Disguising Vegetables

hornedfrog11
hornedfrog11 Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone! What are some ways that ya'll have disguised veggies into your meals? I don't know why veggies are so difficult to eat, but for me it is one of the hardest things to change about my diet. How do ya'll make sure you get them into your meals?

Replies

  • cbevan1229
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/macaroni-and-4-cheeses-recipe/index.html

    This is a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese that uses Butternut Squash for creaminess and bulk, which also reduces how much cheese is used. I made it once a while back, but it was really delicious.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Cook them with bacon.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I don't. For a long time I actively ate foods I hated. I KNOW they are healthy for me and WAY better. So, I ate them. Over time, I grew to like and love them. You also learn new ways of having them that taste fantastic through this.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I have always disliked veggies.

    But I've found some ways to cook them that I enjoy:

    Roast them with olive oil. Toss any veggie with a (very) small amount of olive oil and spread on a pan. Sprinkle with salt or desired seasoning (I like garlic powder, onion powder, italian blend, etc) and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies start to get black edges and look "roasted". I've done this with cherry tomatoes, peppers, brussels sprouts, zuchinni, and more. Way easier to eat!

    I also like to sautee spinach with mushrooms and garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil - delicious!
  • Triquetra
    Triquetra Posts: 270 Member
    I use the "Sneaky Chef" cookbooks, they put broccoli in brownies, carrots in mac and cheese and beans in pancakes....good for fooling the kids into eating veggies too.
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
    Simple way to get more vegtables in your diet: Add frozen or cut up fresh vegatables to dishes you currently like.They add low calorie bulk to the dish and typically doesn't change the flavor very much.
    Double the size of a lean cusine by adding vegtables.
    Add brocolli to Mac and cheese.
    Try different vegtables and see which you like best.
  • trybabytry
    trybabytry Posts: 181
    I grate zucchini in all my oatmeal and pancakes, or whenever I have it around -- it bulks them up and you can't even taste it! Carrots are good for that, too (think carrot cake).

    A roasted red pepper is also an insanely easy and low-calorie gourmet-tasting treat that is good with everything... on sandwiches, pizza, salads, eggs... Just use your hands and cover a cored pepper with 1 tsp of olive oil (make sure it's all covered), and broil it as close to the top of your stove as you can at about 350. Turn it a few times when it starts getting brown or black scorch splotches (those are good).
  • Mindmovesbody
    Mindmovesbody Posts: 399 Member
    I have always disliked veggies.

    But I've found some ways to cook them that I enjoy:

    Roast them with olive oil. Toss any veggie with a (very) small amount of olive oil and spread on a pan. Sprinkle with salt or desired seasoning (I like garlic powder, onion powder, italian blend, etc) and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies start to get black edges and look "roasted". I've done this with cherry tomatoes, peppers, brussels sprouts, zuchinni, and more. Way easier to eat!

    I also like to sautee spinach with mushrooms and garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil - delicious!

    This is the way to go! A little olive oil and spices goes a LONG way for taste :) Also, I like to stir fry veggies and use a tsp. of spy sauce. Soy sauce is SUPER high in sodium so that is why I use only a tsp but it is so flavorful!
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    You can pretty much add zuchini and yellow squash to anything. Spagetti sauce is the best example. As you prepare the sauce grind one up in a food processer and dump it in!
  • TheChocolatePrincess
    TheChocolatePrincess Posts: 137 Member
    Any casserole-esque dish can be full of veggies....I.e. loaves (meatloaf can be moistened with pureed veggies), shredded cooked carrots can be added to mac & cheese, spaghetti can be fortefied with finely chopped veggies, cheesy rice and broccoli, cooked pasta tossed with garlic and broccli. There are a lot of options.
  • jtheiss
    jtheiss Posts: 14
    My husband is a VERY picky eater, but since we started doing MFP together I've convinced him to have a fruit & veggie smoothie every day as his breakfast. We blend frozen berries with light V8 fusion juice and light vanilla yogurt and I add a whole CUP of frozen broccoli/zucchini/peas/carrots (whatever we have on hand) and he seriously cannot even taste them. We make a pretty big smoothie that he takes for his breakfast and sips on it all morning long until lunchtime. Between all the frozen fruit/veggies and the V8 it has a full day's worth of fruit and veggie servings in one smoothie.
  • hornedfrog11
    hornedfrog11 Posts: 9
    My husband is a VERY picky eater, but since we started doing MFP together I've convinced him to have a fruit & veggie smoothie every day as his breakfast. We blend frozen berries with light V8 fusion juice and light vanilla yogurt and I add a whole CUP of frozen broccoli/zucchini/peas/carrots (whatever we have on hand) and he seriously cannot even taste them. We make a pretty big smoothie that he takes for his breakfast and sips on it all morning long until lunchtime. Between all the frozen fruit/veggies and the V8 it has a full day's worth of fruit and veggie servings in one smoothie.

