Vegetables.

Exercise I am fine with, my problem is getting all the food groups in my belly.

I generally don't like most vegetables unfortunately, has anyone have this issue aswell?

How did you over come it?
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Replies

  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    There are often posts from people saying they don't like vegetables. I'm afraid I have little sympathy with this attitude from adults. It's like saying you don't like brushing your teeth or tidying your bedroom.

    There are so many different vegetable and so many ways of preparing that there must be some you don't find offensive. Salad, roasted Mediterranean veggies, fried root veggies, added to a tomato sauce...
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  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    I have found that sometimes it's just a matter of figuring out how to cook them to your taste. My teens love asparagus, sautéed with a bit of butter, and lots of minced garlic. They also love brussels sprouts, roasted in the oven after tossing in oil and salt. They wouldn't touch a boiled brussels sprout. Mushy, flavourless, no way.

    My inlaws were bad about serving everything either undercooked (crunchy mashed potatoes, anyone??) or overcooked. I can't imagine why my hubby hated all veggies when we met.
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    you dont have to like vegetables, you are a grown up and can make your own choices. however, i am positive a persona cant hate all vegetables, and that you could fine one or two to like, in some preparation or another, and that if you do you will be much better off in the long term. but if you cant bring yourself to eat them, just make sure you get your fiber and vitamins from elsewhere.

    you can lose weight (if that is your goal) without eating vegetables.

    i suggest searching recipes on the internet, find some veggie recipes to try that you think you could like, and make em.

    my son is 7 and he hates veggies too, i make him pick one veggie every time we go major grocery shopping to try. i make it in a way i think he would like, and he has to eat at least 5 bites.
  • Nixygirl
    Nixygirl Posts: 35 Member
    edited October 2014
    Try stir frying them, or making them into a soup. I used to hate veges too, but now I love them. Esp when they're stir fried, yet still crisp, with a drizzle of olive oil and some rock salt. So yum! Or try a little soya sauce on broccoli, delicious! You can also hide them in meals like lasagne, pies, etc.

    My Mum used to serve them boiled, lifeless and disgusting, gloop, which was why I hated them for so long.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    agree that it is a ridiculous statement - so many veg so many ways to prepare them - you need to make yourself try and try and try until you work out what you do like

    eg take a carrot and try it all ways you can work out to eat one

    - raw cut into strips and dipped into something like hummus
    - boiled
    - roast with olive oil and rosemary
    - whizzed up in a soup with lentils
    - mashed with turnip
    - in a stir fry with your favourite protein
    - mashed into your potatoes
    - grated in a salad
    - grated with grated cheese (on a baked potato)

    I'm sure there's loads more ways and that's just one veg and top of my head brain dump
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I don't much care for veg either, especially when I have to deal with preparing it. Soap box rant: I'm not sure what it is about veg that gets everybody's panties in a bunch. Adults can't have likes and dislikes? If you said you hated grocery shopping or doing the laundry would a bunch of sanctimonious people come telling you it's ridiculous because you're an adult? Whatever

    I blend some veg like red bell peppers and onions in with beans

    Mixed veg bought from the grocery store - thawed then baked in the oven for crispness then stir fried with whatever seasonings I want. Goes well with chicken and rice

    Vegetables purchased from the cafeteria great because I didn't have to make them myself. Just have to avoid the ones drowning in oil or glistening with it, if on a calorie deficit
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    It gets my knickers in a twist because it's what you get from toddlers and I can't stand picky eaters as adults, one of my siblings is and she drives me up the frickin' wall with it :smile:

    I think claiming a dislike for an entire food group with so many different flavours, textures and tastes is quite narrow-minded
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    It gets my knickers in a twist because it's what you get from toddlers and I can't stand picky eaters as adults, one of my siblings is and she drives me up the frickin' wall with it :smile:

    I think claiming a dislike for an entire food group with so many different flavours, textures and tastes is quite narrow-minded

    And adults always have zero in common with children? Nothing you felt or liked as a child carries over to adult hood? There's not one frickin task that you hate right now, and probably did as a child too?
  • Sophiareed218
    Sophiareed218 Posts: 145 Member
    edited October 2014
    Find some you like! Also, try each 'new' veggie a couple times. Sometimes it just grows on you. Most people don't like coffee the first time they try it, and spicy can be an acquired taste as well, so give yourself some time to adjust to new flavors and textures. Maybe it would be easier to start with sweet vegetables? Sweet potato, carrot, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, butternut squash, parsnip. If you find sweet ain't your thing, try savory. Onion, potato, green bell pepper, spinach, mushroom, celery, asparagus, brocolli. Maybe you might like fresh, crunchy veg better than soft warm cooked. No? Try disguising them in your food. Chop up onion, red bell pepper and mushroom and add it to your spaghetti sauce. You can barely taste it once it's been cooked in.

