Help.. I hate fruits and most veggies....

mandi791
mandi791 Posts: 27 Member
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Its very hard for me to find variety in my diet, because I eat no fruit, and hardly any veggies. I can tolerate beans, peas, and corn but that is about it. Sometimes I will get some of those real fruit smoothies and suffer through it to try and get some nutrients. But I absolutely hate and leafy type veggies. I have tried to get past it but it just makes me feel sick and lose my appetite. I also try protein shakes because they have tons of vitamins in them. Any one else have a diet like mine, or any suggestions on what I can do to get more nutrients..?

Replies

  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
    have you tried sneaking veggies into pasta sauce and such?
  • mandi791
    mandi791 Posts: 27 Member
    I think I could try that. It just seems like so small of an amount that it makes me feel like its not doing any good. I guess anything will help though... :)
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    Haven't heard of too many people who didn't like fruits? I don't eat. Ton of veggies. Really I only really like 3. Potatoes green beans and broccoli. Just ensure you take a multivitamin to get all required vitamins and minerals.
  • iheartyarn
    iheartyarn Posts: 141 Member
    when i make soup i steam or roast veggies, puree them and add them to the broth for my kids, i know people who do this in red sauce as well...
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
    You need to just start trying them and training your taste buds. Try when you're really hungry (after a workout). I used to eat, like, 5 foods. I'm still picky, but I do love most fruits (aside from melons) and many veggies now. I could eat asparagus every day of my life.

    Are there seasonings you particularly like (garlic, etc)? Try seasoned veggies.
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
    Also, you can put a ton of spinach in a fruit smoothie and not taste it.
  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
    Are you just eating veggies plain? Sometimes that gets boring after a while. But what about honey roasted carrots? Cajun baked broccoli or cauliflower? Marinatated and barbecued zucchini?
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Probably not what you want to hear, but im proof you dont have to eat loads of fruit and veg to lose fat and get healthier. I never have veg, other than potatoes, and very little fruit. I take my supplements, hit my macros, and keep my calorie deficit, and ive never felt happier, healthier, fitter.

    Sure, ill never be 100% healthy, but its a damn sight better than it was! :D
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    My hubby's not a fan of the veggies either. I sneak them in where I can. Our main thing is to find veggies that will soak up whatever flavor you give them-- zuccinni are good for that-- and then add flavor to them. Cooking them with meat helps him too-- like putting them in soups and stews. My beef stew used to just be the tomato base, beef, potatoes, and carrots. Now I add green beans, celery, and corn. Just having them cooked in the beef broth makes them more tolerable for him. He's also branched out and tried some different things, like sweet potatoes, and found that they weren't nearly as bad as he thought. :) He's definitely never going to be a salad guy, buy you can train your palate to be a little more forgiving of healthier food.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Fruits + Veggies are way better than multi-vitamins, but multi-vitamins will due if you really can't stand the fruits and veggies. You'll be fine :)
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    You need to just start trying them and training your taste buds. Try when you're really hungry (after a workout). I used to eat, like, 5 foods. I'm still picky, but I do love most fruits (aside from melons) and many veggies now. I could eat asparagus every day of my life.
    This.

    Start with small amounts, then increase slowly. Try different recipes and see what you like. You can retrain your taste buds, I used to hate beans, but I actually enjoy them now.
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
    Forgive me. I wrote this on another forum today for someone with the same problem. I'm just gonna toss what I wrote here:

    Peas, corns, carrots. That's like the growing up "blech" triumvirate. I'd say broaden your horizons. Personally, I find canned veggies a huge turn off. They're mushy to me and gross, or they're way over cooked and, again, mushy. I can't afford fresh, so I buy frozen and steam them just enough so they're still crisp. Makes a /world/ of difference in texture and taste.

