NEVER ate veggies or fruits! Help!!!

classicshell

Even as a kid, I never ate veggies or fruits. This has really come to bite me now...I don't know if anyone can understand or help, but I hope maybe someone can give me advice to send me in the right direction.

All veggies have the same nasty aftertaste to me....same with fruit although fruit aftertaste is different than veggie aftertaste. I have so so so much trouble getting through this aftertaste and being able to eat these. Ive never had a salad my whole life, and I never enjoyed strawberries on a summer day.

I know this makes me odd, and I hope I don't get anyone who will yell at me for this. I am trying to change and not just for weight loss but health in general, and that WILL include plant life... Is there any way to make this easier to stomach until I get used to it?

ljbrauer

you could try incorporating fruits and veggies with other thing instead of eating them by themselves. perhaps you can work up to eating them on their own. there may be some vegetables out there you have never tried before that won't have that weird aftertaste, same with fruits. sometimes i have to force myself to eat some veggies (like broccoli!). i guess you could say i treat that like a daily vitamin. i hope this helps you!

JennLifts

what about smoothies with veggies and fruits and something like chocolate as the flavor? Don't taste them at all. If you What about V8 fusion?
Soup? Generally has veggies in it..

britt_fit

Try Bare Fruit Apple Chips! They're so delicious and kinda like chips. Also, you could bake sweet potato fries and it might make the veggies not taste so bad

tamarab3

I find that a lot of store bought fruits and veggies have a funny taste on them because of what is sprayed on them to keep them looking pretty. Make sure you rinse them really well and that should be reduced.

Also, I like to put fat free cream cheese on celery or carrots....It only has 30 calories in 2 tbsp and it makes the celery less bland.

SKP1986

I understand completely. The only difference is that I have always loved fruits, but I hated vegetables of every kind.

It was a really slow process for me as far as vegetables go. I had to try one thing at a time and basically force myself to eat it, masking the flavor in any way that I could until I got used to it. I started with raw baby spinach in a "salad" (really it was just a bunch of raw baby spinach with a bit of sweet dressing) and then put it on different things (sandwiches, burgers) in really small amounts. Once I got used to that, I added another veggie. I'm now up to being okay with spinach, carrots, peas, green beans, and romaine lettuce. Getting ready to work on sprouts. Ew.

I'd say that going about fruit would be the same way.

Eat them IN other things so it masks the taste. Look for recipes (and then share if you find any) that uses veggies inside other, more flavorful foods so it seems less like eating veg.

Even still, I eat my vegetables before everything else on my plate so the other food items might chase away the flavor of the veggies...

greeneyed84

You can try some recipes with fruit or veggies. Man, I love them! I have 3 small kids & we always have both in the house. They aren't big veggie fans but I keep offering it to them in different varieties.
All I can say is find ways to make them tasty. With Strawberries I sometimes add Splenda on top, so good. Experiment and don't get discouraged!

Celo24

While you get used to the taste of fruit, try mixing it with yogurt or dipping it in honey. That may help.

Veggies, you can try carrots or celery with peanut butter. As far as salads, try a variety of dressings (in moderation). Also, try cooking things like asparagus or brussel sprouts or broccoli in the over with a LITTLE BIT of olive oil and garlic.

I don't know if these suggestions will help or not but it's certainly worth a try. Good luck!

jengbloom

I too never was good about eating any vegetables other then potatoes, mashed or baked. As far as fruit couldn't remember the last time I even had an apple. I started by eating salads adding apples or raw vegetables. I eat much better eating a apple, orange, banana, or other fruits for my snack. I have even gotten fruits in jars at the grocery store in fruit juice as a snack. As far as vegetables, start eating those steam cooked. You will find that they have more flavor.

classicshell

what about smoothies with veggies and fruits and something like chocolate as the flavor? Don't taste them at all. If you What about V8 fusion?
Soup? Generally has veggies in it..

I do drink V8 but that's as close as I've gotten. Smoothies have at fruit aftertaste, and technically v8 does a little bit too. But I think that would be an excellent step into it...at least the fruit taste in smoothies is kinda watered down. Twhen it came to soup I always picked the veggies out. But I will try it with them. Thanks!!

Mariposa187

can you eat them mixed into food? my husband wont ea veggies by themselves but if i put it in rice or something he eats it. You might have to mix in slowly to get used to it. It will take time and you might take longer than others. you might have to do it extremely slightly one or two pieces of veggies. Maybe you should try fruit first it might be easier. Do you drink smoothies? that would be a great way. Good luck on your journey! Just remember wanting to make the change is the biggest step! I am proud of you for wanting to have a healthier lifestyle and you should be too! :drinker:

ladyhawk00

One good way to start out is with milder/sweeter stuff (apples, bananas, peas, carrots). Also, you can chop stuff really small and start mixing it into sauces or foods that will help disguise taste/texture (ie spinach or zucchini in mashed potatoes or spaghetti sauce).

Basically, (and I'm not being condescending here) treat yourself like a baby. The same way you introduce those things to a baby/small child, is the way you need to approach it. Small doses, mild flavors, and disguising them. Might try getting a cookbook geared for getting kids to eat healthy (several out in the last few years, but I can't think of titles at the moment) - they have lots of great ideas on how to blend tastes and disguise stuff.

