How do I learn to love veggies?

Dileas8

As an adult, I really should know the answer to this. But, my biggest problem is that I just don't like the healthy foods. Really. Strongly. Dislike.

I've been getting a few servings of veggies in by drinking V8 Fusion. I can handle cooked carrots and corn, plus dipped veggies (but the dip cancels out any benefits anyway).

I also have a hard time enjoying lean proteins.

I try...I really, really try! But I can't seem to enjoy these foods, and I know choosing them is the key to my goals.

Does anyone else have this problem or ideas for solutions?

Thanks so much

laddyboy

Get Shakeology. It's wonderful.

Mommyof3loves

Why don't you try dipping them in a fat free or reduced fat dressing of some sort? I used to only like broccoli if it was drenched in cheese sauce but have since tried it with reduced fat veggie dip and I like it.

You can still use dips but in moderation and there are tons of reduced fat or fat free dressings that you can use as well. Just an idea :-)

bluefox9er

try eating them instead of 'drinking them'. vegetarian food is simply phenomenal.

garimac

Hi, well first let me say good luck. You have taken your first step!

Be carfull of the juice because it can contain a ton of sugar!

Take a container of fat free cottage cheese and puree it in a food proccecer or pleander. Add a pack of ranch dresing mix.
you have a great dip for raw veggies, that is low in calories and full of calcium. I promise you will never know it cottage cheese!!
Add some fat free buttermilk and you have a great ranch dressing.

Good luck!

fat2fab4life

what about a salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, egg whites, lean turkey or ham or chicken breast, and all sorts of veggies piled up with low fat or fat free, low calorie dressing?

also, I boil baked potatoes with green beans and onions and season them really well and that is soooo good together

how do u feel about a baked sweet potato with cinnamon and parkay 0 calories spray with 1 0r 2 marshmellows on top?

(i am totally giving myself new ideas lol)

chubswonky

Maybe it's how you're preparing them? Some veggies taste drastically different raw than they do cooked. What about grilling? Adding a little olive oil and garlic to green beans makes them DELICIOUS! Roasting veggies also adds a ton of flavor.

If you like dipping, then I suggest hummus. 70 calories for two tablespoons can go a long way. Also- laughing cow makes a 35 calorie wedge of blue cheese! You can dip your veggies in that and it's an already-portioned way to have the taste of high calorie dressing.

As far as lean protein- do you enjoy shrimp? 100 calories for five jumbo shrimp and they cook so quickly! I throw lime juice, garlic and cayenne pepper on them and then grill them or cook them on the stove.

Jarred salsa is a great way to infuse a ton of flavor without a lot of calories. Tastes great with grilled chicken!

powter

I'm the queen of sneaking veggies in everywhere. Spaghetti? Add spinach, carrots, zucchini, chopped really fine to the sauce and blend or not. Same with alfredo sauce. I add spinach to smoothies. Add vegies to omelets or soups that you like. When you start thinking this way you can find alot of sneaky ways to add - make it a game. - Most of the time the flavor isn't affected and you can get alot of veggies in that way. Also take snap peas and raw zucchini slices and cherry tomatoes to work as part of my lunch. They are mild and sweet and crunchy.

cedarhurst2006

I wasn't a big vegetable fan and I also learned my 15 yr. old was getting to be more like me and I didn't think that was a good thing. We are on our healthy journey together. All she likes is corn and broccoli and we ate so much broccoli I was growing stalks. Now each week I try a new vegetable. Since we are tight on money, it might be what's on special or sometimes now what is in season. For instance, Zucchini, and then research different ways to prepare so we give it a fair shot and try to "embrace" trying new things. So far, so good......... now we go into the produce isle and are on the hunt for a new veggie we've never seen or tried before.

Bodhizephyr

Too complicated.

Dips do not cancel out vegetables.

Dips might add extra calories but you're using this as an excuse.

If you like cooked carrotts and corn, eat cooked carrotts and corn.

Its not about likes its about routines.

No-one can make you change your diet. Thats your decision. If your heart isn't in it. It won't happen.

Instead of looking for weight loss you should just monitor your food on here. Ignore the calorie markers. Just keep the diary. You may be surprised at what an effect it has on your mental attitude towards things.

People who keep a food diary are more likely to be successful at losing weight. Its the psychology of thinking about your diet more and portion control, rather than encouraging you to eat slimfast shakes and lettuce leaves.

Katherine1687

I am exactly the same as you!! My friends have often asked me why I am not dead from scurvy!! lol

I dislike fruit and veg but am also trying to get them into my diet.

I am trying to train myself to like lettuce with the ultimate goal of eating a salad!! I cut the lettuce up into tiny peices and put them in my sandwich. At first I could only manage 1/2 a leaf but am now managing larger quantities and larger peices - although I still have to chop it!!

Peas - I cook them with a little sweetner and garlic salt. I have to eat them on the same fork as something else to disguise the flavour. I started with 1 pea on a fork with lots of something else but can now manage several at a time (still with something else though).

Hide the veggies in other things. Chop up onions in a spag bol. or carrots in cottage pie.

I may only be eating small amounts but it is more than I have ever managed before.

Good luck

runner328

It's hard to like veggies if you know you are forcing your self to eat them Try a lot different varieties. If you like carrots try sweet potatoes or butternut squash or even acorn squash. I love most veggies but there are still some I do not like or if they are not prepared a certain way or I do not enjoy them. Experiment. Have fun!

lucysmommy

how about dicing up small in suxes etc

or blending until smooth like your juice and have it as a pasta sauce
x

susanswan

I am one who never enjoyed a mixed salad at home because I didnt' know how to do it properly. Loved restaurant salads, but gagged on my own. The secret was mixing everythign in a really big bowl with the dressing so everything is well coated. That way you also don't need a TON of dressing. You'll see.

