I spent a bunch of years working in hospitals, so I developed a bit of a thing about keeping my hands clean. Also, I'm the person who cleans everything in this house, and I'm keenly aware of how often one is interrupted when up to the elbows in something really messy -- Sod's Law is always at work. Consequently, I'm not crazy about hand-mixing wet and/or sticky foods, preferring to use a silicone spatula. For tossing salad, I have a pair of large, long-handled serving spoons. They work just fine.

I'm not shy about kneading bread or cleaning a fish, so it's not a phobia or nothin'.