Foreign Dinners in China

I have traveled to China quite a few times because I have many relatives and friends of my mother's that lives there.  We usually end up having one or two dinners with many friends and family of my mother, and as things are, they all speak Chinese at the dinner table.  During these scenarios I feel quite out of place, not understanding the conversation and why everyone is laughing and connecting with relatives is very hard to do.  These dinners also feature many foreign foods, most of which I am not completely comfortable with (I'm a picky eater) so I end up not eating a lot and not talking a lot either.  It makes me feel rude and disrespectful, but it seems like the least awkward way to pass the dinner.