Veggie tips needed!

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kaylatxx
kaylatxx Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Unfortunately, (and embarrassingly) I'm just not into vegetables, which is probably half of my weight problem! I really would like to enjoy them, I just don't know where to start. I will eat some green beans & corn here and there and I do definitely love salads and spinach! How can I teach myself to love more veggies? At least like them better.. particularly broccoli, cauliflower etc......

I desperately need some suggestions... is there a good seasoning to use? A better way to cook them? A recipe to mix them in with?

All recommendations & tips are greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • 5n0wbal1
    5n0wbal1 Posts: 429 Member
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    Try other veggies, too--there are so many of them! Multiple colors of peppers, all different types of squash...one of my favorite sides is a mix of frozen carrots/cauliflower/broccoli, steamed til fork tender, and seasoned with garlic salt. Experiment and enjoy--I used to hate avocado til I had it on a meat/cheese/tomato sandwich.
  • mom2sons02
    mom2sons02 Posts: 111 Member
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    Roasted veggies are the best! I use the olive oil and sea salt, but also add some garlic. The garlic gets all soft and yummy and seasons the veggies as well. Try radishes, they seriously do not taste the same as they do raw.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Many times folks have had mostly BOILED vegetables, boiled until they are limp and mushy and stinky, or tossed salad. There are so many more wonderful ways to incorporate veggies into meals. One trick I use is to google the veggies I have on hand for inspiration. Tonight, for instance, I googled 'sweet potato portobellos" and found "Loaded sweet potato portabellos" with all the things you'd associate with a loaded potato but on a mushroom. I swapped out the sour cream with fat free Greek yogurt. The recipe is here: http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/snack/other-snack/greek-yogurt-bargain.htm

    I had a bag of spinach that also needed using so I "creamed" it by sauteing it in a little butter and stirring in some milk and flour.

    Have fun with veggies!!
  • jr235
    jr235 Posts: 201 Member
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    I love roasted vegetables too. I also do plenty of vegetables in my soups, and few I puree. Lentil and tuscan white bean soup can both be pureed to 'hide' the veggies. (Personally I don't hide them, I just like the texture.) Onions, celery, leeks, red peppers, green peppers, zucchini, spinach are put into both.

    I don't cauliflower and don't think I ever will.
  • pammcw
    pammcw Posts: 14 Member
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    Google or YouTube "massaged kale salad."
  • kaylatxx
    kaylatxx Posts: 3 Member
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    Great info! I bought several bags of frozen Birdseye mixed veggies and they're just waiting to be used. I really like the idea of roasting them with garlic and sea salt. Do you eat them like that, or do you prefer to dip them in anything?

    Avocado is also on my list to try!

    Sweet potato I need to work on as well.

    Oh I want this to work lol.. I would love to try to "eat clean" someday!
  • PicoJulie
    PicoJulie Posts: 35
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    Garlic and sea salt is great for them! Or, nix the salt and use some soy sauce (with which you can add sesame seeds). I do this a lot for broccoli and brussel sprouts (which I steam or saute).

    Avocado is a fruit... but quite a delicious one! I like this in egg sandwiches. Often I put it with a bit of cream cheese on sesame flatbreads (regular bread is fine, but I'm trying to eat it less - it's my achilles) and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

    Sweet potatoes are great! They are often my morning vegetable because they are so good for you and filling (avocados pack a lot of nutrition too). I cube the potatoes, boil them for maybe 10 minutes, lightly cover them with oil, cinnamon, and rosemary (brown sugar if I'm letting myself have that on that day) and bake them in the oven at 350 for maybe another 15 minutes (just until they're somewhat soft, but still firm). Then I dip them in a little sour cream (butter is good too).

    Each vegetable has its own personality. Though, garlic goes well with just about everything. I got a vegetable cookbook and it really helps, because even though I've made the recipes my own now (as I've found out here - everyone needs to tailor their diet to their needs), I got to see what spices and cooking methods went well with each.

    I have one tip: don't overload on too many new things at once! It becomes a nuisance, stuff gets wasted, and it just works against you. I did that at first, but now I try to buy one new healthy food every trip (or sometimes every other).

    Good luck! :happy:
  • Jacobedward02
    Jacobedward02 Posts: 24
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    Hi,
    Tips for veggies.

    Source : http://www.leanonlife.com/10-ways-to-get-enough-fruits-and-veggies/
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Another tip I haven't seen. Buy in season and local if possible. They are the freshest and have the best flavor. I also like growing some of my own herbs in planters on my window sill. Tossing in fresh herbs with just roasted veggies gives them a really fresh yummy flavor.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Great info! I bought several bags of frozen Birdseye mixed veggies and they're just waiting to be used. I really like the idea of roasting them with garlic and sea salt. Do you eat them like that, or do you prefer to dip them in anything?

    I eat them just like that, no need to dip.
    Avocado is also on my list to try!
    I love avocado and can eat them just plain. But that's me...If you can't try making a guacamole (it's basically a little lime juice, tomatoes and avocado mixed together, maybe some other ingredients) then you can dip other veggies into it...
    Sweet potato I need to work on as well.

    I need to also...
    Oh I want this to work lol.. I would love to try to "eat clean" someday!

    You got this.
  • Leaping_Lemur
    Leaping_Lemur Posts: 121 Member
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    Stir fries are great for veggies. And they needn't be spicy. Tip: add peanut butter! That, with a dash of soy sauce, ought to make any vegetable taste great, even to folks who don't like vegetables.
  • anlu37
    anlu37 Posts: 100 Member
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    It sounds like you do like veggies...just not all of them. I would focus more on looking for new and interesting ways to eat the ones you do like rather than getting down on yourself for not liking everything out there. Make a small goal...like to try a new veggie once or twice a week. I would do the same thing...look for new and interesting ways to eat the ones you don't really care for too. Maybe you don't care for broccoli, but you love a homemade (healthier version) of cream of broccoli soup. Maybe cauliflower isn't your thing, but if you rice it and prepare it like a rice dish, you may find you enjoy it! My favorite way to have cauliflower is when it is prepared like mashed potatoes. I can have it as a low calorie side dish and it saves me enough calories for a small piece of chocolate! One of my favorite veggies is zuchinni. I like to sautee them with onions and garlic then put marinara sauce all over it with a little cheese on top.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I find that casseroles are a good way to incorporate veggies into a meal. You don't taste them as much.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
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    You could try stir frying veggies with like teriyaki and other asian seasonings to make homemade Chinese.(carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, baby corn.. other veggies that are good in asian food) I also like to roast veggies in the oven with olive oil and garlic and other seasonings (brussels sprouts, potatoes, green beans, kale...) You can even sauté them on the stove or add them into pastas like spaghetti, or even just mac and cheese to jazz it up and get your extra veggies in. I like to fry up potatoes with eggs for breakfast, or have like a salad and baked potato with fish or whatever I am having for dinner. Hope this helps :)

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