Need to Start Clean Eating but dislikes veggies HELP!!

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teamflatbelly
teamflatbelly Posts: 177 Member
in Motivation and Support
I want to transition to clean eating. My main problem is eating right. My eating has gotten better but i need a little help. I want to eat healthier foods but I strongly dislike veggies. Any tips that can help me get to a point where I eat nothing but healthy foods. I was once a big sweet eater. I finally got it under control even though every now and again I will eat something sweet. I will also take any tips on making veggies have a better taste

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  • jennie5693
    jennie5693 Posts: 42 Member
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    I have found that the longer the stretches I go without sweets and white flour foods, the less I crave sweets and the better veggies taste. Just have to hang in there!

    On days when I just really need sweets. I'll have an extra fruit or try to cure it with sugar free mints and jello :)
  • britt7797
    britt7797 Posts: 27 Member
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    Roasted or grilled veggies. I used to think I hated vegetables because I thought the only way to prepare them was raw (not a fan) and steamed (I cant figure that one out... They just taste bleh to me)
    Once I started grilled and roasting my veggies I started to really love them!
    Also stir fries are a great way to use up lots of veggies. Throw it on top of some brown minute rice and its super quick and yummy!
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness by caramelizing the sugars in them. Seasonings are also useful: sauté chopped veggies with some garlic, curry, cumin, paprika, etc.

    But mostly, just keep eating them. You get used to the flavor and it doesn't seem so bad after a while. I was a very picky eater as a child, teenager, and young adult. Now I eat almost anything, though shellfish doesn't really do much for me. It was largely a matter of exposure. Heck, I even like Brussels sprouts now.

    I would beware of dividing food into "health"/"clean" on the one side, and unhealthy on the other. Sure, some foods are better for you, and it's good not to eat too much processed food. But unless you're going to totally cut out sweets, cake, chips, and the like, it's good to learn how to handle them in moderation. Fortunately, for many of us that gets easy: once you learn to appreciate the natural sweetness of a good carrot, you might find it hard to enjoy candy.
  • KaelaLee88
    KaelaLee88 Posts: 229 Member
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    Roasted veggies in Dark soy and black pepper :-) yum! X
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    Worth repeating. This ^
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    ^This
  • DucklingtoSwan
    DucklingtoSwan Posts: 169 Member
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    grill 'em too, yum! Experiment with different herbs and spices.
  • tetcha_leigh
    tetcha_leigh Posts: 1
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    Hi! I was very much like you and had a terrible time getting in all of my veggies every day, but now I get in a minimum of 5 a day no problem. Roasted veggies are definately the way to go for dinner, I eat them that way at least 2-3x per week. I eat the same thing most days so here are my other go to veggie solutions:

    #1 - Vegetable Smoothie (This is sooooo delicious, blend it good and you don't taste the veggies at all, I have it every day for breakfast or lunch, it gives me 1 serving of vegetables and two servings of fruit)
    1 cup plain Greek yoghurt (or any kind of yoghurt, but Greek gives you needed protein)
    1 cup baby spinach or kale (I prefer the spinach, it has no taste and kale is a little strong tasting)
    1 cup frozen fruit (blueberries or Strawberry Peach mix from Costco is cheap)
    1 tbsp honey (or use Vanilla Greek yoghurt instead and skip honey)

    #2 - Vegetable Soup (Really easy to make, I eat 1 cup with a half sandwich or something else to fill me up but it only has like 60-70 calories/serving so you can eat this whenever you want as much as you want)
    • Olive oil cooking spray
    • ½ cup onions, chopped
    • 1 small garlic clove, minced
    • 1 cup celery, chopped
    • 1 cup carrots, chopped
    • 1 cup spinach or cabbage, sliced thin
    • ½ cup broccoli, cauliflower or any other veggie you like
    • 1 32-oz box fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock
    • 1 15-oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
    • Pepper and parsley to garnish
    1. Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and heat on medium.
    2. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and broccoli, and sauté for a few minutes until they soften.
    3. Add broth, tomatoes, pepper and parsley, and bring to a boil.
    4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 -30 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked.
    (I add my spinach at the very end for the last 10 minutes otherwise its all limp)

    #3 - Creamy Veggie Soup (This is awesome and super filling!)
    1 small head cauliflower
    2 crowns broccoli
    4 carrots
    1 yellow onion
    1 leek
    2 stalks celery
    2 cloves garlic
    6-8 cups chicken broth (I use all 8 cups)
    Finely chop all veggies and garlic
    Saute celery, onion, garlic, and leek with Cooking Spray in non-stick skillet. Set aside
    Place cauliflower in large stock pot and use just enough broth to cover. Boil until soft.
    Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon and place in food processor; process until smooth (this is what makes it creamy)
    Place celery, onion, garlic and leeks in stock pot with remaining veggies and broth and cook until tender
    Remove veggies with slotted spoon and add to cauliflower in food processor
    Puree in batches until smooth.
    (I add some of the broth from the pot into the blender each time, easier to blend and end up using it all by the end makes the soup creamier and not so thick) The only other thing I add is pepper when I’m eating it and if there is anything in there you don’t like just leave it out, I haven’t tried adding in the leeks yet.)

    My other go to veggies are just raw veggies - I can eat carrots and snap peas just by themselves as they are sweet, but I eat 3tbsp of Helluva Good Dip with a cup of mixed broccoli, cucumber, celery and cauliflower and I figure that since it gives me two servings of veggies the 75 calories are totally worth it.

