If you don't like it, then why do you eat it?

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Replies

  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    I don't typically eat food I don't like, but I have started eating food I don't want. Instead of a hamburger and fries for lunch, which is what I wanted, I had some broccoli, zucchini, green beans and chicken. Did it taste good? For sure. I can't always indulge my food whims, although I often try to be reasonable with them.
  • amswanson3
    amswanson3 Posts: 37 Member
    I've slowly been doing this with myself. Oatmeal was one of the foods that I couldn't stand a few months ago. Now, I eat it every so often (small steps). I've also found way to eat other veggies that I would never have eaten. I'm learning to eat the better food choices and learn to enjoy them.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    This may be besides the point, but don't knock dropping in a measured amount of high quality chocolate chips. Don't stir. It's amazing. It's like a soft batch chocolate chip cookie. High quality chocolate in moderate amounts is good for you :)
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,628 Member
    Great post ...... thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts !

    I was one of those kids, the kid sitting at the kitchen table long after the dinner dishes were put away, the kid staring at the lima beans LOL

    And 4 years ago I said I would NEVER use skim milk ....... well, guess what ..... I gradually weaned myself off whole milk, off 2%, off 1% ...... now I use skim milk every day & find whole milk too "thick" .......

    Still not crazy about lima beans though :drinker:
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Interesting post.

    I agree that sometimes it can be beneficial to consume something healthy that you don't like so you can prove your will to yourself. A related example is if there is ice cream in my fridge. Yes, I could go downstairs, have a small bowl, and still not go over my calories or be any worse off. However, there's something about being able to resist that makes me feel strong. I love seeing that willpower, and it helps me make better choices when it really DOES count.

    Yes, it's totally possible to find foods that you enjoy and avoid those that you don't like completely. However, there's something to be said for showing yourself you can push through the resistance.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
    Yep, I don't like oatmeal (porridge) but lately I've been eating it.
    I certainly wouldn't say foods I don't like wouldn't be in the 'foods I will not have in my house' category, I just don't prefer them to others.
    I have also been changing my relationship with food to one where it is fuel more often than enjoyment and to be honest, I'm enjoying the foods I'm eating MORE than what I was eating before. It's like my brain knows that there is going to be a better effect from them and it just tastes better. But I have really enojyed healthy food for a long time, I just ate too much of it and slipped lots of other things in between.

    I appreciate what the better choices do for me. Oatmeal keeps me so full and happy until nearly lunch time, I have to reduce my snacking for my next drop in cals, so I don't have to snack in between breakfast and lunch. That makes me really happy.

    I wouldn't force myself to eat something that I had to hold my nose for or feel sick because of it though.
  • enid42
    enid42 Posts: 21 Member
    I honestly believe that all of us wouldn't have consumed the foods that we did today, if we weren't paying attention and logging our foods. I've made hundreds of decisions on what would be the best for me and not automatically reach for what I used to eat. Part of my healthier lifestyle is trying new foods and giving them a fair chance, cutting down on calories in my old favorite foods and staying within safe guidelines on sodium and cholesterol.

    Good for you for evaluating what you eat on their health benefits.
  • HelenDootson
    HelenDootson Posts: 443 Member
    Beautifully put as ever - Food as a reward was the big one in my family, a habit I am trying to break for me and not start with my boys!
    I do however love my porridge, preferably with fresh blueberries but any fruit wil do :)
  • gardener3000
    gardener3000 Posts: 1
    Just joined MFP (literally 10 minutes ago) and this is my 1st reply.
    Loved the entertainment value and "food for thought" of the post.
    Thanks!
  • Arrabindi
    Arrabindi Posts: 169 Member
    Great post (as always)! I don't know if someone else posted this in your oatmeal thread, but you can try making the oatmeal with only about 2/3 of the oats, cook it until it's almost done but still a bit thin, remove from heat, and then mix in the last 1/3 of the oats. I love the taste of oatmeal but I'm not too crazy about the texture, but in this way, it's not as gooey. If you add a small dash of cinnamon, and couple of chopped almonds, oatmeal can be really delicious. And this is coming from someone who used to hate oatmeal up until a year ago...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Food is more than fuel. It's fuel for the body, fuel for the soul, it's good for mental health, and it's a social thing as well.

    That said, there is no reason to eat food you don't like. For example, there is NOTHING in oatmeal that you can't get from hundreds of other foods.
  • 00Melyanna00
    00Melyanna00 Posts: 221 Member
    Great post! Very inspiring!
    I hate salad (yes, I am a vegetarian and I hate salad), but today I am going to eat it thinking about your post and trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Thank you :)
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    Scott, you are the man! Love the post, as I love all of your posts.

    Liz
  • rydersgrammy1
    rydersgrammy1 Posts: 28
    I think most of us have to retrain our taste buds to eat what's good for us... Fortunately I like oatmeal but have a major problem with veggies...I finally have got to the point that I do eat some veggies but the ones I detest will never touch my lips....

    Great post....
  • ravengirl1611
    ravengirl1611 Posts: 285 Member
    Great post ...... thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts !

    I was one of those kids, the kid sitting at the kitchen table long after the dinner dishes were put away, the kid staring at the lima beans LOL

    And 4 years ago I said I would NEVER use skim milk ....... well, guess what ..... I gradually weaned myself off whole milk, off 2%, off 1% ...... now I use skim milk every day & find whole milk too "thick" .......

