My veggie-phob boyfriend has asked me to pick him out dinner

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mickipedia
mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
Any suggestions on something quick and easy (this is one of the things that puts him off) I can make that will help him ease in to eating veggies and fruit (maybe not at the same time)

At the moment all he will eat is curry, certain pizzas and tortelinni. Literally that is it.

Other then chocolate hobnobs, caramel digestives and jaffa cakes.

He has such a bad diet and he's finally asked for help so I don't wanna scare him off!!

Any suggestions are welcome!
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Replies

  • mickipedia
    mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
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    please help! I'm in shock that he's asked so I can't think of anything right now!
  • biggiewinner
    biggiewinner Posts: 7 Member
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    I have a delicious recipe for zucchini. The smaller ones taste better to me for this. Clean them, then slice them lengthwise about this thick...(______) Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning (I like Emeril's Essence....or something with a little spicy taste) Put them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheddar or parmesan cheese and bake for about 10 minutes at 450....untill cheese looks melted and browning a little. It is so good!
  • Tracey0013
    Tracey0013 Posts: 154 Member
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    If he likes pizza why not order (or make) a pizza with veg/fruit on it. Easy fast and something he sorta likes already :) I know it's not that healthy but it's a start for him :) or make his fav pasta with veg added to the sauce. You could add carrots or spinach to start :)
  • moonspells
    moonspells Posts: 126 Member
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    You could start him off easy by adding a few extra veggies to a curry recipe that he would already eat...? Some peppers, zucchini, cauliflower maybe. Just cut them up small and he'll barely even notice them! If you can get him to eat pasta sauce, you can do the same thing with that...
    Try looking up websites with suggestions for parents on adding veggies to kids' meals...it's the same idea but with a bigger kid! ;o)
    Good luck!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
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    What about a veggie/spinach lasagna?
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
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    I'm a big believer in roasting vegetables so they get a nice nutty flavor. Steaming and boiling are the reasons so many people think they don't like vegetables, in my humble opinion.

    Here's a recipe for roasted broccoli that is excellent: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html

    I do it with about a quarter of the oil, and without the pine nuts and basil. And if you don't have a lemon handy, use balsamic or wine vinegar instead.
  • theNurseNancy
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    I'd say start adding more veggies to things he already likes. Then start off trying different recipes like you would a toddler. Make something and let him try it (earnestly), and if he doesn't like it, let him try it again another way at another time. I'm getting better with this. I LOVE brussel sprouts now that I've found an appropriate recipe.

    http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/oven-roasted-balsamic-brussels-sprouts/
  • girl_afraid82
    girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
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    Agreed on roasting vegetables, I always find stuff like peppers and carrots are gorgeous drizzled with some olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then roasted.
    I also love veggies stir fried in a little bit of honey. YUM.
  • girl_afraid82
    girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
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    Also... a trick my mum used to pull on my little brother AND my ex boyfriend (lol) was to blend veggies into their food. Works really well with gravy. They had no idea (and still don't).
  • kimw91
    kimw91 Posts: 355 Member
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    How about incorporating some chopped veggies into a tomato pasta sauce? You could use zucchini, eggplant, finely chopped carrots etc. A stew might work as well? Also, I always find (baby) sweet corn and butternut squash less "veggie-tasting". Oh and maybe a vegetarian chilli? Stuffed bell pepper?
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
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    I LOVE brussel sprouts now that I've found an appropriate recipe.

    http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/oven-roasted-balsamic-brussels-sprouts/

    I loved this line: "Try to convince your children that they’re giants and they’re eating teeny tiny cabbages." Might work for the original poster's boyfriend as well!
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
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    If he likes curry, maybe the trick would be to buy (or make) a nice curry blend. I mean a real one from an Indian grocer/website, not something from Albertson's :) (I make curry powder fresh from whole spices, but I live in an area with lots of Indian grocery, so I know that's not possible for everyone.) Curry can be very quick and healthy, try a cookbook like "660 curries" or something by Madhur Jaffrey from your library. For example one of my favorites involves cauliflower, potatoes, a can of tomatoes, and spices, in the pan, covered, for 30 minutes or so. I'll track down the recipe if you're interested.
  • stormdancer
    stormdancer Posts: 32 Member
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    Find out what curry he likes, learn to make it and then incorporate vegetables small and
    chopped into a half cup of the curry so he has a familiar taste to the unfamiliar *texture* of the new vegetables.