    Hope this helps! :-)

    Tetcha
  • slatrenta
    slatrenta Posts: 11 Member
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    Typically we need 2 servings of veggies a day in our diets, along with 2 servings of fruits. I wont go into the whole "clean" vs "Dirty" foods here because that is totally a whole other conversation. But to help you out and mostly what i do is incorporate your veggies into protein shakes, MIx any flavor whey protein you like with a leafy green that blends well such as spinach or kale, and you have a great shake with lots of protein and you get a serving of veggies.

    Also.....Cauliflower has become my go to veggie for almost everything. But here me out on this one:

    Steam it
    puree it (Almost like mashed potatoes)
    add a scoop of vanilla protein
    add some cinnamon
    some sweetner
    2 oz almond milk

    comes out like an oatmeal/ porridge with no where near the calories...and plus you knock out another veggie.

    think outside the box and dont over complicate things and you will be fine. Also, if you like you dont have to chain yourself down with "clean" eating, If you are interested check out " flexiable dieting" or " If it fits your macros". its what i do and you still get awesome results without giving up the foods you enjoy.

    Hope this helps :)
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
    ^this.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    How do you cook your vegetables now? When I was growing up I thought I hated vegetables (but for those we normally ate raw or with lots of cheese) because we either had them from a can or overcooked. Learning how to cook them properly (for my taste) when I became an adult has made all the difference. I also recommend roasting as a really easy and tasty way to prepare them, as well as just pan sauteeing in a little bit of olive oil.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Put butter on them.
  • kjo9692
    kjo9692 Posts: 430 Member
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    I personally don't eat vegetables that often because I dislike them. I only pass broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots and corn. Still, not the type of food I will put on my grocery shopping list though. If you are concerned about micronutrients, then purchase a vitamin supplement.

    Why are you aiming to eat "clean"? What is "clean" eating to you? If you are eating clean to lose weight, that's not needed at all. Don't quit cold turkey, you really don't have to. If you don't like something don't force yourself to eating it. Just focus on having a moderate calorie deficit and you'll lose weight, it's pretty simple.

    If you want to avoid sweets because you can't control yourself around them that's fine, otherwise you can have treats, no problem with that as long as they fit in your daily calorie goal. But you don't have to quit all of those things that have eternally been labeled as "bad" or "unhealthy" to lose weight, all you need is a calorie deficit. Good luck OP.
  • tiger4nikki
    tiger4nikki Posts: 112 Member
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    Do you like salad? If so, that's veggie right there. Also, try cooking veggies different ways and you may find a way that you like each one. Try steamed, roasted, boiled, etc.... and try different seasonings on them. You can cut some of them thin, brush a tiny bit of olive oil on them and a little salt and bake them in the oven too. There are TONS of different veggies out there, so I am sure you will find a few you like after cooking them different ways. Try some of them raw too!
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    While I don't agree that you need to eat only "healthy" foods all the time, it is a good idea to learn to like some veggies.

    I didn't know I could like most veggies until I learned that they didn't have to come from a can or be cooked in to oblivion. I agree with PP that roasting and grilling does wonders for lots of veggies. I like to roast mine at 425-450 to really get the flavor punched up. You have to be careful with whatever method of cooking you use because it's easy to over cook some veggies and then they go from palatable to blech quickly for someone who doesn't care for veggies. I've found that roasted broccoli is actually edible (from a broccoli hater, this is saying something).

    If you can do salads, that's always a good place to start. Start with what you like (even if it's just iceburg lettuce and ranch dressing) and slowly add to it. I've recently discovered that as I've been working on adding veggies to my daily life baby spinach is way tastier than it used to be. A salad for lunch with 3 C of spinach and/or lettuce, and some chopped tomatoes and maybe even bell peppers makes for 4+ servings of veggies by itself.

    Think of the dishes you like that have just a bit of veggies and add to it. Like fajitas? Make your own and add extra peppers and onions + some fresh pico. When I do this, I can easily fit about 4 servings of veggies in to one meal. Make your own pasta sauce and use extra sauce and light pasta. I like chinese food - especially stuff like general tso's or orange chicken. I found that if I cooked up a stir fry of veggies or even just some steamed broccoli and tossed it with sauce it tastes pretty darn good.

    Keep trying the same things over and over. I'm lucky that I have a DH who likes food as much as I do but has a taste for veggies (and seafood) that I don't because we are constantly having stuff I never used to like and discovering that the more I try this stuff, the easier it is to eat it and even enjoy it eventually.
  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
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    MAybe switch out a snack for veggies. I find that easier than eating them with meals when I eat them throughout the day. Also making a regular dish like spaghetti but using spaghetti squash. Finding ways to sneak them in.
  • monbot
    monbot Posts: 97 Member
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    Grate veggies into everything! Carrots and zucchini in pasta sauces (or anything with a thick sauce). Grate onions and mushrooms into meatballs/meatloaf/etc. So easy, and generally the veggie melts away when you cook it.
  • teamflatbelly
    teamflatbelly Posts: 177 Member
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    Thank you all so much for this information. I will definitely be trying these. I'm so grateful you all took the time to share your kind words with me. I will try to keep you posted on how it went. I'm mostly mobile so I will try to get back to you all when I log on from my laptop. Thanks again pals. xoxo

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