I love roasted veggies in the oven or actually for summer we put everything on our gas grill! Just make sure it is cut so you don't lose it throiugh the grates! Don't need a grill pan and clean up is easy! I have a large bowl that I mix the veggies in with just olive oil, salt and pepper.

My thought is to start with the least offensive veggies in your opinion. Sliced sweet potatoes, whole or sliced (lengthwise) carrots, quartered red bell peppers, sliced beets, and even sliced butternut squash take on a beautifully sweet flavor on the grill or in the oven. Just keep turning them over until they are soft enough when you poke them with a fork or knife point.

We honestly grill EVERYTHING from brussles sprouts, onion slices, artichokes (steamed some first in half or quarters), to carrots, asparagus, greenbeans, sugar snap pea pods, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and sliced eggplant!

Try grating zucchini, carrots, and other veggies into your pasta sauce. The tomato sauce hides everything. Also a sprinkling of parmesan cheese or low fat feta are good for flavor on any plain veggies.

When you go to picnics this year try to sample new veggies that you think you already hate just to see if your taste has changed or maybe it is the way they are prepared.

I made a greek salad that was just tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, red peppers, choopped fresh parsley, chopped kalamata olives, and some crumbled feta cheese that was dressed with fresh chopped oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and my husband and I couldn't get enough of it!

Go to one of those salad bar places that offers soup, pizza, and other stuff and try as many of the mixed veggie salads as possible. Just a small spoonful of each will let you know if you like it. When you do like it try to figuire out what they have done to flavor it. Maybe it is chopping the veggies in very small pieces and adding them to couscous or rice that will make a difference for you kor adding htem to a well dressed salad. Fresh herbs really make a difference too!

Good luck!

solpwr

try eating them instead of 'drinking them'. vegetarian food is simply phenomenal.

I agree. I love the textures and flavors. I think you acquire that. Try this: Fresh veggie penne pasta

Cook your pasta to your liking and set aside.

Rough chop fresh red bell pepper, onions, green bell pepper (if you don't like spicy, but jalapeno if you do), mushrooms, roma tomatoes, and zucchini squash.

Heat a skillet with 2 TBL olive oil, and add some minced garlic after the oil is hot. Immediately add the veggies and keep that heat high for a minute. Bring the heat down to medium. Sprinkle your veggies with oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and black pepper, all to taste. Keep stirring your veggies. They are done when the tomatoes start breaking down and the onions start looking a little translucent. The mushrooms should be pretty cooked, and the peppers and zucchini will be Al Dente (to the tooth).

Combine the veggies into the drained pasta, and add a couple ounces of shaved and chopped Pecorino Romano cheese. This cheese tastes similar to Parmesan, but is a lot cheaper. But buy real, semi hard, Pecorino Romano from Italy, its worth it.

I serve it as it is. The broken down tomatoes kind of serve as my "sauce" if you will. You don't need to add anything. If you must add to it, for variety I do this, add just a little fat free Italian dressing, or you can add a little salsa.

Add your veggies to the drained pasta and enjoy the bursting fresh flavors of the veggies marrying with the sharpness of the cheese. If you went spicy (jalapenos) enjoy with a nice glass of Riesling. If not (green bell pepper) enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc.

If you need some protein you can add some shrimp, but the veggies should dominate.

fridayjustleft04

What about adding seasonings to your cooked veggies? Fresh dill is really good on green beans, and lemon pepper is yummy, too. Play around with spices and seasonings until you find something you like.

triciap79

Hi, well first let me say good luck. You have taken your first step!

Be carfull of the juice because it can contain a ton of sugar!

Take a container of fat free cottage cheese and puree it in a food proccecer or pleander. Add a pack of ranch dresing mix.
you have a great dip for raw veggies, that is low in calories and full of calcium. I promise you will never know it cottage cheese!!
Add some fat free buttermilk and you have a great ranch dressing.

Good luck!

Agreed! I only use Fat Free Cottage Cheese for my dips. I like to add finely chopped Cilantro and Jalapeño. Adding flavors you like to your veggies will help you enjoy them. I've learned to get creative. Best of luck to you. )

Dileas8

Thank you all so much! After reading everyone's input, I reflected a bit and realized things are quite as bad as I had pictured them in my mind. I guess my biggest problem is leafy greens, but I do add spinach to Italian dishes.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

kelsully

First of all keep trying...try different preparations until you find things that are good and how you like them. I love raw baby carrots but regular carrots I preferred cooked...I like to mist them with olive oil and roast them in the oven with seasoning...or I chop up carrots really small and mix it in with ground beef while I am browning it for a meal for the family. DO NOT frozen or canned veggies just warmed up in the microwave. While that is fine if you are a fan of broccoli it is a sure way to take you back to your childhood...LOL...put asparagus on the grill, eat veggies in soup...great way to get them in...just look for lower sodium soups... and keep trying. Hubby had oven roasted and seasoned brussel sprouts the other day. He hated them as a kid but was pleasantly surprised that these were pretty good. Do I crave oven roasted brussel sprouts? NO but they are easy and nutritious and quite palatable. One thing that I have been trying to teach my kids is that not every food will be your favorite to be a part of your diet. I love blueberries and can tolerate a raspberry but I will substitute raspberries or blackberries if blueberries aren't available...would I prefer my recipe with the blueberries ...yep...but I can still eat and enjoy the other types of berries etc...KEEP TRYING