    That is a GREAT idea! I've never even thought about doing that!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    Sometimes it's could be the way you've had the veggies prepared that is what you didn't actually like.

    Growing up the veggies we had all got boiled through to tastelessness / uniform taste, I steam my veggies now or broil or grill.. lots of choices and a simple change in prep method can be enough to open up a new world of wonderful veggies.
  • carrigsl
    carrigsl Posts: 3
    I put frozen spinach and shredded carrots into my tomatoe sauce. For me I like veggies so I add them to everything.
  • TheArmadillo
    TheArmadillo Posts: 299 Member
    grated carrot and courgette (zucchini I think) dissolve into sauces when cooked.

    If you like tomato based sauces you can blend plenty of veg into them.

    Replace mashed potato with mashed cauliflower (add cream cheese for texture and parmesan or cheddar and garlic/onion powder for flavour).

    Vegetable soup - pureed of necessary and plenty of strong flavour added e.g chili.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Cook them with bacon.
    This! Adding healthy fats makes them taste delicious--don't forget to season them as well.

    Roasting a mix of vegetables in the oven with olive oil seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic are delicious. Chop up a few slices of bacon and saute the bacon and vegetables together--green beans, cabbage and brussel sprouts are great this way. And the easiest way of all is just to add some real butter, salt and pepper.
  • myownadvice
    myownadvice Posts: 95 Member
    I know several have already mentioned them but grilled veggies are awesome. We take asparagus, zuccini (sliced length-wise), and yellow squash (also sliced length-wise) when we camp and throw it on the grill along with the dogs and burgers. A little olive oil and spice (Lawry's season salt if nothing else) can go a long way to changing the flavor of something.

    You could also try spaghetti squash in place of pasta and add your favorite sauce. It is delicious and so much better for you!
  • emilypurplefrog
    emilypurplefrog Posts: 92 Member
    First off, I see you are a Horned Frog! Go Frogs!

    Second of all, a lot of my veggies I won't eat unless they are diced. I would suggest dicing your veggies and mixing them in with some meat or rice.
  • nella1080
    nella1080 Posts: 4 Member
    A great website on how to cook certain veggies or anything else you would like to try would be
    www.eatbetteramerica.com
  • nella1080
    nella1080 Posts: 4 Member
    I tried the mashed cauliflower, it was great.
  • DivaDiba0212
    DivaDiba0212 Posts: 23
    My husband is a VERY picky eater, but since we started doing MFP together I've convinced him to have a fruit & veggie smoothie every day as his breakfast. We blend frozen berries with light V8 fusion juice and light vanilla yogurt and I add a whole CUP of frozen broccoli/zucchini/peas/carrots (whatever we have on hand) and he seriously cannot even taste them. We make a pretty big smoothie that he takes for his breakfast and sips on it all morning long until lunchtime. Between all the frozen fruit/veggies and the V8 it has a full day's worth of fruit and veggie servings in one smoothie.

    I have contemplated doing this so many times before, and would love to try. How many calories are in the smoothie? Thanks for posting!
  • aqm22
    aqm22 Posts: 153 Member
    Sometimes it's could be the way you've had the veggies prepared that is what you didn't actually like.

    Growing up the veggies we had all got boiled through to tastelessness / uniform taste, I steam my veggies now or broil or grill.. lots of choices and a simple change in prep method can be enough to open up a new world of wonderful veggies.

    The way something is prepared is crucial to the taste. I've had eaten things I've hated all my life and loved it (except for peas and carrots. Still hate them with a passion).

    The best ways to learn to like vegetables is learn how to cook. That way you'll understand the food you eat and how to prepare them in a way that you can enjoy eating them. Freshly made pasta is delicious and healthy. The right marinades and spices can make any food taste like heaven. Just experiment. Learn to understand why or what you don't like.
  • fabandfunat51
    fabandfunat51 Posts: 117 Member
    I have always disliked veggies.

    But I've found some ways to cook them that I enjoy:

    Roast them with olive oil. Toss any veggie with a (very) small amount of olive oil and spread on a pan. Sprinkle with salt or desired seasoning (I like garlic powder, onion powder, italian blend, etc) and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies start to get black edges and look "roasted". I've done this with cherry tomatoes, peppers, brussels sprouts, zuchinni, and more. Way easier to eat!

    I also like to sautee spinach with mushrooms and garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil - delicious!


    THIS - Roasting them makes them taste like candy! Seriously! Mmmmmm!
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Eat them raw, to me they taste much better raw than cooked.

    Also, experiment eating different ones, you might find ones you like - that's what I did. I just experimented until I found what I liked and build meals and snacks around them. Kale chips and sweet peppers are excellent replacements for potato chips.

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