HELP!eat clean & healthy but hates veggies/fruit/seafood!?
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Lighty saute grean beans, snap peas, asparagus, etc in butter and use a little salt and pepper. Cut up some bell peppers, grean beans, broccoli, cauliflour, mushrooms and saute them and add some stir fry suace to them, or just soy sauce for that matter. Make thick stews. Eat salads with a bunch of different greens (like spring mix) and put some chicken/beef/pork/shrimp seasoned Mexican style on it with slices of avacado and use salsa as a dressing.0
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What about grow childish. There are some sneaky mom sites that tell ways to sneak veggies into all types of foods without kids noticing. Since you are cooking the food you will obviously know so just keep an open mind. Good luck.0
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Pills gives her the nutrients she needs, but I think she means what is she supposed to eat?? Hunger??I love vegi's , however I take a multivitamin called....... Alive Women's Energy...it has everything from A-Z and 26 fruits & vegetables plus more good things for you. I buy this Alive.....at Wal-Mart it's only like $9-. Hope that helps you. Oh yeah as far as the fish....I also take krill oil it is the best oils you can take that will cost about $23-30- depending where you buy it. I bought one from Walgreen and it's their brand.
So there you have all the stuff in 2 pills you don't like to eat...isn't that a great option ?0 -
Alright, this message goes out to everyone.. I pretty much hate a lot of veggies... the only ones i eat are usually no no's like corn and potatoes... i do like broccoli but its gotta be cooked.. and it cant be plain. i like iceburg lettuce but i hate other lettuces.. the darker they are the worse it is for me to chew. I like onions, green, white, yellow and red i could eat them cooked or even raw- love raw. I love tomatoes. Love sweet potatoes, garlic, mushrooms, olives...
Fruits i like- apples with no peel, strawberries, sometimes i like grapes, lemons, the occasional orange/tangerine, avocados, peaches, pineapples..
Solution? Keep eating those things. I don't see the problem here.
Nothing wrong with potatoes, cooked broccoli or iceberg lettuce. Mushrooms, olives and sweet potatoes are good. I'd be surprised if you didn't like bell peppers since you like tomatoes - srsly, they're delicious.
and absolutely NO seafood.. ive tried so much and i hate
Then don't eat seafood.
^^ Or corn0 -
I think you're off to a decent start with the fruit. The veggies are a bit lacking. My advice, take the opportunity to try lots of things. You may surprise yourself with what you like and don't like. In fact you may just think you don't like something, but in actuality, enjoy it. Just jump in and try things. Or suck it up and learn to like veggies and fruits. It's a process.0
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I don't know if someone already said this, but I did not want to read all of the immature unsupportive arguing, but have you tried fresh produce?
I used to hate carrots and celery. I thougth those things were god awful. But one day I had some left over carrots from thanksgiving and decided to peel it and cut it up and throw it in my salad. It was sooo good! It was sweet and crunchy.. it wasn't bitter and gross like I had previously thought.
Precut vegetables, frozen vegetables and canne vegetables aren't the same as fresh good quality vegetables. I've also tried going to a cheaper grocery store, like walmart, and the produced just didn't taste the same at my high quality grocery store. It's only a few pennies more. It's not going to break the bank. Just wanted to note, how different fresh and decent quality vegetables can be.
Once a week, buy one new vegetable and just see what it's like when you prepare it. It might surprise you! You like hummus and carrots? Carrots and ranch? Celery and peanut butter?0 -
I'm not a huge fan of fruits and veggies either. This has def been a challenge for me and I am the result of a lot of self-inflicted health brainwashing lol
I hate that fresh, good for you fruits and veggies go bad and boxed, processed convenience food lasts forever! lol I'm not a raw veggie fan unless it's drowned in ranch dressing first. So I'm not the one keeping raw carrots and celery sticks to snack on when I get the munchies. I have found recipes on Gina's Skinny Taste.com that basically roast any kind of veggie with olive oil and garlic and make them so scrumptious I snack on them as I cook. So that's progress! I will, however, never ever ever ever like brussels sprouts no matter how they are prepared!
