How to eat healthy with variety if I don't eat veggies??

maryts1791

Hi, Everyone! I'm new to Fitness Pal and I really like it so far. My husband referred me to it after he heard about it from someone at work and he signed up, too. He eats pretty healthy, as he is a diabetic and is very good about his diet. We both just need the motivation to exercise- for many reasons, not just weight loss. My husband would like to lose about 25 pounds and I'd like to lose about 20 at least. We're not real real overweight, but enough that it's difficult for clothes to fit correctly and look good. All my weight seems to go to my stomach and thighs and I'm so tired of having a gut!! At 41 years old, I know it's only going to get more difficult to keep the weight off. I know I'd feel better about myself if I was thin again.

I don't eat all that badly, but I hate vegetables. Hence, my question. How can I still get the nutrient intake of vegetables or how can I prepare vegetables so that I'll like them?

We have a wonderful natural/organic co-op grocery store not far from us that carries a wide variety of health drink mixes. We've tried some of those. Some are OK tasting, others are not. LOL! The problem is that ALL are expensive.

I take a women's multi-vitamin every day, fish oil, and vitamin C. I eat Chobani Greek yogurt on a fairly regular basis. I like fruit, but don't eat it regularly. I used to buy bananas every week, but I've heard they are bad if you are wanting to lose weight, so I've been cutting those out. I drink mostly skim milk and water and occasionally Always Save 100% Orange Juice from concentrate or other 100% juice. I have a sweet tooth, but don't indulge it every day, although probably at least once per week on average. I love granola- especially cereal. If fact, my snacks are usually cereal. I love cereal and try to make wise choices when purchasing it. I also like all natural peanut butter. Always Save has one out that has no additives except salt. So it's just peanuts and salt. No oils or sugars. So I eat that for a snack, too, sometimes. I love mexican food, pizza, sometimes Chinese, corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and will eat lettuce salads occasionally. I love meat and cheese of all sorts and eat those regularly. Bread I don't eat all that often, but try to buy as healthy as possible when I do. We love the Dream Fields low-carb pasta and have that occasionally. Usually no other pasta anymore.

We don't drink or smoke, so I guess we do have that going for us. Occasionally I'll have a drink, but not often. Maybe 2-3 times a year.

Anyway, that's a little background on me. I'd be grateful to hear from any other veggie haters out there and how you lose weight and stay healthy.

Thanks everyone!!!

MoreBean13

You need to experiment and find veggies you like. Look at recipes, go to restaurants and try veggies prepared different ways, try soups, sneak them in to sauces, drink V8, make shakes with kale or spinach (you can't taste them if done right)...but basically, you need to get over it and eat veggies.

ETA: I'm not sure of the name, but there's a cookbook generally for parents for how to sneak vegetables in to your kids' diets without them knowing. Might be worthwhile checking out.

Chadomaniac

u dont need veggies to be healthy , eat fruits they have the same benefits ... have a protein, wholegrain carb and some fruit as a meal . thats healthy

celshade

You need to experiment and find veggies you like. Look at recipes, go to restaurants and try veggies prepared different ways, try soups, sneak them in to sauces, drink V8, make shakes with kale or spinach (you can't taste them if done right)...but basically, you need to get over it and eat veggies.

ETA: I'm not sure of the name, but there's a cookbook generally for parents for how to sneak vegetables in to your kids' diets without them knowing. Might be worthwhile checking out.

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets To Get Your Kids Eating Good Foods

libbymcbain

If you like pizza, why don't you make marinara sauce with hidden veggies (carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, courgettes, garlic, peppers) puree it and have it with chicken? Cauliflower roasted in the oven with a little olive oil is nice. And if you don't mind salad, have salad. Roast medditerrean vegetables- roughly peppers, onions, courgettes, toss in alittl eolive oil and herbs and roast in the oven at 300-350 for 30 minutes.

