Who Gave Veggies a Bad Name?

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Friday, October 22, 2010
Who Gave Veggies a Bad Name?



Hemera

If you dislike certain veggies, who or what’s to blame?

I can trace my distaste of peas to a specific memory as a child, sitting at the dinner table, unable to leave until I choked down every last pea. Researchers believe that our bad experiences and memories with vegetables from our past can impact how we feel about these vegetables in the here and now. Here are some other reasons why some of us may not be crazy about certain vegetables:

Too bitter. Some of our vegetables, like the cabbage family, have a bitter flavor and some people genetically are more tolerant to the bitter taste than others. Tip: Try these raw and you might like them better.
Fad dieting. People who were taught (while following “diets” in the past) to think of vegetables as “rabbit diet food” or “legal” diet food, due to their low calorie counts, can associate vegetables with horrible memories of crash dieting. Tip: Promise yourself never to follow one of those crazy fad diets again. Then rediscover vegetables at a farmers market and try to enjoy the flavor and textures of a variety of vegetables on a daily basis.
Canned or overcooked. If your experience with vegetables is mostly canned or overcooked vegetables, you might want to give them a “fresh” look. Tip: You might be more willing to eat vegetables if they are prepared in a variety of flavorful ways (with herbs and spices, sauces or cooked to maximize color, flavor and texture.)
Early exposure. You might want to blame (or thank) your mother. Some researchers believe that those children exposed to fruits and vegetables early in life are more likely to like vegetables and eat generous amounts of them. If the habit of eating plenty of vegetables was established early in your childhood, consider yourself lucky!
Do you dislike any vegetables?

hpsnickers1

I learned that veggies and fruits from a farmer's market have more sweetness and flavor than the commercial ones. I remember having to sit at the dinner table until I cleaned my plate. I could sit there all night (please send me to my room!). I do not like the texture of most veggies or the way they crunch (do not put anything crunchy in my egg or tuna salad!). I didn't start eating salads until my late teens and even then they weren't healthy salads. Loaded with croutons, bacon bits, cheese and dressing.

It's amazing what you can get used to. Still not fond of veggies but I can eat them.

RaeN81

Actually, I love them and this was not always the case. I worry that my 4 year old is not a huge fan (and I don't want to make every meal a horrible battle) but we've been slowly introducing more into his diet. I've heard that adding pureed vegetables in baking, soups and other dishes can be helpful for people who really don't like them.

rmkorama

Something else I remember running across on this topic is the fact that our senses typically dull as we age. What that means is that young people REALLY TASTE that broccoli and cabbage in a way that adults typically don't. Sometimes the flavors can be rather overpowering. It's good to try something again later in life, because the experience might be really different.

azmomof2

Funny thing is I love veggies but believe this to be true beause my mom always forced us to eat salad every night! We could not leave the table till it was gone. To this day I love salad but not at home. If we have it at home I pass and everyone thinks it's funny lol but it still feels like a punishment for some reason with my dinner at home..wierd I know but true for me!