Desperately Seeking Veggie help

raindrops517

I'm having a little trouble with the veggie department. I really don't like them. But I am desperately trying to eat better. The problem is, I look at a vegetable on my plate and automatically think "yuck". I've never liked the taste of them. What are your suggestions? Are there tricks I can play or are the vegetables that aren't as bad as others? Is this something I'm just going to have to get used to?

hereisgone125

Try roasting your veggies, it totally changes the flavor Otherwise, you may have to try hiding them. Or V-8...

avakathryn

Roast them! I just discovered roasting brussel sprouts. Wash a bunch of sprouts, cut off the stems, toss with olive oil and coarse ground salt and pepper. Put on a flat cookie sheet and bake at 375F for approx. 30 minutes. You have to jiggle the pan a few times throughout cooking so they get evenly browned. But the roasting adds SUCH an amazing flavour to them.

Also - you can mash cauliflower and its such a good potato substitute. Take a whole head of cauliflower, cut it up and put in a pan with about two inches of water. Add three smashed garlic cloves. Boil until the cauliflower is so soft its falling apart. Drain, and then put in blender/food processor with 1 tbsp olive oil and a fresh, minced garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste (seasoning is VERY important)

Sweet potatoes are amazing. Bake or roast them with some olive oil and salt and pepper, YUM.

Add some spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie to "sneak" some veg into your diet.

The trick is to find interesting ways to cook them to add flavour. Vegetables don't have to mean just boring boiled/steamed veg. Get creative, experiment until you find something you love. You will eventually get a taste for them, you just have to get over the mental block!

hereisgone125

Roast them! I just discovered roasting brussel sprouts.

Agreed. My favorite.


http://www.ivillage.com/eating-healthy-hide-vegetables-food/6-b-140704#483143

RenewedRunner

Start putting them IN things and maybe that will help, Add some peas to a soup or stew, chop some peppers up for your taco meat or fajitas. What about lettuce/spinach?? Or cucumbers? Radishes are good hidden in salsa and other mexican dishes. I add them in all the time and my family never notices!

There are veggies, like carrots, I only like raw. And I dont like broccoli raw. You will have to just try and see... tonight I made brussel sprouts. My kids hate them and while they arent my favorite veggie, for their nutritional value, I like them just fine!

xsmilexforxmex

I LOVE boiling yellow squash with a little bit of salt after to taste. Probably my favorite veggie ever. Just cut into slices, boil until soft/flimsy looking and drain... add salt as needed. Some people also add butter but I prefer it without.

Squidlyscott

Stir fry in a little oil add garlic and onion powder. Many good ways to make them tasty. Grilled on the Gas BBQ is good too. Or dry grilled in an iron skillet. One restaurant I go to cooks their vegies this way Brocholi, califlower and carrots and I love them. I do however pore some melted butter to help make them taste a little better. Have you looked at any of the thousands od online receipes?

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Turn them into sauces (spinach, yogurt, little fat free feta, some chicken stock or ban drippings, put on cooked chicken; puttanesca, pizzaiola), put them in stews, casseroles, puree them, etc.

liznotyet

Mixing them into pasta sauce has been the favorite way in this house. Especially spinach - wilted spinach in pasta shrinks to tiny shreds of green nothings. Add it and stir, just before you drain the water.

use shredded onions and cabbage to "clean" a pan after you have used it to brown meat, and the veggies take on the meat flavor.

Vegan cheese called Daiya - made with tapioca flour - makes melty cheesy goodness on broccoli hot from the steamer.

kashmirkat

I love veggies, so it's tough to relate, but I agree with trying roasted veggies - also soups, if you like veggie soup, make a big pot and have before dinner, will also help reduce hunger before the main meal Freeze it in bags flat and it's a quick thaw in a bowl of hot water - put veggies in dishes - cauliflower is very mild in flavor and is great to add to dishes or you can spice it up and then roast it. Spaghetti squash is awesome too - just bake or microwave it - I poke it and microwave it whole, cut it in half, use a fork to scrape out the strands and then I top with sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts and chopped tomato mixed with either spaghetti sauce or vodka sauce - I also sometimes add some turkey sausage to the 'sauce' - so good!


