Healthy Foods For A Picky Eater

MatthewSowards

Hey everyone! I started losing weight back in September of 2015. Started at 286 lbs and now I'm at 251 lbs. My diet has consisted of anything I want as long as I don't go over my calorie limit (1850). But lately I've been looking at the things I keep buying and realizing how unhealthy they are, which I've always known. I just keep pushing it off. The issue for me eating healthier foods is that I am extremely picky. I hate most vegetables, and I absolutely cannot stand salad. I was just wondering if anyone had tips for eating healthier for people who are picky, how to mask a taste, and recipes for someone like me. Thanks

jemhh

Have you tried any veggies or fruits that are more "off the beaten path" or unusual (or may just stuff that your family didn't usually eat while you were growing up)? Maybe you could try one or two of them a week. I, personally, prefer my veggies raw. The only veggie I always eat cooked is brussels sprouts, which probably isn't one that a really pick eater will want to try right off the bat Anyway, maybe try kohlrabi (peel it, slice it, eat it raw) or mangoes or something else "unusual" to you.

Also, you said that you don't like most vegetables but you didn't say that you dislike all of them. It's perfectly fine to eat the same ones over and over. And, it's fine to use dip as long as you stay within your calorie limit.

jprewitt1

My suggestion? Don't do it until you find something you enjoy that is "healthy." If you try to change what you're eating to something you don't enjoy you will find your weight loss will severely stall because you won't be sticking to what you need to be doing more of: portion control.

Actual advice based on what you say you want: try different foods. Everywhere. You may be a picky eater, but that just means you haven't experienced a lot of what you may enjoy. I make green beans with dinner very regularly, and when they are soft and ready to eat I put some grated Parmesan cheese on them and throw them in the oevn for a while with a little olive oil. Nothing too much. The extra cheese and flavor that adds really makes it so everyone in my house loves them, including my two kids. Maybe try something with that? Find a food you are willing to give a try and add something you do enjoy to it. Don't "mask" the flavor, enhance it. Really bring out the best of both worlds.

Salad? Add cottage cheese, a little vinaigrette, and some chopped up pepperoni to add some flavor. Broccoli? Buy some flavored olive oil and sautee it with some chopped garlic. Makes it a very interesting flavor choice.

JenMc14

Try one or two new foods/recipes a week.mroasting veggies with a little oil and favorite seasonings is a great way to go. Make stir frays. Add blended veggies to pasta sauce. Try smoothies. Just don't try to change everything you eat all at once.

MelaniaTrump

I started eating beans by buying a can of refried beans and buying healthy tortillas. Bean roll up. Just an idea of a food/lunch. The fiber and protein in beans can help you keep full.

MatthewSowards

Thanks for the responses guys. Never thought of adding cottage cheese or pepperoni to salads. Ill have to give that a try. I love fruits, that has basically been the healthiest things I eat. I also do refried beans on tortilla shells, but I also add grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese to it. My go to snack is low fat cheese sticks. Ill give more meats with cooked veggies mixed in a try. Stir fries are good as long as there are not peppers in it. I am not a fan of spice haha.

Sabrinarose8

I also am not a huge salad fan and picky veggies eater. I do a lot of soups instead. I like butternut squash soup, pumpkin soup, and I just made a new cauliflower and potato soup. I can even do kale now, although I do it in soups and bake it so it's crunchy like chips.

murp4069

As far as vegetables, my boyfriend likes to include pureed vegetables like zucchini into various sauces, like a tomato sauce for pasta or into soups of almost any kind. Helps to thicken the sauce or soup and you really don't notice any distinct vegetable flavor.

steuartcj

Tuna, canned chicken, lean Turkey ham, ground lean Turkey. Even Tofu, but that's another story..

chandanista

My son hates vegetables too, and my daughter doesn't like "crunch" (like raw carrots). If you do tortillas, try the spinach kind. I also like to put puréed veg into batter, like pancakes; and I buy the pasta that is made with tomato, carrot, squash purée etc. it's not the best changes in the world but it's small steps.

emmycantbemeeko

I find chopped salads much more appealing than the usual "pile a bunch of leaves in a bowl" method. Because you get a better mix of all the ingredients in each bite, it's usually less bitter and more flavorful, especially if you toss it in the dressing after chopping. Easier to eat, too.

I also like to buy some kind of tasty topping- dried fruit or candied nuts, or good croutons, added in moderation. I always joke that they're like the prize in the cereal box.

nadler64

My teenage son will eat pretty much anything I put before him - but left to his own devices would be a junk food junkie. He's not crazy about salads either. But one thing he just cannot get enough of is spaghetti squash with meat sauce and parmesan cheese. In fact, he's asked me to just not make spaghetti anymore. It's worth a try for you if you like Italian food.

