Need help finding new foods to try
hdg1822
Posts: 75 Member
Hi there. I am working on losing 90 pounds with 15 pounds down. However, I seem to have stalled out on my weight loss recently. I know I need to improve and broaden the foods that I eat but I am very hesitant to try new foods.
Any tips and ideas on learning to eat new foods would be very welcome as well. I have some strange allergies (allergic to seasonings except salt…especially allergic to garlic, cinnamon, and pepper). Since I have to eat a lot of bland food I have an aversion to the strong flavors in the Asian cooking/sauces which my husband loves…any suggestions on lighter flavors to use? I’m not a huge fan of vegetables but there seems to be some new ones here in Washington that I might be willing to try if I knew that they were good. Any recommendations would be very welcome. Thanks!
Any tips and ideas on learning to eat new foods would be very welcome as well. I have some strange allergies (allergic to seasonings except salt…especially allergic to garlic, cinnamon, and pepper). Since I have to eat a lot of bland food I have an aversion to the strong flavors in the Asian cooking/sauces which my husband loves…any suggestions on lighter flavors to use? I’m not a huge fan of vegetables but there seems to be some new ones here in Washington that I might be willing to try if I knew that they were good. Any recommendations would be very welcome. Thanks!
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Replies
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Couscous and Quinoa are both grains that I love. Cucumbers, peppers, oranges, tomatos and apples are all staples in my diet. I love ezekiel bread and new cereals. Since i don't know what you're currently eating its hard to recommend new things.0
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http://www.kalynskitchen.com/
I love using this website for recipes. My family doesn't even realize it's diet food. The taste is so good and I add my own seasoning when needed.0 -
Try roasting some green beans in the oven. Heat your oven to 400 degrees and toss fresh green beans with a little bit of olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes and enjoy! You can also do this with tomatoes (so good!).0
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I second couscous, quinoa and ezekiel bread. They will cost more money but are absolutely worth adding to your meals! I didn't eat ONE vegetable when I started last year and once I made myself try them cooked different ways, I learned that I liked them. Maybe try having some veggies a different way than you've had them before? It may work for you as well. Good luck!
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Thanks. I currently eat peas/beans, potatoes, turnips, asparagus, apples, oranges, grapes, and strawberries. I will def try out the couscous, quinoa, and ezekiel bread. I appreciate the ideas on trying different ways to cook veggies. LoraF83 that sounds like a great way to cook green beans. I will add them to my shopping list!!!
Thank you all for the tips!0 -
Maria - thanks for the website. Lots of good looking ideas on there!!!0
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I’m not a huge fan of vegetables but there seems to be some new ones here in Washington that I might be willing to try if I knew that they were good.
Are you not a fan of vegetables at all, or just not ones from a can? I ask that, because I was naively (is that a word?) under the assumption that I didn't like them either while a Midwest resident. When I moved to California the entire game changed though. There is an abundant amount of fresh produce here and the farmers markets during the summer are the greatest thing on the planet. Have you tried eating really fresh veggies both raw and cooked? It made a hell of a difference for this taste pallet.0 -
Bean sprouts are totally good, but not too strong of a flavor. Get a can of them, drain, rinse. Use a half of a cup and add salsa or spaghetti sauce. Pop in the microwave until hot (doesn't take long). I think it tastes really close to regular spaghetti and looks like it too because the bean sprouts are long and white. You could even add cheese, mushrooms, whatever you like in your spaghetti, just use the bean sprouts as noodles.0
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Couple of things I do because my husband and my best friend are HORRIBLY picky eaters.
1. Lightly saute broccoli. About 2 minutes before it's done put 2 tablespoons of honey on it.
2. Butternut squash is pretty sweet and delicious. I cut it up to look like french fries, season however your allergies will allow, and roast it in the oven at 400 for 35 min.