Eat the iceberg...it's better than nothing! Maybe dark, leafy greens will grow on you in time. But if not, stick with what you like, read a lot of health food articles b/c I believe you can be brainwashed into liking healthier choices. I think that's ultimately what happened to me! I also drink Shakeology every day, which gives you a full day's worth of veggies in one yummy shake. So that def helps!0 -
I scanned through some of the responses. My advice on eating more variety for vegetables, roast or grill them. Changes everything.0
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I see a lot of things you can eat. You could do a broccoli and potato soup.... Or a potato/corn/chicken chowder...Or sweet potato/blackbean enchiladas... OR a cucumber/onion salad w/ yogurt or vinegar...OR garlic/mushrooms/onions on toast or in an omelet...Or a taco salad with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, corn and beans/chicken/beef. If you want to try adding other veggies in, try roasting them, blending them into a soup, or grating them into a casserole or soup. There are tons of recipe sites online, browse recipes to see what you might like to try and experiment. You can also search for recipes by ingredients if that helps. Good luck.0
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Blood (also called Moro) oranges are yummy. The flesh is deep red and it's slightly sweeter than a regular navel orange. Also try Cara Cara oranges - they're pink inside! I always look forward to good citrus this time of year!
Since you're asking... Here are some easy down-to-earth suggestions:
- Try adding little tiny bits of good stuff (fruits/veggies/nuts/legumes) to things you find already super appealing. It's a form of positive reinforcement/conditioning. That way, if you decide you don't like the new addition, you only had to consume a little.
- Try a new veggie on your favorite pizza or salad (that's how I got over a mushroom phobia - and now I inhale 'em)
- When you order a stir-fry or other multi-ingredient dish, ask it they can throw in just a little of something new/exotic (how I learned to enjoy water chestnuts, bok choy bean sprouts & baby corn).
- Mix small bits of a new fruit or nut into your cereal, oatmeal or yogurt.
- Like someone else mentioned, try new fruits in a smoothie (mango makes everything fabulous).
- Be willing to try something new every so often. Life is an adventure. I'm gonzo for butternut squash risotto (yeah, not healthy, but still)... I used to think all squash was gross until I tried it again as an adult. This realization has forced me to revisit things I previously "wrote off" as yuck.
- Also, consider searching for new recipes on cooking websites/blogs. Oftentimes you can search by ingredient. Sometimes there's a new tempting recipe on the front page worth trying. Look for recipes with tons of high ratings - that usually means they're good!
Good luck & happy, healthy eating!0 -
I was in your shoes not too long ago as well. I did not grow up eating fresh vegetables and fuits. We were strickly meat and potatoes kind of people, and now it really shows! Recently, I learned to try to grill my vegetables -- almost any veggie is fantastic grilled!! I hate stinking up my house with strong smelling veggies, like broccoli, so grilling them solves two issues for me. My favorite (and something I NEVER ever ate before I was 30 yrs old) is grilled zucchini! Just chop off the ends of a few small to medium sized zukes, slice them in half long-ways, dab or brush a teensy bit of olive oil on the flesh, then sprinkle any spices or seasonings you want on there. Put them cut side down on the grill for about 15 min -- You'll love it!! I also steam a lot of veggies on the grill -- wrap tightly in foil after seasoning and throw on the grill while you're grilling your protein (chicken, shrimp, etc.) -- also fantastic.
The veggie smoothie is also a great idea too! I have a green smoothie every morning as my breakfast. I use mostly fresh spinach (which I used to think was gross), and a vareity of fresh and frozen fruits. Eventually, I'll wean myself of the fruits a little more --- the idea of the green smoothie is to have mostly green veggies. The fruit just makes the green mess palatable. Spinach is a really mild green, so I use it as a substitute for lettuce on sandwiches, wraps, burgers, etc. Regular iceberg lettuce is kind of useless to the body, honestly. Spinach, green leaf lettuce, arugula, etc. are all great alternatives that don't have much flavor but offer way more nutrients and fiber than iceberg lettuce.
too bad you don't like seafood
it offers so much more protein than other meats. Keep trying!!
Good luck with it!!0 -
Don't worry about what you don't like, just eat lots of the healthy things you do enjoy. Forcing yourself to consume something you don't like is a recipe for failure. Just remember to keep an open mind and try new things should the opportunity arise. ( and keep in mind that you are probably eating much healthier now than before you started MFP-give yourself some credit for that )
Weight loss is a journey, not a destination. We have to try to enjoy the ride. Best of luck to you with your health and fitness goals!0 -
While I don't necessarily think that 'just suck it up' is the best answer here, I would encourage you to continue to persist with new fruits and veggies. I was a highly picky eater as a child, and this continued into my early adulthood. Quite literally, the only veggies I would eat were carrots, peas and lettuce. That's it. But as I got older, I found simple things like going out for a nice dinner incredibly difficult, because in every meal, there was something I 'didn't like'.
