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It can be tricky when you are over someone's house who has prepared a big meal and after the first bite you realize that you can barely stand the taste of the food. You don't want to be rude, hurt feelings, or come across as ungrateful but how do you pretend to like a meal that just isn't appealing to your taste?

You can pretend you're enjoying a meal when you aren't by being creative and following a few of the tips below. Subtly is the key here, if it becomes obvious that you are trying to fake enjoyment or make it appear you are eating more food then you actually are you might end up offending the person who is entertaining even more.

Small bites - Unless the food is making you sick to your stomach, you can take smaller bites of the meal which will make it appear that you are eating more then you really are. To really get the proper effect, take smaller bites but make sure you take more bites overall; you can space these bites out if the taste bothers you that much.

Wash it down - Have a drink always filled and by your plate, even if it is just water. This way if it is a struggle to hide reactions to a taste you don't like, you can quickly wash the taste away. This serves a double purpose as the glass will also cover part of your face, hiding any small facial reactions to the taste.

Move it around - Remember as a little kid you would play with your food and move it all over your plate? You probably did this as a way to make it appear you were eating your fill so that you could be excused quicker. As an adult, you need to be more subtle about it. The best time to start moving food around a little on your plate is while chewing one of your small bites. This gives the appearance that you are maybe contemplating what to eat next off your plate or shows that you are a person who mixes everything on the plate for the next bite.

Make a (good) excuse - This may work best right before the meal when being served. Ask for only a small portion or if serving yourself, take a small portion on your own. If confronted about why you aren't eating more make up an excuse such as you ate a big meal earlier, are on a diet, or you are saving room for dessert and drinks.

Answer nicely - If you aren't enjoying your meal, but want to ensure your host ends the night thinking you loved it, a white lie applies here. Don't go overboard though, as too much raving about the meal might raise suspicions. If asked about the meal say it was good and thank them for the meal. If not asked, you can simply thank them for the meal and say it was an enjoyable time. Don't say it was amazing or fabulous unless you mean it. Short and sweet is the key here if you didn't enjoy your meal but want the host to believe you did.

If you are at a restaurant and don't like your meal, there is no reason to pretend that you are enjoying it. Be polite and respectful when asking to return a meal or asking to order something else. Never say the chef did something wrong or it tasted bad. Simply tell your server that the meal wasn't what you expected and you'd be happier with something else. Being rude, demanding, or insulting will get you nowhere in a restaurant.

Hopefully most meals that you eat you enjoy. When around family or friends sometimes you don't have to pretend and you can nicely tell them it isn't your kind of meal but that judgment call varies from person to person. Pretending to enjoy a meal when you aren't revolves around politeness and subtly, but now that these tips are out of the bag, you might want to get even more creative the next time a meal disagrees with your taste.

Learn more about this author, Maxwell Payne.
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