Can Someone help me figure out smoothies?

mtdb8

So I don't eat a lot of veggies. It's a fact. I find them bitter and disgusting and they all have a weird texture.

But I know I do need to eat them. I've been looking into smoothies since you can hide the taste and texture is a non issue.

I've been trying to have them for lunch, (hommade not purchased) but even when they're very high in calories. They aren't very filling.

And they're much too big. Apparently I have no idea how much stuff to add to make it a decent size. I resent using a good chunk of calories on something that tastes as disgusting as this does.

But I can't think of another way to add in veggies. The truth is if i served myself a plate of nothing but veggies for dinner, I'd rather go to bed hungry than actually eat them.

I know this post is all over the place, but I'm feeling frustrated and a little lost.

(Btw, most fruit smoothies are out. I can't eat berries, citrus, or melons due to allergies. I can eat stone fruits, apples, is that a stone fruit, cherries, grapes, and bananas.)

TavistockToad

why does it have to be either a smoothie or a whole plate of veg?

why not just some veg in with your lunch and your dinner? i don't believe you have tried every vegetable available in 4 or more cooking methods?

Kathryn247

Spinach is the easiest and most-tasteless veggie to add to smoothies, I think. I use 110g nonfat plain greek yogurt, 150g frozen fruit (bananas, peaches, etc) 4oz water, and some protein powder. Then you can throw in a handful of spinach, or more as you get used to it. It doesn't change the texture or taste very much, but it will change the color. Reasonable calories.
You don't HAVE to eat a lot of veggies, but since it sounds like you want to, try spinach in a smoothie or maybe a vegetable you haven't tried before, or cooked a new way. Roasting them in the oven gives them a carmelized flavor that you don't get steaming them.

Dilvish

High in calories? What are you mixing the veggies with, pure sugar? A veggie smoothie shouldn't contain many calories at all.
Maybe add some whey protein powder to the smoothie to help you feel fuller. Both protein and fiber can make you feel fuller longer, especially protein.

Vegetables are a staple in dieting and overall health but some people such as yourself simply can't tolerate them. If more fiber is your goal you can buy natural fiber supplements like ground psyllium and you can mix it with a bit of your favorite drink (mine is a little chocolate almond milk). Then on top of that you can take a multi-vitamin (make sure it's good quality) to ensure you are getting all the proper vitamins an minerals your body needs.

Somewhat related: I was on a "juicing" diet once. One of my all time favorite juices that I made was a combination of 2 Apples, 3 large Carrots and Ginger root (about 1/2 an inch). It is quite tasty and very healthy. As a smoothie in a blender, it might be a little too fibrous but eventually you'll need some fiber...maybe switch to a good quality juicer rather than a blender. You get the benefits of the veggies and fruits without 75% of the fiber. Just make sure you do some homework first before buying a juicer as there are a lot of crappy ones out there. A decent one that extracts the most juice (high rpms) will usually cost around $300 (CDN) or more. you can get an idea here https://trustedreviews.com/best/best-juicer-3490529

kimny72

mtdb8 wrote: »

So I don't eat a lot of veggies. It's a fact. I find them bitter and disgusting and they all have a weird texture.

But I know I do need to eat them. I've been looking into smoothies since you can hide the taste and texture is a non issue.

I've been trying to have them for lunch, (hommade not purchased) but even when they're very high in calories. They aren't very filling.

And they're much too big. Apparently I have no idea how much stuff to add to make it a decent size. I resent using a good chunk of calories on something that tastes as disgusting as this does.

But I can't think of another way to add in veggies. The truth is if i served myself a plate of nothing but veggies for dinner, I'd rather go to bed hungry than actually eat them.

I know this post is all over the place, but I'm feeling frustrated and a little lost.

(Btw, most fruit smoothies are out. I can't eat berries, citrus, or melons due to allergies. I can eat stone fruits, apples, is that a stone fruit, cherries, grapes, and bananas.)

Many people find liquid calories don't fill them up. I sometimes do a smoothie for breakfast in the warmer months, but I don't get very hungry in the AM anyway. I usually put half a frozen banana, a cup of water, a serving of flavored protein powder, and all the leafy greens I can shove in the blender. It's usually low cal enough that I can eat something solid along with it so it fills me up more.

