I don't like veggies so how do I eat healthy?
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Do you like fruits? If so, you could eat whatever veggies you DO like, and have the rest of your servings of veggies/fruits be fruit. Just make small changes at a time. For me, I'm a sugar addict, so instead of jumping right to "eating totally healthy," I try to cut sugar (not the natural kind, the kind in candy, cake, etc.) out 6 days a week, and have a splurge day one day a week. On the days I don't have sugar, I eat the rest of what I normally would, and just try to be under calories. I think once I have control over the sugar thing, I can move on to slowly eating healthier and healthier things. You could try the same- just go slowly with your changes so you won't give up on them!0
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Try to eat the vegetables with some yummy, creamy sauce! Even if the sauce might not be the healthiest option, I guess it'd still be better than any of that processed crap. If it helps you, drown the veggies in the sauce at the beginning, but try to reduce the amount of sauce every week or so.
Another thing you might wanna give a try are green smoothies! If you add two bananas and a handful of spinach into a mixer, and maybe put some plain yogurt in there too if you want, I promise you're not gonna taste the spinach.
Good luck!
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That's hard when you hate a certain food group, but know that you need to be eating it. My son, hates all veggies, except for a very few in small...teeny amounts. I have learned to sneak them into my dinners though. When I make ground turkey meatballs I shred a bit of carrot into them. After seasoning them, he thinks he's eating beef meatballs with cheese inside. I've also added cauliflower to my mashed potatoes. He did find me out on that one, but he ate them. For my son, adding veggies to pizza is a great way to start and also in sauces that go over pasta. There's cookbooks out there to help hide veggies in your cooking, maybe give that a go. Keep trying and good luck.0
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I really HATE vegetables. If I eat them regularly they upset my stomach. My primary care Dr said find just 2 and eat them all the time. I chose squash and spinach and I do cook them until they're mush. There is a juice that my granddaughter drinks that is a full serving of vegetables for the day. I might try that. I think some people are underestimating the difficulty of adding vegetables later in life. I'm 55 and my stomach does not react well to salad. Should I suck it up? Pull up my granny panties? Stay in the bathroom all day? 0
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My mother realized when I was a kid that it wasn't that I hated veggies, I just hated the way they were given to me. Overcooked veggies are the worst thing ever! What about salads don't you like? Are they bland to you?0
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Learn to like veggies.0
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I put spinach in smoothies. You could make a vegetable soup. Or just eat more fruit for the nutrition.0
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TBH you just have to bite the bullet. You HAVE to think long term.0
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i never been a veggie guy either, ..... I suggest you check out the recipes and food boards... the ideas I've found there have broadened my horizons to the point where my mother is rolling in her grave. If she caught me eating this stuff she'd explode. My current favorite meal stretcher is Spaghetti squash.. Oh and I just rediscovered green smoothies after a few months without.. spinach , banana, another fruit.. rock it..and you really don't taste the spinach.0
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Thanks for the information. I'll certainly give it a try to roast some vegetables that I'm not particularly fond of. Sounds good,:flowerforyou:0
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It seems to me you need to get mentally committed to losing weight. "I don't like veggies so how do I eat healthy" is kind of a cop out. Eating healthy is not all about veggies & salad. Spend some time gogling healthy recipes. You just have to do the work and come up with healthy alternatives.
I don't like the taste or texture broccoli but I like how it fills me up so I choke it down. That's me. I'm not saying just get over it and eat it but you can train yourself to think of food as fuel and move past the taste.0 -
My mother realized when I was a kid that it wasn't that I hated veggies, I just hated the way they were given to me. Overcooked veggies are the worst thing ever! What about salads don't you like? Are they bland to you?
LOL my mother thought twinkies and pepsi were veggies0 -
I agree with some other posters about roasting vegetables. I'll happily eat almost any vegetable once it's roasted, and it couldn't be easier. Prep the veggie, toss it with a little olive oil/salt/pepper/chili powder (or use any spice combination you choose) in a bowl, then put said veggies in a pan. Plop 'em in the oven for around 20/30/40 minutes, depending on the temperature. Here's the beautiful part: you can't really overcook roasted vegetables, so you can cook them with something else you're cooking. For example, if you're cooking chicken at 350, then cook the veggies at 350. If you're cooking something else at 400, then cook the veggies at 400. They're really versatile, easy to cook, delicious to eat, and super healthy.
You can also cook vegetables on the grill along with whatever you're grilling. Prep the veggies the same way, then put them in a foil pack. Same as in the oven, you can't really overcook them.
Try broccoli and brussels sprouts. Those seem to be my two favorites for roasting. But I also like mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, etc...
