DEAR MISS MANNERS: A friend with whom I sometimes travel is extremely careful about the foods she eats: no meat, wheat, sugar, fried food, very little dairy, etc. She is judgmental toward people who don’t comply with this restrictive regimen, which she views as the only healthy way to eat.

My own eating patterns are similar to hers when I’m at home, but when traveling or on vacation, I like to try foods that may not be on the American Heart Association’s list of heart-healthy foods.

At lunch one day on a recent trip, we ordered sandwiches that came with fries. My friend told the server not to bring her any fries, but I wanted some, so I went ahead and ordered them. When my plate arrived, my friend made a face as though it was smeared with something nasty.

This incident pushed my buttons because throughout my childhood and young adulthood, everything I ate was monitored relentlessly. The list of foods I was discouraged from eating was long and included many foods I really liked.

Decades later, I still resent the food police.

I had already told my friend on an earlier occasion that I am an adult making my own food choices and that I don’t appreciate being criticized for them. Is there a polite way to respond to someone expressing disgust over what I choose to eat?

GENTLE READER: “Oh, dear, is there something crawling on it? Because it looks delicious to me.”

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