"Sneaking" Veggies into my meals

tabithajoyy
tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am thee pickiest person when it comes to healthier foods. Always been this way. I like virtually no veggies & most healthy foods. I try to make my best choices with foods and have stopped fast food & my old favs. I've so far lost 67lbs and thats worked thus far but i think i am hitting a bit of a plateau nutritionally. I know its 90% diet and 10% exercise. I've been going up and down for the last 6 wks with the same 2-3lbs and its soo irritating. I can't stand alot of veggies because of the texture..Always been my problem. If this tells you how bad this is..When there has been lettuce on something and i have to take it off i can still taste it even though it "doesnt" have a flavor. Any of you guys have tips on "hiding" the veggies in food or making them a certain way? I currently am doing P90X and my calories are set at 1550! Ive been at my weight loss journey since June 2011 with a little bit of a falling off the wagon for a couple months....Any help is much appreciated!

Replies

  • tab1221
    tab1221 Posts: 11 Member
    Try roasted vegetables. They are crunchy and totally different than boiling or nuking them in the microwave. Broccoli and Cauliflower are my faves. Toss in a little olive oil and garlic and roast. You can get exact recipes off the internet.
  • lolagurlx0x0
    lolagurlx0x0 Posts: 149 Member
    My boyfriend is the same way... I love allll veggieesss I could probably be a vegetarian with out much effort- So To get him to eat veggies I blend them into things. (Blender is your veggie hiding friend) I made Mongolian beef the other day- It looked like just sauce and meat- But I had pureed carrots and a whole onion into the sauce. It didn't really change the flavor at all- Soup- it will thicken your soups as well- instead of using cream- and then *Green Smoothies* I mix mine with ice to get past the grittiness when I use kale and collard greens and things. Also Juicing can give you allot of the benefits of vegetables without the taste. Are there any veggies you like? Like Grilled corn on the cob etc etc.
  • tabithajoyy
    tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member
    My boyfriend is the same way... I love allll veggieesss I could probably be a vegetarian with out much effort- So To get him to eat veggies I blend them into things. (Blender is your veggie hiding friend) I made Mongolian beef the other day- It looked like just sauce and meat- But I had pureed carrots and a whole onion into the sauce. It didn't really change the flavor at all- Soup- it will thicken your soups as well- instead of using cream- and then *Green Smoothies* I mix mine with ice to get past the grittiness when I use kale and collard greens and things. Also Juicing can give you allot of the benefits of vegetables without the taste. Are there any veggies you like? Like Grilled corn on the cob etc etc.

    Greattttt ideas! I love corn & potatoes and that is it :/
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    If you like smoothies you can throw in some spinach and not even taste it.
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    Zucchini is practically tasteless; you can slip it into anything and prepare it however you like. Try slicing up a whole zucchini into coins, dipping it in egg, coating it in bread crumbs with whatever spices you like, and baking it until it's nice and crispy. Even my boyfriend, who HATES vegetables, will eat this. I like parmesan and Italian seasoned bread crumbs with marinara sauce the best. :)

    Also, if you like pumpkin pie, I found a great recipe the other day to get the taste and vitamins with none of the garbage.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/525061-pumpkin-pie-for-1-75-calories-2-minutes-to-make
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    I shred carrots into my pasta sauces and when I make lasagna I use a chunky veggie sauce, can't even taste the veggies with the ricotta mixture. Like a PP said, blend them into a puree and you won't even notice.
  • cassoff50
    cassoff50 Posts: 1
    HOW ABOUT TRYING HOMEMADE SMOOTHIES. START WITH FRUITS AND GRADUALLY INTRODUCE VEGGIES INTO IT. yOU NEED A GOOD BLENDER BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY HAVE ONE OF THE EXPENSIVE BRANDS. IF YOU GET INTO IT YOU MAY WANT THE MORE POWERFUL BLENDERS TO REALLY HIND THE VEGGIES. I CANNOT DO THE TRULY GEEN JUICES BUT I DO HIDE VEGGIES INSOME OF MY FRUIT ONES. I AM JUST GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT PERMANENTLY LOSING WEIGHT. BUT IN THE PAST THE COMBINATION SMOOTHIES HAS WORKED FOR ME.
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
    I'm not the picky type but I do make a chocolate peanut butter shake that is very tasty and since I feel I don't get enough veggies in my diet I add about 2 cups of baby fresh spinach. You can't taste it at all. all I taste is chocolate peanut butter goodness

    2 Cups almond vanilla unsweetned milk
    2 TBS PB2 powdered peanut butter
    1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
    sweetener to taste (I like truvia 3 pkds)
    2 Cups of spinach
    1/2 cup crushed ice

    Blend




    Also.....1550 cal is very low. Doing P90X, you may need to increase you're calories.
  • adbohls
    adbohls Posts: 156 Member
    Buy a cookbook. There is Eat Yourself Thin. There is also a cookbook that has the same concept of adding vegetables into recipes to make really healthy "bad" for you foods that was for sale on QVC, but I don't remember the name of it and can't find it. Perhaps you can find something similar at Amazon.

