffle oil, oh never,” she told reporters when asked about ingredients she avoids. And she didn’t stop there. “It’s bad. It’s synthetic, it’s fake, it’s horrible. It clings to your taste buds; it’s a hideous thing. Forget truffle oil.”

Airplane Food—Gordon Ramsay

Known for eating things most of us wouldn’t even touch, Gordon Ramsay draws the line at airline food.

“I worked for airlines for 10 years, so I know where this food’s been and where it goes and how long it took before it got on board,” he once said.

Store-Bought Mayo—Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray is all about fresh, homemade food, so her stance on mayonnaise totally tracks. If it can sit in a pantry for months untouched, she’s not interested.

“I hate store-bought mayonnaise,” she once said. “I will eat aioli or mayonnaise all day long if I make it or if I know the person who made it, but I do not want shelf-stable.”

Bananas—Ree Drummond

“In my entire 42 years on this earth, I’ve never eaten a whole banana. I’ve had accidental bites here and there, half of which were promptly spit out into a napkin,” Drummond once wrote on her blog. She’s even doubled down, saying, “I have a restaurant in my small town, and there’s not a single banana in the joint anywhere.”

Arugula—Julia Child

Julia Child introduced us all to a world of culinary possibilities, but she had no patience for certain greens, arugula among them. She reportedly once lumped the fresh green into the category of foods she would pick out and throw on the floor.

McNuggets—Anthony Bourdain

Famously open-minded about food (fast-food included), Bourdain famously felt that McNuggets crossed a line.

“Given the choice between reliving the warthog experience and eating a McNugget, I’m surely eating the McNugget,” he once said. “But at least I knew what the warthog was. Whereas with the McNugget, I think that’s still an open question. Scientists are still wondering.”

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Pork—Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage’s reason for his distaste for pork has less to do with flavor and more to do with the philosophy: “I think fish are very dignified with sex. So are birds. But pigs, not so much.”

Essentially, because of the way pigs mate, the Face Off star says he won’t eat pork. Leave it to Nic to turn the average dining experience into an existential debate.

Strawberries—Tom Brady

The seven-time Super Bowl champ has always been unusually consistent about one thing outside of football: his hatred of strawberries. Brady has described hating everything about them, from their texture and smell to their taste. In 2018, after years of swearing he’d never eat one, he finally tried a strawberry publicly, only to conclude they were still “gross.”

Nutella—Chrissy Teigen

Nutella has a devoted fan base, which makes Chrissy Teigen’s stance all the more baffling. She once took to social media to call the hazelnut spread “stupid,” even arguing that a chocolate bar left in a hot car was better. The internet predictably pushed back, but she didn’t budge.

Beets—Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama famously planted a vegetable garden at the White House and championed healthy eating for years. Yet one vegetable never made it into the ground: beets. She’s openly said she doesn’t like them, which explains their absence from the garden beds.

Brussels Sprouts—Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson is not interested in your Brussels sprouts, no matter how you prepare them.

“I hate Brussels sprouts and can’t stand that every time I say that, somebody always says, ‘Oh, but you’ve never tried mine!'” she once said. “Sometimes, when you know, you know.”

Cilantro and Peppers—Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian once publicly apologized for calling Indian food “disgusting,” later clarifying that she dislikes some Armenian dishes as well. She’s also been clear about two specific ingredients she can’t stand: cilantro and peppers. Even in a world built on curated taste, some flavors just don’t make the cut.

Animal Crackers with Icing—Mandy Moore

In Alexander Theroux’s book Einstein’s Beets: An Examination of Food Phobias, one surprising detail stands out: Mandy Moore reportedly can’t stand animal crackers with icing. The plain variety might get a pass; however, frosted is a firm no-go.

Processed Cheese—Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow is famously selective about what she eats. Processed cheese? Firmly at the bottom of the list.

“I’d rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can,” she once said.

Subtle? Not exactly. Clear? Absolutely.

Pancakes—Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner has spoken about having trypophobia, a fear of clustered holes, which can unexpectedly impact even something as simple as breakfast.

“Trypophobics are afraid of tiny little holes that are in weird patterns,” she once wrote. “Things that could set me off are pancakes… I can’t even look at little holes. Who knows what’s in there???”

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This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.