3. Spinach has NO flavor if it's been washed before cooking. If you don't rinse it...well..it tastes like dirt. You can put it in almost anything to give your food a vitamin boost. I like to cook it until it wilts ( it will shrink..use double what you think you'll need) and put it on a pizza or cut it up really fine and put it in pasta sauce.
4. Any veggie tastes sweet and delicious when roasted. And the great thing about roasting is that you can play with the seasonings and flavors until you find what works for you.
Hope any of that helped.0 -
Thanks. I currently eat peas/beans, potatoes, turnips, asparagus, apples, oranges, grapes, and strawberries. I will def try out the couscous, quinoa, and ezekiel bread. I appreciate the ideas on trying different ways to cook veggies. LoraF83 that sounds like a great way to cook green beans. I will add them to my shopping list!!!
Thank you all for the tips!
If you like turnips, try carrots and parsnips. A great side that gets loads of different nutrients due to the veggies is a winter vegetable roast...sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and if you are feeling adventurous fresh brussels sprouts. Peel the root veggies, cut them in fairly consistent pieces, toss with olive oil and a little salt, and roast at 400 degrees until soft enough to eat.
Even if you think you hate brussels sprouts, roasting them fresh makes them a completely different vegetable than what you are used to...the slimy frozen or canned kind! If you are unwilling to try, the roast is still good without them.0 -
Bean sprouts are totally good, but not too strong of a flavor. Get a can of them, drain, rinse. Use a half of a cup and add salsa or spaghetti sauce. Pop in the microwave until hot (doesn't take long). I think it tastes really close to regular spaghetti and looks like it too because the bean sprouts are long and white. You could even add cheese, mushrooms, whatever you like in your spaghetti, just use the bean sprouts as noodles.
That is an great idea. I love it and my hubby will to because he loves bean sprouts and spaghetti. Thanks!!0 -
I eat chobani greek yogurt in the morning. (My fave is pineapple) It has 14 grams of protein so I do not get hungry for many hours after I eat it. Also, we buy the already cooked chicken breasts for when we do not feel like cooking, and heat up a steam bag of your favorite veggie mix. Then once they are all heated up cut the chicken and mix it with the veggies. We use spray butter and salt and pepper for more flavor. It is filling and low calories and a good way to get in a TON of veggies. Also, we eat a lot of salads with a bunch of stuff on it. Tonight we are having shredded lettuce topped with fajita steak meat with bell peppers and onions, and instead of ranch we use salsa. I will probably add fresh tomatoes, green onions and whatever else we have that would go well with it. I am the type that has to eat a lot of variety, or I would cave and start eating my old/bad ways again.
Also, for a splurge I get the skinny cow ice cream sandwiches and candy bars for around 110-150 cals.
Hope this helps!! GOOD LUCK!
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I’m not a huge fan of vegetables but there seems to be some new ones here in Washington that I might be willing to try if I knew that they were good.
Are you not a fan of vegetables at all, or just not ones from a can? I ask that, because I was naively (is that a word?) under the assumption that I didn't like them either while a Midwest resident. When I moved to California the entire game changed though. There is an abundant amount of fresh produce here and the farmers markets during the summer are the greatest thing on the planet. Have you tried eating really fresh veggies both raw and cooked? It made a hell of a difference for this taste pallet.
Not a big fan either way but def prefer fresh over canned and prefer canned over frozen. My dad had a 2-3 acre garden back in FL so the veggies that I did eat where almost always fresh and you are right that makes a huge difference. I will try and check out the local farmer's market. It is always on my to go to list but I never seem to make it since it's only open on Sat. What are some of the veggies you currently like? Maybe they will have some up here in Wa.0 -
BekkaL: those are some yummy sounding suggestions. Thanks. I will def try the butternut squash idea. I have seen a lot of those in the store and have been wondering how to cook them. I love the honey and broccoli idea too as eating local honey will help with my other allergies. I truly appreciate the ideas and the time you took to share them!!0
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Wildcata. That sounds great. I haven't tried roasting veggies before. That seems to be a great way to make them taste good from what everyone is saying. I will try out the parsnips asap if they are like turnips. I could eat turnips daily but my hubby gets tired of them.
