Help... I hate veggies! Super picky eater!

kim_mc

I want to eat veggies so bad! I am jealous of people that can fill their plates with veggies and eat all that food for such low cals and all kinds of healthy vitamins!

I have hated veggies all my life and I'm a super picky eater!

I can't eat a piece of lettuce without gagging, so a salad is out of the question. It sure would help when going to a restaurant if I could get a salad. As I've gotten older I can now force myself to eat some veggies but they have to be a certain kind, cooked a certain way.

Nothing crunchy for sure! I steam broccoli until it's mushy. I love corn but I don't think that's really a healthy veggie. I will eat green beans and peas but they have to be canned.

Anything else is a NO!.

I tried over and over again to "aquire" a taste for them but no luck.

So does anybody have any suggestions or is anyone a picky eater like me? Is so, what do you do????

katsmo

I would still keep trying. You need to find a balance between what you want versus what you need, and I can't tell if you're exaggerating. Do you literally gag after eating lettuce? Have you tried different kinds? Baby spinach, arugula, something organic, etc. Try to see this as an opportunity to try new things. Have you grilled different veggies, like sweet red pepper and zucchini? How about something like acorn squash with a little brown sugar? If you absolutely can't get past this, I would try sneaking things in here and there- like drinking a glass of V8 (Diet V8 Splash is actually really good) or throwing a handful of spinach or avocado into a smoothie. Slip in a serving or two of veggies that way. Good luck to you

LBachynsky

I want to eat veggies so bad! I am jealous of people that can fill their plates with veggies and eat all that food for such low cals and all kinds of healthy vitamins!

I have hated veggies all my life and I'm a super picky eater!

I can't eat a piece of lettuce without gagging, so a salad is out of the question. It sure would help when going to a restaurant if I could get a salad. As I've gotten older I can now force myself to eat some veggies but they have to be a certain kind, cooked a certain way.

Nothing crunchy for sure! I steam broccoli until it's mushy. I love corn but I don't think that's really a healthy veggie. I will eat green beans and peas but they have to be canned.

Anything else is a NO!.

I tried over and over again to "aquire" a taste for them but no luck.

So does anybody have any suggestions or is anyone a picky eater like me? Is so, what do you do????

You are my veggie hating twin!!! I can count on one hand the veggies I will eat. Lettuce ruins everything for me and I can't continue eating. I will eat corn of any sort, and peas and any sort of bean only if they're canned.

I don't bother trying to eat other veggies. There's no point. I won't eat enough for it to matter. I take my multivitamin every morning which I realize probably isn't a good substitute, but it's the only substitute.

kim_mc

I've not tried to grill veggies. I will give it a shot! How do you prepare them??

Yeah- I can't even swallow a bite of lettuce or a carrot but I keep trying! I used to hate broccoli so maybe if I just keep on trying, they'll grow on me!!!!

I need to find a hypnotist to get me thinking that I love veggies- think that would help? LOL!

kim_mc

You are my veggie hating twin!!! I can count on one hand the veggies I will eat. Lettuce ruins everything for me and I can't continue eating. I will eat corn of any sort, and peas and any sort of bean only if they're canned.

I don't bother trying to eat other veggies. There's no point. I won't eat enough for it to matter. I take my multivitamin every morning which I realize probably isn't a good substitute, but it's the only substitute.

Just went and tried to eat a piece of lettuce from the fridge (my husband likes it) and no can do! The taste gets to me everytime! Nasty! I just would love to fill a plate full of veggies for next to nothing in cals and get full with healthy food!!! I'm gonna try the grilling thing though!

melsinct

There are a bunch of cookbooks out there based on the premise of hiding vegetables in different dishes. They are geared at sneaking vegetables into kids but would work on a super picky adult! Some books are Deceptively Delicious and Sneaky Chef.

littlelily613

Unfortunately cooking them so much until they are mushy can remove much of their nutrients....but then, if that is the only way you are going to eat them, it is better than nothing that is for sure. You can try creating recipes that hide the veggies (you can puree them into just about any recipe, and hide their taste and texture). You can blend them into smoothies (carrot and spinach work well with this....obviously you want to use ones that you can hide rather than overpowering the fruity taste of the smoothie). Also, you can cook them into casserole or quiches, or even meat loafs by grating them. They'll be there, but only in very small pieces that will soften easily.

FYI, just a tidbit of info for you, but not a big deal--many people think corn is a vegetable, but it isn't. You can eat a whole plate of corn and your total servings of veggies will be zero. Corn is actually a grain.

michmill98

Grilled veggies - toss with a little olive oil (so they don't stick to the grill), season with salt, pepper, or herb of choice. Then toss on the grill for a few minutes per side and cook until they're at your desired doneness. Good grilling veggies - halved small zucchini or yellow squash, bell peppers, asparagus, thick sweet onion slices, portabello mushrooms. Corn on the cob is good on the grill too but I think the gobs of butter I put on it probably negates any health benefits!

