Clean eating when you HATE vegetables

ndj1979 · August 2016

GibsonGirl55 wrote: »

Exactly which vegetables do you dislike?

You say you hate veggies, but that covers a lot of edibles. You can tolerate carrots and lettuce (what type of lettuce? Iceberg, Romaine, kale, etc.,...?") in a salad. So are we to understand you don't like tomato, which botanically is a fruit. Eggplant is considered a vegetable, but actually is a large berry. There are other such examples of actual fruits (e.g., olives, squash) that are considered and used as vegetables.

You might try soups and gumbos in which pureed vegetables are added, much like the smoothies that have been recommended.

I say this as someone whose husband dislikes vegetables; he doesn't like asparagus ("It's nothing but a grass!") artichokes, green beans or spinach. But as long as it's not overcooked, he will eat broccoli and snowpeas. And he will eat salads that are packed with all sorts of veggies.

He's also willing to try new additions to our diet--some which he himself has discovered--such as jicama. I even got him to eat okra that was pureed into a chicken and sausage gumbo--a vegetable that many people are put off on because of its sliminess. Check out different cuisines (or the Mediterranean diet) that may utilize vegetables that you might not have considered such as grape leaves, chickpeas, chard.

In any case, it does matter what you eat, for the purpose of eating is to take in nutrients. So, it'd be counterproductive to eat 1400 calories worth of corn chips and other junk food, right?

So find out what vegetables and low-sugar fruits you can tolerate and run with that. And since your doctor has indicated that you're just fine as far as your thyroid and general health is concerned, carefully measure what it is you are eating, dine out occasionally, and try to avoid fast foods that highly processed and laden with chemicals, salt and bad fats.

that is a strawman argument as no one is recommending that OP eat 1400 calories of corn chips, and who would even want to do that?

What people are saying is that you can eat vegetables, corn chips, eggs, whole wheat bread, lean meats, some cookies, and they will be part of an overall healthy diet as long as OP gets adequate nutrition and stays in calorie targets..

calories = calories so 1400 calories of corn chips =1400 calories of vegetables from an energy standpoint; however, they do not carry the same nutritional profile.

how are you defining highly processed foods?

kgeyser · August 2016

zumbalover523 wrote: »

So I am trying to loose 40lbs. I track my food on a daily basis (233 days straight!) I eat between 1200-1400 calories a day and exercise at least 4x a week. (Zumba, treadmills, CX workout, calisthenics, weights, etc). I can not loose an ounce! I am 47 and super frustrated! A co-worker was seeing weight loss doctor and he put her on a high protein diet, but all she eats is chicken and vegetables and I HATE vegetable (except corn and potatoes.) I will eat a salad with lettuce and carrots, but not much else. Any ideas on how to eat some veggies when you have an intense dislike for them? Love fruit an eat about 3-4 servings a day.

I can relate to this about the veggies. Preparation makes all the difference. I've had luck with roasting zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots in some olive oil and seasoning (the eggplant didn't go so well). It's summer here, so grilling is big as well; zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, onions, I chop them into large chunks, coat in some olive oil, skewer, and add some seasoning and grill.

I also like the steamfresh packets; you can microwave them in the bag, then add whatever flavor you want. I usually add some butter (I like some fat with my veggies). I'm now eating broccoli and cauliflower, which I wouldn't have touched a few years ago.

chunky_pinup · August 2016

bigguyreed wrote: »

Why? If this person said they are doing or eating and not losing why are you questioning them. I know what they are saying could be going on. Last year I was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week and watching what I eat. By the end of the year, I was about the same weight as when I started. I got discouraged and was backing off my workouts. Dr. told me I was building back muscle and muscle weights more than fat. So I'm back at the gym, but now I'm tracking my calories with MFP. I can now see some of the things I was eating last year weren't as good as I thought.

If your doctor told you muscle weighs more than fat, then you need a new doctor.

kgeyser · August 2016

bigguyreed wrote: »

Why? If this person said they are doing or eating and not losing why are you questioning them. I know what they are saying could be going on. Last year I was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week and watching what I eat. By the end of the year, I was about the same weight as when I started. I got discouraged and was backing off my workouts. Dr. told me I was building back muscle and muscle weights more than fat. So I'm back at the gym, but now I'm tracking my calories with MFP. I can now see some of the things I was eating last year weren't as good as I thought.

Out of curiosity, did you see any changes in how clothing fit, despite the scale staying the same?

Osiris275 · August 2016

I don't eat vegetables except carrots and sweetcorn but I have lost 83lbs, so it can't definitely be done with a deficit of food.

2snakeswoman · August 2016

So you've tried every vegetable prepared every possible way, and you hate them all? I don't think so. My mother used to boil vegetables, and I hated them then. I've learned since I've been cooking for myself that I love vegetables prepared in certain ways, such as roasting. Just toss with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, then roast at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Really yummy, especially broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Oh, and summer squash, too.

sfcrocker · August 2016

I'm not a super fan of raw vegetables but found that I can find a way to cook most of them that makes them very tasty. If you like fruit, start with the sweeter vegetables like tomatoes (technically a fruit), carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets. I've read that you have to eat a food you don't like 7-8 times to acquire a taste for it. Maybe by starting with sweeter vegetables you can develop a liking for them?

annaskiski · August 2016

chunky_pinup wrote: »

If your doctor told you muscle weighs more than fat, then you need a new doctor.

Can we put this tired thing to rest?
The same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. This is a FACT.

The argument you're using, a lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle is universally true of all things.
You are essentially saying that nothing weighs more than anything else, which is ridiculous.

(i.e. a lb of aircraft carrier weighs the same as a lb of feathers, therefore aircraft carriers weigh the same as feathers)

fitgamercatlady · August 2016

It doesn't matter what you eat--it's how much of it you eat. I think the problem lies in two aspects of your logging: how many calories your food contains and how many calories you burn during exercise.

As long as you are eating at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. This is an incontestable truth.

Hemo0 · August 2016

When it comes to weight loss and getting fit there is no such think as DISLIKE you just eat what you gotta eat and that is the difference between you and the one who does not accomplish anything.

ndj1979 · August 2016

ibrahimidrissadam wrote: »

When it comes to weight loss and getting fit there is no such think as DISLIKE you just eat what you gotta eat and that is the difference between you and the one who does not accomplish anything.

actually, you just need to worry about calories in vs calories out....assuming one gets adequate nutrition, calorie type does not really matter.

melissa6771 · August 2016

Well, I'm not a huge vegetable person either. I have lost 50 pounds in 22 weeks without eating many vegetables. If you don't like them don't force yourself to eat them. If you can find a few and make them in a way that you enjoy, then by all means go ahead. Learn how to make a diet of things that you like. Just my two cents.