Can you help a picky eater?

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sbfreak17
sbfreak17 Posts: 42
in Recipes
Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to the site & I'm really trying to get some ideas for healthy lunches/dinners/snacks but the problem is...I'm a picky eater. I dont eat most veggies which makes it really hard. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried & tried to add different things into my meals but I'm having a hard time finding foods I'll eat. I'm willing to try pretty much anything so any suggestions will be of help. Thanks a bunch!
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  • bohoatthebeach
    bohoatthebeach Posts: 42
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    bump for my sister, ahaha
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to the site & I'm really trying to get some ideas for healthy lunches/dinners/snacks but the problem is...I'm a picky eater. I dont eat most veggies which makes it really hard. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried & tried to add different things into my meals but I'm having a hard time finding foods I'll eat. I'm willing to try pretty much anything so any suggestions will be of help. Thanks a bunch!

    Quit being picky.

    Problem(s) solved.
  • allison_42
    allison_42 Posts: 31
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    I'm really picky also, I don't eat ANY vegetables. I still eat what I usually do, just in moderation.
  • juliep1974
    juliep1974 Posts: 222 Member
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    You can learn to like things so you may want to try some vegetables that you haven't had in awhile - you may be pleasantly surprised. I taught myself to like cottage cheese by trying it a couple of times a year and adding various things (fruit, savory). If that won't work, you can hide vegetables in things (sauce, meatloaf, etc). There are a couple of cookbooks that are made for parents trying to get their kids to eat veggies - they could work for you too - the sneaky chef is one. Good luck!
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    It time to grow up and try some new foods. What are you 5 years old?
  • msteaplease
    msteaplease Posts: 32 Member
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    Try making a list of the foods that you WILL eat.

    Find recipes and/or ideas for those foods. Try to find at least 10-15 things that you can make on rotation and add to it over time. It may help to break it up by breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

    If you eat out and find things you like - write it down and try to find a way to lighten it up.
  • jaxdiablo
    jaxdiablo Posts: 580
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    Hi everyone. I'm relatively new to the site & I'm really trying to get some ideas for healthy lunches/dinners/snacks but the problem is...I'm a picky eater. I dont eat most veggies which makes it really hard. Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried & tried to add different things into my meals but I'm having a hard time finding foods I'll eat. I'm willing to try pretty much anything so any suggestions will be of help. Thanks a bunch!

    Quit being picky.

    Problem(s) solved.
    I've gotta agree with Eric. If you decide you want to get in shape you need to make some concessions to your eating habits. I hated yogurt before this, refused to eat certain leafy greens, stuff like that. I eat yogurt most mornings for breakfast, I eat spinach salads, and enough broccoli a week to choke a buffalo.

    What's more important to you... eating things you like, or being healthy? Unfortunately they don't always go hand in hand with each other.

    If you want to do things like you would with a child who was a picky eater, you find ways to "hide" the food. Such as making lasagna /w spinach in it, or smoothies with greens blended in... sorry I don't have better suggestions. I realized I just needed to adult up and eat the things that were good for me.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
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    Fruit?
  • castaliavt
    castaliavt Posts: 84 Member
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    What do you like to eat? That's a good starting place.

    Why do you think you don't like veggies? I used to think I hated veggies, but then I started having them when they were prepared better than what I was used to. When I was growing up, my mom would stick a frozen birds eye mixed veggie (usually corn, peas and carrots) into the microwave and then serve it to us plain. No salt or pepper, nothing. Gross.

    I've learned to cook veggies with more flavor and use other methods than microwaving.

    A few ideas:

    When you're having spaghetti or anything else with red sauce - put a carrot, celery, onion, cauliflower florets in the food processor and pulse them until they're pretty finely chopped. Add to the sauce. Also, you can add frozen spinach.

    Use the same trick when making turkey meatloaf or meatballs. Add some very finely chopped veggies.

    Roasting - we love roasted cauliflower. Cut into florets. Toss with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle on some thyme. Roast at 425 until they're starting to turn brown on the outside. They're a little crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. So good. My 3 year old will eat half a head of cauliflower if I cook it like this.
  • ladyhawkgg
    ladyhawkgg Posts: 26
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    I'm a very picky eater and I tried to make things with the things that I like. I do adapt quite a bit of recipes to my liking. Try to make things work with the things you like and go from there. If there is something in a recipe that you don't like then find something to replace it. If your the one making your food play with ideas. You just might come up with something great. Good luck. I have a few quick tips. Instead of mayo use whip topping. apples instead of onions. have a raw carrot salad with orange juice instead of mayo.
  • Emily_Katherine
    Emily_Katherine Posts: 150
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    Keep trying! I never used to like fish, asparagus or spinach but now I eat them all the time. I cooked them over and over until I found preparations I liked and got accustomed to the taste. I think repetition is key.
  • lillystargazer
    lillystargazer Posts: 62
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    Just keep trying new things! Try foods you've never thought of trying, you'll find new favorite foods. There is no sense in trying to force yourself into eating something you know for a fact you hate, though. If you do, it will make you want to give up.
  • castaliavt
    castaliavt Posts: 84 Member
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    I was thinking about this a bit and thought of something I wanted to add. In the beginning especially, it's a mind over matter thing. I don't fill my plate 1/2 way with broccoli because I prefer broccoli over lasagna (or whatever we're eating). I do it because I know I should and I know the nutrients in broccoli are what my body needs. I also didn't like most veggies when I was younger - they're an acquired taste. The human palate naturally prefers things that are sweet or salty than the slight bitterness that most veggies have.

