vegatables

pseel42
pseel42 Posts: 82 Member
edited December 19 in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I just joined today and I wanted to post about a problem I have had my whole life.

I HATE vegatables. I will eat: peas, potates, raw carrots, raw celery, salad. That's pretty much it.

I grew up in a household where veggies came from a can. So I am a pretty picky eater. I want to eat healthy but not only can I not afford to I just don't have the taste for anything that is good for me.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Paula:embarassed:

Replies

  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
    I read that you have to try a vegetable up to 15 times before developing a taste for it.

    I can understand your dislike for veggies if they always came from a can, but I assure you fresh are totally different - in taste and texture. I always HATED canned green beans as a kid but give me fresh steamed ones and I'd be a happy camper.

    My advice would be to try different preparations for the same veggie - roasted, steamed, sauteed, and raw for instance. Some things like eggplant aren't pleasant raw so you'd want to skip that. And don't underestimate the power of a little salt & pepper to really bring out their flavor.

    Also experiment with spices - I personally think garlic makes most anything tastier so I use it a lot in cooking. Italian seasoning is another go-to of mine.
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
    If you don't like them don't eat them. You don't need them. The northern Inuits go without veggies in their diet and are healthy.
  • MikMont
    MikMont Posts: 49 Member
    My advice: switch from cans to frozen. It tastes better and is better for you.

    I thought I didnt like vegetables until i started experimenting with cooking them. Cook some asparagus in a crockpotor oven with seasoned chicken. Or you can put some crab meat on the asparagus with a bit a butter.

    If you eat peas, I feel like you can eat all veggies! lol.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If you've only had vegetables from a can and raw, then I'm not surprised you don't like most of them. Try fresh vegetables either stir fried or tossed in olive oil and roasted. You will not believe the difference in the taste between these and canned.

    There are very few vegetables I like from a can. I can't think of a single vegetable I don't like either stir fried or roasted.
  • ready2tryagain42
    ready2tryagain42 Posts: 202
    Find what you like as far as veggies and only eat them. I love spring and summer because of the fresh veggies available at the local Farmer's Markets. I have even found new vegetables that I wasn't sure I liked but I tried them..and LOVE them!

    You are doing better than most people because you actually eat some and haven't cut them out of your diet completely. Good luck to you in your journey.
  • cldwyer150
    cldwyer150 Posts: 20
    try eating vegetables that are in season. They taste so much better and are a lot cheaper. Buy them at a local farmers market or road side stand. I eat most of mine raw as I hate them cooked and soggy.

    It does not really cost more to eat healthy but it does cost a lot more down the road with medical bills if you ignore your health!
  • jessicawrites
    jessicawrites Posts: 235 Member
    Buy baby spinach (same price as bagged lettuce, so you can afford it if you can afford salad), shred it up and put it in meatballs, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, etc. You'll see little green shreds, but you won't taste it (promise). If you have them cut really fine, you may not even notice the texture.

    You seem to like raw veggies--try slicing zucchini thinly into your salad. It tastes a bit different from cucumber, but you might like it better that way than cooked.

    I've also heard of people using cauliflower as a "gateway veggie." There are plenty of recipes on the internet that create a subbed version of mashed potatoes where cauliflower replaces the potato. Put in some garlic or a drizzle of gravy, and you can get a heartier, more savory veggie serving.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    I grew up on only can veggies as well. I now do the steam in a bag veggies some of light sauced if you can't handle it bare. Start trying those first...Maybe you can find a light dressing that you love and dip them in.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    I will eat: peas, potates, raw carrots, raw celery, salad. That's pretty much it.

    Than eat those?
    That's a pretty long list for hating vegetables lol.

    Try zuchinni, squash, onions, broccoli, cauliflower stir fried in low sodium soy sauce.
  • ChelseaM18
    ChelseaM18 Posts: 303
    Maybe start with more sweeter and savoury vegetables that can easily be added into foods.

    For example, a blended onion / garlic into a casserole or a carrot in a juicer (carrots are sweet and you don't taste them in a juice/smoothie I promise :) )

    Baby steps, I hated vegetables, but I just kept experimenting and turns out I love them now :D
  • LBash03
    LBash03 Posts: 72
    I also hate vegetables.. but I can eat them if they are chopped small, and mixed in with other things. If you try skinnytaste.com, she always incorporates veggies in her meals and you can barely even taste them!
  • Amberetta82
    Amberetta82 Posts: 153 Member
    I grew up the same way. Try something new/different every week and see what you like. I made the switch from canned to fresh veggies. Instead of canned corn I got corn on the cob etc. Today I tried jicama. GREAT substitute for potatoes!!! They also remind me of apples so I ate mine sliced with peanut butter. I'm still not a fan of avocados but I will keep trying different ways to eat it. Just keep an open mind and try new things. Look up different recipes. Allrecipes.com is great.
  • ninick
    ninick Posts: 44 Member
    It's funny how I actually eat and love almost all veggies with the exception of raw celeries (I don't like them much)

    - Try steaming cauliflower till it's very soft and subsitute it for half of the potatos in mashed potato recipe. Much healthier and just as good... IMO :)
    - grilled onions are really sweet and can be used in sandwiches, burgers...
    - Raw Jicama is my alternative to eating apples, it's not as sweet but almost the same texture.
  • s0ready
    s0ready Posts: 99
    I have the same problem! So what helps me get the veggies in is by making smoothies. Spinach is what I started with, You can not taste it at all in the smoothie, but it does make it green! So mix vanilla yogurt, fruit (strawberries), spinach, and ice or juice. I also add in protein powder to help up my protein intake. I've also experiment with other veggies, like kale(which is a little strong), cooked carrots, frozen peas, broccoli, green beans(also a little strong), and cauliflower. Bananas are also great to help mask the taste of veggies.

    This has helped me to experiment with eating cooked veggies at meal times (I have a texture issue with some raw veggies). But I do now start to crave some veggies, like in the morining I so look forward to my egg white omelete with green peppers and onions, and corn (my family always put corn in with eggs, called SquawCorn).
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