tips for introducing veggies into diet

I don't like veggies. Never have. I like them even less cooked. So I do what I like. Raw baby carrots, snap peas, some salads but about the only veggies I like cooked are peppers.

At 53, I'm not going to try to change my ways. I do not concern myself with what others think I need to eat, I don't eat the same as my wife (who loves cooked veggies) and I'm good with that.

So, as a suggestion, go to the grocery store and buy a little bit of everything that looks appealing and try it. Throw away what you don't like and focus simply on what you like. If you want to try cooking them, then roast or grill them. It sounds like you won't like boiled veggies anyway (I don't) so I probably wouldn't try those.

Having said that, I don't think the idea of take out for veggies will work very well. Restaurants tend to make the veggies mushy and it sounds like you would like crispy ones better.

Anyway, it's how I'm dealing with getting more veggies in my diet.

What is the texture you're trying to avoid? I'm guessing its soft since you're asking about raw vegetables. If you want to try making some at home, you can try roasting cauliflower and broccoli. If you cook them at a high temperature (425-450) they take on an almost nutty flavor and you can adjust the time depending on the texture you want. Also, cauliflower rice is another good one to try. It will take on any flavor you put with it and, again, you can adjust the cooking time for desired texture. Good luck!

Keep a diary and note your successes. Those will be repeats.

Introduce one veggie a week. Google recipes.

Buy very small quantities and eat it quickly. Old veggies are a waste and will leave you with bad memories.

Nice dips can help like sriracha, cheese whiz and ranch dressing.

I can’t think of any decent takeout veggies that hold up other than the veggies in War Wonton soup.

Corn is a big child friendly favourite. It’s starchier and it’s mild.

If you think crisp and crunchy might be tolerated better yes try the baby carrots, a cucumber, snap peas. Also along this line you can peel and cut in to fingers turnip, kohlrabi or rutabaga.

Try bag salads that are already made up for you.

As a replacement for pasta try baking a spaghetti squash and season with a little olive oil and pepper.

Try grape tomatoes straight from the package.

Roasted veg have more flavour, especially if you add spices or balsamic vinegar - you still get that firm/crunchy texture.

All of these roast really well - I do par boil potatoes/sweet potato/cauliflower for a few mins/drain and then roast in a little oil/with spices/balsamic vinegar:-

Potato/
Sweet potato/
mushrooms/
sweet peppers/
onion/
cauliflower/
brocolli/
tomatoes
corn on the cob
aubergine/
parsnip/ (stronger in flavour but so sweet when roasted)
celeriac

Roasting veg takes anywhere from 20-30 min- depending on size you have cut veg.

Personally I do NOT think takeout or restaurant veggies taste better than my own cooked at home. The texture and flavor suffers from holding and transport. Plus, they never get the seasoning right.

This is just a dumb comment I'm going to make, but I love vegatables because for one they are low in calories. Which I count heavily.

I think some takeout vegetables do taste really good. I particularly like them in Thai, Chinese, and Indian food. Trying some of these may give you a better idea of which vegetables you enjoy and how to prepare them.

For eating at home, I've found that roasting is one of the best ways to make vegetables more appealing. My husband is very particular about vegetables, but he's more likely to try one that is roasted than, say, steamed. when roasted.

Sauces do a lot for vegetables. If your diet is lower carbohydrate, then you'll have some latitude for fattier sauces or to use oil when roasting your vegetables. Whatever sauces you know you like, serve those with the vegetables. And don't be afraid of seasoning either -- you can buy pre-made seasoning mixes or just add your favorite spices. Think unusual combinations: ranch or taco seasoning or whatever you like.

If texture is an issue, pureed soups are a great way to get lots of vegetables at once. I don't know if you have a wand mixer, but they're amazing for pureeing soups right in the pan. Vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower are great for soups and you can also puree lots of greens into a soup. This is also a place where fat can help the flavor -- I would use things like nut butters or coconut milk, obviously there is a whole world of dairy fats out there too.

Raw vegetables I really like: cabbage (shredded, with either a spicy or Asian-style dressing), carrots, red bell peppers, and cucumber (you can slice this thin and quick pickle it with some apple cider or rice vinegar or use thicker slices with a dip).

