I HATE VEGETABLES!!!

I love veggies. I think my favorite is zucchini or spinach, or maybe carrots. I really love broccoli too though.

A couple of my favorite (super easy to make) recipes are:

Teriyaki stir fry: Chopped zucchini, summer squash, carrots, broccoli all cooked in a pan with my favorite teriyaki sauce (until just tender, I like a little crunch in my veggies. (sometimes I add other things like snow peas, etc...)

Garlic 'bread' Zucchini: Chopped Garlic in a pan with some olive oil, Slice the zucchini into thin strips, put them into the pan let them toast on one side, flip them and then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top while they finish cooking.

I think the key is just to try different ways of cooking veggies until you find a way that you like. I actually really don't like summer squash unless it's cooked in teriyaki sauce.

I think you will find that as you start to eat better and become familiar with how many calories are in the foods you really really WANT to eat, you will eventually WANT to find foods that are lower calorie and more nutrient dense. That will inevitably lead you toward veggies, and you will learn to cope with them. Maybe not ever love them, but at least start eating them because they're filling and they're fueling your body. No one says you have to get rid of all the real YUM-YUM foods, just that they shouldn't be eaten for every single meal.

Hmmmm, maybe you could find recipes with vegetables added, like pizza, spaghetti sauce, stew, soup, etc. Plus try different ways of preparing vegetables. Tossed in oil with your favorite spices and roasted can be divine!

When I was a child, my mother used to open a can and boil the vegetables. Ick! I thought I hated vegetables too. Turns out that I like quite a few of them. Garlic green beans with lemon is one of my favorites, and green beans used to be my absolute most hated vegetable.

I so agree! Preparation and freshness are key! My hubby now loves several vegetable that he used to snear at, the most memorable being asparagus. No one in his life had ever fixed it properly, so he thought he hated it. He is now an asparagus lover. Asparagus season is right around the corner, people! I can't wait! Yum!

Yes. I used to hate green beans, because my mom always made the canned ones. I love them fresh, and just barely cooked (so still crunchy), but the canned ones are still nasty.

When we were little, my sister and I were super picky and would only eat most vegetables raw. So, my mom gave us raw vegetables so we would eat them (except for certain things like corn and potatoes that aren't good raw).

i stir fry mine in a frylite spray and LOADS of garlic and chilli flakes, i love them like that. or for example with sweet potatoes i boil them, then sprinkle a bit of garlic salt on them just a tiny bit and some chilli flakes

They are either slimey or rubbery.

It really sounds like you need to look at some recipes on baking/roasting vegetables. If you like potatoes, I HIGHLY recommend for you (based on your other comments) roasted rutabega, turnip, parsnips, carrots and sweet potato. Not only are these often EXTREMELY cheap to buy, they also last a long time in the cupboard or fridge.

Here's a recipe
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oven-roasted-root-vegetables/

Almost any vegetable can be oven roasted and will not come out slimey or rubbery. Asparagus, brussel sprouts, sweet onions, sweet peppers, broccoli also roast well.

But it sounds like you're not ready for roasted eggplant, summer squash and zucchini, so stay away from those ones in the oven, because I could see someone calling them slimey and rubbery once they're baked.

Yes, definitely try roasting. My husband is like you. He likes corn, potatoes, green beans if they're from a can, and peas. But he'll also eat carrots and few other things if they're roasted. His favorite is for them to be roasted with meat, like in a pan with a pork tenderloin. But even just roasted in the oven with olive oil is better than nothing.

I adore roasted veggies and that's how I get most of mine in. I like to toss carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, onions, and spinach with olive oil and roast them for about 45 minutes. Add some potatoes at first if it helps.

But again, I'd suggest starting slow. Have mac and cheese, but also have a vegetable side. Have a burger, but instead of fries have a salad. Try some veggies you're not familiar with. You also may find that your tastes change. But I wouldn't try to go all at once.

Splurge. It may not help your diet, but may help your imagination.

