I hate vegetables...

dustylcsmith
dustylcsmith Posts: 23 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Ok. So.... The title speaks for its self. I hate most vegetables, and clearly, I need help. Here is the list of vegetables that I do like

Green Beans,
Potatoes
Black Beans
Corn
Broccoli (Only Steamed)
Spinach (any way I can get it)
Tomatoes (in the form of Salsa or a sauce)

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to ease into trying new things? I live in the south, so I can get most anything fried...but I guess that would defeat the purpose. Most of the time...its a texture thing. I can't stand the texture of onions, or anything slimy...ewww. I have decided to attempt to try a new vegetable a week...but I'm not sure where to start. Does anyone have suggestions, comments, or recipes that would be helpful?

Thanks!

Dusty

Replies

  • gagejennifer
    gagejennifer Posts: 41
    Have you tried carrots in Ranch Dressing ?. (Pretty good to me but just a suggestion of course lol.)
  • schobert101
    schobert101 Posts: 218 Member
    How about drinking V8 juice? Lots of sodium but you can get the low sodium kind
  • tammyquinnlmt
    tammyquinnlmt Posts: 680 Member
    try sweet red peppers, and stir fried okra (southern girl here). I also love sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts are my absolute favorite. Try sauteeing veggies rather than boiling them.. Helps them , maintain crunch and makes them more flavorable
  • fitterpam
    fitterpam Posts: 3,064 Member
    My husband used to hate cucumbers and tomatoes (raw). It's just taken time and constantly trying them. He didn't llike how they got all liquidy in your mouth.

    If it's a texture thing, Try juicing them. it'll get you used to the taste, and then you can work on cooking vs. raw, pureed vs. cubed and all that good stuff. At least this way, you'll be getting most of the nutrition out of them. Try different cooking techniques - roasting changes the texture of most things. If you can narrow down what it is about the texture then you can work to fix it.

    PS. to get DH over the texture thing for the veggies was just over time - he still can't do watermelon, but is also now eating canteloupe and honeydew. He actually loves cucumbers now and tomatoes.....
  • tamarab3
    tamarab3 Posts: 64
    You could try snap peas -raw they are very similar to green beans. Sweet potatoes are similar in texture to regular potatoes. Also, have you tries spaghetti squash? It is sweet and the texture is very similar to spaghetti noodles (I sometimes substitue the squash for the noodles and add pasta suace = a yummy low cal dinner). My thinking was to try other veggies that are similar to these that you like first, then work your way to others. Maybe calliflower, since it's similar to brocoli in texture. Also, if you try carrots get regular ones, not baby carrots. The regular ones are sweeter and tend to have a more solid, less slimy texture. Good luck on your journey.
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    Do what I gotta do sometimes and juice them. Taste great as a drink :)
  • emsibun
    emsibun Posts: 208
    Hi there :)

    Here are some ideas:

    Grate/shred carrot and courgette (I think they are called zucchini in USA) into beef or turkey mince meals such as spaghetti bolognase, lasagna, chilli

    If you like tomatoes in a salsa or sauce try making a ratatouille - a tomato-based vegetable dish that includes aubergine (also called eggplant I believe) and courgette. You could add red/green/orange/yellow bell peppers too.

    Grate/shred carrot into spinach salad

    When you steam broccoli add a couple of similar-sized cauliflower florets.

    Once cooked, cut up vegetables you aren't into so much into smaller pieces and eat them combined with bigger pieces of the vegetables you do like.

    Use your blender to make hidden vegetable pizza bases and sauces. Use a tomato base (sieved tomatoes such as passata or a can of plum tomatoes) plus other steamed vegetables you want to add.

    I hope that helps :smile:
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
    One thing I like to do is mix my veggies in with a healthy base like quinoa or brown rice--then if i have the calories available I'll sprinkle in some goat cheese, feta, or parmagiana. Here is a quinoa salad recipe you can eat hot or cold; it makes 5 servings at 167 cal. each:

    1/4 c. dry quinoa
    1 can garbanzo beans
    1/2 c. baby spinach
    4 spears of asparagus
    2 c. low sodium chicken broth
    2 tbsp. extra light olive oil

    Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of chicken broth. bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add spinach. Simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes).

    Steam asparagus in microwave in a separate dish or in a vegetable steaming ziploc bag. Cut spears into 1 inch peices.

    When quinoa is done cooking, add can of garbanzo beans (drain liquid first), asparagus, and olive oil.