It takes sometimes up to 10 tries of a particular food to develop a taste for it. I expect some of it at this point is the lack of development of specific taste buds (there are several different kinds that do different jobs - sweet, salty, bitter, etc). And some of it is probably just a mental block. So if you KEEP trying them, you'll eventually get to where you can handle some, and even like them! Just keep working on it.

jlsessom

Hey,

I saw your post and I'm in the same boat. I have no sence of smell, so while I can taste most things, they sometimes don't taste the same to me as they do other people. But I have discovored V8! And I love it! I like the smoothie ones the best, but they are packed with calories so you have to limit it. Truth is, I enjoy the taste of these so muc that I freeze the bottle a bit and make it kind of slushy. Then I substitute my dessert for the healthier smoothie. While it is packed with calories (for a beverage) its nothing compaired to a cookie or cake slice. So I get my veggies, fruit, and a healthier substitute for dessert all in one. Hope this helps.

classicshell

Wow - I didn't expect so much support and help! There are so many good ideas here...I'm actually excited to try them. Does anyone have a particular recipe they'd like to share?

jllipson

Try something like a chocolate or vanilla protein shake with a fruit mixed in. It will keep the taste less so, low calories, but also benefit of high protein. I prefer to make my protein shakes in a blender with 1 cup milk, 1/2 to 1 cup ice, 1 scoop of protein powder, and occasionally add the fruit - bananas are good. Want to try strawberries, but I have 2 little girls that eat them faster than I can get them into the house.

welcominganewself

I like to take a sweet potato and cut it into "fry" sized pieces, then spray it with a little cooking spray and toss it in a mixture of garlic powder and chinese five spice powder (abbout a tsp of each). I bake it in the oven until tender (about 30 mis) and they are DELICIOUS. I doubt you could even tell they were a vegetable.

I hope you find something that works!

monylove311

Puree your fruits and veggies and mix in with sauces, chilies, gravies, soups. Works really well. Check out Deceptively Delicious recipes from the library by Mrs. Seinfeld. ; ) Love those recipes. but let the spinach brownies cool completely before eating!

myrabarlow

So like what have you lived on all this time? If you've eaten anything other than meat, you have eaten vegetables. It's a matter of how they are prepared. And if you haven't recognized them as veggies, they've been highly processed and that is the taste you are evidently used to. Try small bits at a time and a great flavor enhancer such as ranch dip made with sour cream, fat free if you can stand that. Use less and less until the veggies begin to grow on you. I believe it's just a matter of you getting used to real fresh food without tons of processing and chemicals. Enjoy!

kendf60

For me, the fruit is easy. I make a smoothie with almond milk, protein powder, Greek yogurt & several different blends of frozen fruits. The veggies are harder for me. They have to be fresh and have to be steamed. I use a "micro buddy" that steams them in the microwave quickly. Carrots, broccoli & green beans are my favorites. I put a little Earth Balance buttery spread on them. I also like sauteed mushroom on almost any meat.

KrystalLight03

I 100% completely understand where you are coming from. I only like three fruits (grapes, bananas, blueberries) and I can stomach a select few vegetables (lettuce is not one of them...no salad for me!) However, it is not the taste that bothers me, it is the texture. I'm extremely picky about the textures of my food.

I'm not sure if I have any tips to help you eat more of these healthy foods, but I can tell you what I did. I stopped saying "No" when people offered me new fruits and vegetables. The worst that could happen was that I hated it, and then I'd never have to eat it again. I've found a few vegetables that I used to turn my nose at that I actually enjoy. Another thing my mom did was add cheese to my broccoli and cauliflower to give them a more mushy, creamy texture. Once I got used to it, I eliminated the cheese and now happily eat fresh, steamed broccoli and cauliflower (broccoli is actually my favorite vegetable now). Lastly, I steam all my vegetables. This makes them more "mushy" and soft (aka. I'll eat it) because its the crunchy/veiny/leafy textures that I find off-putting.

Since you know it is the aftertaste that you don't like, try cooking the vegetables in different ways and adding different dressings/oils/spices/seasonings. You should eventually find a combination that alters the taste and makes the vegetables more pleasing for you. I wish I had advice for fruits, but alas, they are not really things you cook and I just haven't found a way to willingly eat them (besides fruit pizza...I do enjoy me some fruit pizza).

chavezwendyr

There are many ways you can do this. I know you said that you've never had a salad and you don't like any of it but there are fun and delicious ways to make the taste better. I love to have fresh organic baby spinch salads with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries but to add a twist I add in shredded low fat part skim mozzarella cheese, I'll also cook 2 stripes of bacon untill it's crispy and croumble it on top and for dressing I use Marzetti light balsamic vinaigrette. you could even go as far as added a cooled egg to it. Let me know if you try this and if you like it then I will give you some more ideas. Good luck....

needamulligan

Puree your fruits and veggies and mix in with sauces, chilies, gravies, soups. Works really well. Check out Deceptively Delicious recipes from the library by Mrs. Seinfeld. ; ) Love those recipes. but let the spinach brownies cool completely before eating!

I was kind of thinking along the same lines. I was thinking about how babies are introduced to fruits and veggies. They are introduced veggies first and one at a time to test for allergic reactions. My kids often spit out their 1st taste but eventually got used to every veggie/fruit offered. I read somewhere that it takes 7 tastes to get used to a new flavor. So keep trying! And, if all else fails go for the spinach brownies!