How to eat healthy if you HATE veggies?! HELP!

MelodyandBarbells

I wouldn't say I hate veggies but I don't prepare them that much either. Like others have said, start small. How I eat veggies:

Carrots (raw), either by themselves as a snack I take to work for when I get stressed or nervous and would get a candy bar, or with some peanut butter (at home)

Cut up veggies with eggs. Nothing graceful like an omelette or anything. Just green peppers, spinach, jalopenos, avocados. Chop up anything that suits my fancy, heat them up on low heat in a separate pan. After a few minutes mix em up with the eggs. Breakfast or snack!

On home made pizza: green peppers. Flat bread, spread spaghetti sauce or BBQ sauce on it, add some chicken/sausage/bacon/meat, add green peppers, top with shredded cheese. Set directly on oven rack cook at 350 for 8 minutes max...

I've dabbled in some veggie soup recipes much like some posted above. It was okay I guess but I don't eat these much

In beans, I blend red bell peppers, tomatoes and onions

To baked chicken, add peas and carrots - this one's actually an idea I'll be trying in the next coming weeks

I don't agree with your cleanse, either, but hey , in ten days (8 now?) it'll be over and hopefully you'll carry on with just a normal deficit. I too just recently increased my calories to reflect a half pound a week loss rather than 1 lb per week. I wasn't successful with the previous goal most weeks, and it seemed I was way off target due to being demoralized by my lack of success. With less weight to lose per week I am successful on more weeks and sometimes with a bit to spare. It's not a sprint it's a marathon. As far as I know we've got time. So use it

elyelyse

Look for websites that have recipes for hiding veggies in other foods, these sites are typically geared towards parents of picky kids, lol, but that will suit your needs too.

Having said that...
No, MFP didn't put you on a 1000-1200 calorie a day diet, because MFP NEVER gives anyone a goal under 1200. Most people require more than that in order to get the energy and nutrition they need. (Unless you are very short, or an elderly woman)
Yes, limiting certain foods will make it easier to stay under your goal, but you can also include the foods you consider "junk" as long as you practice moderation and log everything. The people telling you you don't need to limit the foods you can eat aren't trying to sabatoge you, they are trying to save you. One of the main reasons people give up is from too much restriction...we eventually lose our will to keep at it if we cut out all the good things we love and crave. Many people here lose weight incorporating pizza, ice cream, cookies...whatever. Plan for it, log it, ENJOY it.
Lastly...you don't need cleanses or any of that crap. You don't need to spend money on a "plan" or replace meals with shakes or any of that. In the end, it all comes down to creating a calorie deficit, which you can do eating normal foods, even foods you love.

Laura732

I once hated veggies. I still can't say that I'm a fan of veggies, but I am eating more veggies than I ever have in my life. I don't know a thing about the Advocare Cleanse but if it involves more veggies than you are comfortable with, maybe now isn't the time to put your hard earned money into that one. I think I had my ah-ha moment when I read "The Best Life Diet" by Bob Green. There was a chapter in that book about learning how to like veggies. Basically, I started dipping 'mild' veggies in Light Ranch dressing, hummus, and salsa (depending on what it was!). Then I worked my way up to zucchini, eggplant, spinach, and other greens. Amazingly enough zucchini, egg plant, and spinach mixed with spaghetti sauce make a pretty decent pasta topper. Just start by adding small amounts of veggies into your diet. Other options are salads, marinated vegetables, and roasted veggies. Hope this helps.

karenh

I make a veggie soup. Saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery, Italian seasonings in a little olive oil for about 7 min. Add a low sodium broth like veggie or chicken (or a mix of both). Then add chopped up veggies like zucchini, squash, spinach, and kale. I also add a can of rinsed beans like kidney or northern. If I have left over chicken, I may through that in there. I can only get a salad down once every other day or so. But I can eat this soup daily.

I agree with this post and was going to suggest veggie soups....even my daughter who is not a veggie lover will eat soup with veggies and she enjoys it.

LiftAllThePizzas

Lastly...you don't need cleanses or any of that crap. You don't need to spend money on a "plan" or replace meals with shakes or any of that. In the end, it all comes down to creating a calorie deficit, which you can do eating normal foods, even foods you love.

Yep! And that includes pizza. Not "cauliflower with green peppers on it" but actual pizza. :bigsmile:

njitaliana

I make crustless quiches that have a lot of veggies in them and have those for breakfast. One is Italian Spinach Pie, which has cottage cheese, lowfat mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach and roasted red peppers. I make two and it lasts me for 8 days.

I also make a lot of soups, stews and chilis, and I put a ton of veggies in them.

It really helps to do things like this because it sort of disguises the veggies. Also, experiment with different ways of cooking veggies. I always thought I hated asparagus, but I found I only hated boiled asparagus (the only way my family ever made it). It turns out I love roasted asparagus with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and I love sauteed asparagus with a bit of soy sauce.

There is a recipe section on this board, so take a look at them. Google "vegetable soup," vegetable quiche," "vegetable chili" to find recipes. Also, Google South Beach Diet recipes and you will find some good recipes that include vegetables.

Mama2twocutekiddos

No idea how to do that cleanse, but in my experience cleanses don't provide sustainable change.
They're great if you're eating well and want a boost, but start by eating well!

The best way to get to know/ enjoy veggies is by substitution.
Instead of 3 kinds of fruit in your smoothie, add 2 parts fruit, one part leafy greens.
Make some meat balls- add onions, bell peppers, and garlic to the raw meat. Hate them THAT much? Put the veggies through the blender before adding them so you won't have to see them or deal with their texture.
Add blended or finely chopped veggies to spaghetti sauce, soups, casseroles, dips, hamburger patties, etc.

You don't have to love huge chunks of broccoli to tolerate tiny shredded pieces in your chili.
Start small.

This is what we do with our extremely picky toddler. You can hide anything if you puree it enough

Smoothies with veg are also a great idea! We love smoothies in our house.

I've never been a veggie lover myself, but I force myself to try new things.

Buy what is fresh, in season and local- it's usually much cheaper when it's in season. That way you won't feel bad if you don't end up liking it. Just remember it can take something like 10 tries before acquiring a new taste.