I hate vegetables!

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  • GormanGhaste
    GormanGhaste Posts: 430 Member
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    I would also suggest trying things more than once. There have been some foods that I didn't like the first couple of times I tried them, but love now! Give yourself a chance to get used to new things.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    For veggies... I suggest adding some cheese and eat it anyway. I'm not a HUGE fan of veggies but I know I have to eat them for nutritional reasons so i've grown to (sorta) like them.

    For veggies and fruit alike.... maybe try juicing. That way you can get the good nutrients you need and just drink it. I love my juicer.

    Good luck!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    Four options...

    1. Try new foods.

    2. Try new ways of preparing them. Cooked, steamed, raw, with difference sauces and spices and dips.

    3. Eat what you do like. If you like carrots and green beans, eat carrots and green beans.

    4. Suck it up. :laugh:

    I don't particularly LIKE broccoli or cauliflower, but I get bags of frozen mixed vegetables that include them and have them mixed in with my favorite sides (ie, with rice or pasta). I'll make a Mr. Yuck face at plain steamed broccoli, but I can tolerate eating a few piece if they're in vodka sauce and raviolis, or teriyaki rice, or any other delicious flavor.
  • GormanGhaste
    GormanGhaste Posts: 430 Member
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    Oh, and don't base your opinion of lettuce on iceberg. There are many lovely lettuces out there, but I dislike iceberg as it has always smelled vaguely rotten to me.

    Have you tried the shredded broccoli 'slaw'? I like making quick salads with it!
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    Please help! I am trying to improve my nutrition and I hate vegetables. Mostly it's a textural issue (tomatoes are slimy, lettuce is weird, etc) but, despite my mom's best efforts growing up, I hate them. I like potatoes, green beans, and cooked carrots...that's it.

    Fruits are also a problem. I only like apples and bananas...any suggestions? I don't want to "burn out" on the limited options I like.

    Cooked carrots aren't far off from butternut squash or baked yams. Worth a try. Don't over-cook them to mush (or do) depending on your texture issues.

    From green beans, sugar snap peas might be worth trying. Eat whole, raw, or steam or stir fry them a bit.

    Try out "asian pears" or actual pears. There are plenty of different types of pears - let them go a bit soft before trying to eat them.

    How are you with berries? Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries?

    If you can, try buying things you've never seen before - star fruit, rambutan, dragonfruit, lychee... buy a couple and see what happens.
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
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    Roasting veggies with a little seasoning and tossed in olive oil is divine! You can do nearly any veggie you think possible. Carrots, peppers (sweet or hot), cabbage, brussel sprouts, asparagus, zucchini, etc.

    I'm not huge on the texture of oranges and apples- it's the pulpy feel that gets me every time. So I just don't buy them mostly. I love berries and bananas and I mix them into smoothies when I want one. Now that I'm on that subject- another great way to get some veggies is in smoothies. Seriously, I make green smoothies in the mornings. I have an abundance of frozen fruits and veggies so I throw in about 2 oz of spinach, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, a whole frozen banana- quartered, a cup of berries and about 8 oz of water. Blend it well and I can't taste the spinach or other veggies at all. My 20 month old thinks it is ice cream. You can add any number of things to it- bell peppers, cabbage, etc. And you never have to worry about the texture.

    The best advice though is to try new things and things you haven't had in a while with an open mind. If you go into it thinking you are going to hate it, then you will. It could be the greatest food you have ever tried in your life and how would you know if you are busy convincing yourself that you hate it? That's how my dad taught me when I was young and there wasn't a food I wouldn't try. That's not to say you will like everything. I had eel once and I hated it. Also can't stand sauer kraut.

    Oh and it helps to know both of the following- how to pick good produce. While I understand the texture issue, there is no reason why lettuce should taste like cardboard. Lettuce should be crisp and fresh. If you are eating cardboard lettuce, it is probably old and wilted and chewy or dried out. Take someone with you who knows how to pick good produce or do some research. All fruits and vegetables have different ways of indicating they are at their ripest. Going under ripe or over ripe could easily sway your opinion of an otherwise tasty veggie. And find someone who knows how to prepare them properly. If you don't want to deal with the texture but enjoy the overall flavor (me with Oranges), learn to cook with them. The textures change in cooked veggies depending on how you prepare them.

