Veggie help!
legblonde355
Posts: 41 Member
I REALLY hate vegetables how do you make them edible? I know I need to eat more veggies so how do you make them more edible? Think how you would get a 5 year old to eat them🤣
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Replies
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You don't totally *have* to eat vegetables, especially if you eat fruits and grains. I admit, it's a good idea for most people to eat some.
Are there any that you do like? For those that you don't like, what is it that you find off-putting (like particular textures or flavor notes, for example)?
Blend or smash veggies and put them in things like soup, mac'n'cheese, or the like. Winter squash or cauliflower are particularly good blended and used in mac'n'cheese. Dried beans (cooked at home or from a can) are good to blend into soups, and almost any other vegetable can be blended and used that way, too. Or, if you eat tomato sauce (on pasta or pizza made at home, for example), blend other veggies into the sauce. Maybe start with things that are closer in color first, like red sweet peppers, carrots, etc.
There are cookbooks and websites for parents, about how to hide veggies in foods for kids that don't like veggies. Those recipes can work for adults, too. There are also starting to be products made from veggies, like veggie tots, veggie pasta, etc., that you could try. (There are two kinds of veggie pasta: Ones where the veg is cut into a pasta-like shape (like zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice), and others where the veg are dried and made into a flour that's used to make the pasta. The latter will be more like regular pasta, just different nutrition; often they're in the gluten free section at the store.)
Try cooking them in different ways: Many people find that they like lots of vegetables better roasted vs. steamed or boiled. It makes them taste richer. Also, try ones you've never had before, if available: There are a huge range of textures and flavors, so there may be some out there that seem tasty, once you try some. Try dressing them with things you do like, starting with the ones that have mild flavor and easier-to-take textures. If you like sweets, consider some of the sweeter veggies as gateway veggies, like sweet potatoes for example.
Trying something in manageable amounts multiple times can sometimes make the thing easier to eat with repetition, maybe even tasty, if you can just sample them with an open mind, without aggravating your inner rebel.
Good luck!5 -
Many people like grilled or baked veggies better than raw ones. Cooking them brings out better flavor a lot of times.4
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Roast them! So delicious. Just toss uniformly cut vegetables with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 400 oven, shaking the pan midway through, for 20-30 minutes. A bit of char on them is fine. This was a complete game changer for my husband with Brussels sprouts - he was forced to eat them as a kid after they had been boiled mercilessly. Roasting changed everything!2
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I just made a roasted carrot soup. Seasoned the carrots with masala, salt and pepper.
Roasted brussel sprouts are great I do them in maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
Hummus is great for dipping raw veggies in.0 -
legblonde355 wrote: »
Just salt and pepper is good, but also good is some flavorful vinegar (before or after roasting), or fresh or dried herbs (tossed with the veg near the end of roasting, usually, with a few drops of oil or vinegar so they stick), mustard vinaigrette, lemon juice or other citrus squeezed over, etc. Experiments are fun.3 -
If you're put off by vegetables there's a lot of ways you can sort of sneak them into your daily intake. In smoothies, pureed into sauces, grated into things like meatloaf. There's a whole cookbook about sneaking vegetables into foods called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.2
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The questions @AnnPT77 asked are important ones to help us to make recommendations. Is it texture, flavor, ??
For raw veggies a dip often works to make it more palatable - Ranch, hummus, etc. If I am making a salad, I want everything diced really small so the bites are a mixture of flavor and texture. I have always preferred raw veggies, but as I’ve experimented as an adult, I found that when my mom cooked vegetables they were mushy. I now enjoy them cooked because I cook them until they are still crisp.
You could try veggies until soft and then puréeing them and adding to a sauce or soup. Something like carrots or spinach. This is another way to incorporate more into your diet.
The most important thing is to keep trying new things. Go to a vegan restaurant. Try other ethnicities preparations. You just may not like the veggies you were raised on.
Good luck! ❤️1 -
Vegetables is a pretty broad category.
Also, I mostly cook with vegetables, I don't eat them as a solo "side dish" or anything like that. But say, when I make pasta sauce, I throw in a pound of frozen spinach and some finely shredded carrot.
Or make "mac and cheese" but with pureed pumpkin and kale.
I make a lot of soups, stews, curries, casseroles with a lot of vegetables.