    My hubby also hates most vegetables unless they are cooked almost to the point of being mushy. However, he has tried the frozen vegetable medleys that also have pasta and meat in them and love them. Some of his favorites are the Birds Eye Voila! Alfredo Chicken and the Chicken Pot Pie with crust crumbles. Birds Eye Steamfresh also has some similar products only without the meat.
  • imcatbear
    imcatbear Posts: 38
    Invest in a good blender. The Ninja is half the cost of Vitamix or Blendtec (but more of a pain to clean in my opinion). I use 2 cups of raspberries or blueberries (depending on what is on hand or a mix) with 3 oz of baby spinach, greek yogurt and a cup of coconut water. My picky pete's balk at the color, but even they drink it.

    You can braise meat with a sauce of pureed veggies (the blenders can do this as can a food processor). Tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, pepper and then shred up the meat after you're done cooking it...it's either a stew or a pasta topping. Grate some dark chocolate on it (giada delaurentis' beef ragu from food network comes to mind) you can make modifications as needed.

    You could also make the WW brownies that use a can of black beans instead of fats or pureed spinach.

    You can puree cauliflower, carrots, squashes into a mac & cheese sauce.

    Use a baby food veggie puree to coat meat instead of an egg/flour wash.

    Get yourself some broken leaf tarragon. It adds a sweet component. cut up zucchini and yellow squash in a frying pan of a handful of crushed tarragon is surprisingly good.

    That's all I have in the way of a brain dump for now.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Can you just muscle through it or do you have an aversion? I mean this might sound stupid but I don't think "broccoli is the most amazing thing I have ever tasted" every time I eat some. Sometimes I just do it because I know I should and chew chew swallow.

    Do you like spaghetti sauce? You can add things like bell pepper and carrots to it.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    oh its really easy. Tell me what kinda foods are norm for you to cook and i'll tell you ways to hide it. I cook alot of Italian/arabic/indian foods so I know I can help you find some ways to increase your veggies intakes. Do you eat alot of rice? pasta and sauce? Curry?

    Also, if you hate veggies (like I do) don't diss the fruits. Fruits are an excellent substitute too. Also lentils and beans cover some of the benefits too so you don't have to rely on artificial ways to cover the nutrition
  • sofia0586
    sofia0586 Posts: 71 Member
    make stews and chilis and throw in a bunch of veggies - carrots, corn, zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, kale, etc.

    i do this to my kid and she looooves it but never notices them.
    She claims to hate most veggies but begs me to make chili for her haha.
  • hecham
    hecham Posts: 118 Member
    I love veggies of all sorts, but to make my rice healthier and go a little further, I always put some raw spinach into the food processor and stir that into the rice. Yeah, it makes it green, but you can't taste it at all- especially if you top the rice with black beans and some salsa.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    My advice is to just start eating raw veggies whether you like them or not.
    In a few weeks, your tastes will develop.
    Just do it.
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
    make bolognese sauce. onion garlic and pretty much any veg, add chopped tomatoes and blitz the lot in a food blender. Makes the sauce really rich and just add it to mince.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    Didn't Jerry Seinfeld's wife write a cookbook on how to hide veggies in things? I can't recall the name of it.

    I first am curious a bit more of what turns you off about veggies. You mentioned texture, but didn't really elaborate. For example, I'm a texture person, too. I hate it when my veggies are mushy and over cooked. So I love a stir fry or a quick blanch for my veggies. I totally dig crunchy vegges like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, green beans, raw bell peppers.... The softer veggies, like zucchini or squash, I like to toss in pasta sauce. Not much of a flavor change, but if you let them cook long enough, they'll kind of disintegrate into the sauce.

    Oh! Turnips in pot roast or soup. You totally can't tell they aren't potatoes. haha

    Also, have you had a bad veggie experience or are you obstinate? I don't say this in a mean way, by any means. I'm a stubborn Taurus and if you tell me to do something, you best believe that I will probably do the opposite just to prove you wrong. So, when I get told I have to eat x servings of Y, I get mad and say no. Could you be doing the same thing with veggies?

