How to make veggies palatable?

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  • kozinskey
    kozinskey Posts: 176 Member
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    Megatoine wrote: »
    Sometimes it is about presentation! I'm more jazzed about eating something healthy when it pleases the eye! Thie is ratatouille - squash, zucchini, tomato and potato - drizzled w olive oil and seasoned w salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Roast until tender. YUM!

    I know I'm a fat kid because when I look at this I think, "Wow, that looks delicious, but it could totally use some fresh mozzarella slices in there too....."

  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    kozinskey wrote: »
    Megatoine wrote: »
    Sometimes it is about presentation! I'm more jazzed about eating something healthy when it pleases the eye! Thie is ratatouille - squash, zucchini, tomato and potato - drizzled w olive oil and seasoned w salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Roast until tender. YUM!

    I know I'm a fat kid because when I look at this I think, "Wow, that looks delicious, but it could totally use some fresh mozzarella slices in there too....."

    I was looking for the andouille sausage ... ;)
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    edited March 2015
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    ahamm002 wrote: »
    A few things:

    1. Over time your taste buds will change. Right now you don't like veggies b/c you haven't been eating them enough. And who cares if they're "boring?" Every snack you eat doesn't have to be hyper-palatable.

    2. Why don't you want to "waste" calories on butter or oil? You NEED fat in your diet, so you might as well mix it in with the veggies. Olive oil and vinegar with a salad is super healthy and tastes great (at least it will eventually).

    3. Roasting veggies with a drizzle of oil and salt is easy and very tasty. Look up roast cauliflower!

    I (mostly) agree with the above...except about the "boring" part, I'm a foodie for better or worse.

    I'll add 4 more:

    4. Hide them in other foods (you can use pureed vegetables to add to things and you can get the benefit without having to necessarily like them.) See books like "The Sneaky Chef" (note: This is a bit high maintenance...this might be an "if all else fails" option.
    5. Smoothies..you can add greens like spinach and kale to these and not taste 'em through the fruit.
    6. Swap less nutritionally-dense veggies for ones with more "oomph". An easy swap is to ditch lettuce and replace with spinach. Honestly, you can't tell the difference on a turkey burger..it's just there for texture anyway...so why not get some spinach (or kale) in while you're eating your burger?
    7. Use salsa as a dip for carrot and celery sticks (seriously..really good if you're never tried.) You get the crunch of the tortilla chip without the fat...and unless you're getting the fruit salsas, you can eat a whole lot of salsa and veggies for minimal calories.
  • Megatoine
    Megatoine Posts: 137 Member
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    kozinskey wrote: »
    Megatoine wrote: »
    Sometimes it is about presentation! I'm more jazzed about eating something healthy when it pleases the eye! Thie is ratatouille - squash, zucchini, tomato and potato - drizzled w olive oil and seasoned w salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Roast until tender. YUM!

    I know I'm a fat kid because when I look at this I think, "Wow, that looks delicious, but it could totally use some fresh mozzarella slices in there too....."

    I'm with ya!!!!!
  • Megatoine
    Megatoine Posts: 137 Member
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    4leighbee wrote: »
    kozinskey wrote: »
    Megatoine wrote: »
    Sometimes it is about presentation! I'm more jazzed about eating something healthy when it pleases the eye! Thie is ratatouille - squash, zucchini, tomato and potato - drizzled w olive oil and seasoned w salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Roast until tender. YUM!

    I know I'm a fat kid because when I look at this I think, "Wow, that looks delicious, but it could totally use some fresh mozzarella slices in there too....."

    I was looking for the andouille sausage ... ;)

    And THAT sounds amazing too!!!!
  • Megatoine
    Megatoine Posts: 137 Member
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    20150317_202224_zpsovw7j4zl.jpg

    Along the lines that 4leighbee and kozinskey were thinking - this should have some rosemary grilled chicken! However, adding fruit and nuts made the salad more interesting AND colorful!! If I can't entice my eyes, my palate will not cooperate.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    I like veggies a lot, but honestly I often eat frozen mixed veggie medley's, nuke in the microwave, and then top with a Kraft cheese single and some yogurt to make a cheese sauce of sorts.

    Also cayenne pepper is a must.

    If I don't want to spend 60 calories on a cheese single, I might use a laughing cow wedge, or just sprinkle the veggies with popcorn cheese seasoning.

    If I want to get fancy, and I usually don't, I will roast fresh veggies with olive oil and seasonings.

    I also make something like ants on a log, but with laughing cow cheese, to have a low calorie snack with celery. And I will often use cucumber slices instead of crackers, and will make salad sandwiches with various fresh crisp veggies.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Megatoine wrote: »
    20150317_202224_zpsovw7j4zl.jpg

    Along the lines that 4leighbee and kozinskey were thinking - this should have some rosemary grilled chicken! However, adding fruit and nuts made the salad more interesting AND colorful!! If I can't entice my eyes, my palate will not cooperate.