Surely you like some dishes that contain some vegetables? You could try expanding from those.1 -
Blend them(a quality blender works better at hiding those things
). My niece made a smoothie using a whole bag of spinach and my sister never knew it was in there. There are so many great recipes out there for smoothies, etc. And it doesn't have to be like drinking carrot juice or green smoothies anymore.
And as was mentioned, eat lots of fruits.0 -
I am not a fan of vegetables either. I used to really feel bad about not eating more of them, but the older I get the less I care about that. I’m in my early 40’s, and if I haven’t learned to like a certain vegetable by now, I have accepted that it’s not likely to happen. I eat the few that I enjoy and forget the rest. I do love fruit, so I eat quite a good variety of that.
My personal preference when it comes to veggies are those that are mild in flavor. For example, zucchini, edamame, chickpeas, and sweet bell peppers are all good, but you will never catch me going near broccoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts. I am also generally not a fan of hiding them in other foods, but there are some vegetables I will accept in a recipe that I would not eat by itself (ex: spinach).
Trying vegetables you have not previously eaten is a good idea, but don’t stress too much if it turns out that you are still a veggie hater.
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Totally agree about oven baking veg. I used to hate veg and I'm still working on it. I won't eat brussels, but the only other veg we had growing up were peas and carrots so I learned to try new stuff. It takes time! I like grilled /oven baked veg the best - aubergine, roasted cherry toms (won't touch them raw though) three colours of peppers and courgette. I don't really enjoy brocolli, but I eat it if it's been in the oven and I have something nice on my plate!
Spinach in with a banana smoothie.
Kale - cover it in gravy and serve with a roast or toad in the hole!
Pizza toppings - sweet corn and peppers are easy ways to pile on some veg if you make at home.
My daughter hates sweet potato - but if I make them into chip shapes and cover them in taco seasoning they're the best thing in the world.
Neither of my kids like avocado - unless I put it in the blender with honey and cocoa powder and make a dessert!
Blend up carrots to go in any home made pasta sauce. Or just grate them in.
Mash up cauli with potatoes for a healthier mash. (Sprinkle with cheese on top and roast in oven until it crisps)
Start anything you cook on the hob with a bit of onion, celery and garlic - it's all variety for your gut 2 -
My husband doesn't like vegetables either. He will eat a couple of bites, but not a whole serving of a vegetable as a side dish. He will eat soups, stews, pasta, chili etc. with vegetables so I use lots of tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots and zuccini in that kind of meal. I also make fajitas with carrots, onions, avocado and tomatoes with chicken or beef. Spanish rice with onions, tomatoes and carrots and either pork or hamburger is frequent as well. A friend taught me years ago that grated carrot can go in any dish that uses hamburger and isn't really noticeable as it takes on the flavor of the sauce.0
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I think I like vegetables as much as or more than other foods. I’m lucky. I’ve always been that way. It doesn’t mean that I don’t eat processed foods that aren’t healthy. It means that if I have the inclination to cook veggies nicely, I’ll eat them and be more satisfied than if I don’t prepare them. A meal without veggies isn’t a real meal to me. My husband gets annoyed because I want veggies at every dinner.
I like cooking and one tip I can give is this. Sprinkle olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper or just parsley on your vegetables and just roast them in the oven. It’s pretty foolproof, and they usually come out delicious. Use all root vegetables, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, add mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, beans,etc. Find what you like.
In a pinch, I open a ‘backup’ can of veggies and microwave it. I’ll eat a whole can if I’m hungry.
Veggies didn’t get me obese though.0 -
Raw. I like raw red, yellow, and orange peppers now. They're sweet and crunchy. Raw carrots too. I also eat barely-cooked fresh green beans (in the bags in the produce department). I like them so they're barely softened. Add a little spray margarine and a little salt. I do the same with broccoli. I don't care as much for frozen or canned veggies. I cook veggies in a pan with 1/2" of water with a lid for a short time. My parents growing up used to either cook vegetables until they were dead or out of a can. That's why I didn't like them before.0
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Hard to say without knowing what the actual aversion is. I didn't used to be a particularly big fan of vegetables, but it turns out that the issue was more how I grew up with them and how my mom cooked them. Almost always boiled to the point of being slimy mush, especially peas and cabbage. Cabbage is cheap and my mom cooked it often...I never thought I'd ever eat it again until I tried it cooked properly.