    Also, my boyfriend is picky about his veggies. So I sneak some peas into a chicken risotto. Or I make a low-cal cheese sauce to disguise broccoli. My friend sold me on Spaghetti Squash. You cook it, remove the inner pulp and seeds, and drag a fork down it to get these spaghetti-like strings of squash. Drench it in pasta sauce and some Parmesan or chili topped with onions and a little shredded cheddar, and you can hardly tell you're eating squash. Crisp green beans in a little butter, lemon, and slivered almonds tastes great. Half the battle with veggies, for me, was that I never learned how to season them so they tasted good. Branch out. Cucumbers are a great snack -- just scrape off the green rind so they aren't bitter -- and make a cucumber sandwich. You can find lots of recipes for them. You can also puree cauliflower with laughing cow cheese, and it's like a veggie creamed potato side dish. Lemon pepper spice -- without the salt, which you can add later or to taste -- makes a great addition to giving veggies a little oomph. Or try zucchini pancakes with a little sour cream (you can find these in the freezer section out here already prepared). Spring for a veggie pot pie. They have individual ones that easily fit within a reasonable dinner's calorie limits. Even veggie pizza. A stir fry can be another great way to get some veggies as long as you use a low-cal recipe. Same with fried rice. Eggplant Parmesan is delicious. Bread a slice of eggplant, bake it, smother it in pasta sauce, add some Parmesan. There's spinach ravioli and tortellini too. You can drink low sodium V8. Throw some diced celery in a tuna salad sandwich. If you get a sub, make sure you load it with veggies. Or if you like sandwiches, slap on a leaf of fresh lettuce (not the gross wilted kind you get from drive-throughs) and a slice or two of tomatoes. Like another poster said, if you don't like regular tomatoes, try plum tomatoes, which are firmer and have less seeds and what not. Really, there's so much you can do with veggies that I never even realized until I started looking at healthy recipes. I don't know if that gives you any ideas or helps, but I hope so!

    If you google "veggies" and "picky eater," a lot of recipe sites pop up with ways to sneak veggies into food recipes. That's not to say that you can't juice them, mix up powdered drinks, etc. But really, until I started learning what to /do/ with veggies, I hated them myself. But now I know there are things you can do to make them quite delicious. And it's really not that hard. My boyfriend even eats them now.
  • dusty_712001
    dusty_712001 Posts: 172 Member
    I was the exact same. I cant say that I'm a vegetable lover now, but i try to get in 4 servings a week...I know that is not a lot (not even the daily recommended), but since I used to none at all, it's an improvement. I started by trying to have one spoonful at one meal once a week, then twice a week. Working up to a serving at a time. I would mask it by mixing it with mashed potatoes, but that's how I had to start. This is obviously not for those who eat well, it is what I had to do to get vegetables into my diet at all.
  • WHY do you not like them?

    Taste, smell, texture, look of them etc.

    First you need to figure out what the problem is and then try and fix it.

    Some good advice in here already though. I wouldnt try to hide food as such, because you made it you will still know what is in it! And that could lead to psychological dislikes of other foods because you put in something you didnt like.

    Start with 1 food and try it different ways.

    Ie: Carrot

    Carrot sticks in a hummus or dip or cheese etc
    Carrots roasted
    Boiled carrots in honey and garlic
    Grilled carrots - also good with capsicum (peppers)

    Is there herbs and spices you like? you could also add those to the veges, roasted vege with a dash of mixed herbs on top while roasting.

    Soups are great, i stew up some bacon hocks by themselves, cool them and remove all the meat, change the water and cook up heaps of veges like, leeks, swede, carrot, peas, corn etc. Then i add the bacon meat to it and whizz it all up with a stick blender.
  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
    What about a Veggie supplement? Like the Progressive brand of Veggie Greens (or something similar?) http://www.progressivenutritional.com/ (the stuff makes me gag, I'd rather eat veggies!!). I can't even imagine not liking fruits or veggies, it's a totally foreign concept me... I guess introducing a small amount in your diet in hidden ways. Smoothies with peanut butter and a bit of banana and sneak in a little spinach. I'm not much help... but you will be fine, take your vitamins and eat healthy foods otherwise.
  • I am a fruit and veggie hater. I will eat apples and put some bananas in my pb sandwich but thats about as far as the fruit goes. I eat del monte corn, but no corn on the cob or of any other types. I do not eat salads, tomatos or any other type of veggies other than some raw baby carrots every 2-3 months and now baked potatos. I even strain the onions out of my ragu. It can actually be misery, I can never find anything to eat when I go out. I'm trying to try new things, until I can I'm just a multi-vitamin and eat cereals or such with the vit a and irons in it, which is usually what I am lacking in. I can not imagine hiding them in my food because I'm sure I would surely start to hate that food as well:)
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    What do you not like about them? I can't imagine not eating some fruit and veggies each and every single day. At least a serving or two..
  • mikeb456
    mikeb456 Posts: 3 Member
    This shows you how far removed from healthy food the US has strayed. I suggest you get over it, learn to cook and only visit the outside aisles in the supermarket.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    This shows you how far removed from healthy food the US has strayed. I suggest you get over it, learn to cook and only visit the outside aisles in the supermarket.

    Harsh but fair. Retrain the taste buds!
  • mandi791
    mandi791 Posts: 27 Member
    This shows you how far removed from healthy food the US has strayed. I suggest you get over it, learn to cook and only visit the outside aisles in the supermarket.