Go for lunch to a really nice 'gourmet' restaurant and just order their vegetables. Tell them your problem. Even if it's a gourmet burger joint. It may give you some ideas.

Or go to websites like Jamie Oliver's. He makes really delicious veggies for people who hate vegetables. He can make the most awesome candied carrots. And his eggplant salad is to die for.

I'm going to speak from my own experience here. Your body is born knowing what foods are right for it. If you had grown up eating the foods your body needed, your brain would be listening to the messages your body sends it when it needs certain nutrients that come from particular foods. But, in our society, we are tending to train our brains to not listen to our body's needs. The trend has been, instead of feeding our bodies with fuel to function well, we simply fill our stomachs with whatever salty, greasy processed swill the big companies are promoting our way.
After years of eating this way, ignoring what our body tells us it needs, our brain just becomes disconnected from these communications.

I never hated all vegetables. I always loved some, like spinach, asparagus, broccoli... However, there were many that I did not like much or not at all. Back in 2006, I had a raw, vegan friend who was very encouraging to me on making a food lifestyle change. I had begun a new early childhood education job in Jan., which had me in and out of classrooms every day, exposed to whatever bugs were going around, and I'd been sick with one flu or cold bug after another for most of the year. I was so freakin' sick of being sick and tired and was beginning to despair that I'd never get my usual vitality and high energy back.

By Oct. of that year, I was ready to do whatever it took to get better, so I started listening to my friend a bit more. On Jan. 1, 2007, I began an experiment on my body and went to a mostly raw food and mostly vegan lifestyle. I kept a small bit of raw cheese in my intake and sometimes had sushi or other raw or nearly raw fish on a salad. I really wasn't too hard on myself if I wanted something not quite raw or not quite vegan, but I stayed pretty close to about 95% raw.

I started experimenting with green smoothies as a means for getting larger amounts of green leafy vegetables into my body. When I'm working, I'm often on the road, away from my kitchen, so I came up with a way to be able to make a bit ahead and transport them, while keeping them fresh.

I started out with raw spinach smoothies, mixing it with raspberries, raw organic coconut, lemon, orange, some banana (Gives them a nice creamy, sweet texture/taste), and raw, organic cacao, and I would sweeten them somewhat with raw honey and/or agave nectar. This became my favorite smoothie, and really the only one I loved. However, you cannot eat the same greens every day, so I had to do smoothies with other types of green leavies.

I used celery (Great with strawberries and bananas!), lettuce, kale, bok choy, beet greens, dandelion greens, parsley, etc... I experimented with what combinations I liked best. Some didn't turn out so great, like dandelion greens or arugula with anything sweet, like fruits. Ugh! Those peppery tasting leafs are better in zesty (V8 like) smoothies. Anyway, if I didn't like a flavor combination, I just didn't make that one again. The main thing is to get as many fresh, raw, organic, green leafy vegetables into you as you can.

At first, I would sweeten the smoothies (Except dandelion greens or arugula, as stated above.), but after a while, this became unnecessary, as my tastes changed. I used less and less honey or agave nectar, 'til I was no longer using anything but fruit to sweeten my smoothies.

The remarkable thing for me though, is how much my cravings changed. When I began the raw lifestyle and eating green smoothies, I did not care much for celery, parsley, kale, raw bok choy, etc. After a couple of months, I started getting cravings for those things I used to not like at all. I would be driving home from a job and not be able to get celery out of my mind. I'd have to go to the store and buy some celery, get it home, and make a smoothie with it for dinner. Crazy!

I was the healthiest I've ever been in my life, for two years. My old energy came back and I trimmed right down to a size 6 and stayed there without even trying to diet. I ate lots of calories and much of that was fat calories, in the form of avocados, nuts, and seeds, but had no issues with gaining weight. I used an Excalibur food dehydrator and made extremely healthy cookies, chips, etc... for my road treats. I loved it!

Then my work load became too much and my schedule got so out of whack. I lost all balance in my life and no longer had time to create the great raw snacks I'd been making to keep a large variety in my diet. I was still making and drinking my green smoothies, but I reintroduced cooked starches into my life, in the form of organic, whole grain chips and whole grain breads and the like. I gradually gained weight and over an almost 4 year period, put on some 50 pounds, even though I kept drinking about a quart of green smoothie each day.

