Help eating more veggies

2

Replies

  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    The way I learned was to hide them in things I do like and to doctor them up really well.

    Blend some carrots into your spaghetti sauce. Mix other veggies with mashed potatoes. Eat a whole lot of Ranch dressing with each bite. Eventually (and doesn't take long), you get used to the taste and you can back off of the doctoring up and hiding.

    I now eat carrots raw, tons of salad, broccoli, cabbage, etc. For the first 25 years of my life I was a corn and potatoes girl.
  • earlyxer
    earlyxer Posts: 240 Member
    If humans were true vegetarians/vegans they would have thicker enamel on their teeth.
  • fit_librarian
    fit_librarian Posts: 242 Member
    Roasting veggies is a great way to eat them (put veggies in a pan with a bit of olive oil/salt/pepper, preheat oven to 400, and cook until tender and lightly browned). Invest in some really awesome veggie cookbooks. You can find a lot at your local library. My favorites are:

    Love Soup by Anna Thomas
    The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas
    Appetite for Reduction by Isa Moskowitz
    Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Moskowitz
    Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    I just had the most amazing sweet potato--cut up and put in the oven for 35 minutes with some cinnamon and coconut oil. Rather than try to choke them down as a side, think of what you do like to eat and find ways to incorporate that into the veggies. If you like meat, cook the veggies with the meat for more flavor. If you like sweetness, try the sweet potatoes or butternut squash cooked as above.
  • Ivyzmama
    Ivyzmama Posts: 108 Member
    It sounds like you lack confidence in your ability to deal with vegetables, not only in eating them, but also in shopping for them, choosing what to buy, how to cook it - the whole catastrophe. I recommend you think of a type of food that you love. Do you love French food? Buy a comprehensive French cookbook - something that covers soup to nuts - and start making the vegetable recipes from page 1. Just take the 1st recipe with vegetables in it, and make it. You'll know how to make it healthier by leaving out most of the fat, for instance. Then, later that week, gather up your courage and make the next recipe. This way you'll be trying out new vegetables, in a flavor (ie, French) that you already know you love. And don't skimp on the spices. Whatever the recipe calls for, buy those spices. The spices really make the recipes sing. Spices are expensive, but once you have a collection in your kitchen, you won't have to keep buying them and they do last a long time. Check out clearance sections in bookstores - they usually have a lot of cookbooks with big colorful photos in them on clearance, especially after Christmas (because people often buy big photo cookbooks as gifts). If you like Italian, buy an Italian cookbook. If you're not sure what you like, I recommend the Joy of Cooking because it is so comprehensive, with simple recipes. If you keep making each recipe in turn, by December 2013, you'll have confidence to be able to "toss things together" the way previous posters here are describing.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    As an over 40 life long hater of most vegetables it was tough for me to start eating vegetables as well. When I started trying to eat less processed foods I started trying vegetables. I went to a restaurant and for the first time didn't pick out the broccoli, zucchini, and other unknown vegetables. It was pretty good. So I just started cooking my own vegetables and trying them in different ways. I still don't eat peas or beans except for sweet pea pods and green beans, I like both of those. The more I eat healthy the better healthy food tastes.
  • been2boston
    been2boston Posts: 100 Member
    I struggle with the same thing; I'm not a huge veggie fan, but I'm slowly learning to find what I like, make them so I like them, and eat more of them. I think the biggest thing, though, is actually buying them and putting them in the fridge on the shelf right at eye level so it's the first thing I see when I open it up. When I get home from the grocery store, I portion out the raw veggies that I like (I've found I really like baby carrots and snow peas) into baggies to pack for lunches for the week. I add in spinach or some mixed veggies into pasta sauce. I add in spinach to my egg white omelets (and add feta cheese or salsa). I've been making my lunches, and the main thing I make is chicken tenders (skinless, baked) with frozen veggies (there are SO many kinds that are lightly sauced- cheesy, teryaki (sp?), tuscan or asian spiced).

    Good luck to you!!!
  • theblackbirdtree
    theblackbirdtree Posts: 168
    Sorry if this is a double post/idea, but I find that I can easily pack away 2-4 cups of spinach and collard greens when I add them to pasta dishes or casseroles, and even soups. Just tonight I steamed 2 cups of greens till they wilted and added tuna, cayenne, salsa and some vegan cheddar. YUM!
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
    Roasting, roasting, roasting. They are amazing that way

    Cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squash, asparagus, parsnips, carrots. They are all AMAZING roasted, just google roasted <insert veggie here> to get a solid recipe!

    also smoothies are good too

    try this: (it may be a little high in calories but it will give you tonnes of nutrients)

    Orange juice
    frozen mango or blueberries or what ever you like
    a banana
    1/4 avocado
    hand full of baby spinach

    blend it all up till its smooth... YUM
  • souzouchan
    souzouchan Posts: 80
    My goodness such amazing feedback! I'm sorry I can't reply personally to all of the posts but THANK YOU for all of the ideas! They sound amazing!

    alijane9: I do enjoy spinach and asparagus. The only true restriction I have are onions, I have a cramp like allergic reaction when I eat too much of them.

