making veggies nicer to eat??

kentlass
kentlass Posts: 325 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
i am a vegetarian...but i have a huge aversion to vegetables, so i really live on wholegrain pastas, rice, eggs and not much else!

i really want to try and eat more vegetables so does anyone have any recipes/ideas of how to make them more appealing??

the idea of eating the vegetables makes me feel sick, but i know i need them get healthier

thanks in advance

Replies

  • robston
    robston Posts: 67 Member
    bump
  • melbaby925
    melbaby925 Posts: 613
    There are tons of recipes online that will help you. If you don't know where to get started, let me know and I can help.

    Do you like salty? Sweet? Bitter?

    Figure out your favorite taste profile and start there with healthy versions of different flavors that you like the best. I have a wonderful recipe for broccoli cheddar soup that is amazingly yummy - and only uses 1/4 of the cheese you'd usually use and it's lowfat. If that's gross sounding, then you can do roasted butternut squash that tastes like a dessert, but doesn't have much sugar and uses a bit of orange juice and walnuts with lots of cinnamon. I've also found a few recipes that really make brussel sprouts taste wonderful!

    There's a way to ease into it without wanting to gag :) Promise!
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    Toss with a small amount of olive oil (or even italian dressing/vinaigrette) and grill. This works with most any veg... SO TASTY!
  • HollyMcCaw
    HollyMcCaw Posts: 154 Member
    this is so easy and I love it! I mixed 1 or 2 cups of mixed veggies with brown rice and a bit of salsa
  • jesienia
    jesienia Posts: 294
    To me, stir-frys are the best way to get your veggies. Make a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, sweet chile sauce, and a little oil. And choose whatever veggies you want. I love broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, and carrots. Also curries are another good way to get veggies with lots of flavor.

    Roasting veggies can add a different depth to their flavor. Brussel sprouts taste like popcorn when you roast them. And carrots taste really sweet and lovely (roast oranges and limes with the carrots, then making a dressing is amazing. Toss in avocado and it's a killer salad!)

    And herbs are your best friend. Experiment with different flavors and you'll find things you love.
  • sharoniballoni
    sharoniballoni Posts: 163 Member
    I'm on a 21 day detox that almost exclusively lets me eat veggies. Most of them raw are... not appealing. Cooking them, however, makes them delicious! Here are my suggestions:

    Raw veggies: carrots, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers are good raw and even better dipped in hummus
    Salads: I find them boring, but more tasty when I add things like: fresh basil, slivered almonds, fruit (like strawberries, pears, apples), goat cheese or feta
    Cooked veggies: Stir fried broccoli, green beans, spinach, cauliflower is so good even just with salt, but you can add soy sauce, stir fry sauce, garlic, cajun seasoning... really good (especially over some brown rice or lentils). Baked sweet potatoes with a bit of butter and salt or cinnamon... yum!

    Good luck!
  • GreenSkinnyJeans
    GreenSkinnyJeans Posts: 204 Member
    That sounds so good! I think I know what I'm eating for dinner tonight!
  • eills44
    eills44 Posts: 65
    Hey, my family just like plain steamed veg, but for me I either roast it with garlic, olive oil and chilli and sometimes a little honey if I need sweet. Or like the other guys said, stir fry loads of veggies with olive oil, soya sauce, hot pepper sauce, sweet chilli, just yummy xx And then theres salad, which I find soooo boring!!!! I have to have fruit on my salad, like tonight I had the normal lettuce, tomatoes cucumber, then add feta, pineapple, mandariins, grapes, onions, celery, egg and churizo, luvly xx Also, I got from these boards, courgette/zuchinni sliced and stir fried with olive oil and garlic is luvly instead of pasta xx Making my self hungry now, and talking about veggies never did that before haha xx Good luck hun xx
  • TECheadle
    TECheadle Posts: 1
    Do you put sauce on you pasta? Try finely shreading/dicing carrots, zuccini, brocolli, cauliflower, spinach; saute and add to your tomatoe sauce. I make pasta sauce that is so thick with veges, most people think it's full of meat! Add them to a smoothie with fruit...won't even notice them (depending what you use, the color can be unpleasant...just close your eyes!) I made mashed cauliflower the other night instead of potatoes. Was quite surprised how good they were. Lots of ways to sneak veges into meals. :flowerforyou:
  • kentlass
    kentlass Posts: 325 Member
    thanks for all of the fab ideas...i think i'll be heading out to get some veggies tomorrow and giving some of the ideas a try
  • gingerfoxxx
    gingerfoxxx Posts: 267 Member
    fresh herbs! just get a bunch and start mixing and matching...see what you like!

    I like-
    zucchini and thyme
    Cucumber and basil
    cilantro and anything, but usually carrots and edamame


    I used to hate veggies too....i think its just about spicing them up so they aren't so bland!
  • I love veggies anyway, but my favourite thing to do is get my uber faves (cherry tomatoes, asparagus, rocket, broccoli) and stir fry them with soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Really yummy with noodles!
  • CDRhom
    CDRhom Posts: 9
    Explore the wonderful world of herbs, espcially fresh herbs. Even the same tired old potatoes, carrots, or stringbeans can taste like a whole new food with the addition of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, cumin, caraway or any of the other herbs out there without adding significant calories.
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