Anybody else who doesn't eat salads / lettuce?

dcg8r
dcg8r Posts: 38
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
I have never liked the taste of lettuce. Yesterday I went to the market and paid $4.59 for a bag of shredded romaine and some other fancy lettuce. It's sitting in my fridge. I don't like salad dressing, tomatoes, carrots, hummus, cucumber, etc. How can I dress this lettuce up and eat it? I have some fajita wraps I thought about using with chicken and some cheese. I guess I just have to train my tastebuds to like it? Tastes like I'm gnawing on fresh lawnmower clippings :) Help!
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Replies

  • 1234lbsgone
    1234lbsgone Posts: 296 Member
    What about baby spinach? It replaces lettuce in salads and has more nutrients. You can always make your own dressings too. Or just use lemon or lime. My daughter just eats it plain because she is not a big fan of dressings either.
  • dcg8r
    dcg8r Posts: 38
    I don't think I've ever tried it, but I'm guessing baby spinach tastes like lawnmower clippings too? I need help to disguise that taste :)
  • pilotgirl2007
    pilotgirl2007 Posts: 368 Member
    You don't HAVE to eat salads... If you don't like them then find other foods that you like and other ways to get those nutrients. If you hate salad and you think that you have to eat them to lose weight you won't be able to sustain this lifestyle change because it is unrealistic for you. So try lots of other foods and recipes
  • MrsSorenson
    MrsSorenson Posts: 450 Member
    To me Lettuce doesn't really have a taste. But, you can put spinich in with your chicken or mixed in with cottage cheese. shove it in with other foods, to disguise the taste, but you still get your veggie count up. Honestly lettuce doesn't have much in it, so I'd just go to another veggie, why do you feel like you HAVE to eat lettuce. Go for something else. Lots to choose from. Eat that lettuce first though because that was expensive for lettuce!
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
    If you don't like lettuce then don't eat it! This isn't about forcing yourself to eat foods you don't like. There are plenty of other vegetables to choose from.
  • Sunshine_Girlie
    Sunshine_Girlie Posts: 618 Member
    I love baby spinach. I eat it with almost every meal. It goes well with eggs, fish, tuna [which is fish..lol], chicken, and the list goes on. You can cook it and it will shrink, but be careful not to lose the nutrients it holds. I used to hate it, but I guess my taste is now acquired to it.
  • teryan
    teryan Posts: 3 Member
    Do you like spinach? It makes a great salad. I use fresh baby spinach and put the veggies I like in it, like tomatoes, green, red or yellow peppers, purple oinions, maybe a boiled egg or grilled chicken. One trick I use is that I put a teaspoon of regular mayo and about the same of olive oil together with the salad in a bowl and mix coating everything. Then pour onto my plate. You can use a plate to mesure the amount of greens you want to use. I think we get over whelmed sometimes by trying to make too much salad and then we think we have to eat it all not to waste it. Just make enough to fill one plate at a time.
  • barefootbeauty
    barefootbeauty Posts: 188 Member
    I agree with pilotgirl. Don't eat it if you don't like it!
  • I substitute the Romaine lettuce leaves (large whole ones) for the "shell" of a taco- or for the "bread" of a sandwich. You can use chicken or beef or any fixings in between that you would normally use. Whatever you put inside is what you will taste then....not the lettuce. You roll is up like burrito style to hold everything in, not flat. We call them..."skinny taco's" here at my house! :) Try it and get that lettuce used up quick!
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Lettuce is absolutely useless ..its just a filler it doesnt provide you with much of anything ...I suggest altering your salads ..spinach topped with chicken breast throw in some edamame and tomatoes..try a vinaigrette..some raisins or cranberries and pecans, mandarin oranges or apples....try not to think of a salad as just lettuce and tomato and cucumber with the standard dressings....I also hate lettuce and dressing....thats why I stay away from it lol
  • dcg8r
    dcg8r Posts: 38
    But I WANT to like it :) It looks so pretty in the lettuce bag. I'm pretty sure if I can just start eating it (somehow) then I will acquire a taste for it. It's just a very steep uphill battle for me right now. dcg8r vs. $5 bag of lettuce. If I paid $5 for it, I'm definitely going to eat it. I think I will try the chicken/cheese fajita wrap and shove some lettuce in there. Hopefully it will be tasty. I'll report back after lunch. Thanks! :)
  • MsRoxyPepper
    MsRoxyPepper Posts: 109 Member
    I am an extremely picky eater to the point that I am teased about it regularly. I didn't like lettuce before but I set it in my mind that I NEEDED to eat it. To help with the taste I started out with clean romaine, cheddar cheese cubes, olives, cherub tomatoes and (1) buffalo chicken strip cubed. the combination of things I already enjoy, helps disguise the lettuce. The buffalo strip makes me feel like I am not missing out on "bad" foods,but it is moderated. Eventually I started craving salads.