What I had to learn was that, for me, there was a huge difference between things I didn't like and things I just didn't know. My family don't really eat a lot of veggies, so things like brocolli, pumpkin, cauliflower etc, I just hadn't had a lot of contact with. The first time I tried all of the above, I hated them. I didn't enjoy my first mouthful, or my tenth, or even my hundreth. But by persisting, I'm now at the point where I can genuinely say I love veggies: carrots and peas, yes, but also brocolli, cauliflower, pumpkin, capsicum, corn, tomato, artichoke, potato, cucumber, sweet potato, beans, spinich - and more. You may not like it at first, but it WILL get easier, and trust me - you'll feel a whole lot better for it too
I found the best way to start was to encorporate one 'new' thing in each meal. For example, I didn't like cucumber. So when I went out and bought a sandwich, I'd have all my normal salads, but put some cucumber in there too. The first few times, it was all I could taste. The next few, I was aware of it being in there, but could tolerate it. Now, my sandwiches don't taste right without cucumber. Once I had that one under my belt, I added in a new one. Persistance is the key!
Good luck!0 -
I was at Sam's Club yesterday, and tried a Cara Cara for the first time!! Holy mackerel! Very good! I have 6 lb worth of blood oranges frozen for smoothies!Blood (also called Moro) oranges are yummy. The flesh is deep red and it's slightly sweeter than a regular navel orange. Also try Cara Cara oranges - they're pink inside! I always look forward to good citrus this time of year!
Since you're asking... Here are some easy down-to-earth suggestions:
- Try adding little tiny bits of good stuff (fruits/veggies/nuts/legumes) to things you find already super appealing. It's a form of positive reinforcement/conditioning. That way, if you decide you don't like the new addition, you only had to consume a little.
- Try a new veggie on your favorite pizza or salad (that's how I got over a mushroom phobia - and now I inhale 'em)
- When you order a stir-fry or other multi-ingredient dish, ask it they can throw in just a little of something new/exotic (how I discovered water chestnuts, bok choy & baby carrots).
- Mix small bits of a new fruit or nut into your cereal, oatmeal or yogurt.
- Like someone else mentioned, try new fruits in a smoothie (mango makes everything fabulous).
- Be willing to try something new every so often. Life is an adventure. I'm gonzo for butternut squash risotto (yeah, not healthy, but still)... I used to think all squash was gross until I tried it again as an adult. This realization has forced me to revisit things I previously "wrote off" as yuck.
- Also, consider searching for new recipes on cooking websites/blogs. Oftentimes you can search by ingredient. Sometimes there's a new tempting recipe on the front page worth trying. Look for recipes with tons of high ratings - that usually means they're good!
Good luck & happy, healthy eating!0 -
Not to be harsh, but you're a grown woman, so suck it up and just eat vegetables and fruit. You're not going to be healthy without eating a plethora of fresh produce, and taking a supplement isn't a substitute for real food. You listed a bunch that you DO like, so start with those and work up from there. The whole "But I'm a picky eater! Ew vegetables!" isn't really acceptable past age 10.
Funny, but "suck it up" is something I hear on the playground a lot. *eyeroll*
My mother-in-law is 86, never eats fruit, and the only veggie she eats is an occasional potato becuase she hates any others, period. She weighs 100 lbs and stands 4'11" of pure adreneline, wears glasses only for reading, and walks 1.5 miles every day. She has never, ever been in the hospital and visits her doctor for yearly physicals. Doc says Mum's BP is normal and she shows no signs of diabetes. Oh, and she drinks an ounce of her brandy every night along with her piece of chocolate. Suck THAT up.
Good for her? I wasn't aware that your MOL was the benchmark for all other human beings.
Hmm, sucking it up seems to have gotten you far in your progress here.
I've lost 100lbs. Try again.
But I do love that me telling an adult to eat vegetables and fruits has turned into me being attacked and insulted. Cool!
Attacked, insulted? Please. Your attitude clearly comes out in your posts and you were called out on it. Suck it up I guess.
And i do agree that a pill is not an acceptable way to get produce. I work in pharmacy. Too many people rely on supplements. We need to supplement with the real foods not a magic pill. Which is why again, i have posted this post. I may hate foods and be a picky eater like a child, but at least im mature enough to admit my own faults and ask for help and solutions. But there was someone else on here who posted about supplements- ahh most that crap isnt fda approved and you literally have no idea what your taking. For all you know your eating guts and poop and dirt with a little saw dust and they call it veggies in a pill.. gesh.. its ok for multivitamins, but the produce in a pill is just wrong to me..
The FDA, for years, has allowed doctors to get people addicted to anti-depressants and narcotic painkillers and is just now doing something about it. The FDA allows coloring to go into our foods that makes our children have ADHD symptoms. allows GMO "foods" in our food supply without making companies notify us, allows "natural" flavor that really isn't natural, but hey...if it's FDA approved it must be ok, huh?
