Veggies, HELP!

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  • digestibleplastic
    digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
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    If you can get a CSA box in your area, that's what I'd recommend. I'm not a big veggie person either. The first time I got CSA every week I couldn't finish all the veggies before the next box was coming, but after a couple of months I learned a ton of new recipes and eat way better as a result.

    Just Google CSA and your city, usually it's a local farm that will create the boxes and either drop them at your door or at a pick up location. They're different each week. I buy the small one since it's just my husband and I, and he's not big on veggies either, and it's only $28 a week. I like that I don't have to go to the grocery store and I like that I don't have to make any decisions!
  • beachbody4l
    beachbody4l Posts: 208 Member
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    I eat a TON of frozen steamable veggie packs. Just tonight I did a stir-fry with cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. I think that's an easy way to incorporate more vegetable without changing up a whole lot at one time.
  • Zoomie402
    Zoomie402 Posts: 260 Member
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    One of my favorite veggie meals is a veggie quesadilla with whole wheat tortillas. I get squash, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions and peppers. Slice, and your favorite cheese (I use provolone), then cook in a skillet until the tortillas are crispy.

    Veggies are hard for me too, so I just try to get creative with them.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,906 Member
    edited June 2020
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    digestibleplastic wrote: »
    If you can get a CSA box in your area, that's what I'd recommend. I'm not a big veggie person either. The first time I got CSA every week I couldn't finish all the veggies before the next box was coming, but after a couple of months I learned a ton of new recipes and eat way better as a result.

    Just Google CSA and your city, usually it's a local farm that will create the boxes and either drop them at your door or at a pick up location. They're different each week. I buy the small one since it's just my husband and I, and he's not big on veggies either, and it's only $28 a week. I like that I don't have to go to the grocery store and I like that I don't have to make any decisions!

    My neighbor used to get* a Misfit organic mixed fruits + veggies box. She'd give me what she didn't like/didn't recognize. One time it was a ton of cilantro and parsley, plus scallions. I knew "green rice" was a thing, but had never made it. I googled for recipes, selected one I liked, and made it. It was fabulous!

    Another time she gave me an almost 4 pound jicama. I asked here for help using it up. I'm still working on it - I just cut off a slice at a time and the rest is staying good. I like it best fresh, in salads, but also tried it roasted.

    This was a lot of fun for me, but might be daunting for someone less into experimenting with new foods.

    *She stopped her subscription after seeing bugs in the cauliflower and broccoli. I also noticed quality issues. I have no problems with "ugly" vegetables, but some of what we received should not have been put in a box for shipment. Customer service was going to reship her buggy box for free plus give her 25% off her next box, but she's a bug-a-phobe, and didn't want the deal. Plus she'd been giving a lot of it to me, so wasn't really saving any money.

    Note: this is a review of one particular brand, and not at all meant to disparage the CSA concept in general. I know lots of people delighted with their CSAs.
  • digestibleplastic
    digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    digestibleplastic wrote: »
    If you can get a CSA box in your area, that's what I'd recommend. I'm not a big veggie person either. The first time I got CSA every week I couldn't finish all the veggies before the next box was coming, but after a couple of months I learned a ton of new recipes and eat way better as a result.

    Just Google CSA and your city, usually it's a local farm that will create the boxes and either drop them at your door or at a pick up location. They're different each week. I buy the small one since it's just my husband and I, and he's not big on veggies either, and it's only $28 a week. I like that I don't have to go to the grocery store and I like that I don't have to make any decisions!

    My neighbor used to get* a Misfit organic mixed fruits + veggies box. She'd give me what she didn't like/didn't recognize. One time it was a ton of cilantro and parsley, plus scallions. I knew "green rice" was a thing, but had never made it. I googled for recipes, selected one I liked, and made it. It was fabulous!

    Another time she gave me an almost 4 pound jicama. I asked here for help using it up. I'm still working on it - I just cut off a slice at a time and the rest is staying good. I like it best fresh, in salads, but also tried it roasted.

    This was a lot of fun for me, but might be daunting for someone less into experimenting with new foods.

    *She stopped her subscription after seeing bugs in the cauliflower and broccoli. I also noticed quality issues. I have no problems with "ugly" vegetables, but some of what we received should not have been put in a box for shipment. Customer service was going to reship her buggy box for free plus give her 25% off her next box, but she's a bug-a-phobe, and didn't want the deal. Plus she'd been giving a lot of it to me, so wasn't really saving any money.

    Note: this is a review of one particular brand, and not at all meant to disparage the CSA concept in general. I know lots of people delighted with their CSAs.

    Yeah, I never considered a CSA box to be adventurous but I guess it might be weird for people who are used to all of their food in packages.

    There will be cakes of dirt on it that you have to wash off, and there will be bugs. I mean, at least I know my farm picks it right out of the ground and throws it into the box. No washing or inspecting besides for rotten food. I've never gotten a rotten piece of food.

    I'm no chef though, so if you're okay with washing bugs and dirt off your veggies and you know how to Google "what to do with X vegetable" then you can be successful in cooking all sorts of veggies you never knew existed!

    I just got fennel for the first time, and I put it in a stir fry and hated it, but then the next box I got it and put it raw in a salad and loved it. So, it does take some open-mindedness.
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
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    I like vegetables better than anyone else in the family, but still really struggle to incorporate them on a regular basis. When buying groceries I fear them spoiling too quickly, so I don’t get many. Then we don’t have many in the house, so we don’t cook many... it’s a vicious cycle.