    Taco salad is good too; just have to limit the bad stuff. small portions of taco meat and chese sprinkled throughout lots of lettuce. Add tortilla strips for crunch and salsa instead of dressing.

    I dont like dressing (picky eater - texture issues) but have found that I like Lite house or Marie Callendars spinich dressing. It is not creamy and has bacon bits in it. other days I just go without.

    You just need to get creative by making a plate of lettuce with other things you will eat. it will get better. Experiment with the variety of lettuce; youll find that they have very distinct flavors.
  • Andee08
    Andee08 Posts: 147 Member
    I dont like lettuce either! I always have good intentions when I make a salad, but I notice that I only eat the toppings and leave the lettuce. The same thing when I have lettuce in a sandwich.
  • Tzavush
    Tzavush Posts: 389 Member
    I love it now, but I used to hate eatign salads. Especially anythign other than iceberg lettuce. I thought it reminded me of the weeds we throw away from the garden. Always tasted pretty gross to me. Now I pretty much eat any types of lettuce with any number of veggies/fruits mixed in.
    I used to have to smother it in creamy dressings. Now all I used is malt or cider vinegar as dressing. LOVE LOVE LOVE it now. I could eat it by the bucket full.
  • ♥Amy♥
    ♥Amy♥ Posts: 714 Member
    Before a couple of months ago, I NEVER ate salads and now I eat them almost daily. I don't like any dressings, so I just eat mine plain. I buy the bagged salads (like you did) and I either just eat a serving of that or I double the serving size and add 1/8 cup of shredded cheese (extra calories, but improves the taste) and about 2 oz. of some leftover meat chopped up (I've done chicken breasts, shredded chicken, shredded ham, and even cut up chunks of pork). I'll have this big salad along with an apple for my lunch. It's usually around 200 calories and actually very filling.

    As for getting myself to like it, I just kinda had to force myself to try it and like it. After about a week of doing it, I actually do like it now and actually crave it (same with broccoli which I had never eaten before either).

    Hope this helps some!
  • costewar
    costewar Posts: 16 Member
    But I WANT to like it :) It looks so pretty in the lettuce bag. I'm pretty sure if I can just start eating it (somehow) then I will acquire a taste for it. It's just a very steep uphill battle for me right now. dcg8r vs. $5 bag of lettuce. If I paid $5 for it, I'm definitely going to eat it. I think I will try the chicken/cheese fajita wrap and shove some lettuce in there. Hopefully it will be tasty. I'll report back after lunch. Thanks! :)

    I'm proud of you for wanting to like something, but these things take time. It took me 24 years to like tomato (and I still don't like it plain). But it's actually pretty refreshing when I put it on a sandwich or a burger or in some guacamole. So as long as there are other flavors and ingredients besides the tomato I can tolerate it.

    What you're doing with the fajita wrap sounds delicious. I can make just about anything into a salad. I used to work in a restaurant (free meals, woo!) and I would just put down a bed of lettuce, and then add an entree on top. For instance, if the special for the day was salmon and wild rice with some sauteed squash and zucchini, this would go on top (no dressing necessary!). My favorite was homemade chili day; I would use the chili for a taco salad, then put on some shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, and black beans.

