help I don't eat fruit or veggies.

Some others have already said it, but just to help support their advice/suggestions/opinion, it's something that can & does change. Generally, I've found that it has to do with the way the food is prepared and not always about the food itsself. There are exceptions, though. Like my bf hates broccoli, he'll eat the stems, but not the crown because of the texture. However, I get him to eat broccolini! He refused to eat asparagus, so I appealed to his inner child and told him how his pee would smell funny if he ate at least 5 stalks...and now he loves it. (He even suggests we make it for dinner!) He's even asking me to make him spaghetti squash again.

When I was younger I loved TGI Fridays, now I can't stand it. Your tastes definitely change in time. In this trip through losing weight and becoming healthy, it's all about retraining yourself. Fast food and all that jazz just isn't good or appealing to me anymore. Seriously. I wondered what people were talking about "How could you NOT want McD's fries?!" But now, I know exactly what they are talking about. I prefer the taste of my zucchini from my garden or my homemade stirfry to Burger King or Pizza Hut. Shoot...when I get chinese take out, I go for the steamed chicken and veggies - I don't even want the sauce!

Work on trying new things in different ways and I bet you'll slowly come to love the taste of more real foods. You don't have to like everything, you already mentioned some things you DO like. I hate raw tomatoes, but I've found I like paddy pan squash now. You can do this! In the meantime, get some supplements so you can at least get the vits and minerals your body needs.

There are hundreds of fruits and veg out there. Go to a farmers market near you. Pick out a small amount of something new each week and then try it just during one meal. You will find something you like!!!

You might want to check into a couple of books that help "hide" veggies in meals - "The Sneaky Chef" or "Deceptively Delicious".. written primarily for kids who don't like vegetables, they contain some great strategies that you might be able to use yourself. It could be that you just haven't found a way to enjoy them yet. Good luck and don't give up asking for assistance when you need it. That is what we are here for.

Honestly, my fruit consists of bananas, oranges, and apples for the most part. Veggies I like are carrots, green beans, peas, and corn. Oh, and celery and mangos! We also have the one bite rule in our house and its helped alot with getting the kids to like what we like. However, the palates of the grownups are strict and unchanging. I think I will be stealing some of the ideas listed here, and thank you for bringing up the subject. I hope you find a way to get all these yummy nutrients in. At least eat what ya like, maybe you will get bored and be forced to try something new :P

I have to admit that I don't care for much veggies as well and thanks to me my 15 and 8yo hate veggies too. I know I need to force myself into cooking/eating it.

The other problem is the cost. My food bill has escalated with the healthy eating. Not easy when on a tight shoestring.

You're likely approaching it the wrong way. Eating healthy is way, way way more economical than not. There are tons of websites dedicated to eating healthily on a budget. But you might not be calculating a number of other costs that are included in your consumption (like the amount of gas consumed by sitting in a drive-thru, for instance)

The way to get to a more streamlined food budget it to take it in steps, and learn how to prepare things quickly at home. Re-purposing leftovers into soups, stews or casseroles, etc...

I like to keep an empty-ish fridge. That's how I know I'm spending most wisely.

My husband hates veggies. But his doctor told him he absolutely had to eat them for his cholesterol and other health issues. So we've created a sort of 'game' out of it. He chooses a veggie for me to buy each week and then we experiment and see how many different ways we can make it...competing against each other. For example, one week it was Kale. So I roasted some leaves with olive oil and sea salt and made chips. He put them in his soup. I tried incorporating them into my fritatta. He boiled some and added a bunch of seasoning. I shredded some and put it in a stew. He stir fried some with his chicken and mushrooms. The next week it was asparagus. He grilled them, I steamed them. He sauteed them with beef and soy sauce, I broiled them and made a bernaise sauce. Out of all of this, he's come to find out that he does like veggies...just not boiled and dumped on a plate.

Try it, it's fun!

What a clever idea .. and it gets him into the whole "healthy" habit eating pattern too.. :devil:

:drinker: good for you for asking!! Retrain your senses, is my advice. I love my fruits and veggies now, so I know it can be done. I have put out a fruit and veggie substitution challenge as a post. Try it for one meal or one day. You've already had some great ideas given to you in this post. So now you need support. And this is the right place to get it.

good luck.

Rebel

The juicer is a great idea.

Add me to the people who used to hate certain veggies but will now eat them. I still have a few that I don't like but I do think that tastes can change!

Some ideas for getting fruits & veggies in without really feeling like you are:
1) Juices -- be careful because they are high in calories compared to just the fruits or vegetables... but better than not getting those nutrients at all!
2) Spaghetti sauce -- you can puree carrots, onions, peppers, squash into tomato sauce without changing the taste.
3) Smoothies or in yogurt -- I love blueberries, strawberries, banana... you can also throw in a little spinach for a green smoothie (but not too much or it will affect the taste)
4) Eat pumpkin! One easy dessert is to mix a box of spice cake mix or chocolate cake mix with a can of pumpkin, put in cupcake pans, and cook. Pumpkin is SO good for you and you can't tell it is in there. I have a recipe for pumpkin pancakes too that I really like. (I've also had the black bean brownies someone else recommended and they are really good!)
5) Some fruits/veggies that I think most people who are picker like and you might want to start with first -- white potatoes (try them different ways before giving up altogether), sweet potatoes (mmm), apples or applesauce, carrots.

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