Best Veggies to star with

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ashowers36
ashowers36 Posts: 83 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I really don't like vegetables. There are some that on occasion, like at a family gathering, I will eat like celery but for the most part I just can't seem to get them to break into my diet. Also those that I do like I don't like cooked, with very few exceptions. So I guess what I want to know is the best way to start expanding my liking of vegetables and which vegetables are the best to start with for someone who is gun shy of them like me and who has a lot of texture issues when it comes to food.

Edit: The title should say Start with not star with.

Replies

  • ashowers36
    ashowers36 Posts: 83 Member
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    *bumping so this doesn't get lost. Hasn't been answered yet*
  • delineationfiguration
    delineationfiguration Posts: 24 Member
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    Vegetables can be added in a lot of ways. If you do a home-made bolognese, you can finely chop peppers, onion and carrots and add to the sauce. These, on top of tomatoes will provide you with a lot of nutrition.

    If you prefer un-cooked, but want it as part of a hot meal, stir-frys may be for you. Baby corn and water chestnuts should be possible to get down. Tenderstem broccoli may have a more pleasing taste than regular broccoli. If you can stomach the mashed texture (I can not) a lot of root vegetables can be mashed, in addition to broccoli and cauliflower.

    Hope this can get you started :)

    I also have a recipe for a chicken curry soup which contains tinned tomatoes, onions and a lot of butternut squash - all which are blended to simply be a soupy texture. Peas are added after the blending, but you could easily skip these - though adults and children alike who have claimed to dislike peas have eaten this soup without issues.
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
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    Try mixing them up in a salad with a vinaigrette, and be sure to include items you know you like in the salad so that you will want to eat it. I also saute some veggies with butter as a side to a main course, or you can add them to an omelette.

    Salad ideas you might like:

    Chopped chicken, sesame seeds, kale, shredded Napa cabbage, and shredded carrots with an Asian-spiced vinaigrette

    Buffalo chicken, blue cheese, romaine, shredded carrots, chopped kale, chopped broccoli

    Walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, and lots of spring green mix with a lemon vinaigrette

    Hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, romaine, shredded carrots
  • ashowers36
    ashowers36 Posts: 83 Member
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    Peppers and onions are a couple that I can actually stand cooked along with celery. Usually it is in my stir fry or fried rice. I can't do tomatoes as the texture is just too slimy for me. Also carrots are one of those only raw ones and even then I can only stomach a few before i can't take it anymore. Broccoli is something i've tried both raw and cooked and find it just too bitter to handle, my husband thinks I might be in super taster category since a lot of vegetables seem bitter to mean and i tend to lean towards sweet things. As for mashing things....well lets just say that it took until I was 29 ( i won't be 30 until next sunday) to like mashed potatoes and even then the texture has to be just right, i like them really stiff/dry so not much mush to them.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
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    Just add butter and/or cheese, everything is better with them.


    Or my personal favorite, Bacon, and cheese wrapped grilled asparagus.
  • ashowers36
    ashowers36 Posts: 83 Member
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    Try mixing them up in a salad with a vinaigrette, and be sure to include items you know you like in the salad so that you will want to eat it. I also saute some veggies with butter as a side to a main course, or you can add them to an omelette.

    Salad ideas you might like:

    Chopped chicken, sesame seeds, kale, shredded Napa cabbage, and shredded carrots with an Asian-spiced vinaigrette

    Buffalo chicken, blue cheese, romaine, shredded carrots, chopped kale, chopped broccoli

    Walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, and lots of spring green mix with a lemon vinaigrette

    Hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, romaine, shredded carrots

    Lol. As I am reading your suggestions my brain is going:

    Chopped chicken (ok), sesame seeds(maybe), kale(i'd used spinach instead), shredded Napa cabbage(yuck), and shredded carrots(not too many) with an Asian-spiced vinaigrette (other dressing vinaigrette are too vinegary for me)

    Buffalo chicken (nice), blue cheese(can't have will have allergic reaction due to the mold), romaine(again substitute for spinach leaves), shredded carrots(not too many), chopped kale (already have the spinach), chopped broccoli (nope too bitter)

    Walnuts(sub for almonds), cranberries(ok), blue cheese(again can't with the allergy), roasted Brussels sprouts (not a chance), and lots of spring green mix with a lemon vinaigrette (different dressing.)