Just split, seed, and microwave a spaghetti squash and let it cool while you fix the meat sauce. (Google how to do this if you're not sure.) Brown a package of ground turkey (the 93/7 stuff, NOT the 100% turkey breast) in a frying pan. Then throw in a bottle of your favorite tomato-based sauce and heat through. Scoop out the squash with a fork and fluff it up. Top with meat sauce, grated parmesan, and you're good to go. It's amazing how much of this you can eat for relatively few calories; you'll be full of veggies, satisfied, and you won't feel like you're going to die after a pasta overload.

Need2Exerc1se

Salads are not a requirement for weight loss. You can get plenty of vegetables without ever eating a salad.

Some great way to eat vegetables are soup, stew, chili, pasta sauces, mushroom gravy (not technically a veg, but still quite nutritious), tacos, nachos, burritos, salsa, omelets, casseroles. Fruits also make great salsa or desserts.

DaisiesandViolets

jemhh wrote: »

Have you tried any veggies or fruits that are more "off the beaten path" or unusual (or may just stuff that your family didn't usually eat while you were growing up)? .

I totally agree with this! I grew up in a house that always had fruit and vegetables at every meal, but the fruit was always apples and bananas, the salad was always lettuce and tomato with Russian dressing (mayo and ketchup!) and the vegetables were always boiled. There were no seasonings, and we didn't even have salt and pepper on the table. I still like apples and bananas, but when I go to the store I like to get papaya, berries, pomegranate, pomelos, or anything else that is interesting. I rarely make salads, but I discovered roasting vegetables and now I can't get enough. Cauliflower and brussel sprouts used to be the most disgusting vegetables, but now roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of parmesan? So freakin delicious.
The soup idea above is a great idea too. Go slow and find what you love!

dubird

I hate veggies too. I'm more likely to eat them raw than I am cooked. My advice is to try ones you haven't tried and find a few that you like. I mostly eat peas or carrots when I eat cooked veggies. Kinda boring as it's the same way, but the meat is different each time so I don't mind. I've also found it's easy to stick some spinach into a lot of casserole-type dishes where you can't taste them. I've tried the roasted veggie idea, and it didn't work for me. It might for you. One thing I found I will eat is fried cauliflower. Not breaded, just fried for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add salt and it's not half bad. Not the healthiest way to eat them, sure, but as long as you account for the oil, you're still getting the nutrition of the cauliflower. Same with tempura - there are veggies I'll eat as tempura, but not plain. Sure, higher calories, but I'm eating them. Also, I've seen bags of frozen seasoned veggies at the store. HSpoon loves the ranch broccoli, but there's Asian style, southwest style, buffalo style, lots of different things. That might be something to try because it's one bag, pre-seasoned, all you do is microwave it. Quick and easy and lets you try new options without making a large batch from a recipe.

And you don't have to swap out everyone all at once. Making a couple of changes at a time is slow, but if you do that and give yourself time to get used to it, it is easier in the long run. So find one veggie that you like cooked or raw and add that to your diet. Give yourself a couple weeks to adjust to it, then try and find something else.

kshama2001

I eat lots of veggies, but think they are an abomination when canned.

I love broccoli - when it's still crunchy. I find it inedible when it's soft. Try experimenting with different cooking methods. Many people are fans of roasting vegetables.

dubird

kshama2001 wrote: »

I eat lots of veggies, but think they are an abomination when canned.

I think most people can agree with that statement! I grew up eating canned because that's all we could afford, but now that I've eaten frozen and fresh, I avoid the canned as much as possible!

cross2bear

I can relate to the post about growing up with the same rotation of veg - for us, it was peas carrots corn (repeat). Every once in awhile my mother would try something new (like brussel sprouts) but the cooking method (boiled) was off putting.

Now, I LOVE veg and my favourite way to eat them is roasted. Roasting brings out the natural sugars in the veggies, and makes them taste completely different in a really appetizing way!

I recently found a recipe for Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts that is going to be the experiment for the weekend!

A suggestion I have is to think about what you like to eat when you eat away from home - then recreate it at home!

You can also hide lots of veg in soups stews and chilis, like grated almost anything! Carrots, turnip, parsnips, zucchini can all be added to a hearty chili and you would not notice any one individual taste.

Good luck!

mccraee

what my husband and I have had good success with is picking one veggie at a time and then making it a mission to figure out a way that we like to eat it. We are probably not as picky as you but we started with brussel sprouts and we cooked them every which way until we found a couple of ways that we kind of liked. For instance roasted until there is lots of brown on them.

Then, I serve them BEFORE dinner when we're starving and working on getting the rest of dinner ready. I serve them roasted w/ toothpicks (I don't know why, more fun?) and we will both eat 5-10 brussel sprouts this way. It is truly a miracle.

We like Franks Hot Sauce. I am not above putting a little dish of that out to dip into. Why not?

but if someone steams them or heaven forbid defrosts a pack, I will be heaving. I agree that canned is generally gross.