I don't like Vegetables!

Etsar73

I love vegetables but I have big issues with fruit for the same reason as you, taste and texture. I used to eat apples only, maybe an orange... now I can eat raspberries, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberries. I did it by trying them even when I was convinced I would hate them (some I learned to like and some I hated). Strawberries I tried once years ago and hated them like I knew I would, then tried again several months later and it was sweeter and much nicer. I like prefer frozen raspberries and I put them in yogurt. Sometimes you need to try more than once in different forms. I tried grapes, figs and blueberries and hated them and I've always hated bananas. Just try and keep trying.

I used to hate tomatoes too but started eating them in very small pieces mixed with other things. I realised I loved them chopped in small pieces with balsamic vinegar on toast. I hated mushrooms but I can now eat them raw or when the smell and taste of the mushroom is not too strong in cooking. Good luck

Verity1111

Theo166 wrote: »

My trick is to sauce em' up.

I buy mixed frozen veggies from Coscto. They are good and I don't have to learn to pick and store veggies. Just steam and use.

Tonight I'm just adding spaghetti sauce on top. They are also good with a curry or just to add some bulk to any soup you already have.

Hey someone else who likes veggies alone with pasta sauce lol and here I thought I was just odd.

I vote for putting them in sauce or hiding them in something chocolatey lol

Susieq_1994

I usually focus on one vegetable at a time. I start by putting it in strong foods where I can't detect it, then start adding it to milder things, then start eating it in strongly-seasoned salads, then in blander salads, and then finally on its own. I've done it with bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant (always cooked), zucchini, and cauliflower. Shockingly, I can actually say honestly that I now LIKE these veggies, even though I used to hate them. So it's not impossible to start liking them.

Fat_Fighter87

Well you like peas and green beans so that's a good start. You could make a pea and ham/bacon or pea and mint soup maybe? If you puree it you may not taste the onions in so may be able to slip them into your diet sometimes. I don't like many veggies either, I just make myself eat them now. I eat them first on my plate so they're out the way! What about cauliflower cheese? I don't like cauliflower but I like it in cheese. I can pretty much eat anything in cheese

lemurcat12

crooked_left_hook wrote: »

I wasn't much of a veggie or bean fan about a year ago so I signed up for Hello Fresh and made a deal with myself that I would try everything once (except eggplant and celery, which I know I hate). They just send you the recipes and ingredients so I didn't have any control over what they were sending. I wouldn't go hear a roasted pepper, raw onion, or brussels sprouts. Now I love them, in fact I have learned to like most veggies (still no eggplant or celery). It also helped that I learned how to cook them properly in the process. The moral of the story, is just try prepping them a few different ways, and with different meals, and you will probably find some veggies that agree with you.

Excellent example of what can work.

joowelz

Not sure what type of cooking you have been exposed to, but I would be surprised if you tried and didn't like vegetables prepared in a Mediterranean way. Look up Armenian/Turkish/Lebanese veggie recipes on Pinterest and see if they appeal. As far as British/Canadian/American cooking goes, I agree that the food is bland and unappealing.

Also, I find that the more veggies I eat, the more I crave them. The opposite is also true. The less veggies I eat, the less I crave them.

EttaMaeMartin

TRY RICED CAULIFLOWER...THE BOMB! IF YOU LIKE RICE YOU WILL LIKE THIS. YOU CAN EAT THE ENTIRE BAG FOR 80 CALORIES!

TeaBea

chelsea94renee wrote: »

It's both taste & texture. I don't mind tomato sauce, but I don't like tomatoes in any form, whole, diced, sliced, cooked, nada!!

Okay - veggie haters don't know this (not enough experience) but all veggies tasting the same, or all veggies having the same texture - this is false.

Veggies do have very different textures.....raw texture is not the same texture as cooked (ever). Frozen & cooked is another texture, even for different veggies. Frozen cooked green beans (not a favorite) is very different from cooked fresh, and on and on.

As far as taste - there are some similarities....Brussels sprouts & cabbage, or carrots & parsnips. Veggies are members of plant families, some are in the same family. However carrots do not taste like broccoli, or green beans don't taste like beets.

Keep experimenting. You won't like them all, that's okay. But I agree with @lemurcat12 it's worth the effort to like a few more.

GottaBurnEmAll

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I think it's worth learning to like vegetables, and would recommend experimenting with a wide variety of them and trying new cooking methods. A good vegetable cookbook like Greene on Greens (not just greens) or Barbara Kafka's Vegetable Love or any of the millions of farmer's market or seasonal cooking themed ones (I like lots of photos, as that tends to get me excited to try something), can help. Or a good website (there are many others) is 101cookbooks.com.

You don't need vegetables to lose weight, but I am someone who thinks they are important for nutrition and people can learn to like them (and often don't because they haven't had them cooked the most appealing and easy to like ways).

This.

I disagree that the things you learn to like are learned early in life. I grew up in a home where only canned green beans, corn, and carrots were served. We had iceberg salads in the summer. We had creamed spinach, only on Thanksgiving and at Christmas.

I think I vaguely remember my mother making corned beef and cabbage once.

I tried, as an adult, all sorts of different vegetables and all kinds of ways of preparing them because I knew they were good for me. As simple as that. I also read cookbooks as a hobby and the recipes intrigued me.

I eat a ridiculous amount of vegetables now, prepared in all sorts of ways.

Try different things, especially roasting. Roasting is a great gateway to a new vegetable.

GottaBurnEmAll

Lounmoun wrote: »

My veggie hating dd eats them if they are in a sauce or soup. Otherwise she eats fruit.
Try some different cooking methods, lemon juice, lime juice, spices. Try pureeing them and adding them to foods.
Try vegetables you haven't had before.
Some vegetables are more bland like zucchini or cauliflower. With a sauce or coating they don't have much vegetable flavor coming through.

Oh, a trick I found for my kids for salad - they like dressing, but a crazy amount of it and that's just ridiculous. If you need to hide the flavor, or you want to make raw veggies and dip, mix 2 cups of greek yogurt (a good plain kind like fage) with a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix. It makes a great salad dressing (it's thick, but if you toss the salad around, it coats everything nicely) and it's a delicious dipped for lightly steamed broccoli or any raw vegetables, and you can eat a lot of it with veggies and make a meal of it.

WafaeGettingFit

I cook Indian food all the time, and vegetables can be made to beautiful delicious dishes. I prefer fresh vegetables over frozen as it tastes so much more flavorful imo. Experiment with spices, or get a pre-made spice blend (Mexican, Italian, Indian...etc). I was not a huge fan of vegetables, but experimenting with different recipes build me up to start loving them.

NikkiiBaby68

Have you tried Braggs Aminos or coconut aminos ?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Take @lemurcat12 's suggestions.

My husband only did corn, potatoes, peas, crushed tomatoes, and canned green beans (ew) when we got married. Now he's added sweet potatoes, onions, zucchini, carrots, and eggplant. So, you know, progress.

I think roasting is the best way to try new veggies, personally. It seems to give them a nice mild flavor.

ramonramirez1975

Had the same problem, I was forcing to eat broccoli so much that at one point I felt like throwing up. What I do now is cut the broccoli into little pieces and mix it with other foods like if I'm eating chicken, beans, and broccoli I just mix it all up. Also, you can eat fruits instead. Good luck!

aneedforchange

I find it Alarming how many people are like "don't eat them then it's all about calories in calories out". Vegetables are vital to health! I would second the smoothie suggestion, and slowly wan yourself into it. I prefer exotic vegetables to carrots and peas.. So make sure you try a wide variety, you'll learn to like them or altleast tolerate them lol