How to maintain macros when you don't like veggies?
tribal351
Posts: 72 Member
I've been keto for a month. I've read tons of meal plans, and they all seem to be chock full of all the veggies I can't stand eating. Cauliflower, Broccolli, spinach... Ugh. I like raw baby spinach and asparagus, but I'm concerned that my nutrition will suffer without getting the proper nutrients.
Currently my diet is fairly consistent. 3 eggs, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 sausage made in an omelette for breakfast. 1 sausage, light and fit Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp chia seeds for lunch. 3 eggs, bacon or sausage, baby spinach, cheese and 2 carb sense tortillas for dinner. No snacks. Losing weight quickly and feel great, I'm concerned about long term though.
Any advice for veggie haters?
Currently my diet is fairly consistent. 3 eggs, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 sausage made in an omelette for breakfast. 1 sausage, light and fit Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp chia seeds for lunch. 3 eggs, bacon or sausage, baby spinach, cheese and 2 carb sense tortillas for dinner. No snacks. Losing weight quickly and feel great, I'm concerned about long term though.
Any advice for veggie haters?
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Replies
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vOv I'll be going zero carb soon, so if you can stand the repetitiveness, there's always the option to just eat nothing but bacon, fatty ground meats, fattier briskets, etc. If you get tired of those, there's always the option of adding oil and butter to leaner meats.3
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I am following a zero carb route too - only eating animal products no veggies at all - am currently 10 days into this and so far feeling great - you need to find the right way for you - don't force yourself to eat anything you don't enjoy6
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My problem with staying low-carb is that I LOVE VEGGIES. I almost can't eat just half a cup of butter-fried cabbage or creamed spinach, etc. I love tomatoes, peppers, and onions in abundance, too. I've had to learn to limit those to like, a tablespoon or one teeny slice, per a meal.
But there are apparently a lot of people out there who are successful on the diet without eating hardly any veg. Since you like spinach and asparagus, I think you'll be OK
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I barely eat veggies not because I don't like them though. They just don't agree with my digestive system for whatever reason. Probably a microbiota thing and I haven't motivated to work on that because just not eating them is too easy.
I think there's plenty of nutrition in meats. Especially meats that don't need to be cooked to death. Just make sure to eat a decent amount of rare beef. As rare as you can handle. Cooking foods does reduce its available nutrition. Obviously, you can't eat everything rare, not even all beef. I cook ground beef all the way because I only ever buy the super cheapo stuff. But, I try to have steak as often as possible, which is never often enough!5 -
I've been keto for a month. I've read tons of meal plans, and they all seem to be chock full of all the veggies I can't stand eating. Cauliflower, Broccolli, spinach... Ugh. I like raw baby spinach and asparagus, but I'm concerned that my nutrition will suffer without getting the proper nutrients.
Currently my diet is fairly consistent. 3 eggs, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 sausage made in an omelette for breakfast. 1 sausage, light and fit Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp chia seeds for lunch. 3 eggs, bacon or sausage, baby spinach, cheese and 2 carb sense tortillas for dinner. No snacks. Losing weight quickly and feel great, I'm concerned about long term though.
Any advice for veggie haters?
What might help to get your mind around it is do this -- specifically name the nutrients you're afraid of missing out on by not eating vegetables (or particular vegetables). I can guarantee that you'll find alternative sources to everything you name.6 -
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Have you thought about taking a Spirulina supplement? It is supposedly like having vegetable servings without having to eat the vegetables and is supposed to be super healthy. Wikipedia has all the nutrient info listed https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)
**there is powder, but I personally take it in pill capsule form.1 -
I've learned to love enough veggies, cooked the way I like them, to get my minimum recommended servings per day, which is 2 cups of the little antioxidant bombs per day. I'm not winning any awards for veggie eating, but it's a vast improvement over what I was doing before I started counting carbs and was eating bread and pasta.
My current struggle is with fruits. I'm probably going to add a serving of raw veggies and cut fruit back to 3 times a week.1 -
I hide veggies my kids don't like in meatloaf and sauces or whatever I can- cut em up small enough and you can't tell they are there. But I am not sure why you need veggies on LC. I'm around 20 a day and I don't eat them unless I want them. I suppose the casserole route with cauliflower could be tough but that's bland enough for me that I can hide it in any casserole I make - cheese makes everything better?0
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They have the lowest carbs (9g) on the market (in my area). Haven't been able to find full fat yogurt in the grocery. I don't eat it but can't get my hubby off them. They have a couple of lower carb flavors 3g carbs for 4 ounces - vanilla cream and strawberry cream. Do you have a good alternative ?