    Sir, don't act like you know me please. I cook very well. And I have tried to eat these things since I was a child, and still try to eat them on occasion to "retrain" my taste buds as everyone calls it. So thanks, but no thanks for your "input".
  • Barb503
    Barb503 Posts: 4 Member
    Finally! Someone who is like me! I've tried and tried to "retrain" my tastebuds and it hasn't worked. I have found, in my many attempts to "retrain" my tastebuds that the majority of fresh fruits and vegetables make my mouth sting and with many I break out with sores in my mouth. There are just a few veggies I can tolerate cooked and I can eat berries. So I try to squeeze in some berries and one of the few veggies I like on most days.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I don't like most fruits and veggies either, and they don't like me. Not counting garlic and onions and various spices that go good on hamburgers.

    So I take a multivitamin and krill oil as well. Doesn't seem to be doing me too much harm. I do drink grape juice sometimes, but it doesn't always like me, either.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    do you like soups ?

    would you prefer cooked veggies over raw? what about with a sauce or dip ?
  • jbosey
    jbosey Posts: 119 Member
    Im not too keen on RAW vegetables but started taking a WHOLE FOOD suppliment that a doctor told me about to help fill in for the lack of raw fruits and vegetables in my diet. A lot of folks think they are really helping themselves by eating cooked vegetables, however outside of the fiber and being being able to convince themselves they are getting enough fruits and vegetable, they arent getting the nutrients out of the vegetable that they need. Heat destroys most of what you need from the vegetables. The 5 -7 servings per day that you are supposed to be taking should be RAW fruits and vegetables...who does that???

    The problem with vitimins is that often they end up in your intestine undissolved, plus you do not get the multitude of other nutrients that are in the vegetable or fruit. An apple has a lot more than vitamin C in it. Eat an apple or an orange instead of taking high priced vitamins. Whole food is so much better for you than taking vitamins.

    I have been taking Juice Plus in chewable form for the last few months (they also have it in capsules). It is dehydrated whole food fruits and vegetables.. I also occassionally have a Juice Plus complete shake which tastes like a chocolate shake that has the required servings of fruits and vegetables included. This is the only fruit/vegetable whole food suppliment that has hundreds of PUBLISHED clinical studies in medical journals of the great results of this product. Its not a hoax. I do not sell it but I do take it.
  • I'm sorry to hear you don't like fruits and veggies, but everybody's taste buds are different! I love fruits and veggies myself, and I'm not advocating that you NOT eat them, but since you seem to not be able to tolerate many, it can't hurt to supplement your diet with stuff that will add the necessary nutrients. I actually love fruits and veggies, but I also use a supplemental powder called "Super Greens". You can add it to water or juice. I personally prefer it with diet green tea myself! There are several varieties from which to choose depending on your personal diet needs! I have to warn you though that this is also not for everybody - but maybe worth trying? Good luck! I hope you find a way to stay healthier that suits your own taste buds!
  • This shows you how far removed from healthy food the US has strayed. I suggest you get over it, learn to cook and only visit the outside aisles in the supermarket.

    Sir, don't act like you know me please. I cook very well. And I have tried to eat these things since I was a child, and still try to eat them on occasion to "retrain" my taste buds as everyone calls it. So thanks, but no thanks for your "input".

    Hi Mandi,

    What are your favorite things to cook? It might be easier to start with what you DO like, then figure out how to add veg into those foods. There are a varying opinions about the value of "sneaking" vegetables into foods, but if you start gradually and gently adding vegetables into your diet, it might help. There were some good suggestions about adding pureed vegetables... There are also a few cookbooks designed for people who don't like vegetables--called something like the Sneaky Chef? (As for multivitamins, you can try it but your body won't absorb them nearly as well as the nutrients in food.)

    Good luck!!
  • That's depressing from a nutritional point of view ): There are endless benefits you can retain from eating fruits & vegetables. Supplements and multivitamins don't always save the day, most don't even dissolve fully and can't be used by the body.

    I would suggest sneaking your servings in: cauliflower in your mashed potatoes. They won't change the taste, just the health benefits. A banana in your next chocolate smoothie. Spinach spaghetti, there's no taste difference; it's green and that's the only give away that it's healthy. Other than that, it's tasteless and goes well with any sauce you make; which you can add pureed veggies into. Try sweet potato fries, some come packaged at the store, they taste great with ketchup. Puree veggies and add it o your meatloaf, the meat will over power any taste and you'l get a veggie serving.

    If you're not convinced to at least try some of those methods, then keep this in mind: Vegetables and fruits are naturally low calorie = easier to incorporate into meals and satisfy hunger without filling you out. Many vegetables are hydrators and as such will make up for the water you may lack (hydrators clear skin, keep skin firm and support vital organs). Vegetables are fibrous; your digestive system will love you. I can easily go on, but in the end the choice is yours. Living with a cleaner diet has far too many perks to list in a single post.
This discussion has been closed.