    Oh you would be so bored with my "meals" (a banana. a pepper. some dry cereal. a steak. with some potatoes.), lol ... You have gorgeous meals! Your family must love you! xo
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I think it is important to eat fresh. Or frozen. I avoided veggies for a long time because when I went to get them they were old and icky. Now I buy small amounts in season and at the top of their game and eat within a few days. If it looks a little off, out it goes.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    I revisited the veggies I didn't like, there weren't many for me but I've discovered some of the things I didn't like were preparation related.
    For example:
    I hated radishes raw but tried roasting them in olive oil and seasoning and found I still didn't care for them, tossed them into a frying pan and sauteed them for a bit and voila now I can't get enough of them. My favorite is to mix with onions, peppers and fresh spinach which I then top with an egg for breakfast.

    Sweet potatoes I never liked until I just cooked one without anything added, I just baked a potato and ate it, turns out I love them as long as they're in their natural state. I even top them with cheddar cheese, pulled pork or chili and chopped onion.

    Broccoli steamed in lemon water is fabulous.

    Cauliflower I steam then bake with pineapple, cheese and ham or bacon bits.

    Meatloaf or meatballs - I finely chop carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms and mix right in with the meat, some parmesan cheese and whatever seasonings strike my mood.

    Shredded cabbage and carrots sauteed with onion and ground pork will taste like a pork egg roll, just add a little orange juice or balsamic vinegar just before you turn off the heat and mix it through.

    Those are just a few ideas that pop into my head.
  • marken999
    marken999 Posts: 15 Member
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    It's all about what you drench them in. I like hot sauce and sugar free bar bee cue sauce. Yummy
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    My fitness instructor (don't we just lurrve it when our fitness instructors give diet advice!) twigged me on to jazzing my salads to entice hubby to eat them more often. She taught me to spruce them up with radishes, celery, sunflower seeds, onions....

    Straight from the bag obviously wasn't good enough.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
    Roast them. Add olive oil and garlic powder.

    This. Experiment with cooking them in different ways to find ways you like. You will come to like them more if you eat them.

    But if you must, a lot of people who don't like veggies much seem to like them in soups and stews and I personally put a lot of extra veggies in the meat sauce I make for pasta (carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach, whatever is on hand, plus canned tomatoes and lean ground beef). As an added bonus you can put it on winter squash or potatoes instead of pasta (although it's delicious on pasta too).
  • lizzocat
    lizzocat Posts: 356 Member
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    roasted veggies are the bomb
  • doglover2015
    doglover2015 Posts: 8
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    I don't eat roasted veggies b/c our oven is really undependable but I have learned to like cut up baby carrots & celery to put in salads.I also have a snack of baby carrots and 1 tbsp of a ranch greek yogurt dip.1 tbsp is only 30 cal.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
    Roast them. Add olive oil and garlic powder.
    :drinker: How I wish my mother had roasted and grilled veggies when I was a kid rather than steaming everything! Not to knock my mom, she's a great cook, but I guess roasting veggies wasn't really a thing back then.

    Roasting or grilling brings out the best sweetness and flavor of so many vegetables.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,919 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Just hide them under a ribeye.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    Kernel's seasoning for popcorn is great. You can use them at your popcorn but also on your salads and veggies
    They have a full range of taste's Like garlic/Parmesan, white cheddar, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch, And than a couple i only use for popcorn the sweet and the chocolate/caramel

    But i love veggies so no problem here and like a real rabbit i eat lots of salads but i use the ranch and garlic/Parmesan seasoning a lot on them :)

    Than very simple...cook your veggies and when done take a slice of your favorite cheese and put it over your veggies...microwave till cheese is melted.
    Or with some bacon bits over it.
    Lots of options

    I was a former chef and always say...use your imagination when you cook, dare to explore and be adventurous.
    Cooking is fun!
  • tripamy
    tripamy Posts: 7 Member
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    I mix a big handful of raw spinach in a morning breakfast smoothie. I don't mind the taste at all, and I used to run from spinach. Now I realize I thought I didn't like spinach because I'd never had it before when it wasn't boiled to death and laying in an awful soggy pile on the dinner plate.
  • erinelizabeth882
    erinelizabeth882 Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm a new veggie eater as well. I'm intrigued by the idea of roasting veggies. I usually get veggies currently through my morning smoothie, dipping baby carrots in hummus or by sautéing a cup of mixed veggies to go with my chicken and rice. What's the best way of buying veggies for roasting? I'm a full time master's student with a part time job, so time and ease is of the essence. I tend to prefer frozen if possible because it's a lot easier for me; does frozen veggies work well for roasting? What kind of mixes tend to work well?

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