    I add goat cheese and fresh ground pepper. (make sure to add the extra calories to your diary if you add cheese)
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    Ok. So.... The title speaks for its self. I hate most vegetables, and clearly, I need help. Here is the list of vegetables that I do like
    Green Beans,
    Broccoli (Only Steamed)
    Spinach (any way I can get it)

    Hey that's not so bad! These are some of my favorites and I love vegetables! If you can stomach broccoli and spinach, I honestly think you could get into the other leafy greens: swiss chard, kale, rabe, etc.
    How are you eating your spinach now? I usually cook all my leafy greens the same way, sauteed in a little bit of olive oil and garlic. I know some hardcore people here might frown on the oil, but it's not the terrible kind of oil.
    You can squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on there too - sort of like how it is served in Italy. I also add red pepper flakes sometimes.

    For a treat, I sometimes cook them w bits of bacon, but I've tried to make this occasional and not habitual. :laugh:

    I love vegetables and after reading a lot of posts here, I'm realizing it might be related to the fact that I don't usually boil them. I don't like the texture of boiled veggies. The flavors of things like brussels sprouts and squash, etc. are really great when they've been roasted, so that the natural sugars caramelize in the oven.
  • a_stronger_steph
    a_stronger_steph Posts: 434 Member
    Aw I used to hate the texture of onions too, with a fiery passion!! I know people in your life have probably repeatedly told you that "you'll grow out of it," which is totally patronizing. In my case, I didn't grow out of it, but rather slowly got conditioned to accept, and then like them. I still have things I HATE -- like tomatoes, I can only eat them in salsa or sauce, like you. If I get a fresh tomato chunk it triggers my gag reflex like nothing else... haha.

    Anyways, for onions, if you can bear it, I started to accept them because my mother kept chopping them *super* tiny and putting them in spaghetti sauce (but cooking them till they were translucent first, so they lose some of that bitter crunch). I couldn't pick them out but I found that most of the time I didn't absolutely hate it... then slowly grew to like them... then started cooking with them, to my great surprise. Haha. Anyways, just thought I'd share that, since I used to share that dislike!

    As for veggies to try, how about some peppers - red, orange, yellow, or green. Try them raw (crunchier), or baked (softer) or stir-fried (in-between texture). Asparagus is good too, I prefer it broiled in the oven, or stir fried, but I think you can steam or boil it too (though I try not to boil my veg). To prepare asparagus, grip both ends and snap - they snap where the stalky bit becomes inedible! :)

    Maybe try some zucchini - very inoffensive texture if you cook them lightly (overcooked and they may get a bit mushy), and they don't have a lot of taste on their own. Put in a pasta sauce maybe.

    Another favourite is snap peas and snow peas... they go great in asian stir fries. Good luck!
  • NotAllWhoWanderAreLost
    NotAllWhoWanderAreLost Posts: 615 Member
    building on what you already like:

    make a nice bed of baby spinach and romaine lettuce (your new veggie of the week), top it with (rinsed) 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup salsa and a Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger, cooked and chopped into a bunch of tiny pieces.... Feeling adventurous? Add a spoon of spicy guacamole (avacado -- bonus new veggie!)

    since you already like potatoes, try making sweet potato oven "fries"... chop a sweet potato into "fries" and place on a very lightly oiled baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 425 or so for about 20-25 minutes. They will not be the same texture as white potato fries, but they ARE delicious and taste wonderful with some chicken breast and green beans! Add just a smidge of sea salt if you absolutely must (i have weaned myself off it and like them just the same!)
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    Google for recipes of roasted vegetables. It's a different experience. Also, look in the freezer section for vegetables with sauce that "steam in the bag". Usually these are fairly cheap in calories.
  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
    Maybe try making your own "pestos" at home with different vegetable mixtures. There are tons of recipes for ones with bell peppers, avocados, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. You can then control the texture you like and add spice to taste. I put pestos on almost everything, pastas, salads, sandwiches, grains, soups, etc.
  • Leisa42
    Leisa42 Posts: 56 Member
    Ok. So.... The title speaks for its self. I hate most vegetables, and clearly, I need help. Here is the list of vegetables that I do like


    Potatoes

    Corn


    Tomatoes (in the form of Salsa or a sauce)

    Does anyone have any recommendations on how to ease into trying new things? I live in the south, so I can get most anything fried...but I guess that would defeat the purpose. Most of the time...its a texture thing. I can't stand the texture of onions, or anything slimy...ewww. I have decided to attempt to try a new vegetable a week...but I'm not sure where to start. Does anyone have suggestions, comments, or recipes that would be helpful?

    Thanks!

    Dusty
  • funfitfoodie
    funfitfoodie Posts: 630 Member
    I hate lettuce so when I have it in salads I always make sure I take it with a mouthful of something else?
  • emsibun
    emsibun Posts: 208
    Acidaloha - That's exactly how I managed to eventually make lettuce palatable for myself. I can eat it without strong flavours now - it's taken a few months of perseverance though!
  • dustylcsmith
    dustylcsmith Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks for all of the tips! I now have some new recipes to attempt. I'll let everyone know how they go! :smile:
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