Sorry, but just b/c something is not FDA approved does not mean it's not a great product. I don't believe in getting veggies in pill form, either. But read your damn labels if you think the FDA is so trustworthy. They are in the business of keeping doctors rich by prescribing "approved" pills to treat people's symptoms, but nowhere do I see any preventative action going on!0 -
Not to be harsh, but you're a grown woman, so suck it up and just eat vegetables and fruit. You're not going to be healthy without eating a plethora of fresh produce, and taking a supplement isn't a substitute for real food. You listed a bunch that you DO like, so start with those and work up from there. The whole "But I'm a picky eater! Ew vegetables!" isn't really acceptable past age 10.
Funny, but "suck it up" is something I hear on the playground a lot. *eyeroll*
My mother-in-law is 86, never eats fruit, and the only veggie she eats is an occasional potato becuase she hates any others, period. She weighs 100 lbs and stands 4'11" of pure adreneline, wears glasses only for reading, and walks 1.5 miles every day. She has never, ever been in the hospital and visits her doctor for yearly physicals. Doc says Mum's BP is normal and she shows no signs of diabetes. Oh, and she drinks an ounce of her brandy every night along with her piece of chocolate. Suck THAT up.
Good for her? I wasn't aware that your MOL was the benchmark for all other human beings.
Hmm, sucking it up seems to have gotten you far in your progress here.
I've lost 100lbs. Try again.
But I do love that me telling an adult to eat vegetables and fruits has turned into me being attacked and insulted. Cool!
Attacked, insulted? Please. Your attitude clearly comes out in your posts and you were called out on it. Suck it up I guess.
And i do agree that a pill is not an acceptable way to get produce. I work in pharmacy. Too many people rely on supplements. We need to supplement with the real foods not a magic pill. Which is why again, i have posted this post. I may hate foods and be a picky eater like a child, but at least im mature enough to admit my own faults and ask for help and solutions. But there was someone else on here who posted about supplements- ahh most that crap isnt fda approved and you literally have no idea what your taking. For all you know your eating guts and poop and dirt with a little saw dust and they call it veggies in a pill.. gesh.. its ok for multivitamins, but the produce in a pill is just wrong to me..
The FDA, for years, has allowed doctors to get people addicted to anti-depressants and narcotic painkillers and is just now doing something about it. The FDA allows coloring to go into our foods that makes our children have ADHD symptoms. allows GMO "foods" in our food supply without making companies notify us, allows "natural" flavor that really isn't natural, but hey...if it's FDA approved it must be ok, huh?
Sorry, but just b/c something is not FDA approved does not mean it's not a great product. I don't believe in getting veggies in pill form, either. But read your damn labels if you think the FDA is so trustworthy. They are in the business of keeping doctors rich by prescribing "approved" pills to treat people's symptoms, but nowhere do I see any preventative action going on!
Maybe you and the OP should properly quote the person who actually said she took pills in place of eating fruits and veggies instead of 2 people who never mentioned anything remotely close to it. Can't find it? It's only the first response to this whole thread.0 -
Try adding little tiny bits of good stuff (fruits/veggies/nuts/legumes) to things you find already super appealing. It's a form of positive reinforcement/conditioning. That way, if you decide you don't like the new addition, you only had to consume a little.
FWIW, I co-habitate with possibly the world's pickiest eater (or at least a contender for the title). This ^^^ is how I've gotten him to start eating, and liking (!), all sorts of new stuff. (I think he ate 3 types of veggies when we first started dating - and potatoes were 2 'em.) This method has worked wonders for us. And I don't sneak things in. Full disclosure!0 -
Methinks this runaway freight train of a thread has officially jumped the tracks... Peace, everybody!0
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Everyone stop fighting. Shes right I am a grown woman and I should suck it up and stop being so picky.. But the fact is theres a lot more behind it then picky. I didnt grow up with so many varieties of veggies.. and as one person said maybe its because of the way it was cooked.. I had a lot of boiled plain crap in my life to associate it tastes like trash. If i DO remember correctly i offered suggestions/solutions.. Instead of everyone fighting about who is right and who is wrong (and i very much appreciate those sticking up for me) and instead of telling me to suck it up, choke it down, stop being a 5 yr old, then offer me SOLUTIONS. Give me a recipe. Just MAYBE the way i had to before was the wrong way to eat it and it ruined it for me.. Just maybe you know of some great spice or a great way to cook or blend or whatever the hell it is you do that makes you think its delicious.. Obviously im open to trying things again or trying new, otherwise i would of never posted this post..