To all who have posted! THANK YOU so much for the ideas and help. Very motivating and inspiring.0 -
I eat chobani greek yogurt in the morning. (My fave is pineapple) It has 14 grams of protein so I do not get hungry for many hours after I eat it. Also, we buy the already cooked chicken breasts for when we do not feel like cooking, and heat up a steam bag of your favorite veggie mix. Then once they are all heated up cut the chicken and mix it with the veggies. We use spray butter and salt and pepper for more flavor. It is filling and low calories and a good way to get in a TON of veggies. Also, we eat a lot of salads with a bunch of stuff on it. Tonight we are having shredded lettuce topped with fajita steak meat with bell peppers and onions, and instead of ranch we use salsa. I will probably add fresh tomatoes, green onions and whatever else we have that would go well with it. I am the type that has to eat a lot of variety, or I would cave and start eating my old/bad ways again.
Also, for a splurge I get the skinny cow ice cream sandwiches and candy bars for around 110-150 cals.
Hope this helps!! GOOD LUCK!
Wow! You gave me a lot of great ideas. Thank you so much. I think I will def look into the skinny cows...always love something sweet. The yogurt is something I will buy for sure since my hubby and I are trying to increase our protein intake while weight lifting. Thanks again! Good luck to you as well!0 -
Wildcata. That sounds great. I haven't tried roasting veggies before. That seems to be a great way to make them taste good from what everyone is saying. I will try out the parsnips asap if they are like turnips. I could eat turnips daily but my hubby gets tired of them.
To all who have posted! THANK YOU so much for the ideas and help. Very motivating and inspiring.
They are a root vegetable as well...kind of a cross b/t a turnip and a carrot.
And I second the Chobani yogurts...I love the peach and Mango...they are thick and DELICIOUS! And keep doing the fruit as a snack.0 -
Try green smoothies! One of my faves is banana, apple, orange and spinach. YUM!0
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You say you're allergic to seasonings, but what about fresh herbs? There are so many good ones out there. Citrus, flavorful oils, and vinegars can also perk up a bland meal.0
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I’m not a huge fan of vegetables but there seems to be some new ones here in Washington that I might be willing to try if I knew that they were good.
Are you not a fan of vegetables at all, or just not ones from a can? I ask that, because I was naively (is that a word?) under the assumption that I didn't like them either while a Midwest resident. When I moved to California the entire game changed though. There is an abundant amount of fresh produce here and the farmers markets during the summer are the greatest thing on the planet. Have you tried eating really fresh veggies both raw and cooked? It made a hell of a difference for this taste pallet.
Not a big fan either way but def prefer fresh over canned and prefer canned over frozen. My dad had a 2-3 acre garden back in FL so the veggies that I did eat where almost always fresh and you are right that makes a huge difference. I will try and check out the local farmer's market. It is always on my to go to list but I never seem to make it since it's only open on Sat. What are some of the veggies you currently like? Maybe they will have some up here in Wa.
I highly recommend trying the market out; it's great food and a great experience. I think my favorite new veggie has been bok choy. I can't make enough of it right now. I pair it with pork as an asian dish, but I'm not sure how well that'd work since your allergies are an issue. As well, I really enjoy huge salads now. I use spring mixes of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, carrots, yellow and red peppers, feta cheese and turkey meat. I am still not a huge fan of cooked veggies, so most of what I eat is just raw veggies (carrots, green beans, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) for my snacks.0 -
love the Chobani too. I like to take the Chobani Champions (smaller servings, marketed for kids) to work. It's a smaller portion and I'm doing low carb so it works out great. My favorite is the Very Berry 8gm protein, just 13g carbs.