    I guess I'm not know to be a picky eater for no reason, (I don't even like lettuce that is why i use spinach leaves in my salad.)

    Hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, romaine, shredded carrots
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    So I really don't like vegetables. There are some that on occasion, like at a family gathering, I will eat like celery but for the most part I just can't seem to get them to break into my diet. Also those that I do like I don't like cooked, with very few exceptions. So I guess what I want to know is the best way to start expanding my liking of vegetables and which vegetables are the best to start with for someone who is gun shy of them like me and who has a lot of texture issues when it comes to food.

    Edit: The title should say Start with not star with.

    Potatoes
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    A lot of people have already made great suggestions.

    Cauliflower to me is a miracle veggie.

    Try cauliflower mashed. It is a great "mashed potato" mock.
  • GotShellica
    GotShellica Posts: 15 Member
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    Summer squash and zucchini!

    Also, if you're steaming your veggies - stop it! Yes, steamed vegetables are healthier, but they taste like... well... vegetables.

    Start roasting your veggies. Toss in a little olive oil and the seasoning of your choice (I use Italian Seasoning for summer squash and zucchini).

    Shred veggies to hide them in a salad or a stir fry. I often add broccoli slaw to stir fry because my husband, who hates broccoli, will readily eat broccoli slaw in a stir fry. I also eat broccoli slaw raw with vinaigrette dressing often.

    Also... jicima! Delicious roasted or in a stir fry, and gives you the satisfying feel of a potato without the carbs. (Just don't try to bake it like a baked potato or mash it - since jicima is not starchy it will not work!)
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
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    If some veggies are too bitter, I find that lightly steaming them or lightly sauteeing them really helps.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Have you tried cooking them in different ways or buying them in different forms (fresh vs canned vs frozen)? There's a big difference between canned veggies that tend to be salty and mushy. Fresh can be cooked in several different ways - roasted, steamed, boiled to several cooked stages (blanched to al dente to fully cooked/mushy), stir fried/sauteed, etc. Frozen I mostly boil so I can control how well it's cooked.

    I'm kind of strange when it comes to veggies too. I don't like cooked carrots unless they're in something like soup or stew and I can't eat many raw because they give me indigestion but it helps if I eat them with something like pairing them with a sandwich (apples are the same way). I really like broccoli but it has to be cooked just right and can't go cold or it almost gags me. Asparagus is simlar - if it's overcooked or goes cold it grosses me out.

    If I'm not a fan of the flavor, I try to make sure I serve them with a side dish that's tasty. Like cheesy rice pilaf (au gratin), herbed stuffing or even flavored instance potatoes. I'll take a bite of the side dish with a bite of the veg and eat them together.

    If you do a lot of soups and sauces, pureeing can help mask textures. My brother's not a fan of tomatoes but if they're pureed he'll use them in all sorts of things.

    Good luck!
  • ashleysarvi
    ashleysarvi Posts: 66
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    have you tried smoothies? seriously once you throw a frozen banana and a couple other fruits in you cant taste the veggies. My personal fave veggies that are pretty mild tho, green beans, spinach, asparagus, and maybe cooked them with a little bacon (im talking one or two slices) delish!
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    Just add butter and/or cheese, everything is better with them.


    Or my personal favorite, Bacon, and cheese wrapped grilled asparagus.

    This is actually kind of true. My husband hated brussels sprouts. Until I cooked them with bacon fat and garlic. Now he happily eats them roasted with just olive oil and salt.

    This is how I introduce my kid to new vegetables too. Make them unbelievably good with cheese and butter and salt and bacon and whatever else. Then you can gradually back off on that until your whole family is tricked into thinking roasted vegetables are the greatest side dish of all side dishes.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
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    I have sensitive taste buds too. I found this to be true for me -

    Smaller fruits & vegetables have better flavor than larger. (true for tangerines vs oranges and apples.

    the lighter the vegetable the sweeter, i.e. lettuce & celery (i get celery hearts which taste mild) also i tried hearts romaine (I guess that means the inner layers of romaine lettuce and its bright light green. Tastes great!