Grandma's grill potatos (for each serving): square of heavy duty foil, 1/2 to 1 thinly sliced potato (no need to peel), a bit of sliced onion, salt, pepper, and a smidge of butter. Wrap everything up in the foil and toss on the grill for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked thru - flip occassionally so the bottom doesn't burn.

I'm not a fan of plain steamed veggies but throw them on the grill or roast them (mmmm.....roasted asparagus) and I'm in heaven!

HealthyAging

This won't help you to order a salad in a restaurant but I have a grown son who's autistic and hates vegetables too. I'm a nut about his nutrition though so for many years now, I have been putting all the things I will eat normally, in a food processor and cooking them into his food. A few dark green leafy veggies that will do so much for your body are things like spinach and kale. If you put those into a food processor, cook them, and then add them to your spaghetti sauces and other dishes....you will SEE the green but....you really won't taste it much. It absorbs most of the taste of the sauces, etc....instead. If you start with baby steps....soon you can add more and more to them. I do a veggie "mash" putting many thing I know have different health benefits into the food processor for him....red peppers, spinach/kale, carrots, onions, garlic, celery, etc....and then cook it up and add it to everything he eats practically! At first, before I became a vegetarian, I used to even mix a ton of it into the turkey burgers I made for both my kids. They were green colored but...they were actually still really tasty. It's also just a matter of what you get used to. I read it takes you 11 times to tolerate most new foods....obviously the ones that you don't originally like. And...attitude is everything. In my life...I've learned that my attitude can change almost any problem for me so....maybe you can start to look at those foods as nurturing your body and be grateful for them and...eventually...you may change your opinion about the foods you eat. Now, when I look at a can of soda or desserts, I see poisonous chemicals, disease, etc....but that's after doing a lot of reading and research in Nutrition and aging well. A wonderful book to read is called, "Healthy at 100" by John Robbins. That may help you readjust how you look at veggies. Good luck! :-)

AmyWalsh711

I've not tried to grill veggies. I will give it a shot! How do you prepare them??

Yeah- I can't even swallow a bite of lettuce or a carrot but I keep trying! I used to hate broccoli so maybe if I just keep on trying, they'll grow on me!!!!

I need to find a hypnotist to get me thinking that I love veggies- think that would help? LOL!

I need that hypnotist too!!! I'm worse than you are in the veggies AND fruit department. I HATE THEM ALL!!!!!!! NO, I'm not kidding or exagerating in any way. I have NEVER liked them even though I've tried. I too gag and my family and friends think I'm acting but I'm not. I ALWAYS get crap about it from family and friends and it really hurts (enough that I'm limiting my time with them), and it's also the reason that I keep my diary on here hidden because I just can't take any more. I don't see it has my fault. I've TRIED to eat them but I LITERALLY can't stomach them. I'm not faking. I take a vitamin, although that was only recent with joing MFP. And I do like V8 Splash but until I joined MFP I hardly ever drank it. So yeah I hear ya!

soehlerking

I have found my real family! My parents are convinced that my taste buds stopped developing at age 5. Let me know if you figure out some way of not seeing vegetables as a chore!

7funnygirl7

Do you like tomatoes?? If so, you could try drinking some V8 juice. They have a small can which is called a "one shot" a good way to get something in. If you are also okay with tomato sauce?...You could also puree the veggies you like and add them to the sauce? or add fresh fruits and veggies together to make a great tasting juice to your liking. I do this all the time for my kids and they don't know the difference!! Just a suggestion. I don't have that problem but am always trying to sneak them in somewhere/somehow for the kids....LOL. Good Luck.

7funnygirl7

Just read some more replies...Grilled veggies are awesome!! My hubby was not big on them and now loves them especially when I stir fry them with low cal balsamic vinegrette or low cal sundried tomato and oregano,or marinate them and do them on my george foreman grill,or BBQ too ....Yummy!!

Sabresgal63

The sneaky chef has some great cookbooks out there for vege haters. You sneak all kinds of wonderful vege's into ordinary dishes and would never taste that there in there.......:bigsmile:

kim_mc

Thank you everyone for taking the time to give me some really good ideas and suggestions. I'm willing to try! I'm going to try the grill thing and some different ways of cooking them. I'm also going to hide some in my fruit smoothies!

I don't like tomato juice so I think V8 is out but I'll try to mask them in other things while cooking too!

And I'm going to keep trying to "like" them or at least stomach them!

Thanks again!

bushidowoman

It took me *years* of trying before I learned to eat raw veggies, especially broccoli and cauliflower. I tolerate broccoli just because it's good for me. But the cauliflower and I have actually become good friends. ;-)
I understand that there are some things you just can't learn to like no matter how you try. I would love to be able to eat bananas, because they seem such a convenient snack. But I still cannot eat a banana. I can sneak it into banana bread, but that is the only way!

