How to eat healthy if you HATE veggies?! HELP!

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  • titanium96
    titanium96 Posts: 153 Member
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    hmpff...really?
  • DamianaKitten
    DamianaKitten Posts: 479 Member
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    Oh! I just thought of something my mother taught me that I need to start doing again.

    One of each~ rutabaga, parsnip, turnip. Cut into cubes and boil until soft. Mash. Add one-two eggs depending on how big your veggies were. Add a few Tbsp of flour (my mother like amaranth, I prefer rye, you can use whatever you want) until you get a consistency that sticks together well. Form into patties. Pan fry with a little bit of oil (walnut oil is amazing for these, but olive oil will work, too). Cook like pancakes. Top with maple syrup (or, whatever lol). They're sooooooo tasty!! Just have to make sure to cook them on a mediumish heat (not high) so they cook all the way through.

    If you budge for the calories (weigh everything) and can find a large zuchinni, make boats! Cut zuchinni lengthwise in half. Scoop out seeds. We fill them with pasta sauce and ground beef, and top with cheese. Wrap in aluminum foil and cook @ 350 until soft (check at 20 minutes). Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

    Also, try spaghetti squash. My mother uses these instead of actual pasta. Just bake in the over (look up time and temp, 'cause I have no idea lol) until soft, use as noodles.
  • bohemian124
    bohemian124 Posts: 153 Member
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    Also, try spaghetti squash. My mother uses these instead of actual pasta. Just bake in the over (look up time and temp, 'cause I have no idea lol) until soft, use as noodles.

    Can't believe I didn't think to mention this! Spaghetti squash is awesome!!! You bake it, then scrape the sides and it looks like spaghetti. It is very mild. I typically do it with marinara and turkey meatballs, but it works with any type of sauce you like with spaghetti. I think it is like 30 calories for a cup, no fat. It is also low in protein and fiber, so you need to build it up with good stuff in order to make it a filling meal (hence why I use the turkey meatballs). Delicious! Must go buy some...
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    That's awesome, thanks a lot! I've done MFP & it helped, but at the same time..I FELT like I was starving. I lost weight, but it had me on a 1000-1200 calorie diet and eating the foods I eat...that's nothing, which is why I'd like to find some healthier foods.

    As much as I'm sure this will get a snarky response, I'm going to try anyway.

    You felt hungry because you were. If MFP "had" you on a 1000 calorie diet, you weren't using MFP, or using it properly.
    The lowest MFP will give anyone is 1200.

    If you felt hungry eating real foods, have fun with the cleanse...
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
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    That's awesome, thanks a lot! I've done MFP & it helped, but at the same time..I FELT like I was starving. I lost weight, but it had me on a 1000-1200 calorie diet and eating the foods I eat...that's nothing, which is why I'd like to find some healthier foods.

    As much as I'm sure this will get a snarky response, I'm going to try anyway.

    You felt hungry because you were. If MFP "had" you on a 1000 calorie diet, you weren't using MFP, or using it properly.
    The lowest MFP will give anyone is 1200.

    If you felt hungry eating real foods, have fun with the cleanse...

    Honesty is rarely popular in these types of threads. I'm sure 1000 cal a day plus laxatives is going to be almost as much fun for the OP as a vacation to Disneyland
  • Whambam087
    Whambam087 Posts: 170
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    Are there any vegetables you like? I would say right off the bat that I really like carrots, artichokes and cauliflower. The others like broccoli have become more of an acquired taste that grew on me. Then again I only like broccoli if it's steamed, I can't eat it raw. Steaming it actually changes the taste from gross to good. And then if we're talking about starchy veggies like sweet potatoes and winter squashes those are all delicious
  • pitchf0rk
    pitchf0rk Posts: 34 Member
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    maybe you start off with small changes. E.g. try to make home made lasagna (or bolognese sauce) and subsitute half of the minced meat with carrots, zucchini or cellerie. My mother always made this to make my brothers eat veggies. You won't even taste the veggies, and you'll still have the food you love, but it's way better for you (still nothing for every day, but maybe some start for eating more veggies)
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
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    1) Don't be afraid of a little fat. A touch of butter or olive oil makes a huge difference in flavor--really, a teaspoon doesn't have that many calories. Don't know if you can do this on your cleanse, but consider it going forward.

    2) Get the freshest, best quality veggies you can--from a farmer's market if possible. (I don't know where you live, so this may not be a great option at the moment, but try it in summer. We have winter markets near us, but it's all dark bitter greens and root veggies, which I love but are a bit challenging if you're trying to learn to love veggies.) It makes a huge difference. My husband thought he hated most vegetables until I started gardening and he realized what a difference freshness makes. Most grocery store veggies have been sitting around for a week or more before you bring them home, and then they'll probably sit a while before you cook them. Unless you're talking potatoes or carrots or winter squash like butternut, they'll be pretty sad by that time, and any natural bitterness will increase. I think that's why a lot of people think they hate vegetables.