    Good luck!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Ok, guess I need to put on my "big girl panties" and just be more adventurous with my veggies and fruits!

    If anybody has any good recipes, please let me know! :grumble:

    What have you tried and how was it prepared? What didn't you like about it? If we know this, maybe we can make some smart suggestions. After all, it's not going to help getting advice from people who love what you hate unless we know to avoid it or can tell you how to change it ;)
  • Angeldach
    Angeldach Posts: 56
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    I love vegetables. Well, most vegetable. I do not eat brussel sprouts or asparagus... or anything with a weird name. Other than that I'll most likely eat anything! Although, I guess I do tend to smother cooked vegetables in butter...
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
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    Ok, guess I need to put on my "big girl panties" and just be more adventurous with my veggies and fruits!

    If anybody has any good recipes, please let me know! :grumble:

    I love this!

    I bet if you "force" yourself to eat them after a while you'll start enjoying different fruits and veggies.
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
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    I love vegetables. Well, most vegetable. I do not eat brussel sprouts or asparagus... or anything with a weird name. Other than that I'll most likely eat anything! Although, I guess I do tend to smother cooked vegetables in butter...

    So maybe you just love butter, lol.
  • ktbear510
    ktbear510 Posts: 6
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    It's mainly raw veggies that I can't stomach. I do like baked sweet potatoes, too. But not sweet potato fries.

    P.S. I'm glad to see I'm not the only adult with veggies issues!
  • estherlion
    estherlion Posts: 86 Member
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    Try low sodium V8 juice with lime. Yummy.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
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    Definitely go to a store with a great produce section and just start trying something new every week. Google some good recipes for cooking the veggies, suck it up, and eat your food! :) You'll find things you like.

    I've also found creating smoothies out of fruits we like and adding in greens and fresh mint is a good way to get my hubby to take in more veggies. You can make a great smoothie with apples, carrots, fruits you like and throw in some kale, cucumbers, celery. The fruits take over the flavor usually and it's a sweet treat.

    Good luck! Keep on trying.
  • ncl1313
    ncl1313 Posts: 237 Member
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    I don't particularly care for raw veggies. I end up smothering them in fatty dip which kind of defeats the purpose. I've also recently discovered roasting, and I'll eat lots of veggies roasted or grilled that I wouldn't otherwise eat (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus). I add finely chopped spinach to lots of things, especially ground meat. You can't even tell it's there. Or try making some soups. Cut up the veggies really small and you can barely tell they're there (I hate celery, but if it's puny and in soup, I'll eat it).

    Do you like peppers or onions? I use those in just about everything, though once again I hate them both raw. Caramelized onions have a completely different flavor. Red peppers (for me) are best cooked to heated through but still slightly crisp. Try adding them to a stir fry or making fajitas.

    I'm not a big fruit eater either, except bananas and apples, usually with peanut butter. I don't like berries...the seeds really bother me. And pulp from citrus makes me gag. Do you like applesauce? This may sound weird, but I mix it with cottage cheese and it's delicious.

    Ultimately if I feel like I'm not getting enough fruits and veggies, I turn to juice. V8 or V-Fusion. Just watch the calories and sugar because they can add up fast.
  • laineretail
    laineretail Posts: 12 Member
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    I have issues with food textures, too. Especially vegetables. I’ve tried to be adventurous in the last couple of years and have tried new things. But I find the best thing for me is to “hide” them into other foods. FYI: Almost anything can be hidden in a red gravy (spaghetti sauce).

    Check out some mommy blogs on how to ‘hide’ veggies in your food. The Jessica Seinfeld blog’s been suggested. Here are two others. Even if you don’t use the recipes (some of them aren’t the healthiest or the lowest in calories) but they can give you some great ideas.

    http://thesneakychef.com/

    http://weelicious.com/

    I made the beet pancakes from weelicious this weekend. My kids LOVED them. I thought they were okay – edible but not great.