I didn't see that you have a nut allergy. My mainstay for snacks are almonds. I usually have a can with me but they also have the 100 calorie packs. The Ezekiel bread is awesome toasted with almond or peanut butter. The raisin is so yummy it tastes like you're cheating but it does have cinnamon.
Can't help too much on the veggies. I'm veggie challenged. I did find that I'm using kale and spinach in just about everything, omelets to meatloaf. Too bad about the garlic. It makes everything taste good. I read on another web site about using cauliflower instead of rice in dishes (it chops up fine or use a ricer. I tried it this weekend and it worked out ok. I LOVE rice though so I could really tell the difference. Next time I think I'll try it to replace rice in stuffed cabbage.0 -
You say you're allergic to seasonings, but what about fresh herbs? There are so many good ones out there. Citrus, flavorful oils, and vinegars can also perk up a bland meal.
I am working my way into herbs, etc. Growing up they were not something that my family used in cooking and I carried on that tradition by myself. My husband loves them and is slowly introducing me to them but I have an aversion to strong flavors since I have gone so long without them (over 10 years). I will look into the flavoring oils. Thanks for the ideas!0 -
love the Chobani too. I like to take the Chobani Champions (smaller servings, marketed for kids) to work. It's a smaller portion and I'm doing low carb so it works out great. My favorite is the Very Berry 8gm protein, just 13g carbs.
I didn't see that you have a nut allergy. My mainstay for snacks are almonds. I usually have a can with me but they also have the 100 calorie packs. The Ezekiel bread is awesome toasted with almond or peanut butter. The raisin is so yummy it tastes like you're cheating but it does have cinnamon.
Can't help too much on the veggies. I'm veggie challenged. I did find that I'm using kale and spinach in just about everything, omelets to meatloaf. Too bad about the garlic. It makes everything taste good. I read on another web site about using cauliflower instead of rice in dishes (it chops up fine or use a ricer. I tried it this weekend and it worked out ok. I LOVE rice though so I could really tell the difference. Next time I think I'll try it to replace rice in stuffed cabbage.
That's a great idea about the cauliflower. I will try that. Not a huge rice fan so I doubt that I will notice. My husband probably will but he can cook rice instead if he wants it. I do eat p-nuts as a snack often. I will have to branch out and try almonds and walnuts. I like pecans too.
Thanks for the yogurt suggestion. Not a huge yogurt fan so trying a kids size can introduce me and get me into liking yogurt more easily.0 -
Fockertots - thanks for the ideas. I am def going to hit up the local farmers market soon to get some fresh/local veggies. My husband just got into bok choy again (he's part Korean so my aversion to veggies drives him crazy). I will see if I can snag some of his to cook without the sauces he puts on it.0
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Try green smoothies! One of my faves is banana, apple, orange and spinach. YUM!
Sounds good! We just bought a juicer and are going to try juicing soon. I want to do one meal a day that way (don't think I could do the whole no eating food at all deal) and I might mix it up with the smoothies! Thanks for the suggestion.0 -
i found some very good tasting sweet potato pancakes in the frozen/organic food section. frozen soup section has a very good choice of low calorie soups, you may add couscous or else if you wish. they are decent size and only 70 cal each. i am not great on spices neither unless i put some in my food myself and it is usually very little0
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wild game is always a good choice0
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Try looking at the Ottolenghi website for vegetable foods that are more than tasty. He's known as the Green Gourmet here in the Uk and writes a column in the weekend Guardian which is widely read.0
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try dashingdish.com0
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Try green smoothies! One of my faves is banana, apple, orange and spinach. YUM!
Yes!!! love the smoothies....i hate veggies, but get them in my doing smoothies....same with my kids...they say "i don't like to eat veggies, but i will drink them"....spinach is the easiest to mask taste...i use 2 cup spinach, 1 cup strawberries, 1/2 yogurt...maybe add a banana....I also experiment using frozen peas, cooked carrots, cucumbers....just experiment!!! bananas and vanilla mask most everything!!!0
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