    As others have said previously, there are many other vegetables out there! Just go exploring in the grocery store when you have the chance and pick something that looks interesting to you that you've never tried. It's fun and it lets you expand your taste buds :)
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    I'm not a big fan of lettuce either, so I very rarely have salads. The only way I like them is with salad dressing and the good kind is always loaded with calories and fat, so I usually just feel it's better to eat other vegetables I like. I do really enjoy eating spinach leaves with strawberries and a light strawberry or raspberry vinaigrette. I do like a lot of other green vegetables (like asparagus, brussel sprouts, and broccoli are my favs!), so I just try and eat a bit more of these. I've actually heard that there's not that much nutritional value to some types of lettuce, so maybe try and eat more of the darker greens?
  • omgitstuddle
    omgitstuddle Posts: 2 Member
    I hate hate lettuce I feel like I'm eating grass! I want to learn to like it as well because I'm a college student on the go a lot and side salads are one of few low calorie foods I can get at fast food restaurants without buying an expensive grilled chicken sandwich every time! I don't like broccoli or much anything green but I can stomach it masked in other foods. I think imma make a salad at home very few days and hope the taste grows on me?
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    There is nothing wrong with hating lettuce. My husband likes 3 "vegetables"
    corn. romaine lettuce. potatoes.

    he'll eat some stuff in sauces or in things like tacos, but over all, he hates it all.

    How about we start with what produce you do like, it would give us some ideas on how to help you enjoy lettuce.

    I <3 Asian lettuce wraps!
  • I know I'm over a couple years late for this thread. But I found the answer for myself and am hoping to shed some light on people who don't like salads, but really want to eat them.

    Do you like sandwiches? I do. Every day I have a turkey sandwich with mustard, romaine lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

    Now for my salad, I use romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, a couple slices of low calorie deli turkey I tear up, and my favorite sandwich spread, mustard. (I know it sounds weird but believe me it's perfect when you love mustard like I do) Or whatever other veggies I have on hand.

    Now think about it, my salad is essentially a deconstructed turkey sandwich. But with more leafy veggies than anything.

    Take your favorite veggies, your favorite deli meat, and your favorite sandwich spread and make a delicious salad! If you like mayo make sure you use it sparringly, it's pretty high in fat and calories. :)

    Ta Da!
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
    I'm not much of a salad eater at all.... so I just don't eat them (well, most of them, I like a couple kinds). I'm doing just fine without them!
  • crevices
    crevices Posts: 226 Member
    don't eat it i guess lol every suggestion i've had you don't like so -shrug-
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    GROSS

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  • micheleld73
    micheleld73 Posts: 914 Member
    If you make smoothies you can add some spinach to it and all the other flavors will disguise. It's a win - win!! You get the nutrients without the taste!
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    i wish i liked baby spinach...
  • Loasaur
    Loasaur Posts: 125
    I loveee lettuce. :P I put it on Tuna sandwiches, Turkey sandwiches, in wraps, on hamburgers. My favorite thing is too take some cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast and make a chicken salad with lettuce, ranch, and hot sauce.

    But, I absolutely hate Romaine. I usually stick to Iceburg and raw spinach.
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    If you don't like it why are you trying to eat it. I am all for trying new things but if you already clearly know you don't like something, why force yourself to eat it. There are plenty of other foods that will give you the same nutritional benefits.
  • narmowen
    narmowen Posts: 18 Member
    i wish i liked baby spinach...

    I love baby spinach...drowned in blue cheese dressing. The spinach is filling when combined with fresh mushrooms, and the blue cheese dressing hides the flavour of any and all lettuce things I use. It's what I use as my bedtime snack. Low calories (for me, averages around 150) and keeps my stomach full until breakfast the next morning.
  • FrauHaas2013
    FrauHaas2013 Posts: 615 Member
    I'm not a real veggie fan, either, and I get tired of salads pretty quickly. What I do to mix it up a bit is slice a romaine heart in half lengthwise and grill it, then put my chicken, pork, or whatever on top of it and drizzle with either balsamic or some other dressing.

    You don't have to eat lettuce, by the way...how about brussel sprouts? Asparagus? Anything? I grill these or roast them in my oven - drizzled in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled with some coarse black pepper. It could be that you don't like RAW vegetables.

    How about juicing and getting your greens in that way? Or soup, maybe?
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    What's the point of forcing yourself to like something you don't? I don't like any kind of lettuce, I do like spinach, but am just not big on salads. I love steamed veggies, so I just go with that. I don't want to force myself to eat things I don't like just because they might be healthy, there's no point to it... just my opinion.
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