Help for a picky eater!

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Erinnn326
Erinnn326 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a super picky eater ! I don't really like veggies , I love to eat salad , I like some fruit but not a ton , I am not sure what to do , everyone says "You need to eat right , and exercise" I can do the exercise I just have a hard time with the eating , I usually eat pasta , it is my favorite , I also like meat .. But I don't eat fish . What can I do to either A: like more food or B: make it work with what I like !

Replies

  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 639 Member
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    Here are my best suggestions: 1)Whole wheat pastas- eat them in moderation 2) Try adding chicken or ground turkey with your pasta.

    Not sure how to help you with not liking veggies or fruit other than mentioning that sometimes we begin to like things once we realize how well they are working for our bodies and helping with our goals. :)
  • jimshine
    jimshine Posts: 199 Member
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    Get rid of soda and cut back on sugar. Your pallet will change. Occasionally try eating something you didn't like. I am able to eat way more vegetables now than I used to.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Take baby steps on this one. Or rather baby bites. It takes a lot of trying something to like it. So, make small amounts of the foods you would like to try. Don't try a whole bunch of different things at once either. Incorporate those foods in recipes you already like. Pizza is a good one. I will eat just about anything on a pizza. But seriously you can put veggies in a tomato sauce and blend the bleep out of it and you won't taste those veggies. Or put a new veggie in a salad, just adding a new one to the ones you already eat.

    Good luck. If that doesn't work. Write down all the foods you do like and go recipe hunting. There are bound to be a lot of ways to prepare what you like.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
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    My advice is just to try new things you've never heard of and try things you maybe didn't like in the past. I spent most of my life telling people I was allergic to avocado because I had a bad experience with it as a kid and was determined never to eat it again (bully on me... turns out avocado is actually one of the most hypoallergenic foods out there :laugh:) When I started getting healthy I told myself I had to start trying healthy foods I maybe didn't like in the past. Fast forward to now, I would eat a sweaty shoe if you spread avocado on it. There are a few things I didn't like in the past and still can't stand (I am looking at you, bell peppers and beets) but, for the most part, my palette has changed as I grew up and I ended up liking a lot of new things.
  • jeniferadams
    jeniferadams Posts: 2
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    I am a super picky eater too. I don't like many cooked veggies, but I love raw veggies and salad. So if you are the same way, then take advantage of that and eat your veggies raw. SOme other ways to sneak veggies into your diet, are pureeing them and adding them to pasta sauces. There are some juice drinks that offer a full serving of fruits and veggies. Some people blend veggies into smoothies. That makes me wanna gag, but some people like it.

    Whole grain pastas are definitely a great option. Add whole grains as bread, brown rice, quinoa. Its great that you like meat, as lean protein is so helpful for weight loss.

    Try different spices and herbs to make things taste different and wake up your palate.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
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    Oh, and have you tried roasting veggies? Sometimes people come to love veggies if they are roasted even if they hate them cooked every other way. I roast pretty much everything – green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, kale chips, I could go on but I won't. :smile:
  • KaraAlste
    KaraAlste Posts: 168 Member
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    Good Question! I think you have to ask yourself if you really don't like veggies or you just were never introduced properly to them as a child. I would probably stick to what you enjoy for now and when you are feeling brave, pick up a new vegtable or fruit to prepare w/one meal. Corn on the cob is a nice addition to dinner. :smile:
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I never used to like veggies either, but I experimented and found that I love them now!! I grew up on canned veggies and I think that's why I hated them so much! Blech!

    My kids are picky but I "hide" pureed veggies in soups that I make atleast 2x a week (chicken soup, lentil soup, turkey sausage gumbo, etc), also I make mashed cauliflower and mix it with a little bit of potatoes, that sort of thing. I also mix raw spinach leaves into salad or into protein smoothies, they taste like nothing (whatever the salad or smoothie tastes like).

    Bottom line is, you have to experiment! If you're serious about getting healthy and into shape, you'll definitely need to incorporate vegetables into your diet. It is actually very important and you want to be a good role model for that gorgeous baby don't you??? :wink:
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    Be patient with yourself AND keep trying. I used to hate pineapple, brussel sprouts, and green olives. But I kept attempting to eat them anyway because I really wanted to like them. Now I sincerely love all three! I actually have a pot of brussel sprouts boiling on the stove as we speak!
    I'm also really starting to enjoy coconut, onions, and avocados in their purest forms, which I never did before.
    Really, just be patient with yourself and keep trying. As others have suggested, try mixing veggies in with other food, like pastas, pizza, and stir fry. Once your palette is used to the new textures and flavors, you may start to like them more.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
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    I used to 'hate' veggies also. Then? I had grilled asparagus. Next was roasted bell peppers. I love them ALL now with the exception of carrots and mushrooms.

    Play around with fresh veggies, grilled or roasted.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
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    as far as pasta, thats not really bad. maybe go for whole wheat if you like it. try making a sauce maybe with some veggies blended in? nothing wrong with not liking fish, i don't eat any meat but i love the **** out of vegetables.
    you can also go on yummly.com and do recipe searches with ingredients that you do like, maybe you can find some good foods to make
    or you can try eating veggies with different sauces or dressings/dips to get them in your diet
  • wmphimu
    wmphimu Posts: 77 Member
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    Like others have said, I would try some fresh in-season veggies cooked really nicely. You can roast them or whatever - ask around for good recipes. I was a VERY picky eater through college, and have become much less picky now that my husband cooks for me. Turns out my mom was not a very good cook, and my husband is amazing. Learning about how foods SHOULD taste opened me up to a world of new foods. Now, there are still some I don't eat (I'm VERY picky about meats...I only eat fish, chicken, and ground beef because of the taste) but there are a ton that I now do.

    If it turns out that even after having some fresh well-cooked veggies you still don't like them (some people just don't), I would try out some of the recipes that are designed to "hide" veggies in food for kids. And if you like salad, you can do a lot with salad. We have salad almost every night with dinner because my daughter LOVES it. I buy nice lettuce and put healthy dressing on it (would you believe that my 3 year old LOVES ginger dressing?!?) - it gets extra veggies in her without a problem!
  • crazycan
    crazycan Posts: 1
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    I also didnt really like veggies (understatement)
    I now add Montreal steak spice to them...usually frozen mixed beans carrots . I believe you can use any spices in this regard
    Also a tablespoon of olive oil helps with the taste.....worked for me as I now eat them almost daily

    Good luck

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