    If you decide you are going to add more veggies to your diet, you will probably have to force yourself in the beginning. Convince yourself somehow. If there's a veggie I don't care for on my plate (asparagus, lima beans, kale) I usually make myself eat it before anything else. I will eat every bit of whatever I don't like first and then finish the meal with the meatloaf or chicken and rice or whatever.

    I had a similar discussion to this with my mom recently and she said something to the effect of "it's easier for you because you like vegetables, you're so lucky". I'm not lucky. And it wasn't easier for me in the beginning. I worked at it. If it's something that's important to you, you can change your palate preferences, but it'll probably be hard at first.
  • SunshineT83
    SunshineT83 Posts: 158 Member
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    I fully agree, Maybe you only THINK you don't like veggies because of how they're prepared. Invest in a good spice rack and make sure to USE the spices. Play with them, they don't cost you any calories
  • CrazyLilMonkey
    CrazyLilMonkey Posts: 7 Member
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    I am also a fairly picky eater. I use to NEVER eat vegetables, and was very narrow minded to what I liked. There were foods that I said I didn't like but after thinking about it I really have never tried them. For example asparagus - after trying it I actually really liked it....if it is cooked right.

    I have been doing my best to try new things. I have read that you should try something at least 3 times to get a good perception of it.

    I still don't eat many vegies. I look for healthier ingredients for my favorite foods and meals and make sure I use good portion control.

    Good Luck :-)
  • elastar33
    elastar33 Posts: 6
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    I'm also a pretty picky eater when it comes to vegetables, but I agree with everyone that you have to keep trying things. I hated peppers for the longest time because I got the stomach flu right after eating stuffed peppers as a kid and they made me want to throw up. But that was so long ago that I tried them again recently and actually don't mind them. I also notice that the vegetables I don't like raw (IE onions and tomatoes) I don't mind when cooked in soup or something. The things that make you literally gag to try and eat (avocados for me) aren't really worth forcing down as long as its just a few things. Everyone has stuff they don't like, its natural. But you need to find the veggies that fall into the "I can eat this and neither enjoy it nor hate it" category and try cooking them in different ways and such so that you can learn to bump them into the enjoy category. I don't think I'll ever love vegges as much as I love pizza, but that doesn't mean that I can't have the willpower to choose the right option.

    Oh, as you people who are being insulting about being a picky eater, 1) that's not really going to help, people have been rude to me about it for years and it only encouraged me more to be picky to show them that they didn't affect me with their rudeness and 2) people actually do have different levels of taste buds as well as some people having the genes to taste or not taste certain molecules found in various foods and veggies, so for some overcoming being a picky eater is a lot harder than others. And while I'm happy that I'm overcoming some of my aversions because it will make it easier to eat healthy, as long as you are getting the nutrients you need and finding food that helps you stay within a healthy diet, I don't think it really matters if you like every veggie out there.

    Anyways, good luck its always a frustrating thing to deal with! :)
  • kymschoenfeld
    kymschoenfeld Posts: 6
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    I disagree wit the people saying that you need to just get over it and eat something even if you don't like it. However trying new things with a back up plan handy has worked for me. People see food differently, but my belief is that eating should be a chore or something you dread. I'm not a big fan of certain vegetables on their own but enjoy them in something - like a soup or pasta. Forget all the people saying to sucked it up or grow up and just find what works for you!
  • knittingleah
    knittingleah Posts: 1
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    We are kindred spirits. I wish I liked certain foods. Tomatoes for instance - they are so beautiful and juicy and I've tried them over and over and I don't like them :smile: I imagine there are people who can gut it up, but I have found that you're not going to last long if you aren't enjoying the process which I believe means enjoying the things you are putting into your body. Apples are okay in my book and so I try to eat them slowly and pay attention to the flavors and remind myself that this is a positive step for health. I do not like pomegranate and I will not force myself to eat them. Give me a banana and I'll scarf it down :smile: The same holds true for me with vegetables (not my favorite) I love doing zucchini on the grill in the summer and picking green beans from the garden. Peppers aren't great for me, but when I grow them I'll slice some up for lunch with my family and eat a few slices now and then.

    We picky eaters can do this!
  • _persephone_
    _persephone_ Posts: 138 Member
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    Try roasting veggies...many of them are nicer by far when prepared in this way. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and beetroot are some of my faves.
  • softwind
    softwind Posts: 468 Member
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    I used to be a very picky eater, but over time I have gotten better. One thing I made sure that I did was always at least tried everything. That's it, I didn't have to eat it, but I had to at least try it. And over time my tastes have gotten more adventurous.

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