How can I start eating vegetables?
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I'm going to tell you a secret.
Brussels sprouts are friggin' delicious.
Quarter them, toss them in a little olive oil (or use cooking spray) and salt, put 'em on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You will then know heaven.
you're a liar.
no such thing. will not eat.
To answer the question- can't believe 2 pages in and no one has said this...
bacon.
bacon makes everything better.
Even my picky *kitten* BF will eat bacon wrapped asparagus or bacon sauteed zucchini. I think he prefers them roasted/seared- but it's still an arm twisting effort to get him to eat them. He's like a child- but he will stomach them with some sort of bacon and garlic.
I like the steamables- easy peasey- little butter on top S/P/G and good to go.
otherwise I cook them stove top with bacon grease and garlic. so delicious.
As a kid, I used to get mad when there were "things" in my veggies, but as an adult, yep, bacon plus veggies equals omg!0 -
If you like peanut butter, my parents successfully got me and my brothers to eat raw vegetables in our school lunches by making peanut butter yogurt dip to go with. I rediscovered it after starting here at MFP, and I make it with 1 cup of yogurt (your choice of style) and 4 tbsp of PB2. I usually take 1/4 cup with me.
You may want more or less peanut butter, and may prefer real peanut butter if you have the room for it in your calories. For me, it turns a blah snack of vegetables into a yummy treat, and prevents me from craving peanut butter (my weakness!!)0 -
The smoothie approach has really helped me with green leafy vegetables. I take a cup of some kind of cold liquid--typically just water or almond milk--and blend that *thoroughly* with about 1 cup of frozen spinach or frozen kale, and 1.5 cups of some strongly-flavored frozen fruit--raspberries or blueberries work well. When I first started with this, I also added some sweetener (I use the Truvia form of stevia), because the point is to get yourself liking the smoothies--if they don't taste good, you'll just give up on it (well, or I would have). Now I generally don't feel like I need it. Later on you can add nuts and all kinds of other stuff, but this is a simple way to get going.
Tips: if you don't have a super-powerful blender, blend the vegetable and the liquid first--you don't want little lumps of spinach or kale. And drink it right away--as the mixture warms up, the vegetable tastes get much more noticeable. If the color bothers you (some of these things can look kind of brown), put it in an opaque glass…
Thanks, everybody, for all the tips--these are some awesome ideas!0 -
...but won't drink smoothies (too thick to be a drink, too thin to be a food in my opinion. Bleurgh!)
Agree with this, smoothies are weird.
Just experiment with them, find out how you like to eat them. I worked with a guy once who was saying his 13year old daughter puts ketchup on her vegetables - someone else said it was really gross and bad for her - his response was 'I don't care what she puts on them as long as she is eating them'. Find out a way you do like to eat them.
BTW I'm not advocating drowning vegetables in ketchup but you see my point.0 -
I really don't get it when people say they don't like/can't eat fruit/vegetables!! There are SO many to choose from and they all have different flavours and textures, and those flavours and textures change depending on how you cook/prepare them so how can you not like them all?!
This. Does not compute.
I always have to assume people who say this actually have never eaten vegetables, save for a bad experience with badly cooked slimy spinach as a child, or something. There's no way you can hate ALL vegetables, ANY way they're cooked.
Well there is a way if you have sensory issues. My youngest son has severe sensory issues with food. Unless the veggie/fruit is pureed, he will gag and throw up. Same with pasta/rice. There are legitimate sensory issues, and once people have a bad experience, it can be hard for them to give things a second chance.
This would be a small minority of people. A lot of people have texture issues, but can eat them a different way. There are a lot of fruits and veggies that I *have* to eat raw or I *have* to eat them cooked a certain way. But someone with sensory issues that are as severe as your son's is going to be a rare person.
True, they are rare. I'm just pointing out that it does exist. It can be very difficult to hear all of this advice (as well-intentioned as it might be) when you are dealing with something that is a real issue for medical or neurological reasons. There are foods that I will only eat a certain way, but that is a far cry from what people with true sensory issues experience and the anxiety that comes along with that. I'm just acknowleding that these people do exist and, for them, eating can be a big struggle. It is good to remain sensitive to that.
I'm not saying that *you* aren't sensitive, but I have seen a lot of posters on this thread have very little compassion for someone who may actually be struggling with something that goes far beyond "I don't like it".0 -
I'm going to tell you a secret.
Brussels sprouts are friggin' delicious.
Quarter them, toss them in a little olive oil (or use cooking spray) and salt, put 'em on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You will then know heaven.
you're a liar.
no such thing. will not eat.
To answer the question- can't believe 2 pages in and no one has said this...
bacon.
bacon makes everything better.
