Looking for Veggies for People who Hate Veggies!

mom2aeris
mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
Hey guys. I am looking for some vegetable recipes for people who absolutely hate vegetables. Right now, the person I am thinking of is living basically on way too much carbs, and we're trying to cut that down as much as possible. Do you have any recipe ideas? The simpler the better, but I am pretty desperate and am willing to try just about anything.

Replies

  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    Hmmm.. Grilled or roasted vegetables are super easy and super yummy. Just use a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
    Ummmmmm......you do know that veggies have lots of carbs, right? Or are you saying that they are living off of just breads and crackers, etc. Because that's how my 4-year-old is.
  • mom2aeris
    mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
    Yeah, pretty much just living off of pasta. Compared to pasta or rice, veggies have almost no carbs. I am not against carbs in general, I just think that living off nothing but pasta and rice is not the best option.
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
    Jessica Seinfeld has a cookbook that uses a lot of purees and "hides" the veggies. Could you try something like that? I think it's called "Deceptively Delicious" or something like that.
  • heathercoyrobinson
    heathercoyrobinson Posts: 2 Member
    It's not really accurate to say that veggies have lots of carbs. Veggies like spinach, other greens, zucchini etc have pretty low amounts of carbs.
  • I love grilled or roasted veggies better than any other way. Roasted cabbage in oven with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper is soooo good. Grilled asparagus is also one of my favs.
  • Keepcalmanddontblink
    Keepcalmanddontblink Posts: 718 Member
    I cannot stand most veggies, or any fruit cooked. Don't care for the mushy texture they have. I eat more veggies when they are raw, so maybe try that? Salads, with baby spinach are amazing! Raw carrots, snap peas, green beans, etc, just seem to taste better raw.
  • BeginningAgainMay14
    BeginningAgainMay14 Posts: 97 Member
    Hey guys. I am looking for some vegetable recipes for people who absolutely hate vegetables. Right now, the person I am thinking of is living basically on way too much carbs, and we're trying to cut that down as much as possible. Do you have any recipe ideas? The simpler the better, but I am pretty desperate and am willing to try just about anything.

    In my experience, even people who hate most vegetables don't mind them prepared as soups.

    Here are a few suggestions:

    Chipotle Tomato Soup

    http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_tomato_soup_with_chipotle/

    Curried Pumpkin Soup (I omit the heavy cream and cut the honey and butter in half and it's still just lovely.)

    http://spoonful.com/recipes/curried-pumpkin-apple-soup

    Minestrone (good if they're a pasta fan--for this one I actually use a ham hock and water and make ham broth, but canned chicken broth is easy, and plain macaroni is fine if your store doesn't carry ditalini...mine doesn't)

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/minestrone-soup-with-pasta-beans-and-vegetables-recipe.html
  • NarneyK
    NarneyK Posts: 264 Member
    Hi
    Check out www.skinnytaste.com. She has great recipes and uses a lot of vegetables. Everything I've tried on her site has been super good and easy to tweak to fit my pantry and tastes. I can't even tell you how often I've pimped out her site but it really has a lot of good stuff. Plus if you follow her recipe as is, she has nutritional values listed with each recipe.

    Anyways, this recipe is absolutely wonderful. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/05/turkey-burgers-with-zucchini.html

    turkey-zucchini-burger-3-up.jpg

    It keeps the burgers super juicy and you can't taste the zucchini. You can see a bit of green but hopefully that won't bug them too much. I had a 10 year old tell me they tasted better than McDonald's burgers. I know this isn't saying much for adults, but that's a pretty big deal for a kid. Slap a slice of cheese on it and that should trick them completely :)

    If you do a search for Zucchini (or other vegetables) on her page a bunch of recipes come up, including delicious things like Zucchini Lasagna and Pineapple Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting :)

    Also if they love pasta, you can pulse a bunch of different vegetables in the food processor and the saute them off with the onions for the pasta sauce. It gives you a chunkier sauce, but you can't really taste them. Really easy to toss in some carrots and zucchini. Good luck!
  • mom2aeris
    mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
    Hey guys. I am looking for some vegetable recipes for people who absolutely hate vegetables. Right now, the person I am thinking of is living basically on way too much carbs, and we're trying to cut that down as much as possible. Do you have any recipe ideas? The simpler the better, but I am pretty desperate and am willing to try just about anything.

    In my experience, even people who hate most vegetables don't mind them prepared as soups.

