Healthy Foods for a PICKY Eater

tanyajared
tanyajared Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hello, I'm Tanya and I am new on here. I desperately need to lose weight but I want to do it right. I am a picky eater when it comes to veggies and I just don't like the taste of them. Especially when they are cooked. Does anyone have any tips or secrets they would be willing to share? Also does anyone have a site that they use tell you how many calories are in what?. And anyone have any easy exercises to start with other than walking.

Replies

  • Care563
    Care563 Posts: 61 Member
    try the elliptical...I love it but I also do a variety of exercises, I run one day, bike and then the gym
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    My favorite veggie thing is making them into puree... then they are more like a dip/sauce for the meat.

    Making mashed cauliflower is also a yummy replacement for mashed potatoes.
  • whatwentwrong
    whatwentwrong Posts: 228
    i am a SUPER picky eater- i just stocked up on some of my favorite healthy foods (pretty much just cottage cheese and eggs) :) for veggies, i only like a few, and since i'm doing lo-carb i just eat celery, and edamame if i ever can find the good kind in the store.
    do you like ANY veggies? if there's even one you like, go for that. for making veggies taste better, roasting is a godsend. put a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, and you can make just about anything taste good :D also great? quarter an onion and add one of the quarters in, and take it out when you're done cooking. also, spiiiicesss! spices make all the difference :)

    for calories, i usually just google "blank blank" calories instead of using a specific site.

    and for exercising, i can't walk very far so i do pool exercises- i've been doing pool-walking (walking back and forth in the shallow end) and jumping jacks.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    You just have to eat them because they are good for you. Eat them raw if you don't like them cooked, but eat them. Dip raw veg in hummus or something else.

    Only you can pull up your big girl pants and expand your culinary horizons.

    :flowerforyou:
  • sonic_the_cat
    sonic_the_cat Posts: 58 Member
    I also started with the elliptical, then started walking outdoors for the summer. I use this site and Calorie King to get my nutrition values. You might trying preparing veggies in different ways to see what you might like or season with different herb mixtures. Good luck!
  • HollyTsiaussis
    HollyTsiaussis Posts: 415 Member
    MFP counts calories for you.
  • PatientBearTiger
    PatientBearTiger Posts: 475
    Only you can pull up your big girl pants and expand your culinary horizons.

    This. Eat them anyway because they are good for you. What's more important: avoiding icky foods or being healthy for the rest of your life?
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Tastes change over time. It may be that something you hated when you were younger will be palatable now. And as you go, you'll find yourself liking them more and more.
    My family love raw broccoli, carrot sticks, cauliflower, and celery sticks. The kids usually dip them in a bit of ranch dressing (measure out 1 Tb, it shouldn't completely throw you off, since the veggies themselves have so few calories).

    I "indulged" in a sweet potato today. I just baked it at 350 for a little over an hour and then let it sit and cool. I say indulged because it tasted so creamy and smooth and delicious that it felt like I was eating a naughty treat instead of one of the best foods for you! (I didn't put butter or brown sugar or anything on it, just scooped it out of skin and ate). Give that a try if you haven't in a while.

    If you start out with very small amounts, it will be easier to train your tastebuds. For example, one or two small broccoli flowerettes are not so daunting as a whole cup. Then you can gradually increase your amounts. Try them plain first, many of the vegetables have so much natural flavor that you need very little extra. Stop telling yourself you hate them (it's somewhat self-fulfilling, the more you dread eating them, the less you like them), and keep an open mind! :)
  • Panda_Jack
    Panda_Jack Posts: 829 Member
    Only you can pull up your big girl pants and expand your culinary horizons.

    This. Eat them anyway because they are good for you. What's more important: avoiding icky foods or being healthy for the rest of your life?

    If you don't like vegetables, I'd just stick to eating McDonalds and Popeye's. I'm sure that's worked for a bunch of people.

    :flowerforyou:
  • tanyajared
    tanyajared Posts: 2
    I don't eat at those places anyway. I just know that I need to find someway to get more veggies in me. I know they are healthy for me it's just that I don't like the taste of most of them.
  • JaydeSkye
    JaydeSkye Posts: 282 Member
    I don't eat at those places anyway. I just know that I need to find someway to get more veggies in me. I know they are healthy for me it's just that I don't like the taste of most of them.

    You can talk about doing something all day long, but eventually there comes a point in time when you have to actually take action or just stop talking.

    Go buy a foreman grill. Throw some asparagus on it and sprinkle sea salt over it. Wa-la. pretend its french fries.

    Throw some chopped spinach in a bowl, mix in some feta cheese and some extra virgin olive oil. Pretend you're at the Olive Garden. (Unless you're Italian, we consider eatting there a sin.)

    Put some romaine lettuce, grilled chicken breast and melba toast in a bowl, add some fat free caesar dressing and wa-la, a much healthier caesar salad that'll taste great.

    I don't know what else to tell you. Look through my food journal, everything I eat is in there. Take our suggestions, or don't.

    It's up to you. But, please, STOP with the EXCUSES it'll get you nowhere.
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
    My husband just got out of the hospital and now has to lose weight and check his sugars. He is VERY Picky about vegetables. I told him that for a while he may need to think of them as medicine that will help keep him healthy and alive. I love veggies and have a ton of them around all of the time. Fresh and frozen. I have a son who loves green beans and also blueberries direct from the freezer. When he was little he'd ask for them when his siblings had a cookie. He's 5'10" and weights 145# of lean hard muscle. You can do this.
  • mampm1
    mampm1 Posts: 88
    Here's another thing to try...google some of the vegetables you don't like. Read up on the benefits they give to your body...fiber, vitamins, healthier skin....get the idea? Then take a good look at yourself and ask yourself how strong is your desire to change yourself? It's a journey, but you're not alone. Everyone here is available to help with words or encouragement and support.

    Also, in my humble opinion, just about every vegetable tastes good with the following things...garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

    Enjoy the journey!
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    I really don't mean to sound harsh, but if you are going to be so picky about veggies, take the time and pick out your funeral plans. Your life really does depend on it. Start with ONE thing, expand your choices as you can. As the wise Heather once said, "Just start."
  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
    Here's a question: Are you willing to sacrifice taste for health?
    And once you start eating healthily, you will not even want to touch junk food again. You will get accustomed to eating healthily.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    veggies are your friends!!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    You just have to eat them because they are good for you. Eat them raw if you don't like them cooked, but eat them. Dip raw veg in hummus or something else.

    Only you can pull up your big girl pants and expand your culinary horizons.

    :flowerforyou:

    This.

    Play with dips and sauces and spices. Puree them to use in soups and stews.

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