Good luck!0 -
Thanks for the helpful information! I will certainly try roasting some of the vegetables that I'm not particularly fond of and give it a try.:flowerforyou:0
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I used to never eat veggies. Ever. I don't ever wonder why I am fat, unhealthy, pre-diabetic and have high blood pressure. I did it to myself. Certain things you just have to do. Your health is your responsibility and no one else. You can continue as you are or you can experiment and find veggies and how to cook them that you like.
I chose to learn to like them. Humans have reasoning and we can choose what we like. I don't "choke" them down just to eat. I don't do that with any food. I have found ones I like (spaghetti squash) that I would have never touched before deciding to change my life. It's a choice that one must make themselves.0 -
Put vegetables into meals, don't start by eating them plain. Martha Stewart has a great recipe for a zucchini and yellow squash gratin. I've never been a big fan of zucchini, but this dish is delicious! I also put zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, and/or whatever else I have in the house, along with chicken, into pasta with alfredo sauce. My husband loves it. My toddlers love it. You can also put all those same vegetables into rice with a little bit of cream sauce with chicken sausage and it's really good too. It's another family favorite. My kids also like a roasted vegetable and cous-cous salad from marthastewart.com. I get pretty much all my recipes from Martha Stewart. They're healthy, and usually are easy and fairly quick to make.0
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i never cared much for vegetables most of my life...
in more recent years i discovered that part of the reason seems to be that most of my life growing-up the vegetables i was served were basically overcooked and mushy. blech!
i was surprised to find that i not only 'can tolerate' eating raw veg like carrots, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli, i was even able to start enjoying (yes, enjoying!) them when just lightly steamed (so still crunchy and fresh tasting). Cooked any more than that i really cannot tolerate them even now.
I agree with the many here who mentioned roasting... i've learned to enjoy peppers, fennel bulb and even brussel sprouts (which always used to me me gag when boiled *L*), when roasted.
Roast them all up with tomatoes and onions and celery, then puree for THE most awesome tomato sauce you can then have over a lil pasta or meatloaf etc etc... voila! instant injection of veg.
Experiment... and never let the fact that you believe you have always hated something prevent you from continuing to try it in a new way... i am living proof that your tastes change.. your palate become more educated... and before you know it, you actually CAN start to enjoy them!0 -
I don't understand how anyone can dismiss an entire category of food...
It's not about "I don't like veggies" - it's how they are prepared. There is a way to prepare anything so that it tastes appealing. I used to say I hated fish, and that was based on freshwater lake fish I had when I was a kid, but that kept me from trying salmon and tilapia - two of my favourite proteins these days. In fact, the first time I had salmon I didn't like it either, then I had jack daniel's maple glazed salmon with mango chipotle rub... OMG YUM! And I learned how critical it is that fish be fresh to taste good. Tilapia is the least fishiest fish ever, by far one of my favourite foods.
The point being, you gotta try different things. You can't pigeonhole an entire category of food and leave it at that. Try different recipes, different restaurants, different combinations, etc..
And give your body time to adapt. If you never eat vegetables, your body won't develop a 'body memory'. You body WANTS those nutrients, vitamins and minerals. When it gets them semi-regularly, it starts a memory bank where it realizes certain nutrients come from certain tastes - hence why pregnant women get such crazy cravings, because the growing baby NEEDS certain building blocks to grow. If you eat they way you should, in a matter of weeks/months you body will start to adjust its wants and tastes and you will stop spoiling yourself with food that just tastes good and doesn't really FEED your body.
Eat for purpose, not for pleasure. But if you can (and we all can), find a happy medium. Being happy while eating a meal is temporary and ultimately unfulfilling. Being happy in between meals because you are HEALTHY, well fed and not deficient in necessary elements for staying alive, is much more permanent and long-lasting.
Get creative, try new things and open your mind and your mouth to new ideas. 0 -
I don't understand how anyone can dismiss an entire category of food...
It's not about "I don't like veggies" - it's how they are prepared. There is a way to prepare anything so that it tastes appealing. I used to say I hated fish, and that was based on freshwater lake fish I had when I was a kid, but that kept me from trying salmon and tilapia - two of my favourite proteins these days. In fact, the first time I had salmon I didn't like it either, then I had jack daniel's maple glazed salmon with mango chipotle rub... OMG YUM! And I learned how critical it is that fish be fresh to taste good. Tilapia is the least fishiest fish ever, by far one of my favourite foods.
The point being, you gotta try different things. You can't pigeonhole an entire category of food and leave it at that. Try different recipes, different restaurants, different combinations, etc..