    Here are a few suggestions:

    Chipotle Tomato Soup

    http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_tomato_soup_with_chipotle/

    Curried Pumpkin Soup (I omit the heavy cream and cut the honey and butter in half and it's still just lovely.)

    http://spoonful.com/recipes/curried-pumpkin-apple-soup

    Minestrone (good if they're a pasta fan--for this one I actually use a ham hock and water and make ham broth, but canned chicken broth is easy, and plain macaroni is fine if your store doesn't carry ditalini...mine doesn't)

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/minestrone-soup-with-pasta-beans-and-vegetables-recipe.html
    He hates soup. He hates a lot of foods, honestly. He is highly particular about everything, and he can taste everything.
  • chelseyq7
    chelseyq7 Posts: 9 Member
    Spaghetti Squash is a great option to substitute for pasta. Roast the squash in the over (sliced in half, open side down on a baking sheet) and cook at about 375 for 45 minutes - depending on size of squash. Once it's done let it cool then use a fork to scrape out the squash into spaghetti like strands... you can use it just like pasta. Good luck!
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  • scarrletti_girl
    scarrletti_girl Posts: 479 Member
    salads are always good and easy. it's really hard to give you more without more info lol

    or try low carb spinich alfredo pizza or something like that lol
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    Just curious, what is it about vegetables you don't like? My boyfriend was VERY anti-vegetable till we started dating. After I cooked several vegi-ful meals for him (that he enjoyed) we figured out that he just didn't like how most vegetables were prepared and he preferred a crispier veggie to the usual overcooked ones.
  • Arsenal1919
    Arsenal1919 Posts: 212 Member
    I like to cut up several cleaned jacket potatoes, a quarter pumpkin, three medium-large carrots, and a few sweet potatoes.

    I aim for "cubes" of about 4-6cm (2 inches).

    Drop all the cubes into a large strong plastic bag.

    Add a tablespoon (or 2) of olive oil. Knead and rotate the plastic bag until each cube has a thin olive oil layer all over.

    Add a heaped teaspoon of mixed herbs, a level teaspoon of curry powder, about two teaspoons of cracked peppercorns, a teaspoon of dried chives, and a dessertspoon of sesame (or poppy) seeds. Close the bag and knead/rotate again.

    Place coated vege pieces onto a baking tray and place in the oven for 70-90 minutes at 150C-180C (300F-350F).

    Serve hot or cold. Salt optional before or after cooking.
  • Arsenal1919
    Arsenal1919 Posts: 212 Member
    My boyfriend was VERY anti-vegetable till we started dating. After I cooked several vegi-ful meals for him (that he enjoyed) we figured out that he just didn't like how most vegetables were prepared

    Ditto my experience with my second wife. She was basically a hot chips (french fries) and tomato person.

    The recipe I just posted was three of the first five meals I cooked for her when she moved in (June 2007).

    She now thinks roast "bag" vege cubes are just great.

    Got her into salad veges by various cuttings & presentation styles. Choice of dressings was a big factor too.
  • EchoOfYourPast
    EchoOfYourPast Posts: 459 Member
    I just recently bought a juicer to get some more veggies and fruits into my diet daily. I mix my fruits with my veggies...i find the more fruit that i include the better it tastes. I only drink a juice once a day and i still eat regular meals. Now the fruits will put lots of calories in there...so be mindful of the amount you are using :)

    My husband would only eat green beans and tomatoes when i met him as well. He now will eat every vegetable except mushrooms. I think he just never tried other vegetables before and just assumed that he didn't like them or never had them cooked the right way.

    San :)
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
    I HATE VEGGIES!!!

    So everyday this is what I make and drink.

    In my nutribullet I put:
    half cup water
    half cup brocolli - hard to measure but I throw in a few big pieces
    handful of spinach
    half cup blue berries
    1 navel orange

    Blend it up and drink and it's purple like the berries so in my mind it's berries and it tastes like a cross between berries and oranges. Don't smell it though as it does sorta smell like veggies but if I can drink it anyone can because I HATE VEGGIES!

    Good luck!

    OH and let me add this...juicers take out the pulp/fiber that you really need so I chose to buy a nutribullet so nothing is lost.
  • Apocalypz
    Apocalypz Posts: 155 Member
    He hates soup. He hates a lot of foods, honestly. He is highly particular about everything, and he can taste everything.
    To sound harsh ... "he" needs to shut it and grow up, unless you're speaking of a 4 year old. Mind you, if you're dating an adult acting like a 4 year old, then probably best to either rethink your options or give him a swift kick. Preferably in the bollocks, but in the head works nearly as well. A ninja kick.

    If you're the sole meal maker in the house, then make what you like and is best for everyone. If "he" chooses not to eat it, then "he" can fend for himself. That would require a bit of an adult decision of which it appears he's not accustomed. Be calm, stand your ground, and say, "If you don't like it, then that is okay. Honestly, it is. You're more than welcome to make something on your own." ta-da Grown-up time.
  • mom2aeris
    mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
    He hates soup. He hates a lot of foods, honestly. He is highly particular about everything, and he can taste everything.
    To sound harsh ... "he" needs to shut it and grow up, unless you're speaking of a 4 year old. Mind you, if you're dating an adult acting like a 4 year old, then probably best to either rethink your options or give him a swift kick. Preferably in the bollocks, but in the head works nearly as well. A ninja kick.