And speaking of new I literally learned of a blood orange yesterday... Anyone had it? Whats it taste like? And what do i do with it? just eat it? cook with it? Any recipes? My fiance and I saw a show with someone peeling it and that was it.. so really curious to try one in the next day or two..
OP, how wonderfully maturely you are in asking and listening and trying new things.
As you've already read..
* eat the fruits and vegetables you already like
* try ones you never ate before
(I've found that I really like eggplant, which I never ate as a child because my mother didn't like it.)
* try different cooking methods (raw, steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, sautéed, dried, ground and occasional frying)
* hide them
(put fruits in cakes, for example raisins in cookies, or vegetables in other dishes: spinach in lasagna, beans in soup, blended cauliflower in sauces, avocado and baby spinach in sandwiches, put lots of veggies in omelets)
* add spices and try different combinations
(I've been eating salsa with chicken recently -- it contains some veggies I don't usually eat, but tastes good that way and gives some variety to the chicken. Cinnamon is great on many fruits. Some spices, like cinnamon also have great side effects, like helping your body regulate sugar.)
* it doesn't always have to be a "full serving" -- instead of trying to eat 5 servings of vegetables, can you eat 2 full servings of what you like and squeeze a partial serving into 6 other dishes (sandwiches, roll-ups, quiche, casserole, omelet, snacks)
Blood oranges taste pretty much like other oranges -- maybe a slightly more intense flavor than some. I've never tried eating them anyway besides raw (usually in fruit salad where they add their unique color). But I have tried cooking other oranges in chicken, candies and cakes. I've used other fruit in pancakes -- frozen raspberries turned them an odd pink, but it tasted good and didn't need syrup.
I don't know which things you've already tried or what region you're in, but here are some of the things I've discovered...
* artichoke hearts (yummy in salads, quiches and soufflés)
* fruit smoothies (I like lots of fruit, but sometimes I don't want it just plain and raw.)
* eggplant (love eggplant parmesan, ratatouille and roll-ups)
* cauliflower (in things, but also just steamed with spices)
* brussel sprouts (never ate them as a kid, and the way everyone talks about them, didn't expect to like them, but they're great roasted)
* cabbage (shredded raw in salad or cooked in other things... meat roll or vegetable rolls in cabbage are good)
* spinach (raw in place of lettuce in salads and sandwiches; cooked in omelets, tomato sauces, casseroles, still don't like it boiled or most steaming methods)
Don't try to change everything at once, but play around with introducing different ways of eating over time. Also keep in mind that it often takes more than one try to find the way you like it or to become accustomed to new foods. That said, don't "punish" yourself or make this harder than it has to be by trying to force yourself to eat things you dislike, but keep your open mind, and check out some of the ideas in the recipes section.
Good luck!0 -
Oh, I forgot grilling -- or sauced (although be careful about what's in the sauce).
Also, try not to lump in huge categories of food. It's fine that you don't like some vegetables, fruit and seafood, but don't tell yourself that means you don't like any. Mindset, what you tell yourself, is important.
I have problems (beyond just the taste) with many of the "winter" squashes (acorn, pumpkin, butternut, etc.) so for now I'm not even trying them. But I love "summer" squashes -- yellow, zucchini. I'm not sure which category spaghetti squash goes in, but I've learned that though it's bland by itself, it's great with a tomato sauce and doesn't bother my tummy.
Many vegetables have different varieties... some "round" beans have a grainy texture that I don't like, but others are fine. Similarly for string beans, there are different kinds -- some are tougher; others are "mushier".
Lettuce, as you've already noticed, comes in many different kinds. I just learned that a bit of raw kale and some other greens are good in salad -- although if they're in too high a proportion, I find them too bitter. Sometimes it's the mix -- combined flavors or proportion -- that matters.
Grapes go from mild, green seedless to the tiny, strong flavored champagne grapes.
Seafood covers a big range... everything from processed tunafish to shrimp to smoked salmon to oysters to fatty fish to lean fish. Like with vegetables, it can be chopped, broiled, eaten raw, smoked, grilled, baked by itself or in things, etc. Again, without eating the things you don't like, try a few new things. I'd only eaten a few things like tunafish, breaded fish patties and over baked (dry!) fish, and didn't think I liked fish. I liked some shellfish, like lobster with tons of butter and shrimp in Cajun dishes. Smoked salmon was also good, but expensive. I moved to New England and ate fresh broiled fatty types of fish (omega/healthy fats) prepared by people who knew how to cook it -- yum! Later I learned that I love sushi (not all sushi has raw fish - some is cooked and some is just vegetables -- oh! another good way to eat vegetables).
Again, good luck! I hope you can find many ways that you can enjoy eating healthy foods, and your open mind is an excellent beginning.0
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