How to eat healthy if you HATE veggies?! HELP!
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hmpff...really?0
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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.0 -
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...0 -
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...0 -
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 Disneyland0 -
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 delicious0
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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)0
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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 evangelist0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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 0 -
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
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:flowerforyou: try making smoothies with fresh veggies, apple & yogurt! you can not taste the veggies!0
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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.
Really, you just have to throw yourself at it and keep trying things until you find what you like.0 -
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.
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...0 -
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. 0 -
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.0 -
What's wrong with pizza?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.0 -
drink them
edit to add: in a blender with fruit and yogurt. You'll never know the veggies are there.0 -
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.0 -
I wouldn't say I hate veggies but I don't prepare them that much either. Like others have said, start small. How I eat veggies:
Carrots (raw), either by themselves as a snack I take to work for when I get stressed or nervous and would get a candy bar, or with some peanut butter (at home)
Cut up veggies with eggs. Nothing graceful like an omelette or anything. Just green peppers, spinach, jalopenos, avocados. Chop up anything that suits my fancy, heat them up on low heat in a separate pan. After a few minutes mix em up with the eggs. Breakfast or snack!
On home made pizza: green peppers. Flat bread, spread spaghetti sauce or BBQ sauce on it, add some chicken/sausage/bacon/meat, add green peppers, top with shredded cheese. Set directly on oven rack cook at 350 for 8 minutes max...
I've dabbled in some veggie soup recipes much like some posted above. It was okay I guess but I don't eat these much
In beans, I blend red bell peppers, tomatoes and onions
To baked chicken, add peas and carrots - this one's actually an idea I'll be trying in the next coming weeks
I don't agree with your cleanse, either, but hey , in ten days (8 now?) it'll be over and hopefully you'll carry on with just a normal deficit. I too just recently increased my calories to reflect a half pound a week loss rather than 1 lb per week. I wasn't successful with the previous goal most weeks, and it seemed I was way off target due to being demoralized by my lack of success. With less weight to lose per week I am successful on more weeks and sometimes with a bit to spare. It's not a sprint it's a marathon. As far as I know we've got time. So use it 0 -
Look for websites that have recipes for hiding veggies in other foods, these sites are typically geared towards parents of picky kids, lol, but that will suit your needs too.
Having said that...
No, MFP didn't put you on a 1000-1200 calorie a day diet, because MFP NEVER gives anyone a goal under 1200. Most people require more than that in order to get the energy and nutrition they need. (Unless you are very short, or an elderly woman)
Yes, limiting certain foods will make it easier to stay under your goal, but you can also include the foods you consider "junk" as long as you practice moderation and log everything. The people telling you you don't need to limit the foods you can eat aren't trying to sabatoge you, they are trying to save you. One of the main reasons people give up is from too much restriction...we eventually lose our will to keep at it if we cut out all the good things we love and crave. Many people here lose weight incorporating pizza, ice cream, cookies...whatever. Plan for it, log it, ENJOY it.
Lastly...you don't need cleanses or any of that crap. You don't need to spend money on a "plan" or replace meals with shakes or any of that. In the end, it all comes down to creating a calorie deficit, which you can do eating normal foods, even foods you love.0 -
I once hated veggies. I still can't say that I'm a fan of veggies, but I am eating more veggies than I ever have in my life. I don't know a thing about the Advocare Cleanse but if it involves more veggies than you are comfortable with, maybe now isn't the time to put your hard earned money into that one. I think I had my ah-ha moment when I read "The Best Life Diet" by Bob Green. There was a chapter in that book about learning how to like veggies. Basically, I started dipping 'mild' veggies in Light Ranch dressing, hummus, and salsa (depending on what it was!). Then I worked my way up to zucchini, eggplant, spinach, and other greens. Amazingly enough zucchini, egg plant, and spinach mixed with spaghetti sauce make a pretty decent pasta topper. Just start by adding small amounts of veggies into your diet. Other options are salads, marinated vegetables, and roasted veggies. Hope this helps.0
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I make a veggie soup. Saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery, Italian seasonings in a little olive oil for about 7 min. Add a low sodium broth like veggie or chicken (or a mix of both). Then add chopped up veggies like zucchini, squash, spinach, and kale. I also add a can of rinsed beans like kidney or northern. If I have left over chicken, I may through that in there. I can only get a salad down once every other day or so. But I can eat this soup daily.
I agree with this post and was going to suggest veggie soups....even my daughter who is not a veggie lover will eat soup with veggies and she enjoys it.0 -
Yep! And that includes pizza. Not "cauliflower with green peppers on it" but actual pizza. :bigsmile:Lastly...you don't need cleanses or any of that crap. You don't need to spend money on a "plan" or replace meals with shakes or any of that. In the end, it all comes down to creating a calorie deficit, which you can do eating normal foods, even foods you love.0 -
I make crustless quiches that have a lot of veggies in them and have those for breakfast. One is Italian Spinach Pie, which has cottage cheese, lowfat mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach and roasted red peppers. I make two and it lasts me for 8 days.
I also make a lot of soups, stews and chilis, and I put a ton of veggies in them.
It really helps to do things like this because it sort of disguises the veggies. Also, experiment with different ways of cooking veggies. I always thought I hated asparagus, but I found I only hated boiled asparagus (the only way my family ever made it). It turns out I love roasted asparagus with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and I love sauteed asparagus with a bit of soy sauce.
There is a recipe section on this board, so take a look at them. Google "vegetable soup," vegetable quiche," "vegetable chili" to find recipes. Also, Google South Beach Diet recipes and you will find some good recipes that include vegetables.0 -
This is what we do with our extremely picky toddler. You can hide anything if you puree it enoughNo idea how to do that cleanse, but in my experience cleanses don't provide sustainable change.
They're great if you're eating well and want a boost, but start by eating well!
The best way to get to know/ enjoy veggies is by substitution.
Instead of 3 kinds of fruit in your smoothie, add 2 parts fruit, one part leafy greens.
Make some meat balls- add onions, bell peppers, and garlic to the raw meat. Hate them THAT much? Put the veggies through the blender before adding them so you won't have to see them or deal with their texture.
Add blended or finely chopped veggies to spaghetti sauce, soups, casseroles, dips, hamburger patties, etc.
You don't have to love huge chunks of broccoli to tolerate tiny shredded pieces in your chili.
Start small.
Smoothies with veg are also a great idea! We love smoothies in our house.
I've never been a veggie lover myself, but I force myself to try new things.
Buy what is fresh, in season and local- it's usually much cheaper when it's in season. That way you won't feel bad if you don't end up liking it. Just remember it can take something like 10 tries before acquiring a new taste.0
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