    If you're the sole meal maker in the house, then make what you like and is best for everyone. If "he" chooses not to eat it, then "he" can fend for himself. That would require a bit of an adult decision of which it appears he's not accustomed. Be calm, stand your ground, and say, "If you don't like it, then that is okay. Honestly, it is. You're more than welcome to make something on your own." ta-da Grown-up time.
    Or maybe you're just a ****. People cannot help what flavors they like and don't like, that's hardcoded into our genetics. Do I think he should be more willing to try new things? Yes, absolutely, but you don't have any idea what he's done or not done. You obviously have no idea what it's like to be a super taster, so maybe you're the four year old, eh?
  • Scampimom
    Scampimom Posts: 19 Member
    You can get a lot of veg into a pasta sauce, especially if you blend it smooth - mushrooms, courgettes and onions will all blend into a tomato sauce without altering the colour too much (and alerting your vegiphobe to the presence of the enemy!).

    I find that people who don't like vegetables (particularly kids) will happily eat them on a pizza, especially if cut up small. And kids will also more readily eat vegetables they've had a sticky little hand in preparing - "build your own pizza" can encourage them to use different colours and veggies to make pictures, faces etc.

    Another way in for adults who don't like their greens is to put them in curries - the flavour is covered by the spicing but the fibre etc is still there. You can also do vegetable tempura with a sweet chili dipping sauce - most people will yum that up quite happily.
  • aniahill
    aniahill Posts: 11 Member
    TBH some people also refuse to try things because they like being awkward - I know people who screw their face up before something new gets into their mouth. That's nothing to do with taste.

    Taste is something that we acquire - babies and young children react badly to vegetables because we're programmed to believe it may be poisonous as so much of the plant world is. It takes around 20 "trys" to get more used to a taste so if your friend is willing to give it a go, do it! I'm trying with courgette at the moment because I'm veggie and everything has them in it.

    I don't know if you'll be able to see it online wherever you are, but there was a UK tv prog called "Freaky Eaters" about people who struggled with only eating a few things - you may get some ideas from that? Oh, turns out there's an USA version called the same.

    Good luck
  • laineretail
    laineretail Posts: 12 Member
    I have issues with food textures, especially vegetables. I’ve tried to be adventurous in the last couple of years and have tried new things. But I find the best thing for me is to “hide” them into other foods. FYI: Almost anything can be hidden in a red gravy (spaghetti sauce).

    Check out some mommy blogs on how to ‘hide’ veggies in your food. The Jessica Seinfeld blog’s been suggested. Here are two others. Even if you don’t use the recipes (some of them aren’t the healthiest or the lowest in calories) but they can give you some great ideas.

    http://thesneakychef.com/

    http://weelicious.com/

    I made the beet pancakes from weelicious this weekend. My kids LOVED them. I thought they were okay – edible but not great.

    How about eggs? Your options are limitless with adding veggies to scrambled eggs or omelettes.
    I will eat spinach and orange bell peppers scrambled in a couple of eggs. I cut up ¼ pepper and sauté in olive oil in frying pan. I use the bagged spinach found in the lettuce section. I break some up and put in bowl, add water and micro it for a couple of minutes. I find it less ‘slimy’ than sautéing in a frying pan. I drain and squeeze out the excess water then add it to pan. Mix couple of eggs throw it in add sprinkle some pepper. Sometimes I add cheddar cheese.

    Here’s a recipe for an artichoke/green bean casserole: 2 cans of green beans and 1 can artichoke hearts. Rinse the snap beans. I don’t have the recipe with me at the moment, so play with the measurements til you’re happy. ½ cup Italian bread crumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and few cloves garlic. Mince the garlic, throw all ingredients in bowl, add ¼ cup of olive oil and mix. Throw in baking pan and cook on @350 degrees for thirty minutes.


    Stir fry’s a good option, too. I just found this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it’s so yummy that I have made it three times since. My sodium levels must be sky high. Ingredients:
    1 lb shrimp (I use the frozen 51/70 count from local grocery - thawed, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry)
    1 bag frozen veggies (I use Bird's Eye steam fresh 12 oz. broccoli, carrots, snow peas and water chestnuts) 1 small onion – chopped 3 cloves/toes garlic – minced 1tbs or so of olive oil
    Sauce: 4 tbs. oyster sauce, 2 tbs. soy sauce, and 2 tbs water (try to find low-sodium if you can)

    In a large frying pan, saute onion in olive oil for few minutes. Cook veggies in the micro according to the package. Add garlic to the pan and saute for minute or so. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook til they are pinkish. Add your veggies and cook for minute or so while you make the sauce. Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for couple of minutes. Voila!

    Serve with or over rice, if desired. I'm sure you can make with beef or chicken instead of shrimp. The original recipe called for mushrooms and fresh broccoli instead of frozen veggies. But I don't like mushrooms and I had this bag of veggies in the fridge when I decided to make it and it worked out nicely.

    Slice zucchini and squash and dip in egg wash then a breadcrumb/parmesan mix. Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

    Smoothies are good and there's a kazillion options there. And there’s always a V-Fusion drink.

    Good luck!!