If I'm doing a vegetable side, I typically roast or sauté and don't overcook. They still have a bit of crunch to them. I only like a handful of raw vegetables...mixed greens, cucumber, carrot, red onion, and radish and generally have to really be in the mood for a salad for me to go there. This time of year we make a lot of soups, stews, and casserole type of things which are always a good place to put your veggies. Last night I made Shakshuka which is a northern African dish of sautéed onions and peppers with cumin and paprika stewed in tomatoes and then you poach eggs in the tomato/onion/pepper stew. Delicious.
I typically start the day with a green smoothie that I make for my wife and I. It has a few good handfuls of greens in there as well as avocado, but also banana, frozen strawberries, and frozen pineapple and a cup and a half or so of oat milk. Other than the color, you wouldn't really know there was a bunch of power greens in there as you primarily taste the fruit.
As others have also stated, eating fruit is a perfectly good alternative to getting in good vitamins and minerals. My kids don't care much for vegetables except for maybe carrots and cucumber, but they eat plenty of fruit so it's not something I worry about a whole lot.0 -
Hard to say without knowing what the actual aversion is. I didn't used to be a particularly big fan of vegetables, but it turns out that the issue was more how I grew up with them and how my mom cooked them. Almost always boiled to the point of being slimy mush, especially peas and cabbage. Cabbage is cheap and my mom cooked it often...I never thought I'd ever eat it again until I tried it cooked properly.
If I'm doing a vegetable side, I typically roast or sauté and don't overcook. They still have a bit of crunch to them. I only like a handful of raw vegetables...mixed greens, cucumber, carrot, red onion, and radish and generally have to really be in the mood for a salad for me to go there. This time of year we make a lot of soups, stews, and casserole type of things which are always a good place to put your veggies. Last night I made Shakshuka which is a northern African dish of sautéed onions and peppers with cumin and paprika stewed in tomatoes and then you poach eggs in the tomato/onion/pepper stew. Delicious.
I typically start the day with a green smoothie that I make for my wife and I. It has a few good handfuls of greens in there as well as avocado, but also banana, frozen strawberries, and frozen pineapple and a cup and a half or so of oat milk. Other than the color, you wouldn't really know there was a bunch of power greens in there as you primarily taste the fruit.
As others have also stated, eating fruit is a perfectly good alternative to getting in good vitamins and minerals. My kids don't care much for vegetables except for maybe carrots and cucumber, but they eat plenty of fruit so it's not something I worry about a whole lot.0 -
Hard to say without knowing what the actual aversion is. I didn't used to be a particularly big fan of vegetables, but it turns out that the issue was more how I grew up with them and how my mom cooked them. Almost always boiled to the point of being slimy mush, especially peas and cabbage. Cabbage is cheap and my mom cooked it often...I never thought I'd ever eat it again until I tried it cooked properly.
If I'm doing a vegetable side, I typically roast or sauté and don't overcook. They still have a bit of crunch to them. I only like a handful of raw vegetables...mixed greens, cucumber, carrot, red onion, and radish and generally have to really be in the mood for a salad for me to go there. This time of year we make a lot of soups, stews, and casserole type of things which are always a good place to put your veggies. Last night I made Shakshuka which is a northern African dish of sautéed onions and peppers with cumin and paprika stewed in tomatoes and then you poach eggs in the tomato/onion/pepper stew. Delicious.
I typically start the day with a green smoothie that I make for my wife and I. It has a few good handfuls of greens in there as well as avocado, but also banana, frozen strawberries, and frozen pineapple and a cup and a half or so of oat milk. Other than the color, you wouldn't really know there was a bunch of power greens in there as you primarily taste the fruit.
As others have also stated, eating fruit is a perfectly good alternative to getting in good vitamins and minerals. My kids don't care much for vegetables except for maybe carrots and cucumber, but they eat plenty of fruit so it's not something I worry about a whole lot.0 -
If you are a supertaster like me, you will find a lot of vegetables overwhelmingly and unpleasantly bitter. I have to barely cook a lot of the cabbage family, and add a lot of spices, to get them to be palatable for me.
And of course, because the gods have a sense of humor, right about the time I finally found a way that I liked broccoli, I developed IBS and can't eat it any more without Dire Consequences. (headdesk)
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