What a Picky Friggin Eater

From your diary, it looks like you eat salad. You could try raw baby spinach in a salad (more nutritious than lettuces, though nothing wrong with those either).

Take baby steps towards things like broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans by trying them raw in small quantities. If you've done that and don't like them, then try blanching them. This basically involves steaming them for a few minutes (3-5), and then plunging them into some ice water to stop the cooking. You'll end up with the best of both worlds between raw and cooked: still crispy with some sweetness brought out by the cooking. Toss a little salt on them if you like.

My kids like raw sweet potatoes and jicama. My daughter dips the sweet potato sticks in ranch dressing.

A little more advanced:

Root vegetables (sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, beets, carrots) taste great roasted. Cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces, toss with a little olive oil, add some salt & pepper, and roast in 400 degree oven for 30-45 (or so) minutes, depending on how big your pieces are (smaller pieces = shorter time). They're done when they're tender enough to insert a sharp knife without too much effort.

Summer squash (zucchini and yellow squash): Great sautéed. Cut into 1/2-inch circles or half-moons, toss with a bit of olive oil. Heat fry pan for a few minutes (~2) on medium-high heat (a heavier pan works best). Toss in squash & arrange evenly in pan. Let the squash cook & brown a bit before moving it around in the pan. The browning brings out the sugars in the squash. Cook, occasionally stirring the squash about in the pan, for a total of maybe 5 minutes or so. Add some S&P & serve.

If I can think of some more ideas, I'll post them. Good luck.

Cook them.. puree them and put them in stuff...

you can hide tons of veggies in tomato sauce and casseroles.

My suggestion is to look up what you think you are missing, and see if they can be found in other foods.

I know people are telling you to suck it up, but personally, if I don't enjoy it, then why the hell am I eating it?

There are many ways to get your vitamins and nutrients in... you just need to research the different options.

If you're not interested in veggies be sure to take Spirulina. Just one tsp has the same nutrients and benefits (minus the fiber) equal to several servings of vegetables. You can get it in a compacted pill form to take with some extra water so you don't taste it.

I'm not a veggie fan myself. If I have Chinese take-out I will scarf down that bright green broccoli first just to get it over with. Ha ha. But I would prefer only tomatoes, spinach, carrots, celery, and cucumbers. Green beans if they are the only veggie in the house. So I do get it. I understand.

Like you I use to be very picky. I have ventured to try new things and am amazed at what I now like! My favorite dinner is to sauté veggies (all kinds) in a bit of olive oil and top with 1/4 cup fat free cheese. I add tons of spices to it and sometimes protein too. My mother never thought she would see this daughter eat green beans, sweet potatoes, etc. but I love em all now. Try a few new things (buy frozen veggies), spice them up and you will find something you like...trust me..I did!

Good luck.

Roast them! My first two roasted veggies were Brussel sprouts and cauliflower - two of the three veggies I always hated growing up. They are divine roasted!

Given what you do eat, I would suggest you start with kale or green beans.

My best advice would be to grow up and learn to eat foods you think you can't. I don't really like vegetables, rarely think "wow, I wish I had some broccoli" but it's what adults do. We learn not to eat like 2 yr olds and nourish ourselves properly.

I think that's exactly what she's trying to do.

Exactly. It's why she's here asking for advice.

have you tried cooking veggies in different styles? ya know, i LOVE veggies but i didnt use to. I just kept trying them until one day a few started becoming plain ole natural for me to eat. Do you ever use spray butters, such as the SMART BALANCE spray butters on steamed veggies? honestly, it flavors it magnificiently AND its no fat or calories.
What about adding baby spinach to your salads? What about corn? its a sugar veggie but chew it well and hey, its better than nothing???
Keep eating those baby carrots.
Try veggies with Spray butter, maybe you'll like them that way? Steam them properly and it ends up giving them a fabulous flavor. as a mother of two, i have been forcing veggies down with the kids since they were born and at first i get the big fat NO, but after awhile of making them try them over and over, it just becomes natural to their taste buds to like them. Now in saying that, i am not JAMMING food down their throats (for all you sensitive readers). It was just a way of me saying how i get the ball rolling in this with my kids. they LOVE the spray butter by Smart Balance. try it out!

stick to your salads if nothing at all with carrots and throw in the baby spinach!!!

cauliflower.....cut up the head place on lined cookie sheet drizzle olive oil on it and sprinkle garlic salt...that's it. Place in oven at 400 degrees cook until cauliflower is tender 30-45 minutes. If you like this you can experiment with other veggies the same way!

adding spinach to your salads is great advice. this is how my super picky husband and kids got to eat baby spinach.

and try jicama. dice it and add to your salad. it's kinda the texture of carrots, I guess, but when I had it had little taste really, just a nice crispness.

do you have onion in your salad? if not just add a teeny bit of diced onions to start.

those skinny greenhouse (european) cucumbers you see at the store wrapped in plastic are easier to eat for the veggie-picky. they have smaller/less seeds and the middle issn't as squishy as the middle of regular cucumbers can be.

