Eating fresh foods..

Amh32290

I always have trouble eating fresh foods, I dont like veggies at all, green beans are the only ones i actually like, broccoli i only like if its cooked and in some sort or sauce/dressing and peas are OK if they are in soups or something. Id really like to keep my sodium intake down and lower my daily calories but thats hard to do when fresh foods aren't a big part of your diet. Right now its usually some sort of meat( usually chicken) with either some sort of pasta, baked potato or mashed potato, and i can only eat green beans so many times a week without getting completely bored. Id love to make a healthier options to go with lunches/dinners but they done have to be limited to veggie, any ideas?

twanthe1

I think a mix of veggies, fruits, and nuts would work well in combination. I am planning on visiting a farmers market at least once per week to help me eat fresh.

maryjay51

tomatoes..dont over cook broccoli or its useless ..i buy frozen broccoli and thaw it out then slightly warm it up because i like the vitamins and fibre it provides ..if you cook it down you lose that. how about sweet potato?? i bake the sweet potato and sprinkle cinnamon on it. black beans in salsa and corn is great for dipping or if you want to add brown rice and chicken to it to make a chili.. i use red bell pepper and onion in almost every thing i eat because it adds flavor.

old habits are hard to break but remember that not eating right got you on this website..sometimes we need to rethink our way of doing things and learn to love food for the taste that it is. i never in a million years thought i would ever enjoy broccoli wihtout a ton of butter and salt on it. i dont eat salad dressing either for two years now. i actually enjoy the flavor and texture of salad -- all spring greens and baby spinach leaves ..no lettuce ..with chicken chunks,craisins, pecans ,red bell pepper and feta cheese...mmmmmm !!

JennieAL

It's so easy to throw in bagged salad to every dinner meal... just a big handful of salad and some cucumber or black olives, purple onion, etc. And since you like green beans and broccoli, just load up on that. Do you like apples or pears? Nuts? Add a small handful of nuts, some cottage cheese, pears... berries are great.

JennieAL

how about sweet potato?? i bake the sweet potato and sprinkle cinnamon on it. black beans in salsa and corn is great for dipping or if you want to add brown rice and chicken to it to make a chili.. i use red bell pepper and onion in almost every thing i eat because it adds flavor.

We quit buying white potatoes and are eating sweet potatoes with cinnamon and real butter a couple times a week... good substitute because it's more nutritious, has beta carotene (antioxidants), and is lower on the glycemic index... and it just tastes good!

fteale

Make vegetable purees. You can make them out of anything, and add them to sauces, pizza, etc. I make macaroni cheese for the children, with half a head of cauliflower in the cheese sauce, which they don't notice. I put sweet potato puree in lasagne, beetroot and carrot in tomato sauces, there are lots of ways of hiding vegetables!

Kasya007

You're not going to want to hear this--as I certainly didn't when I had a distaste for fresh food--but try hard to work them in whether you like them or not. Google different ways to prepare them, try recipes from the boards here & force them in. In time, you really will acquire a taste for them.

I didn't eat vegetables or fruit growing up & suffered the consequences, (overweight, always sick & tired), and then I started experimenting with them. Over the years, there have been a lot of great experiments & a lot that I've had to choke down. The good news however, is that I can safely say, that I now I eat anything and everything. Veggies I previously disliked I can now happily eat; cooked, raw, whatever! I even go so far as to seek out exotics now, just because I have to try something new!

You really can go from being a veggie hater, to a veggie lover. Just remind yourself, "It doesn't matter if I don't like it at the moment, it's good for my body, and in time I'll learn to love it."

Good luck. ^_^

melsinct

Go to your library and see if they have any cookbooks that sneak veggies in (aimed at children). The Sneaky Chef and Jessica Seinfeld each have a "sneak vegetables in they'll never know" kind of book.

Also, are you SURE you only like two vegetables or are you just a picky eater in general? There are hundreds of choices out there. Start looking at recipes and start experimenting. Roasted vegetables are awesome- essentially coat with olive oil, toss with salt and pepper, then stick it on a sheet in the oven till nice and brown. I do this as my go-to prep method for cubed butternut squash, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts...also hitting the veg with a little balsamic at the end is also tasty.

Keep you mind open and I am sure you will find recipes you love!