    Do you like eggs? Your options are limitless with adding veggies to scrambled eggs or omelettes.
    I will eat spinach and orange bell peppers scrambled in a couple of eggs. I cut up ¼ pepper and sauté in olive oil in frying pan. I use the bagged spinach found in the lettuce section. I break some up and put in bowl, add water and micro it for a couple of minutes. I find it less ‘slimy’ than sautéing in a frying pan. I drain and squeeze out the excess water then add it to pan. Mix couple of eggs throw it in add sprinkle some pepper. Sometimes I add cheddar cheese.

    How about artichokes? You said you like green beans so here’s a recipe for artichoke/bean casserole. 2 cans of green beans and 1 can artichoke hearts. Rinse the snap beans. I don’t have the recipe with me at the moment, so play with the measurements til you’re happy. ½ cup Italian bread crumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and few cloves garlic. Mince the garlic, throw all ingredients in bowl, add ¼ cup of olive oil and mix. Throw in dish and cook on @350 degrees for thirty minutes.


    Stir fry’s a good option, too. I just found this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it’s so yummy that I have made it three times since. My sodium levels must be sky high. Ingredients:
    1 lb shrimp (I use the frozen 51/70 count from Rouses - thawed, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry)
    1 bag frozen veggies (I use Bird's Eye steam fresh 12 oz. broccoli, carrots, snow peas and water chestnuts) 1 small onion – chopped 3 cloves/toes garlic – minced 1tbs or so of olive oil
    Sauce: 4 tbs. oyster sauce, 2 tbs. soy sauce, and 2 tbs water (try to find low-sodium if you can)

    In a large frying pan, saute onion in olive oil for few minutes. Cook veggies in the micro according to the package. Add garlic to the pan and saute for minute or so. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook til they are pinkish. Add your veggies and cook for minute or so while you make the sauce. Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for couple of minutes. Voila!

    Serve with or over rice, if desired. I'm sure you can make with beef or chicken instead of shrimp. The original recipe called for mushrooms and fresh broccoli instead of frozen veggies. But I don't like mushrooms and I had this bag of veggies in the fridge when I decided to make it and it worked out nicely.


    Slice zucchini and squash and dip in egg wash then a breadcrumb/parmesan mix. Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

    Smoothies are good and there's a kazillion options there.

    I, too, will turn to a V-Fusion drink.

    Good luck!!
  • ktbear510
    ktbear510 Posts: 6
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    This weekend I tried grilled aparagus. It was interesting...a little strong at first, but then was not bad. I might try that again!
  • Amym26
    Amym26 Posts: 83 Member
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    Just saving my spot for later. Lots of good ideas!
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I should clarify the "lettuce is weird" statement. Lettuce to me feels like cardboard in my mouth.

    I'm loving all the suggestions! Thanks!

    sounds like you have a mental block going on! did you know there are lots of different kinds of lettuce, like butter lettuce, romaine, iceberg, green leaf, red leaf?

    i for one would eat butter lettuce all day every day if i could, it's sweeter and softer than normal lettuce.

    concentrate on the crunch of vegetables. that is something not a lot of other foods can offer you. i love the crisp snap as i bite into a bell pepper, or the hearty crunch of eating raw broccoli.
  • 1duffwf
    1duffwf Posts: 76 Member
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    I'm not a huge cooked veggie fan - so I tend to eat mine raw. Here are some of my fave ways to eat and prepare veggies:

    *Raw green peppers and cucumbers are delicious as a snack.
    *Make a dressing of 1-2 tblsp of low fat may + 2 tsp Splenda + 2 tsp vinegar. Mix up and add to some broccoli and red onion pieces. Toss in a few bacon bits too for a delicious summer salad.
    *Fajitas! Green peppers + onions
    *Large tossed salad = lettuce + grape tomatoes + shredded carrots + cucumber slices + mushroom pieces. Add some diced eggs, chicken and 2 tblsp of your favorite low fat dressing
    *Turkey bacon wrapped asparagus - wrap up a few asparagus spears in turkey bacon (or regular bacon too if you can). Grill or cook in the microwave. Delicious!