When I met my husband, his vegetable intake was pretty much limited to potatoes, canned green beans, tomato sauce, and iceberg lettuce. He wanted that to change and over the years has experimented with a lot of different vegetables. I would say that most of his issues are textural, but he has some strong taste aversions too. Here are some of the things he'll eat now: steamed fresh asparagus topped with shredded parmesan cheese, frozen corn and peas topped with butter, steamed or roasted broccoli topped with lemon juice or soy sauce, vegetable tempura (broccoli, carrots, and onion), red cabbage (chopped into a salad of iceberg or romaine lettuce), red bell pepper (in curries or Mexican food), fresh green beans (steamed or in a curry), and sliced tomatoes on a sandwich. It's not a lot, but he's still experimenting and he's eating some kind of fresh vegetable almost every day. I don't think he'll ever be enthusiastically eating mushrooms or beets, but ten years ago I don't think he could have possibly guessed that he would be eating the way he does today. The trick was that he kept trying. He keeps trying new stuff, even if he has to spit it out before he swallows it.

We oven roast our veggies alot with a little olive oil and salt. We use broccoli, califlower, onions, peppers carrots, potatoes, etc.

One thought is a green smoothie. I put a whole heart of romaine in my smoothies. Simple formula 1. Greens 2. Liquid (I use water but alot of people use different kinds of milk) 3. Fruit (low glycemic berries should work under low carb 4. Others (whey, greek yogurt, flax seed whatever you want). This gets you a tons of greens and berries with a pure drink like consistency.

I didn't read all the comments because ...I just didn't.

I do have friend with texture issues and she bought a good juicer. She replaced one meal completely with juicing. That way she can eat what she wants and likes at the other meal.

If whatever is going on requires fiber, I don't know if that will be very helpful, but you could add more nuts and fruits (whole) to get fiber - plus there are lots of palatable fiber supplements, and besides juicing there is always smoothies. A lot of raw vegetables work in smoothies.

Just gonna post a few easy to prepare veggie sides using veggies that (per google) are low carb appropriate.
Ever tried mashed cauliflower? You can use the microwave bags of steamed cauliflower to save some time over using fresh cauliflower. Once it's cooked, drain it thoroughly and throw it in the food processor (does best if processed while still steaming hot) with some cream cheese and grated Parmesan. I'd be lying if I told you that you can't tell it isn't mashed potatoes, but it's still good in its own right. My seven year old eats it, so maybe your picky eaters will too?
Cut up some zuccini, however you like. I usually slice it thinly like chips. Lay it out on a pan in a single layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake. I like to use the canned crumbly kind of Parmesan in this recipe bc if you cook it until the cheese browns it gives a texture that mimics breaded/fried zuccini but for a lot less calories.
Hope this is useful for you. Good luck!

If you're ok with a "crispy" kind of texture you could try making kale chips - pretty low cal if you use a spray oil, also you can roast chickpeas til they're crispy, and add any spices/flavours you like. Feels like a snacky food but still veggie & high protein as well.

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

Cauliflower "rice" when sauteed in a pan Asian-style is quite good and not traditionally veggie-like.

Bleh.

Wife tried to fool me like that once. It wasn't rice.

(again, some may like it but I know I don't).

TavistockToad wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

Cauliflower "rice" when sauteed in a pan Asian-style is quite good and not traditionally veggie-like.

Bleh.

Wife tried to fool me like that once. It wasn't rice.

(again, some may like it but I know I don't).

I tried cauliflower rice out of a packet.... it was absolutely disgusting.

Cauliflower mash (head of cauli, 1 medium potato) with loads of butter and a spoonful of cream cheese however is one of my favourite low carb discoveries!

I made that mistake once, too. It was absolutely vile!

Cauliflower roasted with olive oil is delicious though. Just goes to show how much difference preparation can make.

It might help you to think of meals that are regulars in your household. From there, remove the carb element consider a vegetable that is either similar or that can replace the carb in terms of size/texture/function etc. For me, I have a hard time digesting vegetables so I either look for really well cooked veggies or ones that have been made into something else. Some things I've considered in my hunt for vegetables

BBQ chicken with cauliflower mash (instead of regular mash)
hamburger patty with roasted portabella mushroom caps for a bun
baked eggplant slices with cheese, sausage and marinara. hide some additional spinach in there too
fried green beans (use almond flour, not regular flour)
fried zucchini sticks (use almond flour, not regular flour)
omelette with spinach, tomato and onion
Baked turkey with pureed squash

Roasting helps a lot with vegetable flavoring but sauces and spices will be even better. Cauliflower is pretty mild vegetable and can be hidden easily by flavoring. If you have a favorite sauce or seasoning packet, put it on some roasted cauliflower with a little oil/salt/pepper.

Vegetables also do really well in soups and chili. Cabbage is very mild in soup and the texture becomes soft, like a noodle. You can also mix in diced bell peppers, onion and corn into chili or chicken tortilla soup. Kale can also be used in soup and it isn't as rough to chew. Try kale, diced carrot, peas and sausage in vegetable broth.

Or when in doubt, add bacon.

Best of luck. I hope everything gets better.