    I also need to get over my reluctance to take advantage of prepackaged steamable frozen veggies. Could I get them cheaper raw? Yep. Would the sauces be healthier if I made them myself? Probably. Would I actually take the time to prepare & eat them? Probably not!

    I think I’m going to turn it into a bit of a game: make a list of veggies we like, & set a goal of trying X new types each week / month. We could buy several different varieties, or try out several different cooking methods with the same kind & “rate” each one. Just something to get us out of our food rut, because we eat the same things a LOT!
  • GetHeroFit
    GetHeroFit Posts: 27 Member
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    Oven roasted veggies (of all sorts. I roast onions, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, etc) has been life changing for us. I've always been pretty open to veggies, but it has made them much easier for my husband to eat. I just put a small amount of olive oil (usually 1-2 tbsp depending on the amount) and salt and pepper. Super simple and super tasty.
  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
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    I thought I hated vegetables when I was younger, but it turns out, if you don't like a vegetable, you can often change your opinion by changing how it is cooked.

    I'm not the biggest fan of sliced raw carrots or steamed carrots, but I can tolerate them grated into a salad or in thin sticks to eat with hummus. I actively like them when they're roasted, especially with a bit of honey.

    Tomatoes are OK raw. But I really like them in a sauce, or as sundried tomatoes.

    Sweetcorn? Not out of the can, thank you. But I love it in a soup, and I love it in a fritter.

    I'm never going to love Brussel sprouts, but most other veggies are nice when they're prepared differently. You don't necessarily need to experiment with lots of different veggies, just the cooking technique.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
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    Pick up a vegetarian cook book or vegetarian cooking videos on Youtube. You don't need to go vegetarian if you don't want to, but Bosh and Colleen Patrick Gourdeu (Sp?) have some AMAZING recipes that would introduce you to some delicious, colorful, and creative veggies.
  • cgcdavis7
    cgcdavis7 Posts: 85 Member
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    Sweet potatoes fries are a must to try. I like Cajun seasoning or cinnamon.
  • SERmom3
    SERmom3 Posts: 568 Member
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    There is a book called “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld. It’s a cookbook meant for adding and hiding veggies in your kid’s meals. I had the book, but never used it because my kids were always pretty good about veggies. If you want to add veggies without the pushback from kiddos, this might be an option.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,310 Member
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    I used to think I hated asparagus...but then my mother was a terrible cook. I assumed all asparagus was slimy, gray and stringy. Gross! Refused to eat it for years, and I'm a veggie lover.

    Then I learned you can roast it for 10-14 minutes in the oven or grill it and it is anazing. Offer me canned or bottled or frozen and it is likely you will be abused but fresh that has been grilled or roasted or stir fried? I'm all over that.

    Maybe try a veg several ways: like okra...fried, stir fried, pickled. Don't wash it if you're using fresh, wipe it down with a damp towel...when it gets wet it has an enzyme that is sticky and a little slimy and weird...I don't think I've ever used frozen. Or beets: pickled, roasted and borsht. I like cold canned beet all by themselves. Some people don't like them...

    Have a friend whose husband HATES brussell sprouts. Took a brussie casserole for thanksgiving so she and I could enjoy them...made with sauteed shallot and brussie, then tossed with chopped turkey bacon, cream and shredded cheese and baked. He ate them and asked for more. Has happened more than once. He still says he hates brussies...just not mine...

    Check your library for cook books...That's how I found many of the great veg cook books I love.
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 2,937 Member
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    I love stir fried broccoli!

    There are cookbooks devoted just to vegetables. One is "Greene on Greens" by Bert Greene. He tells you what to look for when shopping for fresh vegetables and how to prepare them. For each vegetable, he offers a number of recipes.

    If you want a main dish recipe that incorporates vegetables, one of my favorite recipes is Spaghetti with Broccoli, Tomatoes, and Walnuts. If you're interested, let me know and I'll post it.

  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Broccolini lightly pan fried with a bit of soy sauce = perfection!
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
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    If farmers markets are open in your area, try getting fresh local vegetables. I think they have more flavor, especially raw. Oven roasting makes a lot of vegetables sweeter
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited June 2020
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    I've done a CSA for ages, and it's never been similar to ugly veg (although I support that too) or particularly buggy. That seems weird.

    This year I don't have a CSA share but am ordering from my favorite Green market vendors for delivery. The Green Market will be open next week so I may just go.
  • carriestrine
    carriestrine Posts: 214 Member
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    Start with some easy favorites.

    Roasted sweet potatoes
    Zucchini: make into fritters or chips but be careful too much breading/frying
    Eggplant- you can even prepare like eggplant parmesan without breading it.
    Green beans
    Fresh veggies with yogurt dip: carrots, cucumbers, green beans celery
    Celery with peanut or almond butter

    Does you family like eggs? Try to make a quiche or frittata with veggies chopped small.

  • pinkgurl456
    pinkgurl456 Posts: 64 Member
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    Try incorporating veggies with a dip you enjoy like hummus or salsa or with a food you enjoy . You also can freeze cauliflower and Zucchini to put in smoothies if you feel like you need a little more veggies in your daily intake.
  • alise372
    alise372 Posts: 1 Member
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    I feel like the main problem for people who say they don't like vegetable is that they don't prepare them well. I know growing up my mom and grandma would mostly give us canned or fresh but steamed plain, neither of which tastes that amazing. I would try making them in new ways such as roasting them in the oven or grilling them and adding a bunch of delish herbs that you know you like.

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