And give your body time to adapt. If you never eat vegetables, your body won't develop a 'body memory'. You body WANTS those nutrients, vitamins and minerals. When it gets them semi-regularly, it starts a memory bank where it realizes certain nutrients come from certain tastes - hence why pregnant women get such crazy cravings, because the growing baby NEEDS certain building blocks to grow. If you eat they way you should, in a matter of weeks/months you body will start to adjust its wants and tastes and you will stop spoiling yourself with food that just tastes good and doesn't really FEED your body.
Eat for purpose, not for pleasure. But if you can (and we all can), find a happy medium. Being happy while eating a meal is temporary and ultimately unfulfilling. Being happy in between meals because you are HEALTHY, well fed and not deficient in necessary elements for staying alive, is much more permanent and long-lasting.
Get creative, try new things and open your mind and your mouth to new ideas.
I totally agree. But not regarding pregnancy cravings. There's no reason a combination of fried chicken, Coke, and chocolate should be necessary for a developing baby. Unless that baby is Britney Spears.0 -
There are so many types of vegetables and fruit out there, so I think the OP just needs to experiment and find some they do like. There will be something you like out there, you just have to find it!!
I'm completely the opposite, I've yet to find a vegetable I don't like!!0 -
I have always hated veggies ! But if i put garlic salt and butter on them i will eat them.....I did noticed that once you stop eating so much proceesed salty and sweet food your taste buds change and you even start to crave them.0
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First I have to agree with Awesomeone66...
Choosing to start your healthy lifestyle means you first need to incorporate good foods, and delete the bad...
I still eat hotdogs, but I read the nutrition info before I add to my shopping cart... I do this with all my groceries...
When it comes to veggies I dont like eating them plain, so I "Decorate" them as I call it... I'll add salsa to them, as salsa is low in calories.. I'll even add once in a while Nacho cheese sauce, 1 Tbl is 20 calories, but it gives them a nice taste, for a different change now and then...
All the foods you listed can be put into your diet moderately, and with adjustments to amount and making them low cal...
I know I rattle on sorry, but over the years I have learned so much because I loved all the "Good" foods that put my weight on...
Good luck to you.. I wish you all the best on your journey :0)
Ozzyzmommy0 -
you could try to eat them with cheese. obviously you'll eventually want to use less and less cheese since its high in fat and calories, but thats how i started to like brocolli and now i love it and can eat it just steamed.0
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I had the same issue I HATED salads now several times a week ill have one and ENJOY it.
What part of the salad do you not like? I didn't like the lettuce part. Well it was more like I didn't like the iceberg. No matter how much I doctored it up I couldn't do it. So I tried others. I found that I love loose leaf lettuce. I can eat a leaf alone and not gag.
Try different kinds because they don't taste the same.
Cook them differently, my mom always boiled them to mush and I didn't like that. But I do enjoy them sauteed. Infacted I sauteed a bunch of veggies this morning and put them in with my scrambled eggs.0 -
learn to like them. you probably haven't had them prepared properly in the first place.
"salad" isn't always just lettuce... so you may just need to broaden your horizons. best of luck!0 -
Maybe you're cooking them too much and they are mushy. I steam my veggies so they are still crunchy, then I like them better. I don't know, but this is a suggestion.0
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Do you have a food processor? My SIL's husband is a lot like you, he's a strict "meat'n'potatos" kind of guy. She tricks him into eating vegetables by slipping pureed cauliflower into his scrambled eggs before they're cooked, or white carrot puree into his mac n cheese, etc . He is the pickiest eater on the PLANET, and he can't even tell the difference, has never caught wise in four years that she is pulling the "picky toddler trick " on him every day.
If he can't tell the difference, I bet you won't either. Give it a shot! 0 -
I was very much like you. I find I like most vegetables raw and I like very few steamed. The only thing I like "cooked" is corn and onions and peppers sauteed. You do need to try different things until you find a few you can eat. Good luck!0
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I NEVER liked vegetables, so I hear ya!! The way I started "training" myself to eat more vegetables was.... to drink them! I bought a juicer and juiced lots of healthy vegetables, with carrots as a base (carrots are very sweet, but if you don't like them you could also try apple juice, etc.) I know some people say that you really should eat vegetables instead of juicing, because then you'll get the fiber, but I think if there's any possible way you can get more vegetables in your system then go for it. It gives a really nice energy boost early in the morning
You can also sneak some spinach into a fruit smoothie or buy the Odwalla green juices once in a while.0 -
I eat a lot of veggies while I'm watching TV. I don't mind because I'm not really paying attention.
Bad advice. Mindless eating...slippery slope.0
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