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RowdysLady wrote: »I hide veggies my kids don't like in meatloaf and sauces or whatever I can- cut em up small enough and you can't tell they are there. But I am not sure why you need veggies on LC. I'm around 20 a day and I don't eat them unless I want them. I suppose the casserole route with cauliflower could be tough but that's bland enough for me that I can hide it in any casserole I make - cheese makes everything better?
Usually the riced cauliflower in said casseroles is there to act as an oil sponge, so you don't end up with a meal that tries to slip off your plate if you tip it more than three degrees. It has the added benefit of adding some oft-needed texture balance. Sliced mushrooms can accomplish the exact same thing though, if people prefer those to cauliflower.2 -
Double post, because I'm a dumb
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My problem with staying low-carb is that I LOVE VEGGIES. I almost can't eat just half a cup of butter-fried cabbage or creamed spinach, etc. I love tomatoes, peppers, and onions in abundance, too. I've had to learn to limit those to like, a tablespoon or one teeny slice, per a meal.
But there are apparently a lot of people out there who are successful on the diet without eating hardly any veg. Since you like spinach and asparagus, I think you'll be OK
^^This. I have to make an effort to keep the veggies in check. Having said that, how about salsa? Or pesto made with spinach and basil or kale and basil? Tapenades are also an option.2 -
I personally hate veggies. ALL veggies. My only exception is cauliflower crust pizza.
Contrary to my parents' belief, I have not withered from scurvy or malnourishment. I have an open diary, feel free to add me if you want to peek through it. 2 -
all the good stuff that makes fatty meat taste good is high in carbs .... ketchup, humus,creamy ceaser .... couple of spoons and boom 20 grams of carbs in one meal...
How do you guys manage to stay low carb and still manage to eat some tasty food....0 -
Adi4Fitness wrote: »all the good stuff that makes fatty meat taste good is high in carbs .... ketchup, humus,creamy ceaser .... couple of spoons and boom 20 grams of carbs in one meal...
How do you guys manage to stay low carb and still manage to eat some tasty food....
It's a preference thing for me. I honestly can't stand sugar and starches in quantity, and only ever ate them out of sheer laziness. Once I discovered that with minor effort (shopping once every two weeks, and about four evenings worth of meal prep in the same), I can avoid food I hate, and save a pretty good amount of money, I was all in.2 -
Meat is fantastic with just sea salt on it, but if you must douse it with sauce, hot sauce, mayo, butter and garlic, cream and cheese sauce, I think A1 steak sauce isn't too bad... Not sure.2
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I wish I could eat more veggies since they are so filling but I get terrible, horrible bloat from it. Broccoli gives me the worst gas pains of life. I love salads but the lettuce bloats me as well.
The bloat from salads is inconvenient but tolerable. Anyone else have these problems??0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Meat is fantastic with just sea salt on it, but if you must douse it with sauce, hot sauce, mayo, butter and garlic, cream and cheese sauce, I think A1 steak sauce isn't too bad... Not sure.
Mmmm, buttered steak is an amazing thing and so yummy. But I agree, I've never been a big condiment person preferring just to use salt and sometimes burgers w/ mayo. All my friends know that I think ketchup is the devil! The smell of it even makes me gag. This has been a well used torture device against me.
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karebear5891 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Meat is fantastic with just sea salt on it, but if you must douse it with sauce, hot sauce, mayo, butter and garlic, cream and cheese sauce, I think A1 steak sauce isn't too bad... Not sure.
Mmmm, buttered steak is an amazing thing and so yummy. But I agree, I've never been a big condiment person preferring just to use salt and sometimes burgers w/ mayo. All my friends know that I think ketchup is the devil! The smell of it even makes me gag. This has been a well used torture device against me.
I am very much the same, especially regarding ketchup. Interestingly enough though, Heinz reduced sugar ketchup doesn't cause this reaction in me, because it smells like a cocktail sauce, as opposed to whatever demon possessed garbage the rest of it is.2 -
LolaDeeDaisy23 wrote: »I wish I could eat more veggies since they are so filling but I get terrible, horrible bloat from it. Broccoli gives me the worst gas pains of life. I love salads but the lettuce bloats me as well.