    Roasting vegetables in the oven first with olive oil alone is delicious.

    To roast and add to curry, I suggest winter squash, carrots, beets, turnips, chopped smaller.
    To steam or microwave in a covered bowl, I suggest,
    summer squash without seeds (some ppl hate the seeds, I like them) broccoli flower parts, celery chopped fine, carrots chopped fine. This is at first, while he gets used to, well, chewing more as he eats curry-covered vegetables.
    Maybe add in a little avocado for fats (not too much, avocado is high in calories)

    At first, make the pieces smaller, use less fibrous vegetables perhaps, and then, in two months or so, add in harder, more
    fibrous veggies like broccoli stems, cabbage, brussels sprouts to his curries.
  • stormdancer
    stormdancer Posts: 32 Member
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    I reread the question. He wants to...himself cook veggies?

    Does he have a real kitchen or just a dorm room microwave?

    For easy, even for a microwave, get a salad shooter, use the shredding cone not the slicing. Shred carrots, potatoes, any root vegetables like beets, turnips, rutabage. You can shred also broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cabbage. Shredding makes sure all the pieces are the same size.

    Then either microwave in a bowl with a plate over the top to keep in steam (USE POTHOLDERS TO REMOVE BOWL, ITS HOT) or stirfry in a skillet or
    coat the shreds in olive oil and put in oven-proof dish with sides or edges so oil doesnt run off into the oven floor and burn and smoke there. in oven, about 20 to 30 minutes. 400 for crispy burnt edges, 350 for softer creamier texture. Use different veggie mixtures for variety, with practice he will find out what combinations he prefers. USE A TIMER so you don't forget its in there. Any of these methods he can then coat the veggies with curry if he prefers.
  • stormdancer
    stormdancer Posts: 32 Member
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    and if he wants more vegetables incorporated into his daily diet, there's salsa (try to impress on him to read the labels and only eat the ones with words he knows what they mean. Health Food store will have better versions. Guacamole too, Ellen Degeneres likes a brand called Holy Guacamole. :)
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I found a good "first veggie" for my hubby was peppers, especially the red, orange, and yellow sweet ones. He already liked carrots and apples, so the crunch of the peppers was fine for him, and the sweet taste makes it seem less like veggies.

    I also found that he liked my stir fry, even though I added broccoli and other various veggies. I think the spices helped, because stir fry is one of those "whatever I found in the cupboards" type of things.

    Cauliflower faux mashed potatoes ( http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/cauliflowermash.htm ) are pretty good, too, if you add other stuff to flavor it and maybe play with the texture.

    For pizza, I found that adding green peppers doesn't alter the flavor much, and provides a little crisp to a soft pizza (or blends pretty well in a crispy pizza). Black olives on pizza changes the flavor a little, but it's a subtle flavor that might blend in if you have a lot of other toppings.
  • mickipedia
    mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
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    Thanks for your suggestions everyone :)

    I tried him on fajitas last night (with salad and avocado) and he liked the actually wraps and chicken, quite liked the salad but wasn't keen on the avocado.

    I'm planning on doing a stir fry and a veggie curry at some point and although I think roasted veggies will be a good idea I'm worried he'll take one look and run.

    He really is a kid :laugh:
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
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    I love avocado but I can imagine not liking the almost slimy texture. Thanks for reporting back!
  • carolanne84
    carolanne84 Posts: 53 Member
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    I kinda have a veggie phobia too, I have learned that if it is cut up smaller and mixed into something like a sauce or soup I am fine with eating it. I still have yet to eat grilled squash or things like that, but I have come a long way from not eating them at all. Maybe try a potato soup, spaghetti sauce, or chicken pot pie.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
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    I don't know if the man likes onions, but you usually find those in curries and pizzas. I eat onions and garlic with any cooked vegetable, because that makes it all the more savory and delicious.

    Caramelize or seriously cook some onions and garlic.

    Remove them and place in a bowl.

    In the same pan, cook broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, chard, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, or any 1-2 veggies that you want him to try.

    When the veggie is almost cooked, place the onions back in with them to warm them up. That is my recipe for deliciosity.