I agree with a previous post that it would be better to try to add or hide veggies in other meals. I buy the frozen bags of mixed veggies - corn, peas, green beans, and carrots - and add it to rice, pasta, soup, wherever I can. If you like tomato sauce (which FYI is a veggie) topping a cooked veggie with tomato sauce and a little parmesan often works with my nephews. Have you roasted veggies? Roasted veggies get a little sweet and charred, and can also be hit with a lot of garlic salt and/or parmesan cheese.

born_of_fire74

Dilvish wrote: »

High in calories? What are you mixing the veggies with, pure sugar? A veggie smoothie shouldn't contain many calories at all.
Maybe add some whey protein powder to the smoothie to help you feel fuller. Both protein and fiber can make you feel fuller longer, especially protein.

Vegetables are a staple in dieting and overall health but some people such as yourself simply can't tolerate them. If more fiber is your goal you can buy natural fiber supplements like ground psyllium and you can mix it with a bit of your favorite drink (mine is a little chocolate almond milk). Then on top of that you can take a multi-vitamin (make sure it's good quality) to ensure you are getting all the proper vitamins an minerals your body needs.

Somewhat related: I was on a "juicing" diet once. One of my all time favorite juices that I made was a combination of 2 Apples, 3 large Carrots and Ginger root (about 1/2 an inch). It is quite tasty and very healthy. As a smoothie in a blender, it might be a little too fibrous but eventually you'll need some fiber...maybe switch to a good quality juicer rather than a blender. You get the benefits of the veggies and fruits without 75% of the fiber. Just make sure you do some homework first before buying a juicer as there are a lot of crappy ones out there. A decent one that extracts the most juice (high rpms) will usually cost around $300 (CDN) or more. you can get an idea here https://trustedreviews.com/best/best-juicer-3490529

Smoothies are often deceptively high calorie once you factor in all the ingredients. Veg can be pretty low cal but people often mix in other ingredients that are not necessarily low cal like peanut butter, yogurt, fruits, sweeteners, protein powders etc. Also, people tend to make ginormous smoothies that have several servings worth of food in them because liquid calories are often not as satisfying as an equal amount of solid food calories.

mtdb8

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smoothies are often deceptively high calorie once you factor in all the ingredients. Veg can be pretty low cal but people often mix in other ingredients that are not necessarily low cal like peanut butter, yogurt, fruits, sweeteners, protein powders etc. Also, people tend to make ginormous smoothies that have several servings worth of food in them because liquid calories are often not as satisfying as an equal amount of solid food calories.

This is true. I dont add sugar, but I do add dates and nut butter. And course the non dairy milk itself are not low calorie foods

lynn_glenmont

mtdb8 wrote: »

.

smoothies are often deceptively high calorie once you factor in all the ingredients. Veg can be pretty low cal but people often mix in other ingredients that are not necessarily low cal like peanut butter, yogurt, fruits, sweeteners, protein powders etc. Also, people tend to make ginormous smoothies that have several servings worth of food in them because liquid calories are often not as satisfying as an equal amount of solid food calories.

This is true. I dont add sugar, but I do add dates and nut butter. And course the non dairy milk itself are not low calorie foods

Unsweetened almond milk is about 30 cals a cup (240 ml). That's pretty low calorie.

But if you don't like smoothies to begin with, and they don't fill you up, using them as the way to get veggies probably is not the way to go.

How about soup with veggies in it? How about pureed veggies added to cheese sauce for mac n cheese (winter squash and root veggies work well -- I also like whole peas just stirred in, but I'm guessing you wouldn't like that).

Tuck some veggies into sandwiches?

Add chopped sauteed veggies to an omelet?

Do you like fruit? You can get many of the same nutrients in fruit as you do in veggies (fiber, vitamins, minerals), but they generally have higher sugar content, so the calorie hit is a bit larger.

I also recommend trying different vegetables prepared different ways (raw, steamed, stir-fried, roasted, pureed), since the resulting textures are so different (and some methods, like roasting, bring out natural sweetness) that if you dislike all of them, it's hard to see how the texture of all food wouldn't bother you.

rheddmobile

Supposedly it takes between seven and ten tries for picky eaters to get used to new tastes.

I second the advice to try different ways of cooking vegetables, such as roasting, steaming, and stir-fry. Try cauliflower, yellow pepper, or butternut squash, those are more palatable to people who find food bitter. Make just a small amount so you aren't wasting money. Taste it, make yourself eat at least two bites, and if you hate it, tell yourself, that's okay, I will try it some other time and see if I like it then.

No need for smoothies if you don't like them and they don't fill you up. You can hide the flavor and texture of vegetables without putting them in a smoothie.

AustinRuadhain

Others have grappled with this. Here are two articles that I like on the topic:
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201507/how-teach-yourself-actually-vegetables