The bloat from salads is inconvenient but tolerable. Anyone else have these problems??
@LolaDeeDaisy23 - This was me before adding in Apple Cider Vinegar and digestive enzymes with my meals. Try taking diluted ACV - 1 TBSP with the first bite of a meal or just before starting eating (it says up to 30 minutes before, but I get a stomachache if I do it that far in advance) and see if you don't have less/no bloat. ACV helps the stomach processing. Digestive enzymes help in the intestine for the nutrient extraction. I'm finding these days a combo of both helps best, and I'm considering adding bile salts back in too (since i have no gallbladder - these didn't work for me before, but I wasn't using the ACV/DE combo back when, either, so I'm thinking another go is well worth it).
If you missed it, I posted this webinar yesterday. I bet if you listen to it, it will seriously help with a bunch of things. I never realized so much was related to my digestive system, and I had so many warning signs early on, too!!! So many things I would have done differently... https://www.drberg.com/main/webinarsignup?webinar_id=5 LONG, but SO worth it!0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »karebear5891 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Meat is fantastic with just sea salt on it, but if you must douse it with sauce, hot sauce, mayo, butter and garlic, cream and cheese sauce, I think A1 steak sauce isn't too bad... Not sure.
Mmmm, buttered steak is an amazing thing and so yummy. But I agree, I've never been a big condiment person preferring just to use salt and sometimes burgers w/ mayo. All my friends know that I think ketchup is the devil! The smell of it even makes me gag. This has been a well used torture device against me.
I am very much the same, especially regarding ketchup. Interestingly enough though, Heinz reduced sugar ketchup doesn't cause this reaction in me, because it smells like a cocktail sauce, as opposed to whatever demon possessed garbage the rest of it is.
@karebear5891 & @Gallowmere1984 - I was always a ketchup/mustard/pickle gal - learned from my dad. These days I LOVE a 4:2:1 ratio of mayo:mustard:ketchup. I haven't found a low-sugar ketchup I feel good trying (most AS and I are not friends) and I've been too lazy so far to make my own (I don't eat it quickly enough)...so I use leftover packets or measure 1-2 tsp, etc. It has worked well with just enough sweet to accent my pickles and sometimes tomatoes...0 -
[/quote] They have a couple of lower carb flavors 3g carbs for 4 ounces - vanilla cream and strawberry cream. Do you have a good alternative ? [/quote]
A couple of ideas: you can add fruit or fruit flavoring (sugar free coffee syrup) to the vanilla yogurt, or you can make your own yogurt with whole milk. Yogurt starters are available online & work well.
Let us know what you come up with! Very interesting topic.
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Also, I do a variation called a jello fat bomb which is sugar free gelatin (can do unflavored with sweetener to taste and pureed low carb fruit or extracts - to avoid aspartame and dyes in the premade stuff), sour cream, and heavy cream. It tastes just like a custard yogurt.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/KnitOrMiss/view/recipe-jello-fat-bombs-731743
It won't have the probiotics, but I've been told that yogurt is a terrible resource for those anyway - kefir is said to be better. You could probably cut the water in half and use some kefir (plain) at the very end, when it's already cooled dramatically, for a boost there, too.2 -
Adi4Fitness wrote: »all the good stuff that makes fatty meat taste good is high in carbs .... ketchup, humus,creamy ceaser .... couple of spoons and boom 20 grams of carbs in one meal...
How do you guys manage to stay low carb and still manage to eat some tasty food....
Sounds like you still need to evict your sugar demon. And maybe increase the quality of your meat and/or the way you cook it, because when you get good quality meat and cook it properly, you don't need anything else, because it's so flavorful and tasty on its own.
It might also be worth trying different kinds of meat. I'm personally a fan of bison and consider it far more flavorful than beef. Venison and lamb are good options, too, as is duck.
If you must put sauces on your meat, consider sour cream, ranch dressing, hot sauce, maybe A1. Butter makes a good meat sauce, too. If you want to add some extra flavor, puree some garlic into it and have a nice garlic butter.
As for cooking, don't go above about medium or so, especially for the red meats. Pork and birds need a little more, but be sure to take it off the heat as soon as the center reaches the safe temperature (or arguably, a few degrees less, especially for larger cuts or whole birds, and allow the center to come to temperature on its own). This keeps the meat from drying out and losing flavor.