Hope that helps!

maramarx

I was exactly like you, hated veges except the starchy ones like potato.
I started off by 'hiding them' I grate 2 zucchini's several squash's, carrot and finely diced/sliced beans broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato etc in too most of my dishes it works particularly well in spaghetti bolognase. After a while I make the veges bigger and bigger and have learnt to like most but also tolerate others lol
Do you like salad? I also add salad to most of my dinners as well, so I get a lot of veges without really having to taste them as such lol

I also second roasting them I LOVE roast veges.

I also use a olive oil spray and will stir fry a whole heap of veges with heaps of garlic, fresh sweet chilli, Worcestershire, soy sauce (only a little though due to high salt content) and some dried herbs and spices. mmmmm yummm
sometimes I also add a splash of red wine and oh my YUMMY

1two3four

Grate some veggies and put them in meatloaf or meatballs. Blend some (after roasting/steaming) and add them to sauces. Make dips (roasted red pepper hummus, guacamole, salsa--but not from a jar OMG sodium--I just learned for the first time today how much is in the one I have right now).

I can't be of more help because I really don't think there's a veggie that I won't eat... except eggplant but that's because I'm thinking I might be allergic.

Though I have to agree with previous posters. It's all in how you prepare them and what you eat them with.

cmcollins001

Cover them all in cheese sauce, then give them to someone else. That's what I do.

pugsma

I absolutely agree with roasting the veggies. A must is onion slices, then add veggies in season (I currently am using yellow squash, eggplant, red bell pepper, and zucchini cut into small pieces). You can also add cubes of almost fully cooked sweet potato. Top with kale and sprinkle with olive oil. 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Yumm!

dave4d

I blend my spinach and mix it in my smoothies.

I made one today out of spinach, sprite zero, protein powder, about 1/2 cup frozen cherries, and a 1/4 cup of frozen rasberries. added about 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and some ice cubes. Came out tasting like sherbet. It ended up too thick to drink, so I ate it with a spoon.

I also make one that tastes like mint ice cream, using spinach, peppermint extract, protein powder, milk, frozen banana, and some splenda.

I also make fajitas, a lot, as that is the only way I can eat bell peppers. I put spinach, onions, and mushrooms on my pizza, and I'll scarf down a plain salad, every once in a while.

demorelli

If you don't like veggies, then make most of your servings fruits instead. Also, slip them in where you won't taste them:

When making a smoothie, fill the empty space in your blender with spinich. It'll turn it green but it'll still just taste like all the fruits and stuff you put in

Pizza (sure, don't go crazy with the high cal toppings, but ask for double sauce and add a couple less repulsive veggies to whatever toppings you add)

Soup (with creamy soups, cook a cook a couple carrots and celery stalks until soft, blend until smooth, and add)

Spagetti (choose a good lower sugar red sauce or make your own. add diced, sauted mushrooms or other tiny deced veggies as the flavor of the sauce will overpower the other flavors. Cook spagetti squash and mix it with your spagetti before serving. you won't even be able to tell the difference)

if you bake, replace 1/2 of butter with pureed avocado. Reduce heat 25% and increase cooking time. The flavor is undetectable and yields softer final product

raindrops517

What awesome advice, y'all! Thanks so much!!

SurfyFriend

Some things I do....
To make a yummy tomato sauce base: tinned diced tomatoes, tinned red kidney beans, sundried tomatoes. Add saute'd onion/garlic and blend all together. Can add mince to make bolognese or lasagne. or add cumin and other spices to make mexican enchiladas, nacho's, etc.
In a stew, often fresh mushrooms can resemble the texture of meat, and if coveyou red in sauce probably wont even notice them.
On a sandwich: ham, cheese and tomato.
Or a patty with lettuce, tomato, avocado instead of butter
eggs on toast: put a couple baby spinach leaves between the eggs and toast
Interesting salads: buy a prepacked flavoured couscous box and add in the veggies in the recips (ainsleigh harriot is great)
Snack: celery sticks with peanut butter smeared in the groove topped with raisins.
A couple ideas, anyway
Good luck!!