    Organic veg sometimes has a better flavor than regular. I bought organic celery and tasted better than regular, but if you get the dark celery it is bitter.

    spinach has a better flavor than kale. kale is too bitter for me too.
  • ashowers36
    ashowers36 Posts: 83 Member
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    I was warned away from the kale due to it tending to be bitter. I only buy fresh produce, the idea of it coming from a can is just gross to me...to slimy. If anyone has any good smoothy recipes please let me know. I do have a blender. As long as I can't taste the veggies then I might be okay. I'm not big on bananas but as long as the flavor of it isn't too over powering then I should be good.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Find recipes that add flavor and ingredients without totally masking the vegetable taste - sure, you get more nutrition that way, but if you don't taste the vegetables then you'll never learn what you like or develop a taste for them. For example:

    -Try roasting vegetables in the oven, it imparts an entirely different flavor and mouthfeel than steaming or even sauteing. Or try grilling them in the summer.
    -Add acid to your veggies. Lemon juice is fantastic on broccoli and asparagus, red wine or white balsamic vinegars are great on greens, dark balsamic is wonderful on Brussels sprouts (just a few examples).
    -Similarly, the spice rack (as well as fresh herbs and spices and other aromatics) is your friend! Garlic, onions, red peppers, chili powder...practically endless. Add what you like!
    -Don't be afraid to add fat (olive oil or butter) to your veggies. It makes them taste better, helps keep you full, and aids in the absorption of a lot of the fat-soluble vitamins that are abundant in vegetables.
    -Add veggies to things you already like. Bell peppers and/or butternut squash to chili, extra carrots and onions and celery (and even greens!) to soups, veggie-heavy stir fry dishes if you like Asian cuisine, pasta primavera or sub in zucchini or eggplant to lasagna (instead of noodles) if you like Italian, chopped peppers and onions to taco meat or fajitas or sloppy joe meat, etc.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Just add butter and/or cheese, everything is better with them.


    Or my personal favorite, Bacon, and cheese wrapped grilled asparagus.

    butter or bacon grease + garlic salt- winning.
  • priyamvada_k
    priyamvada_k Posts: 27 Member
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    1. Baked sweet potato
    2. Carrots finely grated and added to pasta sauce
    3. Spaghetti squash baked and eaten with pasta sauce like regular pasta
    4. Baked butternut squash made into a creamy soup
    5. Grilled asparagus with cheese and a touch of balsamic vinegar
    6. Try different cuisines and see if you like the taste of veggies in any of them - Indian, Thai, Chinese....you might find a type of preparation you like.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    So I really don't like vegetables. There are some that on occasion, like at a family gathering, I will eat like celery but for the most part I just can't seem to get them to break into my diet. Also those that I do like I don't like cooked, with very few exceptions. So I guess what I want to know is the best way to start expanding my liking of vegetables and which vegetables are the best to start with for someone who is gun shy of them like me and who has a lot of texture issues when it comes to food.

    Edit: The title should say Start with not star with.

    The texture thing is pretty easy......there is sooooo much variety in textures. There is no 1 texture for any veggie. Raw will be different than cooked. Puree if you like the taste (think soups).....but hate the texture. There is frozen then cooked texture. Frozen, cooked green beans really don't come close to fresh cooked green beans (yum). Canned texture is often different too....canned carrots....blech!

    Fresh carrots are a good starter. You can shred them....nice in orange jello with crushed pineapple. If you like carrots....parsnips are similar.

    Start with mild flavors.....cauliflower is mild. Some people mash it with potatoes (calorie reduced) .....if you like cauliflower, try something related....broccoli is in the same family (not as mild).

    Bok Choy is mild.....this is white with green leaves....check the oriental section. Great in stir fries. Napa cabbage is fairly mild too.

    Try different seasonings.....grilled asparagus brushed with oil & soy sauce. Roasted cauliflower, drizzle on olive oil & garlic....bake in the oven

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