Trying new foods...even vegetables!

I can't believe I kept myself in the dark the way I did when it came to fruits and veggies. I always thought I HATED certain foods. It turns out, I don't! The thought of onions (any color), avocado, spinach, kale, etc turned my stomach. There were times I was served food with onions on, in or near it and I would have to skip it. I ate ZERO veggies or fruit.

After working out for some time I decided I needed to clean up my diet. I didn't really get the concept and figured it would be harder for someone like me who is OBVIOUSLY allergic to fruits and veggies. This resulted in over-eating grains and having very little variety in my diet. I suppose one could have variety while never eating fruits and veggies but I'm not that creative and cooking anything that didn't come in a box or bag was foreign to me. I decided hiding my veggies in fruit smoothies was worth a shot. As long as I can't taste the veggies and the fruits are sweet I'll be okay . It worked! I only ended up getting as far as kale and spinach smoothies but the variety in fruits was impressive, for me!

Slowly, over time, I lost interest in the smoothies. They were a bit of a pain to put together and I found the clean up to be bothersome (I'm lazy!). Strangely, I started to like and purposely consume fruits and veggies-not many but some. This has lead to more creativity in the kitchen and trying even more new things. I'm no pro and have a LOT of room for improvement and to add variety.

I wanted to share what I have learned:

Spinach tastes good when it doesn't come from a can! I didn't know this. Raw spinach is yummy in salads, on sandwiches and also fantastic cooked up with some eggs, alone or with some kale.

Kale: I love it in smoothies and sauteed in some butter, usually with spinach and sometimes added to eggs.

Onions: I'm really only fond of the purple variety but WOW. They add so much to my potatoes and even pork chops!

Avocado: I'll take some with every meal . Not really but it is now my favorite!

Bell Peppers: I'm working on this. I don't hate them but I'm trying to figure out how to use them in a way to make me like them.

Broccoli: YUM! I love to steam it with cauliflower. I even take the steamed leftovers and use them in salads.

Cauliflower: Again, yum. I usually steam it with my broccoli.

Generic fruit assortment (banana, apple, pear, etc): I love to cut up some fruit and dip it in greek yogurt or just make a medley and snack on it. I enjoyed this more over the summer but it's still a treat.

There are many others but those are the ones that stand out the most to me and I consume the most of. I have also learned that the cleaner I keep my diet the more upset my stomach becomes when I venture back to "junk" food or fast food. I don't have anything against these foods, at all. They just don't sit well with me anymore. I forget this from time to time and indulge. I did that just last night .

I see posts here often from people wanting to incorporate more fruits and veggies in their diet. I say, try new things. Mix them in a smoothie or in your eggs. Cut them up into small pieces and hide them in sauces. Perhaps they will work their way into your life like they did mine.

Before I get the "you don't have to eat fruits or veggies to be healthy". I get it. I'm not saying you do. I'm just putting this out there for people who want to learn to appreciate them like myself.

Also, I don't care about carbs or sugars