They have the lowest carbs (9g) on the market (in my area). Haven't been able to find full fat yogurt in the grocery. I don't eat it but can't get my hubby off them. They have a couple of lower carb flavors 3g carbs for 4 ounces - vanilla cream and strawberry cream. Do you have a good alternative ?
Skyr!
Siggi's and B'More Organic should be available in most grocery stores (in Krogers, they'll be in the organic section). You might even be able to find skyr.is brand, too. Their carb amount sits around 6g, due to the lactose (which I suspect is actually lower, due to the cultures consuming the lactose). Siggi's flavored ones are a bit more, but B'More's isn't, and both offer a plain option. Mix in a little cream, especially in B'more's (which is more kefir-like), and it's heaven in a bottle.
Unfortunately, full fat yogurt is stupid hard to find these days. I've found it easier to either make my own, or pick up something like Skyr and add fat to it.2 -
Adi4Fitness wrote: »all the good stuff that makes fatty meat taste good is high in carbs .... ketchup, humus,creamy ceaser .... couple of spoons and boom 20 grams of carbs in one meal...
How do you guys manage to stay low carb and still manage to eat some tasty food....
waaaaaaaaaaaaaat
Some help for folks stuck in this area...
Fatty meat is the TASTIEST kind. Needs nothing but to be cooked perfectly, and seasoned. Seasoning is key. Good salt (I use pink Himalayan salt) and good pepper (whole pepper in a grinder) are my best weapons against bad tasting food. I used to turn up my nose at rare red meat, but now I can't get enough of a juicy pink burger or nice red steak. Roasting chicken or grilling it is fantastic - throw pieces on a baking pan with foil or parchment, rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, maybe a bit of Old Bay or some creole or Greek seasoning, whatever you like, really, but season it for sure! Bake it til the skin is crispy and oooh la la!
If you must add more to meat, I love Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (or tamari, if you're not eating any soy or wheat), FRESH GARLIC (another fave thing. I must chop at least a couple cloves every other day for a meal), fresh or dried herbs...I love thyme, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, sage, basil, parsley on chicken, pork, beef... dill, celery seed, parsley, chive, on fish (especially with LEMON!)
And don't forget vinegars (I keep red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and two kinds of balsamic and white wine vinegars on hand all the time), and oils are all low-carb, lovely things to use on meat. These two are especially GREAT for tougher cuts of meat, as they help break down connective tissue when cooked in say, a Dutch oven low on the stove, or a crock pot.
Red and white wines are FABULOUS things to add to meat dishes, as well. I have a bottle of sweet, dark red wine in the fridge in the cooler months to add to chilis, stews, braised meat dishes, soups, homemade pasta sauce/meat sauce, and almost always have a bottle of sherry or marsala for fish, chicken, vegetable dishes. Mmmmmmmmmmm!
PS - don't buy cooking wine, it's $hlt. Just buy the stuff you normally drink, get a little extra. Or if you have a bottle hanging around that you didn't like much, it will be a treat to cook with! I love food!
And none of this is expensive. Couple bucks for a plastic clamshell packet of herbs (sometimes you can get a combination of them in one pack - look in the produce aisle next to the refrigerated salad dressings, bagged lettuces). A head or bulb of garlic is like, 50¢ at my grocery store and lasts me weeks in the fridge! Three buck chuck wine and even dollar store vinegars and seasonings are awesome! I keep fresh herbs (except mint and sage) in a little water in a glass in the fridge w/a plastic baggie rubber-banded to the top, and they last for ages.1 -
@LolaDeeDaisy23 - Ever take Beano?
@KnitOrMiss - ooh that Jell-O thing sounds so good. I'm going to go look now.1 -
They have the lowest carbs (9g) on the market (in my area). Haven't been able to find full fat yogurt in the grocery. I don't eat it but can't get my hubby off them. They have a couple of lower carb flavors 3g carbs for 4 ounces - vanilla cream and strawberry cream. Do you have a good alternative ?
Can you buy full fat milk and make your own? It's pretty easy, and cheap if you can keep the starter going.
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Adi4Fitness wrote: »all the good stuff that makes fatty meat taste good is high in carbs .... ketchup, humus,creamy ceaser .... couple of spoons and boom 20 grams of carbs in one meal...
How do you guys manage to stay low carb and still manage to eat some tasty food....
Try this: butter and egg yolks! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bearnaise-sauce-3950491
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