    3) Don't overcook.Another reason why a lot of people hate vegetables. And for heaven's sake, don't just nuke them and eat them unadorned. That's not food, that's torture--and I actively love veggies and eat a ton of them.

    I know you were hoping for specifics. I had a big serving of spinach sauteed--without oil, just water, in a nonstick pan for about 1.5 minutes, with about 75 grams of tomatoes. They were tomatoes I'd roasted and frozen over the summer, so they were super-sweet, but you could use those little grape tomatoes at the market. Even in winter, they're not too bad, especially if you cook them until they're just soft. Very mild, slightly sweet. I didn't salt it, but you could. Normally I'd use a smidge of oil, but I knew the tomatoes had been drizzled with oil when I roasted them and so this time I didn't bother. I could have happily eaten more, but I was out of spinach. I think it would be a recipe for a "beginner."

    Love,

    your friendly message-board vegetable evangelist
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
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    Why would you pick a diet full of foods you hate?! How is that at all sustainable?!

    I understand what this person is saying, even if it wasn't said very elegantly. I have tried many occasions to drop foods I like and try to eat food I don't like (e.g., salads, tomatoes, celery, etc.). In the end I just got angry and upset, and gained more weight after going back to my regular diet. Hence it isn't sustainable. I don't like veggies, especially raw. Right now I am content on eating steamed broccoli, carrots, and brussels sprouts with supper. And maybe that might lead my taste buds into a better direction in the future.

    I don't know what this diet is you are referring to is (never heard of it). But from experience, take it slow. Trying to completely change your eating habits cold turkey has never worked for me. Try finding foods you like that still are healthy. Make homemade pizza's out of pita bread, where you have control over the toppings, instead of buying one from dominos, for example.

    Like others have said, just track everything. Eat at a deficit, and try to have some kind of balance.

    That might not have helped you at all if you are set on the diet you mentioned, but I guess my response is just a warning that a lot of the time they just don't work out, and you don't have to put yourself through emotional turmoil to reach your goals.

    YOU CAN'T EXPECT TO go from one end of the spectrum to the other... eating pizza, cakes etc. then all the way to eating veggiess etc. isnt going to work... start with eating the same foods you are eating IN MODERATION and progress from there depending on your results with the aim to eat wholefoods and veggies for the most part of you day.
  • MsBluelipstick
    MsBluelipstick Posts: 23
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    I ate veggies so I puree the heck out of them and hide them in stuff. Tomato sauce is a good one to hide lots of pureed veggies ...fills you up more with less cals and you don't taste them. My mash potatoes are about 1/3 potatoes and the rest cauliflower...I finely chop up spinach in everything ....just to give you an idea. It adds bulk to the food so I fill up and stay full longer plus I get the goodness of the veggies.
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
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    please watch this if you can tones of info veggies or no veggies

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAvW6xBZjSk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLYdkxp9hJ4i58l583rJV7r2LMAiYFJ9gm
  • smilesback
    smilesback Posts: 327 Member
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    I find I can eat a plateful of leafy vegys, add any other vegys as well and find them delicious BECAUSE I something hot and saucy on top. It can be your main course - stews, chilis, spaghetti, creamy curries etc. Works for me :)
  • phyllisbobbitt
    phyllisbobbitt Posts: 347 Member
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    :flowerforyou: try making smoothies with fresh veggies, apple & yogurt! you can not taste the veggies!
  • gramarye
    gramarye Posts: 586 Member
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    I have a lot of texture aversions to vegetables, and I get super anxious about trying new foods. (It's weird, I know.) I asked the same question when I started, lol. I still don't eat a ton of vegetables, but I've gotten a lot more variable than I used to, and they make up a lot more of my diet than they used to.

    It helped me to steam vegetables and experiment with recipes. Steaming in my favorite, honestly. :D

    Really, you just have to throw yourself at it and keep trying things until you find what you like.
  • amykay9377
    amykay9377 Posts: 98 Member
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    I have a lot of texture aversions to vegetables, and I get super anxious about trying new foods. (It's weird, I know.) I asked the same question when I started, lol. I still don't eat a ton of vegetables, but I've gotten a lot more variable than I used to, and they make up a lot more of my diet than they used to.

    It helped me to steam vegetables and experiment with recipes. Steaming in my favorite, honestly. :D

    Really, you just have to throw yourself at it and keep trying things until you find what you like.