    Still not crazy about lima beans though :drinker:

    Only took my parents 1 time of me sitting at the table (sleeping eventually) for 6 hours and still not eating my 3 little teeny brussel sprouts to learn that I was more stubborn than they were regarding vegetables. However - I now eat brussel sprouts at least once or twice a month - not my favorite but I can eat them.

    Your tastes change as you get older (and wiser!) so I've been re-trying some things I wouldnt eat before and some are ok, some I like - some not even going to retry -I'd eat roadkill before I'd eat liver!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Learning about yourself is so huge in your journey to become healthy. I am so proud of you but I know that you must be even more proud of yourself...just as you should be!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    Very insightful - thank you!
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    Fat isn't bad for you, brah.
  • Seriousmom3
    Seriousmom3 Posts: 164
    I do so love reading your posts...now I want my oatmeal. : )
  • elliemay63
    elliemay63 Posts: 62 Member
    Very insightful post. And WAY TO GO TEXANS!!
  • Seriousmom3
    Seriousmom3 Posts: 164
    I do so love reading your posts...now I want my oatmeal. : )
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    another great post from a terrific writer! thank you!
    I agree with a lot of what you said...sometimes, you just have to be an adult and do something because its the right thing to do. That said...if I really don't like something, I'm not going to eat it. Even if asparagus was a miracle food...I'm not eating it. BUT....I'm not going to reject a food without at least giving it a try or two or three. Tastes change. I know since I've been on this MFP journey, my tastes in food have changed a lot, and all to the better. If after giving that oatmeal or whatever a good try, I still didn't like it, I would find some other food that I did like, that I could make part of a healthy day, because I'm trying to make healthier eating a reward in itself, not a punishment. I could also find a way to make that same item palatable...oatmeal, for example, is great in smoothies.....asparagus, probably not so much.....
    I'm working hard to change my relationship with what I fuel my body with. Food and I have a sort of strange relationship...I cook for a living, I'm around food all day, every day, but that isn't the food that has caused my problems. That is all in a different pocket of my mind....its all the garbage I can have at HOME or at another restaurant that screams and tempts EAT ME and EAT WAY TOO MUCH.
    Scott, I wish you well on this journey we are all on...keep writing! I love reading what you have to say!
  • GamerGurl729
    GamerGurl729 Posts: 286 Member
    Great post. Thank you for taking the time to really share your thoughts with us. I don't mind the length at all.

    I've had the same struggle that you've had. I'm a very picky eater and most of the "healthy" stuff just doesn't taste good (in the best case scenario) or literally makes me gag (in some cases). I've slowly, very slowly, tried to introduce more healthy foods into my diet while still enjoying (albeit in much smaller portions) the foods I've always loved. It's a struggle, but like you I need to remove the emotional attachment I have to so many foods. This may be a lifelong battle for me, but I know that I'm strong, and I won't allow food to continue to have so much power over me. When I eat those "comfort foods" I want it to be because of a choice I made, knowing the consequences and allowing that it won't affect the rest of my day, not because I feel compelled to eat it to make myself feel better.

    I commend your effort and just know that you're not alone.
  • c_smith_0789
    c_smith_0789 Posts: 35
    Great Post! And so true!
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    Your posts are consistently funny, inspiring, true, and a joy to read. Keep on, man.

    EDIT: Back on topic - I think there is a difference between learning to decouple food from emotion/comfort or attempting appreciate food that may be different in flavor than you have in the past, vs. eating stuff you outright dislike because it's "got the right numbers".

    At the end of the day, if you HATE the food, you are not doing yourself a service by forcing yourself to eat it. I think that can be counterproductive to a diet change that you want to stick forever. There are LOTS of other foods that you could have for breakfast that would have an identical nutritional profile. They may not be "breakfast foods" but who cares about that?

    That is, I hope this is a transitional phase for you, on the way to finding foods that you really do LOVE and are glad to eat for life. That's when you win.
  • surabhit
    surabhit Posts: 94 Member
    You are amazing. Inspiring!! And if most of us here could understand and live according to what you've written, we'd have won all our battles already.
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    I *make* myself eat greenbeans. I tried doing the same thing with oatmeal, and I just couldn't do it. Anything that makes me gag is a no-go. I'm so impressed with your will to make good choices, and, as always, I loved reading your post. :wink:
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    Your posts are consistently funny, inspiring, true, and a joy to read. Keep on, man.

    EDIT: Back on topic - I think there is a difference between learning to decouple food from emotion/comfort or attempting appreciate food that may be different in flavor than you have in the past, vs. eating stuff you outright dislike because it's "got the right numbers".

    At the end of the day, if you HATE the food, you are not doing yourself a service by forcing yourself to eat it. I think that can be counterproductive to a diet change that you want to stick forever. There are LOTS of other foods that you could have for breakfast that would have an identical nutritional profile. They may not be "breakfast foods" but who cares about that?

    That is, I hope this is a transitional phase for you, on the way to finding foods that you really do LOVE and are glad to eat for life. That's when you win.

    Absolutely agree with this.
  • Eerinelizz
    Eerinelizz Posts: 114 Member
    I force myself to drink fresh green juices because even though they're bitter, they make me feel like Wonder Woman afterward.

    Me too! Not my favorite thing to eat/drink, but I love the way it makes me feel!
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    I liked this. I've been waiting to read it for days (been open in a separate tab) and glad I was finally able to.

    I hated yogurt before I started my journey. One of the first changes I made was to start eating Greek yogurt. I'm glad I did but it took quite a lot of trial and error before I figured out what I liked to mix with it to make it taste good (stevia, honey, and black berries).

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