I am not fond of green smoothies yet, because they feel leafy in my mouth. I prefer to use the juicer.

(but I love me some veggies and yes, I can drool over asparagus and broccoli, so I'm sharing what my picky eater husband has done)

My best advice would be to grow up and learn to eat foods you think you can't. I don't really like vegetables, rarely think "wow, I wish I had some broccoli" but it's what adults do. We learn not to eat like 2 yr olds and nourish ourselves properly.

People can't help not liking certain foods. I'm sure no one drools over brocolli but everyone I know eats it and looks like they enjoy it. I physically can't stand the taste of most vegetables and heave when trying to eat things like cabbage, so perhaps the OP is like me and can't just "teach" herself to eat them. It's not just vegetables either, I can't stand the taste of wine so think there is something seriously wrong with my tastebuds!

I can't stand the taste of wine either, or any straight alcohol drink, but I do like veggies. Cooked or juiced broccoli is one of my favorites. I don't like it plain much.

The key to veggies is seasoning! Some veggies are great by themselves ie sugar snap peas (sweet and crunchy) sweet potato's, corn etc....but for others, or ones you don't like, try various spices. Baby carrots are great sautéed with cardamom and allspice! The only way I can currently choke down cauliflower is roasted with olive oil, garlic, and curry! Good luck and be creative!!!

Ditto on the curry! Adding the right spice can make good veggies even better - plus many herbs and spices have their own health benefits. Look into Indian cook books - they are filled with tasty vegetarian dishes that serve as great vegetable side dishes.

Experiment. Get a vegetarian cookbook. Get a cookbook for toddlers. Try new stuff. Don't assume you hate something because your grandma made it once when you were ten and it was icky.

My best advice would be to grow up and learn to eat foods you think you can't. I don't really like vegetables, rarely think "wow, I wish I had some broccoli" but it's what adults do. We learn not to eat like 2 yr olds and nourish ourselves properly.

Weirdly enough I do occasionally CRAVE broccoli. I just love sauteed/steamed broccoli. By itself or with some meats, soooo good. Maybe with some silvered almonds thrown on them too

I am the all time picky eater, althought in a different way, I really dislike the texture and taste of just about every meat and fish I ever tasted as a kid.
So I turned vegetarian as soon as I left home.
From someone who likes pretty much every vegetable (especially sprouts!) can I also plead advocate for roasting (don't even need to be bothered with oils and sprays), curries, (especially with squash and cauliflower) and have you tried soups? Boil then wizz any veg that are cheap and then add spices and seasonings to your taste. I really like coriander, paprika and maggi seasoning. just experiment. Enjoy!:flowerforyou:

Keep trying. There are many vegetables out there so you may find more of them that you like as you experiment. Also don't dismiss one vegetable without having tried at least a different way of cooking it first (for example you like raw carrots but not cooked one so you already know different ways of serving them can alter the taste).

Endive for example is quite bitter if you cook it (that's part of its appeal, is you wrap it it ham and put a cheese sauce on top, the bitterness "cuts" the fatty texture of the cheese sauce), however if you eat it raw, it has a watery crunch instead which goes well with a mustardy dressing.

Lambs lettuce is very mild, you might enjoy it.

Pak choi is one of the mildest cabbages and it is very easy to prepare. You can microwave it slightly and drizzle it with soy sauce, or slice it and stir fry it quickly in a bit of sesame oil.

If you do not like the smell or texture of cauliflower when it is cooked, try it raw. Slice it very thinly with a mandolin and drizzle with lemon juice and a tiny bit of olive oil. It have a sweet after taste and again a lovely crunch to it.

Still going on the basis that you are ok with raw carrots, another contender is kholrabi. If you grate a bit of it, add a grated carrot and a grated sour apple like a granny smith you can make a nice coleslaw style side salad.

Have you tried butternut squash? It's a PITA to peel but worth it, it has a mild sweet taste.

Courgettes are mild too, they make a nice easy soup. Just grate them, sweat them with a chopped onion and some garlic in a little bit of butter (you don't need much butter, about a teaspoon is enough for 4 bowls of soup) or olive oil, on a low heat so it doesn't brown and let the liquid dry out. Ounce it has lost most of its water, add some milk and cheese if you are feeling decadent and there you have it.
If you don't like the texture of them when cooked try them raw. Thinly slice them with a peeler knife, add lemon juice, salt and pepper and there you have it. You can also add some carrot ribbons made the same way and some toasted sesame seeds and it makes a colourful side dish.

I have not met a vegetable I do not like yet so I am trying to spread the love :flowerforyou: