any picky eaters out there?

JonnaXD

Are there any other picky eaters out there ? I've been on MFP for about 5 months now, I'm loosing weight and working out, eating right and all that. I'm a picky eater, especially when it comes to vegetables, so I typically end up blending whatever I'm having and putting it in my meatsauce, lasagna e.t.c. to mask the taste/texture. Lately I've become quite bored with my usual dishes, so I've tried to find some new recipes, but being a picky eater (and no I don't mean to be picky, yes I've tried to "teach" myself not to be, no I never say I don't like something unless I actually try it, e.t.c.) it's not easy to find healthy recipes that I can actually eat.

Does anyone else have this same, or a simular, problem, and if so, what do you do to "trick" yourself to eat healthy ?

JenniferNoll

I don't, but I have a kids who is. Our family "rule" is that you have to try something at least 5 times before you decide you won't eat it at all. She's ruled out Brussel sprouts, spinach, and asparagus. She has decided that she loves zucchini, pumpkin soup, and sweet potatoes. I'm just glad that we've gotten her off the chicken nuggets and carrot sticks.

Colorscheme

I'm very picky. I won't eat veggies cooked, only raw except for potatoes. I also don't eat meat, and I cannot have eggs [I am allergic].

I don't have to trick myself to do anything. I'll eat what I want and avoid what I don't want.

CattOfTheGarage

You're already using the "hidden veg" approach, why not look up other "hidden veg" recipes? There are truckloads of them online.

If you tell us what your specific issues are, which foods you feel comfortable eating and which you don't, people might be able to suggest specific recipes.

If you want to test out a new recipe, have you tried "tiny tastes"? This is where you eat a pea sized amount of the food - don't have it as your main meal, just a pea sized amount alongside whatever else you are eating. In time you may find this allows you to adapt to it. No doubt it doesn't work for everyone but a lot of people have found it helpful. You could make a portion of the new recipe and divide it up into tiny tastes and try it over a few days to see if it's going to work for you or not.

GothamVeggie

I'm a picky eater. I second trying things a bunch of times, but do it in a number of ways. For instance, I have always hated broccoli rabe with a passion. When a boyfriend's family member made it, I felt like I couldn't say no...& to my surprise, it was ok. Not my most fav thing, but definitely something I could eat. Why? Cause it was plunged into salted, boiling water just for a tiny bit & then sauteed with garlic. The salt & water removed some of the bitterness I hated & softened it up (I hated that hard texture originally too) while the garlic made it taste nice.

My mortal enemy, the radish also recently surprised me. I was served a salad that had some in it. (Horrors!) I thought I had removed all the radishes until I took a bite & crunched into something...something interesting. Yep, a little bit of radish with a lemon basil vinaigrette was actually nice. Surprise!

I've also found that I can blend things into a smoothie that I don't like (like a number of leafy greens & blueberries) with fruits I do like & yogurt to make a wonderful drink. Roasting vegetables is also a great way to change up their taste quite a bit. Roasting them with balsamic vinegar, citrus or a sauce also really changes it up. (A family member hated brussel sprouts till they tried them roasted at my insistence. Now, this is their fav vegetable.)

My advice is try the vegetables again in 5 different ways over time: 1. raw 2. steamed 3. sauteed with garlic or a spice you like 4. roasted 5. one of the stars of a dish. Each of these provides a different flavor & texture. For instance, I have to hide cooked spinach in things, but raw spinach is fine. +Tastes change over time & it's an adage for a reason: you have to try something 5 times to like it.

Note: It's really important that you use vegetables that are ripe & that you don't overcook or under cook them. I had a friend who thought they hated broccoli till I cooked it properly (not over/not under). She thought broccoli should be soft since that's how her mother made it & that's how she'd had it in restaurants. She didn't realize that when it was tender crisp, it had a much better texture & flavor. Conversely, I detest cauliflower when it is not cooked enough. Cooked correctly, it's one of my go-tos.

newloafofbread

I'm a recovering picky eater, yes it DOES get easier eventually. I used to be totally against even trying things, now I will try almost anything once and I've discovered a lot of foods that way. The only foods that are on my "never" list are salad (yeah, I know...) and eggs.

Here's my tips:

Try food in low pressure situations. Don't plan all your calories around a meal you've never had before, because if you end up not liking it, it wrecks your entire day. Instead, try food off other people's plates to experience it the first time (my husband is a vegetarian and very not picky, and I try a lot of foods that he's eating). Don't go to a restaurant you're looking forward to and sacrifice your entire meal to try something. That leads to disappointment. If you're going to try foods, I recommend trying side dishes or going to buffets (Chinese buffets have helped me try a LOT of food).

Try to sneak foods you're not as crazy about into foods you already like, the same way you're already doing. I really hate raw vegetables, but I will eat vegetables just fine if they're cooked into something like chili or soup. My husband puts really really small pieces of spinach in our pasta sauce, and I've tried kale as a drink with applejuice in it rather than just eating kale.

Give yourself an incentive food to work on. For instance right now I'm working on broccoli and avacado. I've been trying foods centered around those two vegetables to see if there's any way I will enjoy them. Once I conquer those, I will move on to another food.

Finally, if you hate something, just don't eat it. Forcing yourself will just make you angry and feel like you're wasting your calories. I know my life would be a lot easier if I ate salad, but I've tried it probably a dozen times and just hate it, so I don't. There's plenty of other foods I will eat.