In need of help with vegetables...

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  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I think OP is UK, green beans aren't really a big thing here. I pretty much never pick them up and I love pretty much all veg. They have that squeaky thing going on and no flavour I can discern. Pass me the broccoli/asparagus/sugarsnap/corn/cauliflower/courgette/whatever!

    It is interesting how much of a staple veg they are in the US though. Perhaps they're hardy like our swede or carrots.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
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    They are hardy.

    I love them, but not the canned ones. Here's a nice way to prepare them: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11356-french-green-beans-and-shallots

    I also like them sauteed with mushrooms in olive oil with pine nuts or chopped almonds added at the end, and maybe a little dill. That's my "fancy green beans" that I usually include in any appropriate dinner party menu. ;-)
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I second the notion of trying roasted vegetables. It completely changes the flavour of most of them through the caramelization of the sugars and browning due to the oils/fat you drizzle on them. I will roast just about anything but my favourites are sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots and onions. Most you can just drizzle some olive oil on and toss, put on a cookie sheet on some parchment paper at 350-375F and turn at 15 and 30 minutes, then every 5-10 after that as they start to brown up. If you use the oil sparingly you can eat massive amounts of these, be really full, and easily make your calorie goals for the day. Just remember to weight everything before you put it in the oven and enter the raw weights in you calorie count.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    You can do ok by getting a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and just preparing them in various ways. They won't rot while you think about what to do with them. You can steam them, stir-fry them, roast them, blanch them, make them into a soup or a smoothie, etc.
  • Pid57
    Pid57 Posts: 11 Member
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    Sometimes kids do better with raw vegetables. And they often really like dips. When my kids were younger they were into baby carrots and dill dip and little broccoli trees with ranch dip. I bought a veggie specific cookbook as well and that really helped because it shows you more exciting ways to prepare vegetables. And I second the replies that stated brussel sprouts. If you roast them in the oven with a little olive oil they get really sweet and almost crunchy like a chip.
  • karahm78
    karahm78 Posts: 505 Member
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    Take yellow squash and slice thin into rounds leaving the skin on. Spread them in single layer on cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil spray or lightly drizzle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under broiler for 10 mins or so, watch them do they don't burn. Yum! You can experiment with different spices, this is very quick at dinner
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I suggest you buy small amounts, buy often and buy at peak of freshness. You want your first experience to be good. Don't do it with substandard veggies.

    Sometimes I pick up a new veggie then google a recipe to go with.

    Make notes of what you and your son like and do repeats.

    A little crumbled bacon, nuts, or dried fruit can liven up a salad. If restaurants do it, why not you?
  • ellefox70
    ellefox70 Posts: 58 Member
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    My very fussy daughter loves raw sugar snap peas (maybe u call them mange tout?) and raw carrots and brocolli. She will now dip them in hummus which is progress! Corn on the cob always goes down well (with a little butter melted on top) and frozen peas are a winner. Oh and roasted parsnips and baby leaf spinach. Have fun with it and good luck!
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,074 Member
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    cross2bear wrote: »
    Jeepers, I dont think I would jump right in with brussel sprouts (I love them roasted too) as they can have a rather strong taste. What about grating some zucchini into pasta sauce, or into zucchini bread, or spiralizing some to use instead of pasta? Zuc has a mild flavour that takes on the taste of whatever it is being served with, so it might be a good "entry level" vegetable!!

    What about corn? Corn on the cob can be a fun (and messy!) experience, but it too has a relatively mild flavour. Bakle sweet potatoes just like you would white potatoes, and dress them with a bit of butter, and a smidgeon of brown sugar for a treat - lots of fibre, great taste - some people even make bake them into a casserole and top it with marshmallows!!

    Maybe try some raw veggies with some dips - get a favourite dip and use raw broc, raw carrots, raw peppers (green or red), raw cauliflower, radishes - anything that looks colourful and interesting.

    I have vastly expanded my vegetable repertoire while losing weight, and enjoy them at almost every meal. Even the lowly iceberg lettuce has a place on a ham and mayo sandwich in my books!

    I just want to comment that spaghetti is super simply to make, and that you dont have to rely on tinned stuff - buy the packaged noodles, boil them till their are soft, and pour over them a jar of ready made sauce, into which maybe you have put in some grated zucchini or carrots for vegetarian option, or some mushrooms, onions and ground beef or ground turkey for additional protein.

    Good luck!

    That was my thought about brussel sprouts. I love veggies but brussel sprouts, not so much. The good thing is that there are so many veggies available and so many different ways to prepare them. I am sure if you keep an open mind and play around with what is available to you that you will find a few veggies that you like. Good luck!!
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Try veggie purees. You can sneak them into all sorts of foods. I have some texture issues with some veggies so I get around it this way.

    My favorites:

    Quiche: spinach, broccoli, peas, asparagus...almost any veggie....

    Tomato sauce: squash, any red or yellow veggie

    Meatloaf or meatballs: any veggies. Seriously. Top with enhanced tomato sauce

    If you are pressed for time, lazy or without a blender baby food works great. I used some on the quiche I cooked tonight!

    Also...kids can't pick out pureed veggies!
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    What the heck is tinned spaghetti?
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,646 Member
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    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    What the heck is tinned spaghetti?

    Spaghetti in a can I assume.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    What is swede?
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    What is swede?

    I googled it, and I think that it's a rutabaga. OP, if you like rutabagas in any form, then you're able to like any vegetable. Rutabagas are how God torments poor and hungry peasants.
  • jenniferlouisewilkinson5971
    jenniferlouisewilkinson5971 Posts: 17 Member
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    Lol swede or rutabaga I'd lovely mashed with carrots. Spaghetti in a tomato sauce, google heinz spaghetti x
  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
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    "I think OP is UK, green beans aren't really a big thing here. I pretty much never pick them up and I love pretty much all veg. They have that squeaky thing going on and no flavour I can discern." I actually completely disagree with this (also UK here), they're a staple for me & they were for my family when I was growing up. Those and broccoli. They do have a flavour, but they're a good 'entry-level' vegetable because they don't have that bitter strong flavour going on like some things (e.g. asparagus, brussel sprouts, even broccoli on some occasions).

    If you can think of some ways to add vegetables to meals you already eat, I think it will be easier than jumping straight into eating salads etc. I add green veg to pasta with pesto, add mushrooms to carbonara and omelettes, and I've had success with vegetarian chili (beans instead of meat). It's about small steps. I also agree about snacking veg like red peppers or maybe cucumber/carrot sticks (good with hummus, if you like it) to get used to the new textures and flavours.

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