I want to set salads on fire.

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coraborealis80
coraborealis80 Posts: 53 Member
edited March 2015 in Food and Nutrition
I'm a great cook. I've done bajillions of vegetable sides, and I get creative in the kitchen every day. But, I have hit this place where the thought of eating one more vegetable makes me want to do a Hulk smash and I am craving really gross stuff, like peanut butter cups wrapped in bacon. Considered. It.

What do you do when it gets to you, and what are some of your veggie sides that I can try?
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Replies

  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    Roast up some sweet potatoes and parsnips alongside some other veggies. Oh and whole cloves of garlic. (Careful to figure out your oil.) Sooo good.

    Otherwise. Why not just... eat... some peanut butter cups, or bacon? Or is it more about boredom from veggies than never getting any treats?
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    You don't need to just eat veggies and salads to lose weight. Eat the bacon!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Cheese solves many a veggie hating moment. I usually end up making some kind of casserole/gratin if I'm not in the mood.

    Curries work well, too. I love saag paneer. Thai dishes are a great go-to as well.

    Or meat. Lately I've been thoroughly enjoying pulled pork barbecue on baked sweet potato.
  • slondro
    slondro Posts: 45 Member
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    I know everyone's body is different, but have you checked your macros? When my macros were a bit out of balance--particularly with fat too low--I had unbelievable cravings for fatty foods and refined sugars.

    And you know what? I started giving my body more fat, and the cravings have all but subsided (fingers crossed!). A bowl of lightly sweetened, full-fat yogurt with frozen blueberries hits every macro nicely, and it usually hits the spot. That and fruits with (carefully measured) peanut butter are my go-to fatty foods, and they fit neatly into my goals.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
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    Gross? That sounds delicious! I eat bacon, and candy, and ice cream all in moderation (not so much moderation on the bacon sometimes). I eat a fair bit of protein too, balanced with roughly half-veggies for every meal. It doesn't have to suck and you don't have to force down salads if you really don't want to.

    My favorite veg is bell peppers, and recently carrots, steamed or sauteed simply. The carrots are really sweet when steamed, to me at least, so they feel more like a treat. reminiscent of a lightly sweetened sweet potato pie (sweet + earthy, I guess?). I'd choose avocados w/ crispy bacon on top over most candy these days if given the choice between the two.
  • kl_anderson
    kl_anderson Posts: 3 Member
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    Put new ingredients in your salads, things you've never used before. I recently started adding pomegranate to my salads which has been a big hit and also making salads as colourful and interesting as possible has helped keep everyone keen. Otherwise try eating raw vegetables like celery, carrot, broccoli with a natural yoghurt dip
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
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    So set your salad on fire - grilled Caesar salad is awesome.
  • BetterThanExpected
    BetterThanExpected Posts: 104 Member
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    Do it. Do the peanut butter cups wrapped in bacon.
    But, other than that, there are other things you can eat besides vegetables to lose weight. They're good for you, but if you've gotten to the point where you want to set them on fire instead of eating them, then maybe you should try other things. Look up paleo recipes. They're healthy and not all of them have vegetables.
    I personally love salads, but I haven't gotten to the point where I've had so many, so often that I hate them, though I kind of wonder if it's possible, ha ha.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I'm assuming you want to eat veggies for health reasons.

    Have cooked veg instead of salads - roasted, steamed, whatever, or hide them in soups or casseroles. Just chop up some green beans and throw them in your soup (even a canned soup, whatever).

    When I feel like getting fancy and chopping*, I like heartier salads like this:

    - shredded red cabbage, apple, and carrot with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (tons of antioxidants)

    - lentils, red onion, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers or squash; olive oil & balsamic; garlic, feta or goat cheese optional - can throw quinoa in there if you want to get fancy.

    - I also like it just with lentils, red onion, tomatoes (and OO & balsamic). I just ate one with lentils, roasted zucchini, and avocado (and just OO and salt). To make stuff like that easier, you can roast up a bunch of red peppers or squash in advance, and toss them into salads or sandwiches.

    - spinach, walnut, and sliced pear; goat cheese optional

    *Also a food processor would prob help. I've been anti-chopping lately, too. Or I was, until I was gifted some amazing knives that are just as quick as a food processor :) (my kitchen is seriously old-school and basic)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
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    also +1 to yogurt as a dressing - nice with dill and olive oil
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    another one - steamed broccoli with chickpeas, garlic and lemon (and OO)
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    put some bacon and peanut butter on a baked sweet potato... youll thank me later
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    slondro wrote: »
    I know everyone's body is different, but have you checked your macros? When my macros were a bit out of balance--particularly with fat too low--I had unbelievable cravings for fatty foods and refined sugars.

    And you know what? I started giving my body more fat, and the cravings have all but subsided (fingers crossed!). A bowl of lightly sweetened, full-fat yogurt with frozen blueberries hits every macro nicely, and it usually hits the spot. That and fruits with (carefully measured) peanut butter are my go-to fatty foods, and they fit neatly into my goals.

    This is a good point, are you cutting way back on fat?
  • compgeek812
    compgeek812 Posts: 57 Member
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    My wife is the same way, I could eat big salads every day but she is at a point where the thought of eating more vegetables irks her. Best thing I can suggest is try to make or mix vegetables in new ways. Lately we've been having a lot of curried roasted cauliflower and carrot fries which are amazing.
    Also we will sometimes dress vegetables/salads in lowfat cottage cheese and/or sriracha which just makes everything taste better.
    Though I do agree with others, if you are really craving some bacon wrapped peanut butter cups, fit some into your calorie goals for the day :smile:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Take a break from veggies for two weeks. When you bring them back into your diet you might feel differently about them.
    I don't eat "salads" either. There are more interesting ways to eat veggies.
    Sunday I am cooking a kale in the slow cooker.
  • judiness101
    judiness101 Posts: 119 Member
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    Melted butter and bacon fat makes any vegetable taste better!
  • iwearthejumper32
    iwearthejumper32 Posts: 57 Member
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    annette_15 wrote: »
    put some bacon and peanut butter on a baked sweet potato... youll thank me later

    You. Are. Brilliant.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,016 Member
    edited March 2015
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    You just need to find more balance in your cooking. Basically put the foods you use to eat back in and use your moderate cooking hat. Off to put some pork belly in the smoker.
  • purebredpolly
    purebredpolly Posts: 318 Member
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    Best salads at this restaurant! Make your own versions of these salads.

    http://giovannis724.com/menu/
  • karinagw
    karinagw Posts: 25
    edited March 2015
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    1/3 lb asparagus. Snap off ends. Rinse 'em...leave them damp. Spray with a little veggie spray. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese. Cover with plastic. Zap in microwave 3 minutes or so. Yum. All of maybe 50-60 calories. You can do the same and bake them (minus the plastic wrap, of course), but who wants to heat up an oven?

    Or fresh greenbeans with bacon. fry up a slice or two of bacon crispy-ish, drain most of the grease off. saute the beans in the bacon grease (with minced garlic if you're like me). Crumble bacon on top.

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