Even my picky *kitten* BF will eat bacon wrapped asparagus or bacon sauteed zucchini. I think he prefers them roasted/seared- but it's still an arm twisting effort to get him to eat them. He's like a child- but he will stomach them with some sort of bacon and garlic.
I like the steamables- easy peasey- little butter on top S/P/G and good to go.
otherwise I cook them stove top with bacon grease and garlic. so delicious.
As a kid, I used to get mad when there were "things" in my veggies, but as an adult, yep, bacon plus veggies equals omg!
yeah- I hated "stuff" in my stuff.
Now I mostly just use the renderings when I make bacon- so it's a nice savory feel without a lot of stuff- but I totally add stuff now. Being a grown up sucks sometimes- but the food- god so glad I grew up to like real food LMAO.0 -
My girlfriend and I often boil/steam broccoli and Green beans together, then chop them up so that they're almost shredded and mix them into brown rice, problem solved for me, it's worth a try!
I never thought of this - it would be like a light version of stir fry rice. but then again I love just about all fruits & veggies. I don't care for egg plant, okra, strawberries or kiwi but any other's I love either cooked or raw.
Try different way's of cooking them (or eating them raw), try different toppings. And you don't have to "like everything".0 -
...but won't drink smoothies (too thick to be a drink, too thin to be a food in my opinion. Bleurgh!)
Agree with this, smoothies are weird.
Just experiment with them, find out how you like to eat them. I worked with a guy once who was saying his 13year old daughter puts ketchup on her vegetables - someone else said it was really gross and bad for her - his response was 'I don't care what she puts on them as long as she is eating them'. Find out a way you do like to eat them.
BTW I'm not advocating drowning vegetables in ketchup but you see my point.
I agree - smart co-worker. She could start with a bunch of ketchup and work her way down to just a dash. My DD puts ketchup on her chicken (to me it's just gross!!) but at least she's found something that works for her.0 -
What about the texture bothers you? My parents always steamed veggies in the microwave - it keeps them crisp and flavorful - and I grew up loving almost all veggies. So it was very confusing to me when I would go to friends' houses, eat at the cafeteria, etc. and find mushy green beans, limp broccoli, etc. If that's the texture that bugs you, find other ways to prepare your veggies so they stay crispier! I roast, broil, lightly sautee, and steam veggies a lot, plus eat them raw.
To steam in microwave: put them in a microwave-safe bowl, pour a little water over them (I usually do 2-3 tablespoons, but you don't have to get too scientific), cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 3-4 minutes. Some take longer, some take less, just experiment. I do broccoli, green beans, peas, asparagus, bell peppers, cauliflower, etc. this way and it's delicious.0 -
I really don't get it when people say they don't like/can't eat fruit/vegetables!! There are SO many to choose from and they all have different flavours and textures, and those flavours and textures change depending on how you cook/prepare them so how can you not like them all?!
This. Does not compute.
I always have to assume people who say this actually have never eaten vegetables, save for a bad experience with badly cooked slimy spinach as a child, or something. There's no way you can hate ALL vegetables, ANY way they're cooked.
Well there is a way if you have sensory issues. My youngest son has severe sensory issues with food. Unless the veggie/fruit is pureed, he will gag and throw up. Same with pasta/rice. There are legitimate sensory issues, and once people have a bad experience, it can be hard for them to give things a second chance.
This would be a small minority of people. A lot of people have texture issues, but can eat them a different way. There are a lot of fruits and veggies that I *have* to eat raw or I *have* to eat them cooked a certain way. But someone with sensory issues that are as severe as your son's is going to be a rare person.
True, they are rare. I'm just pointing out that it does exist. It can be very difficult to hear all of this advice (as well-intentioned as it might be) when you are dealing with something that is a real issue for medical or neurological reasons. There are foods that I will only eat a certain way, but that is a far cry from what people with true sensory issues experience and the anxiety that comes along with that. I'm just acknowleding that these people do exist and, for them, eating can be a big struggle. It is good to remain sensitive to that.
I'm not saying that *you* aren't sensitive, but I have seen a lot of posters on this thread have very little compassion for someone who may actually be struggling with something that goes far beyond "I don't like it".
Well, we can't assume that someone has a rare condition if it isn't mention in the post.0 -
I love eating veggies raw - even the ones that are typically cooked, like yellow squash, zucchini, and okra. Lately, I've been steaming frozen veggies so they retain the crunch factor. I think that's what helps me - the crunch factor. I don't care for mushy veggies.....0
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FWIW, I heard an interview with someone who deals with picky children on the radio a couple weeks ago. She said it takes 12-20 tastes before most people (children and adults) come to like an unfamiliar food. Keep trying! I used to find eggplant repulsive. Once I got used to it, I found that I actually like it quite a bit, as long as it's fresh and not cooked too long. (Grilled slices with a bit of olive oil and salt are great!)0
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