Felidae_1981

You are my veggie hating twin!!! I can count on one hand the veggies I will eat. Lettuce ruins everything for me and I can't continue eating. I will eat corn of any sort, and peas and any sort of bean only if they're canned.

I don't bother trying to eat other veggies. There's no point. I won't eat enough for it to matter. I take my multivitamin every morning which I realize probably isn't a good substitute, but it's the only substitute.

Just went and tried to eat a piece of lettuce from the fridge (my husband likes it) and no can do! The taste gets to me everytime! Nasty! I just would love to fill a plate full of veggies for next to nothing in cals and get full with healthy food!!! I'm gonna try the grilling thing though!

I you!! this is EXACTLY my problem...

Felidae_1981

I've not tried to grill veggies. I will give it a shot! How do you prepare them??

Yeah- I can't even swallow a bite of lettuce or a carrot but I keep trying! I used to hate broccoli so maybe if I just keep on trying, they'll grow on me!!!!

I need to find a hypnotist to get me thinking that I love veggies- think that would help? LOL!

I need that hypnotist too!!! I'm worse than you are in the veggies AND fruit department. I HATE THEM ALL!!!!!!! NO, I'm not kidding or exagerating in any way. I have NEVER liked them even though I've tried. I too gag and my family and friends think I'm acting but I'm not. I ALWAYS get crap about it from family and friends and it really hurts (enough that I'm limiting my time with them), and it's also the reason that I keep my diary on here hidden because I just can't take any more. I don't see it has my fault. I've TRIED to eat them but I LITERALLY can't stomach them. I'm not faking. I take a vitamin, although that was only recent with joing MFP. And I do like V8 Splash but until I joined MFP I hardly ever drank it. So yeah I hear ya!

OMG - no fruits and veggies - Me TOOOOOOOO

Can't stand it. I'm telling you...

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I want to eat veggies so bad! I am jealous of people that can fill their plates with veggies and eat all that food for such low cals and all kinds of healthy vitamins!

I have hated veggies all my life and I'm a super picky eater!

I can't eat a piece of lettuce without gagging, so a salad is out of the question. It sure would help when going to a restaurant if I could get a salad. As I've gotten older I can now force myself to eat some veggies but they have to be a certain kind, cooked a certain way.

Nothing crunchy for sure! I steam broccoli until it's mushy. I love corn but I don't think that's really a healthy veggie. I will eat green beans and peas but they have to be canned.

Anything else is a NO!.

I tried over and over again to "aquire" a taste for them but no luck.

So does anybody have any suggestions or is anyone a picky eater like me? Is so, what do you do????

You are my veggie hating twin!!! I can count on one hand the veggies I will eat. Lettuce ruins everything for me and I can't continue eating. I will eat corn of any sort, and peas and any sort of bean only if they're canned.

I don't bother trying to eat other veggies. There's no point. I won't eat enough for it to matter. I take my multivitamin every morning which I realize probably isn't a good substitute, but it's the only substitute.

Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Beans are not vegetables either, they are legumes.

Grind vegetables up in the food processor and then add them to soups, pasta sauce, etc..........

Felidae_1981

Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Beans are not vegetables either, they are legumes.

Grind vegetables up in the food processor and then add them to soups, pasta sauce, etc..........

I like beans too, I think I knew they were not a vegetable. How about green beans? I like many veggies cooked soft and/or in something. But often the meal then becomes high calorie or high fat. ;(

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Beans are not vegetables either, they are legumes.

Grind vegetables up in the food processor and then add them to soups, pasta sauce, etc..........

I like beans too, I think I knew they were not a vegetable. How about green beans? I like many veggies cooked soft and/or in something. But often the meal then becomes high calorie or high fat. ;(

Green beans are still legumes, they are just encased in an edible pod.

I no longer eat green beans or any type of legume.

BAMFMeredith

Personally I could eat my body weight in veggies every day. I love them. Especially carrots. OMG I could eat carrots all day every day and it totally weirds me out when people don't like them. That said, there are tons of totally normal things that I don't like either (like chocolate and peanut butter together--grosses me out).

Anyway, check out the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious." It's all about hiding veggies in things so kids will eat them. Some of the recipes are awesome and you think "no way! there are veggies in that??" Definitely worth looking into!

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Beans are not vegetables either, they are legumes.

Grind vegetables up in the food processor and then add them to soups, pasta sauce, etc..........

I like beans too, I think I knew they were not a vegetable. How about green beans? I like many veggies cooked soft and/or in something. But often the meal then becomes high calorie or high fat. ;(

I was quoting the person that was saying they ate corn as one of few vegetables that they said they ate.