    Some of you mentioned mashed potatoes, LOVE that! So I'll try the cauliflower idea sometime! :)

    I've bookmarked the thread so I can try some of these recipes, seasonings and blends. Again, thank you so much! I'l try a few and let you know how things go! :)

    *hugs for all!*
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    This reminds me of my mom. She will legit not eat anything green. If she has a pea, she will vomit. (Something about the texture or the "pop" she says)

    lol...anyway. Something I've been doing lately is spreading fresh broccoli florets on a sheet pan, sprinkling them with salt, pepper & whatever, and baking them. I feel like carrots are an easy one to jump on immediately, you can eat them raw with low-fat dressing or hummus. Cooked, they have a sweetness all their own. Do you like sweet potatoes? They are excellent baked into wedges or "fries", even mashed up. I mash up cauliflower too, with a bit of reduced fat sour cream..nice substitute for mashed white potatoes.

    These sound like things I want to do. Delicious! Thank you for sharing!
  • lc52820
    lc52820 Posts: 76 Member
    I don't know how good this cookbook is, but I saw the author on a talk show a few years ago....& in order to help get her kids to eat healthier foods she would puree vegetables & sort of hide them in her recipes. (like pureed cauliflower put in mac & cheese). Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354485608&sr=1-1&keywords=jessica+seinfeld

    Yes, I was just thinking of this too! I had some blueberry oatmeal bar cookies (I'm pretty sure the recipe was from that cookbook) that had spinach in them & you would never know! Sneaky ways to get people to eat their veggies :happy:

    Also I would suggest that you keep trying lots of different types of veggies til you find something you like. A friend of mine is extremely picky when it comes to eating vegetables but recently she has discovered edamame & loves it.
  • CelebrateLife
    CelebrateLife Posts: 247 Member
    There are several ways to incorporate vegetables into your daily regimen
    I don't personally like to have some vegetables on its own and it's just hard togetti g them if you're not including it in the preparation of your foods that's how I get most of them in
    My secret is; (you'll definitely need a food processor -I use a mini food processor- or a food chopper of some sort unless if you don't mind taking the time to finely chop them by hand)

    Soups
    Spaghetti sauce
    Smoothies
    Seasoned rice
    I love this one; in a blender blend Orange juice with Spinach -you don't taste the Spinach at all
    .......
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    I hide my veggies in sauces, fried rice, quiches, pasta bakes and smoothies. I used to hate vegetables and went days without eating them, now I HAVE to eat vegetables everyday or I go crazy :laugh: you will learn to love them.
  • souzouchan
    souzouchan Posts: 80
    I hide my veggies in sauces, fried rice, quiches, pasta bakes and smoothies. I used to hate vegetables and went days without eating them, now I HAVE to eat vegetables everyday or I go crazy :laugh: you will learn to love them.

    Believe me I want to love them! :laugh:
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I cook bell peppers, a yellow onion, and mushrooms in a skillet with balsamic vinegar. (Also chicken but that's not a vegetable) It's reeeeeallly good I make it all the time. You can also just add vegetables to your meals to get them in. Like put some type of vegetable in to your pasta or whatever you're eating. You could make a soup and put veggies in there.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    I pretty much do what LorinaLynn does with the frozen veggies but I'd like more variety so I'm bumping this thread to save in my topics because there are so many good ideas in it.
  • ericv2626
    ericv2626 Posts: 7
    Don't feel embarrassed. There are some things that are hard to eat for everyone.
    The only bit of advice I have is to try out some baby carrots. I've seen alot of replys to your post talking about how nasty greens are, but carrots are veggies too. Try sneaking them into your day as a snack. Maybe while reading a book or something.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    My goodness such amazing feedback! I'm sorry I can't reply personally to all of the posts but THANK YOU for all of the ideas! They sound amazing!

    alijane9: I do enjoy spinach and asparagus. The only true restriction I have are onions, I have a cramp like allergic reaction when I eat too much of them.

    Some of you mentioned mashed potatoes, LOVE that! So I'll try the cauliflower idea sometime! :)

    I've bookmarked the thread so I can try some of these recipes, seasonings and blends. Again, thank you so much! I'l try a few and let you know how things go! :)

    *hugs for all!*

    Fantastic: that is two more kinds of green vegetables than many people will eat!! Spinach is arguably the most nutritious of the greens, if you ate that every day for the rest of your life in a variety of ways from sweet smoothies to cheesy lasagne (so you did not get bored) you would be doing right by your body.
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2
  • silvercanoe
    silvercanoe Posts: 95 Member
    I agree with previous posters - roasting veggies is a great way to eat them. They lose their "rawness" and take on a whole new flavor. You can roast all kinds of vegetables. I also will add about 2 cups of raw spinach to my smoothies. Although the color is unusual, you can't taste the spinach and it's an easy way to take 2 servings of veggies.
  • Luv2ChewBaca
    Luv2ChewBaca Posts: 15 Member
    There are many great ideas here!! Here's what I used to get my kids eating & loving vegetables. I get Green Giant - 100% Natural Valley Fresh Steamers -12 oz Bag - Garden Vegetable Medley (Peas, Potatoes,Peppers, & Herbs). 160 cals for whole bag. Our freezer is always full of those. Cook 8 min in bag and serve. Yes, Raw vegies would be the healthiest but this will ease you into it & get you to love vegies of all types. I noticed Walmart always sells out of this one so I get them early in the day after the shelves are stocked. Keep up the great work & Good Luck to you!!
  • jlohcook
    jlohcook Posts: 228 Member
    Do it the Chinese way - stir fry - small tsp oil, heat pan, add cut up garlic, stir fry a bit till a little brown, add vegetables - Choy sum, bak Choy, brocolli, peppers any vegetables can stir fry, add a little of salt or oyster sauce. Stir fry till cooked, not too long, or the vegetables will turn yellow. Ensure it's high heat, fire all the while. It's like sautéed.