    Last recommendation, try things slowly. Don't just throw a whole lot of veggies at yourself. Perhaps just pick one thing new at the grocery store or farmers' market. Summer is the best time to try new things since they are in season and should be at their tastiest!

    Best of luck!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I am thee pickiest person when it comes to healthier foods. Always been this way. I like virtually no veggies & most healthy foods. I try to make my best choices with foods and have stopped fast food & my old favs. I've so far lost 67lbs and thats worked thus far but i think i am hitting a bit of a plateau nutritionally. I know its 90% diet and 10% exercise. I've been going up and down for the last 6 wks with the same 2-3lbs and its soo irritating. I can't stand alot of veggies because of the texture..Always been my problem. If this tells you how bad this is..When there has been lettuce on something and i have to take it off i can still taste it even though it "doesnt" have a flavor. Any of you guys have tips on "hiding" the veggies in food or making them a certain way? I currently am doing P90X and my calories are set at 1550! Ive been at my weight loss journey since June 2011 with a little bit of a falling off the wagon for a couple months....Any help is much appreciated!

    It sounds to me like you DO have some oral aversions. This is considered to be a medical issue in some circles. There are several ways to get around this. One of them is to just power through, push yourself to eat A bite of veggies at lunch and dinner. Another one is to identify WHAT you like about the few veggies you DO like, and what you DON'T like about the others. Is the taste too strong? does it feel slimy? Is it generally too abrasive to your mouth? Can you prepare the veggies a different way to make them more palatable? Maybe they need to be steamed less so they still have a little crunch to them and are not mushy....or maybe they need steamed more so they are softer. I used to put 1/2C of baby food spinach, squash, etc in my meatloaf. cauliflower and carrots could be steamed and pureed then mixed into mac-n-cheese or pasta sauces.
  • LeslieSJR
    LeslieSJR Posts: 64
    Here are two cookbooks that incorporate lots of hidden veggies:
    The Happy Herbivore (black bean brownies, chocolate zucchini muffins, etc.)
    Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (the whole thing is based on sneaking in veggie purees to classic recipes- pretty neat!)

    Good luck with everything!
  • lisasays
    lisasays Posts: 142 Member
    Try a green smoothie (just throw 2 cups of spinach in there). I also will add pureed cauliflower to creamy sauces and pureed sweet potato to spaghetti sauce. You can't tell!
  • ncates00
    ncates00 Posts: 51
    Try grilled veggies. And also try actually liking veggies. I was the same, but I had to just get over it and eat wholesome, natural food!
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    Roasted or made into a creamy soup.
  • tabithajoyy
    tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member


    Also.....1550 cal is very low. Doing P90X, you may need to increase you're calories.

    I tried upping it more than that and i gained so this amount works for me. I actually thought about lowering it but i decided to give it a little longer. I am all for "eat more to lose weight" but for me it hasnt worked so far. Ive been at this number for about 6wks and ive been battling the same cpl lbs up and down...
  • tabithajoyy
    tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member
    Thanks for all the tips. I think i should start with the smoothies!
  • tabithajoyy
    tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member
    Here are two cookbooks that incorporate lots of hidden veggies:
    The Happy Herbivore (black bean brownies, chocolate zucchini muffins, etc.)
    Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (the whole thing is based on sneaking in veggie purees to classic recipes- pretty neat!)

    Good luck with everything!


    Thanks for the Seinfeld book tip...now i remember seeing that one!
  • tabithajoyy
    tabithajoyy Posts: 680 Member


    It sounds to me like you DO have some oral aversions. This is considered to be a medical issue in some circles. There are several ways to get around this. One of them is to just power through, push yourself to eat A bite of veggies at lunch and dinner. Another one is to identify WHAT you like about the few veggies you DO like, and what you DON'T like about the others. Is the taste too strong? does it feel slimy? Is it generally too abrasive to your mouth? Can you prepare the veggies a different way to make them more palatable? Maybe they need to be steamed less so they still have a little crunch to them and are not mushy....or maybe they need steamed more so they are softer. I used to put 1/2C of baby food spinach, squash, etc in my meatloaf. cauliflower and carrots could be steamed and pureed then mixed into mac-n-cheese or pasta sauces.

    Mostly with my texture issue its something like oh, too slimy, too smooshy, the flavor is nasty. I like corn & potatos and thats it. I can not stand green veggies unless they are like peppers in salsa. I HATE peas, green beans, salad (makes me gag), carrots (going to try them again this wk), celery, califlower might be ok mixed in with stuff. Some other veggies i just simply havent tried bc they look gross/smell gross! I know is sounds kidish but some stuff i seriously do try and force it down and just DO it but i gag and almost throw up.

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