Most people refer to corn as a vegetable and not a grain.

lorierin22

Not sure if you like spaghetti sauce, but I add stage 2 baby food carrots to mine to sneak in some extra veggies for my 4 year old. He hates carrots, but he can't taste them this way. I guess you could steam carrots and mash them up and add them if you wanted, but this is way easier for me and since it's baby food there is no added salt/preservatives!

wildkatt7

I have always loved veggies, but there are ways to eat them without losing nutrients... I cook them in soups... all the nutrients stay right in with the broth...I like acorn squash with just butter and salt... some times I stuff it with a meatloaf type dish (I am vegetarian so mine is meatless) and it comes out amazing... even my veggie hating husband loves it... you can also stuff bell peppers... but be sure to eat them too...

PinkEarthMama

I used to hate veggies, but I have learned to like peppers, onions, celery, carrots, lettuce, etc.

I really highly suggest Deceptively Delicious. You're not a kid, but if its the only way to get them in, DO IT.

KitKB

I read it takes you 11 times to tolerate most new foods....

That actually makes me feel a lot better. I may have to start trying the whole "food processor mash of veggies snuck into food" thing. My parents never cooked veggies growing up except corn and green beans (I'm not even joking) and we never had any sort of fruits but bananas (again... not joking). So when it comes to fruits and veggies, I'm absolutely useless. I have no idea how to pair them with food, prepare them, or cook them. I have found that I've started to really like eating soups and stews with finely cut up veggies - so this gives me hope.

Maybe I can buy a few veggies on the weekend, chop, dice, and puree them, toss them into the freezer in serving-sized bags, and hide them in everything I eat....

beckys19

Hmm... can you eat french fries? For a while I've made my own 'fries' by cutting potatoes into fries, using cooking spray to coat a baking sheet, plop them on and coat with spray again. Cook at about 350-375 until done, flipping a couple times along the way. You can also try sweet potato fries this way.

Try a new veggie each week, use different methods. I'm pretty picky, but nowhere as picky as you. I wasn't much on asparagus until I had it in a restaurant once, it was sauteed (in butter, but hey, if you can spare a little calories for real butter it DOES help!) with granulated garlic and a bit of salt. That is now my favoite veggfie dish.

Worst case, if this and the other recommendations don't help, just make your fruit selections carefully to get the most bang for the calories.

And there IS hope for you.... for ages I couldn't eat a tomato or anything with tomato in it without gagging. But since I got married my husband has been slowly working on me, and now I can eat some chili (started with Cincinnati/coney style hot dog sauces), some BBQ sauces, and I have even had marinara sauce at 2 Italian restaurants that I actually could eat, and even like! So sneaking a little in here and there and building on it may eventually work for you too. It took me 15 years, but I can now eat some regular tomato-based chilis!

Firesign

Great ideas. Thanks

schifdy

I was never able to eat vegetables of any kind. October 25th my husband and I started the Ideal Protein program and I was told by my doctor I had to eat 4 cups of vegetables a day so I had to learn to eat them as my husband paid a lot of money for this program and now I kinda look forward it. At first I would (and still do) juice in my blendtec machine...... kale, spinish, red peppers, cucumber and celery along with a lemon slice, cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper to make it taste good enough to drink, which it took awhile but I thought I would rather drink it than eat it. I now bake my vegetables in the oven with olive oil and sea salt. I make cauliflower mashed potatoes and cauliflower fried rice (just grade it like you do for potatoe hashbrowns) add scrambled egg, onion, garlic and some sea salt and salt free soy sause. Bake kale on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 250 with oil and sea salt and the taste like crispy potatoe chips. Can't stand kale without juicing or baking but kale is very good for you. We have lost 20 pounds each and I am now off my blood pressure meds for the first time in 3 years. Just joined this site this week and looking forward to learning how to count calories and drop another 10 pounds and keep it off, also enjoying reading the message boards and hoping to catch on to this new way of eating soon as I have a lot to learn. I have always been a meat and potatoe lover 7 days a week and it feels good to eat some greens for the first time in my life. I hope this helps!

GuruOnAMountain

I, too, am super picky with veg. I actually read somewhere about people called super-tasters which are basically people who have more taste buds than most (like children are born with more active taste buds and many of them become less effective as they get older). Anyway, this causes these super-tasters to dislike bitter tastes such as many vegetables. I certainly think this could be the case with me as I don't like many bitter flavours eg. most vegetables, dark chocolate, alcohol etc.

Anyway, for me, soup definately works. I wouldn't eat a plate of carrot but in lentil soup, I'll eat it. I usually make my lentil soup with lentils (obviously), loads of carrots, an onion or two or a leek and a stock cube or two or I'll cut up some bacon and shove it in the pot too. When it's ready, I'll use a blender to blend it all up so I can't see bit clods of veg in it to put me off.