    When out at a restaurant order some kind of veg you wouldn't make at home. Experiment. Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorites! Really, it's good!

    One last thing. If you really don't like 'em, but are committed to eating them anyway....just do it! You don't have to like it. If you think about food as "what will fuel my body and give me lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber so I can be healthy" instead of "what do I think tastes yummy" it might help you make better choices. Fake it till you make it.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    No - I really do accept that you do have a point

    However as adults, with a raft of mature decision making abilities, we should be able to work to overcome issues that a small child can't.

    And taste-buds are trainable. I read a paper years ago (yes a proper peer-reviewed paper) regarding child development that said that a child had to try something 34 times before you could be guaranteed that they would never like that (and even then their tastebuds mature into adulthood so it was worth trying again post-puberty)

    It stuck in my head as such an exact number :grinning: what 33 won't cut it?

    Wish I knew where it was now ...

    there is so much emotional baggage tied up in how and what we eat - I think sometimes cutting through the crap and saying 'Actually grow up' can help people reassess

    (I did try to be helpful in my first post :wink: .. and I'm meaning this current discussion as generic and not at all pointed or personal, I just find it interesting)
  • nogrows
    nogrows Posts: 56 Member
    Make it look tasty

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  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Roasting or grilling vegetables with EVOO and spices of your choice. It really improves the flavor. You can do this with any veggie. Experiment with different veggies and spices to find what you like. Different kinds of lettuce with raw veggies is another way. Some tastes are acquired, and veggies are so good for you nutritionally. Well worth the effort.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    No - I really do accept that you do have a point

    However as adults, with a raft of mature decision making abilities, we should be able to work to overcome issues that a small child can't.

    And taste-buds are trainable. I read a paper years ago (yes a proper peer-reviewed paper) regarding child development that said that a child had to try something 34 times before you could be guaranteed that they would never like that (and even then their tastebuds mature into adulthood so it was worth trying again post-puberty)

    It stuck in my head as such an exact number :grinning: what 33 won't cut it?

    Wish I knew where it was now ...

    there is so much emotional baggage tied up in how and what we eat - I think sometimes cutting through the crap and saying 'Actually grow up' can help people reassess

    (I did try to be helpful in my first post :wink: .. and I'm meaning this current discussion as generic and not at all pointed or personal, I just find it interesting)

    I would say there's a fine line between helpful and disrespectful, but this is MyFitnessPal after all. It's pretty much par for the course, not to mention each individual's perception could mean taking things differently
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    grow up and eat your veg

    Ditto.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    hmmm
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  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    I don't much care for veg either, especially when I have to deal with preparing it. Soap box rant: I'm not sure what it is about veg that gets everybody's panties in a bunch. Adults can't have likes and dislikes? If you said you hated grocery shopping or doing the laundry would a bunch of sanctimonious people come telling you it's ridiculous because you're an adult? Whatever

    I blend some veg like red bell peppers and onions in with beans

    Mixed veg bought from the grocery store - thawed then baked in the oven for crispness then stir fried with whatever seasonings I want. Goes well with chicken and rice

    Vegetables purchased from the cafeteria great because I didn't have to make them myself. Just have to avoid the ones drowning in oil or glistening with it, if on a calorie deficit

    no adults and childeren arent compareable

    Adults are supposed to have the wisdom and maturity to overcome the obstacle of doing things that are displeasing and not ejoyable because they have to be done

    case in point:

    I HATE doing laundry..... but I need clean clothes so I do them

    I could think of a million other things I would rather be doing than my dull job..... but bills need to be paid so off to work I go

    I would rather sit and eat a pint of ben and jerries but I want to be healthy so...... maybe a nice green salad followed by a fresh melon sorbet instead.....

    A childs standpoint is all about instant gratification with out the understanding of wants versus needs

    So yes, s/he needs to grow up and stop acting like a stubborn child, do something s/he doesnt like and try eating the veg

    So a comparable response would be for me to tell you to shut up and quit whining about your dull job because nobody wants to hear that *kitten*. That's helpful to someone trying to learn to cope how?
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
    I had this same problem with liquor and beer. I found practice worked wonders.