Agree that you can have fruit instead of veggies for some of your vitamin intake. Bananas aren't that bad for you, a banana would be better for you than cereal. Berries are very good for you and a good way to introduce more fruit, so are apples.

But it will be difficult for you to get as many vitamins as you need without finding some veggies you like.

kestrel359

if you like bananas eat them. they won't have a negative impact on your diet as long as you are accurately logging them, along with the rest of your food, and stay at or under your calorie count for the day.

MoreBean13

You need to experiment and find veggies you like. Look at recipes, go to restaurants and try veggies prepared different ways, try soups, sneak them in to sauces, drink V8, make shakes with kale or spinach (you can't taste them if done right)...but basically, you need to get over it and eat veggies.

ETA: I'm not sure of the name, but there's a cookbook generally for parents for how to sneak vegetables in to your kids' diets without them knowing. Might be worthwhile checking out.

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets To Get Your Kids Eating Good Foods

Thanks!

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

You mentioned you like potatoes. One way I've gotten non vegetable eaters to eat turnip was to mash it with potatoes. Basically, just makes mashed potatoes like you normally would, but also make turnip by peeling it, quarter it, then boil for like 40 minutes or so or until tender, then mash them both together. Optional: add milk/butter/cheese if it fits your goals.

kissedbytheocean

I don't like most vegetables either, but find soup is the easiest way to make them palatable and have a wide variety in one bowl. Roasting vegetables is a great way to enjoy them, too. They taste a whole lot different than you'd think when they're roasted.

Also, bananas won't hinder your weight loss. Seriously, bananas are great for you!

Sandy307

Sorry! I just can't imagine what my life would be like without my veggies. Just for example, the other night for supper I had 8 different veg on my plate and that didn't count the tomato/vegetable cocktail that I enjoy with my meals. I wonder if it is because you don't like vegetables or just that you are not in the habit of eating them??? I suppose if you really don't like them fruit is your next best choice, however,. you do have to remember that most fruit is way higher in calories than vegetables are. Perhaps you could try to get into the habit of eating at least one veg for your main meal? It is not just the nutrients you have to consider, it is the "roughage" that is so important. Anyway, good luck. If I can be of any help with suggestions and recipes I would be happy to help.

Sandy307

chani8

You don't have to eat your veggies. You said you're taking vitamins.

Being that your DH is diabetic, and by what you said that you eat, and the fact that you both want to lose weight, I think you need to eat a diet that keeps blood sugar balanced.

That would mean eating low carb, and increasing your healthy fats. You could probably just lower your carbs to maximum 100 carbs a day, and lose weight. That is what we did, and those first pounds came of easily. (Now I am trying to cut more fat, so I'm being much stricter, but that isn't where you two are at, right now.)

However, if you don't increase your fats, then you will feel hungry and likely not get enough calories. So eat your yogurt (in the afternoon, because it has natural sugar in it), choose full cream instead of milk for your coffee, and don't eat "low fat" dairy products. The higher the fat, the less sugar in dairy. And of course, cut out all sugar, and 99% of diabetic sweeteners as well. Eat eggs, cheese, chicken, nuts (instead of granola).

cmarreee

Maybe find a lower calorie recipe for carrot cake granola and switch out some of your usual cereal for it..
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, mushrooms, bell pepper would be easily hidden in mexican style dishes.. get a few smaller squash rather than one large one if possible.. maybe try orange bell peppers since they're sweeter.. crimini/baby bella mushrooms are super nutrient dense.
Try chinese dishes w/ bean sprouts, daikon radish, broccolli, boy choy, or cabbage added in. Google "caulifower rice" and made fried rice.. there's a few cauliflower pizza crust recipes out there..
You can blend spinach, lettuce, etc into a smoothie if you have a good quality blender.. yeah it might turn green but you won't taste em at all.. the first time, try a couple of romaine leafs. If you like it, gradually add a few more.. if you're still liking it try spinach the next time.. etc