    Or blanche., boil. Heat up water, add vegetables into water, add a bit of salt into water. Boil for probably 3 mins, for brocolli or cauliflower I use a fork to test whether cooked, if I can pierce through cooked. Remove from water, Add a bit of oyster sauce for taste. Or you can add cheese it will melt into the vegetables. Yum!

    Or for peppers, egg plants, broccoli, mushroom, zucchini etc I like to add into chicken or beef or any type of meat, one pot thing - dutch oven/cast iron is best, add salt pepper, paprika, herbs, garlic, shallots,,to taste, stir fry a little, put into oven covered bake for 45 mins or so. All the great taste from the meat goes into the vegetables. You get a great tasting dish, with lots of vegetables.
  • lhs1965
    lhs1965 Posts: 99 Member
    I love Rainbow Slaw - Broccoli, Cauliflowers, Carrotts, you can get it in the produce department of your local store. I add a little Marzetti Fat Free Sweet and Sour dressing. Very tastie low calorie and you are getting a vegatable
  • kokoforskinny
    kokoforskinny Posts: 91 Member
    bump
  • lorimor80
    lorimor80 Posts: 13 Member
    I am picky about vegetables, too. Some things I've tried doing to sneak in more veggies:

    1. Hide lots of small cut up veggies in soups, chili, or pasta sauces. The smaller the dice, the less offensive I find them. Usually it is the texture I dislike, even more than the taste, and this hides both pretty well.

    2. Mix them into a crockpot meal of meat and some sort of sauce. For example, chopped up onions, bell peppers, and carrot strips go nicely with chicken and barbecue sauce. You could also use teriyaki, Italian dressing, salsa, etc. The combinations are endless. I find that by the time they have cooked in the crockpot all day, they are soft enough to blend into the sauce without being too noticeable.

    3. I also eat veggies that don't seem as much like veggies - like tomato soup, salsa, pasta sauces, bean dips including hummus, vegetarian bean-based chilis, etc.

    4. The veggies I do eat straight up are best when roasted in the oven with a little nonstick spray or spray butter, salt, garlic or onion powder, pepper, and maybe a hit of cayenne or red pepper flake. You can do this with squashes, zucchini, asparagus, any type of potato, carrots, etc.

    5. Dip raw veggies in hummus flavored with cayenne pepper, salsa, or a low-fat dressing you like. If you are also picky about dressings, like me, you can use plain greek yogurt flavored with spices you like. The sauce you dip the veggies in can hide the taste of the veggies pretty well without having to be something unhealthy.

    6. The V8 Fruit and veggie blends are pretty good if you like that sort of thing. It gives you a serving of veggies.

    7. Mix shredded carrots or sweet potato into a sweet greek-yogurt sauce with raisins or other dried fruit.

    8. Cut them into tiny pieces, hold your nose, and chew fast. :)
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    there are tons of different kinds of veggies, so the first thing you need to do is start trying a variety of them to figure out which ones you like more than others.
    Yes, eating some veggies that you don't LOVE when they are just plain, probably aren't going to taste that great.
    also, some people only liked cooked veggies, or raw veggies.
    I personally don't like many raw vegetables, other than tomatoes. My friend won't eat ANY cooked veggies at all. I don't like cooked spinach, asparagus (at all).. the list goes on. You just need to find which ones you don't mind.

    My favorites are probably broccoli and roasted green beans. And of course I love potatoes, but they aren't healthy.
    Broccoli or green beans roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic power (or fresh garlic) tastes really good.

    Check out Skinnytaste.com for some great veggie recipes.
  • dreezyfrom402
    dreezyfrom402 Posts: 1
    Make green shakes with spinach!
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    Make green shakes with spinach!
    I dropped 2 cups of spinach into my smoothie last night and couldn't taste it. I'll definitely be doing more of that.
  • souzouchan
    souzouchan Posts: 80
    Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thank you again for the suggestions and support!

    Great news too, made mashed cauliflower tonight and it was amazing! Slightly too much pepper but still amazing! I'll definitely make that again! :)
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
    http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/07/a-salad-palette/
    700544972_564e118f79.jpg
    For me the simplest is the best.
    Just takes a few minutes to weigh veggies, finely chop, squeeze some lemon, salt and pepper. (sumac, or what ever herbs you want to add). I like to add capers myself... I also forego the olive oil.

    So much wonderful flavour.

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