    It might help to identify what you don't like about them- is it the taste? The texture? All of the above? You might try working new ones to try that address or avoid the typical reasons you dislike them.

    I recently happened to try some zucchini, tomato sauce, garlic powder and oregano. Stick it in the microwave for 5 mins or so. That stuff is like crack. I ate so much of it the other day I hurt myself (it was all of maybe 90 calories but a huge bowlful). The reason it was so yummy to be is because I LOVE tomato sauce, and I like the texture the way I cooked it.

    I guess my point is there are ways to alter the taste and texture of veg and maybe you just haven't found the right combo that works for you yet.
  • MagicalGiraffe
    MagicalGiraffe Posts: 102 Member
    If you like soups you could try get your vege into you that way :) One of my favourites is celery and pea soup made with celery softened using chilli oil, frozen peas, a carrot and vegetable stock. So easy to make and the chilli oil gives it a nice kick. I also like to make my stews vege heavy with carrots, mushrooms and peppers which is perfect as we come into winter (northern hemisphere people) and makes them much more filling but keeping them low cal. It is good to eat vege raw though I have heard, but don't quote me on that if it's wrong! You could try making vegetable platters initially to explore a wide range of raw vegetables and narrow down the ones you don't mind raw, not necessarily love. You can then have these with dips to make them more flavoursome :)
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  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Probably you like two or three vegetables. Eat those.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    the choo choo train spoon rides ends at some point my son is 12 and hates veg every night at dinner i put them on his plate he is expected to choke them down before he gets anything else. Once the veg and milk is consumed then he may have the protein and carbs, startches. This is not me be mean, this is me being a grown up and a parent and making sure he is getting nutritional balance because he is a child and if he had his way he would eat huge portions of meat, drink soda pop with a side of bread or potatoes for dinner.

    If I can tell my 12 year old to eat his veg and he can choke them down I am sure a grown up can to, honestly give me a break here.

    No whining. NO BREAKS! ;)

  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    put small cut vegetables when you cook rice. For extra flavor I toast the dry rice with tumeric, chili powder and cumin first. Over time use more vegetables and less rice. After the rice/vegetables are cooked, you can fry in a bit of olive oil. I currently use about twice the vegetables as I did when I took this picture. I also use purple cabbage and sometimes greens.
    8shgf5mfujhe.jpg
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    But there are so many vegetables! You can't possibly have tried them all, in all sorts of preparations...

    My advice? Learn how to roast, grill and saute.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    put small cut vegetables when you cook rice. For extra flavor I toast the dry rice with tumeric, chili powder and cumin first. Over time use more vegetables and less rice. After the rice/vegetables are cooked, you can fry in a bit of olive oil. I currently use about twice the vegetables as I did when I took this picture. I also use purple cabbage and sometimes greens.
    8shgf5mfujhe.jpg

    oo that looks nice - what's the red vegetable though?
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    I've never been a big veggie eater but I agree with others who said there have to be a few you would like or could tolerate at minimum. I don't have a very broad spectrum of experience because I've been guilty of saying "I don't like that" when I've never tried it before just because it looks gross to me. My favorites would be broccoli and tomatoes. I eat broccoli sometimes every day during the week and prefer it steamed. I can get in a good amount of veggies by making vegetable soup also. I find that even though I don't like a lof of the veggies individually, I do like them all together in a soup. Who knew?! I have found that other than tomatoes I like my veggies cooked or at least steamed. Not a big fan of raw veggies but eating them cooked is better than not at all. Force yourself to try something at least 3 separate times before you decide you "don't like it" I actually read that tip in regards to how to handle introducing foods to a baby but I think it's a good rule of thumb in general. Tastes change over time also so revisit things you didn't think you liked before. When I was a kid I LOVED peas and now I don't care for them other than in my veg soup but in the past I didn't care for carrots and now I don't mind them.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    grow up and eat your veg
    +1
    OP- you haven't had them cooked correctly.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    I thought I hated spinach until I had the raw greens rather than overcooked mush.
    Same for broccoli, I absolutely love it raw or steamed.

    Also, tastes change every 7 years or so, keep trying things, there's different preparations and variety of everything so really do say you don't like an entire food group is so....asinine.

    Except brussels sprouts. I try those again every couple years. Still gross.