Though weight gain sucked, I never got back to the sicky, no-energy state I'd been in through 2006, which I credit to the consistent intake of green smoothies in my diet. I know that raw foodism is right for me and that I must limit my intake of grain based carbs. They just go right to my butt.

I finally got back to eating more raw foods in Jan. of this year and I began working out as well. I've lost nearly 20 pounds since Jan. 5 and I'm feeling so strong.

Anyway, the point I wanted to drive home with this long story was, you CAN change your food preferences. You just have to make yourself eat those things you KNOW are good for you. After you've done that for a while, your brain will begin listening to your body's signals again, the way it is right and natural for it to do. Cravings are meant to let us know what our body really needs. Getting cravings for junk (Not going to even add the word "food" to the term, because it isn't food, really.) is about the lost communication between your body and your brain. You can retrain them to communicate again and then you will begin to get cravings for the foods you once thought you hated. Really! I know it's hard to imagine this, but it is so true.

I wish you great strength and conviction as you are going through this transition. That period is the hardest, in our society. Do whatever it takes, with being your healthiest, your goal...and the slimming will just come naturally.

I started with this book, "Green for Life", http://www.greenforlife.com/ , but I don't really care for her recipes exactly. However, I did get the ideas for some of my initial mixes from her recipes. I think my combos taste better and it seems like I actually use more green leavies in mine than she does.

I think you just have to experiment with what works for you, but keeping the focus on the green leafs, as opposed to the fruit.

Try adding grated carrots, zucinni, or broccoli to spaghetti sauce. You can also make little veggie pizzas with shole grain english muffins. Toast muffin lightly then add tom sauce or crushed toms and top with any veg and dtop with mozzerlla cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees till hot and bubbly.

So does my 4 year old. I'll give you the same advice I gave him.

You won't grow up to be happy and strong if you don't eat your veg. Try it, you might like it.

^^ This :laugh:

To the OP, all I can say is that sucks. I can't relate. There's not much I won't eat. I don't know how to advise you when all you want to eat is junk. You could do veggie pasta...they even have veggie mac & cheese. the macaroni itself is make from veggies.

I don't know how to eat right, I am seriously at a loss with this diet crud! I HATE vegetables. My idea of vegetables are corn potatoes tomatoes and cauliflower...... That's it. I am the pickiest eater ever, I hate shellfish! I hate most fishes unless its on my pole. I have no idea how to get myself on a regime. All I want to yeast is Mac n cheese fries burgers pizza...... Anyone want to point me in the right direction?? :-/

Jeeze. Why so much hate?

bumping cuz i'm the same way.

I don't know how to eat right, I am seriously at a loss with this diet crud! I HATE vegetables. My idea of vegetables are corn potatoes tomatoes and cauliflower...... That's it. I am the pickiest eater ever, I hate shellfish! I hate most fishes unless its on my pole. I have no idea how to get myself on a regime. All I want to yeast is Mac n cheese fries burgers pizza...... Anyone want to point me in the right direction?? :-/

Sounds like you need an attitude adjustment and a good dose of tough love. If you want to change your life....then you have to change your life. You sound like a 5 year old with all of your, "I DON'T WANNA" crap.

Look for new ways to make various veggies. Being a picky eater, IMO is a choice. So keep trying new foods, new cuisines, new ways of presenting foods, etc.

If you want to DIET, then just eat less of your favorite foods and exercise more. If you want to get healthy, you're going to have to make some serious changes.

This sounds more reasonable than anything else. I have tried veggies other ways and they still taste so bad to me. The working out thing is a slow start for me, but I think that's how it's suppose to happen. Slow and steady wins the race...right?

My doctor says you have to try new food 17 times before you learn to like it. Don't know how true this is but it works with my kids, they eat a much greater variety of vegetables now. But there are always going to be some they don't like.