Oh if you like pasta try a spiralizer/julienne peeler.. $10 maybe $15 and you can turn zucchini, cucumber, daikon, whatever you want, you can turn it into " pasta" that you can mix into real pasta, throw in soups, or in salads. I use mine like crazy

DawnEH612

Explore, explore, explore...there are so many amazing fruits and vegetables out there. I assume you've just had a few bad experiences or not much exposure to veggies and perhaps even fruits. It may not hurt you to further educate yourself on proper nutritional information and healthy habits. Check out this link from the USDA.. it has some great information and interactive tools: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/dietary-guidance
It sounds like you have a rough idea of what healthy is, such as greek yogurt and natural peanut butter. But what i find interesting is you're concerned about no added salt/ oils in peanut butter, but nuts are high in fat, albeit healthy ones.. Fat is fat is fat as far as calories are concern, a whopping 9 calories per gram of fat compared to 4 calories per gram for carbs and protein. Try to keep fats to less than 30% of you diet but more than 15%.. Fat, in and of itself is not bad... Its the type of fat and excessive amounts that are unhealthy. With that said, you mention you like meat and cheese.. Both are typically high in fat and cheese is notoriously high in sodium... which is why i was perplexed when you seemed so proud that your peanut butter didn't have any added salt/oils.
You mention you like fruit yet only mention fruit juice, which has little nutritional value and loaded with sugar, and bananas but stray from them because you heard they aren't good if you want to loose weight, but neither is cheese... There are so many great fruits to try. Comice pears have been fantastic this season, sweet and juicy. I don't like most pears as i think they're pretty bland but i decided to TRY new things.. the Comice pears are fantastic. I also like the Asian brown pears, more like an apple. Green mangos from CA have been super sweet and juicy this year as well. I have been on an apple kick as of late, trying different varieties. I used to eat mainly fuji and pink lady apples but in my experimenting i have found that empire apples and macoun are quite delicious. Yu say u like greek yogurt... My nightly go to snack is greek yogurt, an extra small frozen banana (peel and cut, wrap in parchment/wax paper to freeze) a dash of cinnamon and Bear Naked Fit granola. I mix it all up and YUMMY. i will replace the banana with apples, pears, canned pumpkin or omit cinnamon and use berries, mango, pineapple, papaya, grapes, kiwi.. Really any fruit. The granola can be replaced with something like Kashi original go lean cereal, kashi granola cereal or their shredded biscuit type cereal. Get creative.
For veggies mash some baked potatoes and mixed with equal amounts of mashed cauliflower. Yu can also mash in winter squash such as acorn, butternut, carnival, delcotta. I use cottage cheese and a bit a grated parmesan in mine for flavor and creaminess. Spaghetti squash literally is long and thin and can be used to replace pasta or mixed with it and is good with marinara type sauces. Avocado has little flavor but a great creamy texture and can be added/hidden in mexican food, so can spinach, kale.
If yo make meat loaf add in mashed peas, grated summer squash like yellow and zucchini.
There are so many amazing veggie options and ways to prepare veggies i could never wrote long enough.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/205951-how-to-hide-vegetables-in-food-for-kids/
Explore and enjoy!

maryts1791

Thanks so much to everyone for your tips and suggestions! It may not be as easy for ME to "just get over it and start eating veggies" but I will experiment! Best of luck to all of you in your continued weight loss / health ventures!

kimberliiw

I agree to experiment and try to find at least 2 or 3 veggies you like. There are so many out there with such a broad range of flavors there must be something you'll like. I have a neighbor that makes mashed potatoes with cooked carrots, it tastes good and is pretty also. And roasting totally changes the taste of a lot of vegetables. I used to hate brussells sprouts and love them roasted. I tried beets roasted and still hate them. Also try different recipes, I found a fried corn recipe that is awesome. It's amazing how adding a little parmesan to vegetables takes them to a different level. And above everything else don't pigeon hole yourself as a vegetable hater. There are things out there I don't like, that's life. But I'm constantly trying new things out and have found that there a lot more things I DO like. So give it a go.