    Gramayre, I'm the same way!! I can't stand the way veg (and fruit) feel in my mouth. I LOVE potatoes and I can handle tomato sauce (as long as it's not chunky), but the thought of eating a green pea and feeling it burst makes me want to vomit! I haven't started smoothie-ing yet, but I'm gonna get there soon. Just worried about chunky smoothies now...
  • _karyn_
    _karyn_ Posts: 11 Member
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    I wasn't a huge fan of zucchini before, but I found that they're actually pretty good sliced in half with a coating of olive oil and some sea salt with spices (I use a Mrs Dash lemon pepper mix) and toss them on the grill for a couple of minutes.

    Also if you have an aversion to them, try preparing them a different way. I've found that a lot of the foods I hated as a kid and grew up thinking are gross are actually really good, my mom just cooked them horribly. Good luck!

    I think you mentioned tuna salad with mayo too (not sure if that's this one or another post) but instead of the mayo use plain greek yogurt. I swear by it and use it as a replacement for mayo and sour cream. You literally cannot tell the difference taste or texture-wise, and it's loads better for you than mayo. :)
  • Sharonmdenham
    Sharonmdenham Posts: 163 Member
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    I’m getting ready to start an AdvoCare 10 day cleanse and have no idea how to prepare foods for such a thing. I’m determined to get healthier, but I detest veggies :/

    I like corn, potatoes, and fried zucchini…all a no no.

    I also like tuna (with mayo) & salmon (rather, salmon patties, mixed with egg and fried) & shrimp (prepared any way, thankfully)...MOSTLY...no nos

    Could someone give my SPECIFIC recipes that may help me? I’ll TRY anything, but I know I’m gonna need to prepare it specific ways. I’ve been told that I can use Mrs. Dash seasonings, unsure if that’s true.

    Also, what condiments can I use with this diet? I’ve got the graphs that come with the package, but again, I’m an idiot when it comes to dieting and need some SPECIFIC meals.
    HELP!


    I, like you, hated most veggies. I would only eat green beans and salad and maybe broccoli if it was cooked right and not mushy. I found that green, red and yellow peppers tasted differently by trying them in stir fry first. Now I eat the yellow and red peppers but not the green ones. I also have found that if you roast new veggies first the taste is better than boiling them or stir frying them. That is my opinion not scientific fact. I cut the veggies I'm trying into bite sized pieces shake entire amount in a plastic Baggie with 1 tablespoon of olive oil per 1-2 servings I also add salt and pepper after they are on the baking sheet. I bake them for 15-20 minutes at 400° F. If I don't like them I try a different cooking method like stir fry or cut up and out into rice or soups. In other words, I didn't give up on veggies even if I did not like them at first.
    Also, why are you doing a cleanse? It might help in short term but you are going for a lifestyle change not short term. Short term will make you lose weight now then will slowly come back plus some, that is how I got to needing to lose 150 pounds. Please rethink your strategies and goals. Use My Fitness Pal and do your exercise, even cleaning house is an exercise. Drink lots of water and stay within your calorie goals. If you go over exercise more, if you don't have time for exercise tomorrow is another day. Just don't quit, it is hard at first but if you surround yourself with others who are like you here on MFP you will have a better chance at succeeding.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Because maybe I'm trying to find foods that are better for me instead of the regular pizza, lasagna, chips, pop & chocolate that I stuff in my face now. Thanks for not helping at all. I asked for specific recipes because I'm trying to better myself...not your irrelevant comments.
    What's wrong with pizza?
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    drink them

    edit to add: in a blender with fruit and yogurt. You'll never know the veggies are there.
  • alright_cb123
    alright_cb123 Posts: 8
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    Your taste buds can be re-trained... like any part of your body.

    My mother always used to tell me you had to eat something 7 times before your tastebuds get used it it...
    Not saying this is true! Lol. (Parents will say anything for their children to eat their veggies) but I'm sure many people on here will agree that they once didn't like veg/certain veg which they now love.

    There will always be certain things you won't like, probably because of the texture, i will never like bananas!
    But i never used to eat any veg and will happily choose to eat it now, both because of the taste and knowing how good they are for you.

    Start off easy. Cooked veg always tastes nicer than raw to newbies. I started by making roasted veg with my tea. Onions, different coloured peppers, tomatoes, carrots, courgette, etc - throw in some part boiled new potatoes, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, seasoning if needs be and roast them. You'll find that you might like yellow peppers but not red and so on but once you start opening your mind and tastebuds to more i promise you'll start to like them! (It's all in the cooking)... once you like them you might start eating them raw on salads but that could take a while ;)

    I also used to blend a lot of mine to drink in the morning. Not juice but blend, the fibre's good for you.

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