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Not a Fan of Vegetables..need suggestions

Hi, for 53 years, I have never been a fan of vegetables or salad. Of course, the only ones I like are starchy (corn, potatoes). I like bell peppers, onions, tomatoes (cooked). Carrots, raw.  Any other suggestions of vegetables that I might like? I also feel that lettuce is boring....So picky! I know! 🙂

 

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The good news with most veggies is they’re pretty bland and don’t taste much like anything, so it’s mostly a question of sucking them up once you’ve convinced yourself they’re good for you (and yes, they are good for you). About the only veggie I can’t stand are Brussels sprouts: I hated the taste as a child and still hate it. Everything else I can (and do) eat without problems. A few examples: spinach, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, cabbages. The list is (almost) endless. Just try to favour season’s veggies that don’t come from the other side of the world. Also try to buy them fresh, whole and unprocessed (not canned): veggies should come from a farm, not a factory.

 

The bad news with most veggies is they’re pretty bland and don’t taste much like anything, so you have to spice them up a little bit, without using too much salt. There are many ways to do it. Check Indian and Meditarrenean cuisine (among others) for ideas.

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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My friend in the kitchen is garlic. It will make taste anything better for me and you can add it to anything.

Karolien | The Netherlands

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@Esya wrote:

My friend in the kitchen is garlic.


As a Frenchman, I can only second this recommendation Smiley LOL.

 

In order to save time (and avoid the garlic getting too old and wasted), I process it in bulk and freeze it in tiny little Tupperware containers I got as a bonus with larger containers. Some have only garlic, others have parsley as well:

 

garlic.jpg

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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Try roasting them!  Adds a whole new flavor. A little olive oil and seasoning of your choice.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the veggie.  No one in my house would eat brussel sprouts until I roasted them in olive oil and sea salt.  Now, they fight over them! I roast ALL veggies now.  🙂

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Thanks for the tip, @TheCleanCooks! I have to try it. That would be something if I could finally eat Brussels sprouts!

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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@lpisarski: Vegetables are good for you. You say you like bell peppers. Get different color of peppers and roast in the 425 F oven with some garlic and olive oil and even some herbs. Other options are if you like smoothie, try to add handful of spinach or kale. You would not even taste it. The same goes with lettuce. Sweet potatoes can also be roasted in the oven which is rich in Vitamin A. I roast Broccoli and brussel sprouts  with lots of garlic, salt and pepper in 450 F oven for 20 mins. So there are lot of ways.

 

Another option: You don't have to eat all these veggies by itself. You can have with rice/Quinoa or even make a wrap with this.  

When we are sick we take medicine. Sometimes we don't like it, but in order to get better we do take it. Think like that.

 

@Dominique: Have you tried roasting the Garlic heads with some olive oil? I do this and store in the freezer/fridge.It has different taste. 

 

 

 

 

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@lpisarski

Your palate will change over time as well by eating them, making them taste better than they do now for you. It might take some time, but if you can stick to it you will learn to love them.

Karolien | The Netherlands

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Testing out preparation methods makes such a big difference and I second roasting. I also use a sprinkle of flake salt (?) on pretty much anything that goes in the oven. Especially anything that has cheese on top.

I also feel like experimenting with what you can eat with your veggies can make a difference. I completely agree with you @lpisarski, lettuce is boring. If you can find a dressing/sauce you like, maybe put some meat or a tortilla with it, it might get less boring.

I think you have something good going with what you already like though. It's pretty much the selection of greens at local grocery store Smiley LOL

 

@DominiqueIf you really want to eat brussel sprouts, it's easily "hidden" in egg dishes like omelette, egg "muffins" or frittata.
I recently started making frittata in the oven to get multiple servings. You can pretty much throw whatever you want/like in there. My go-to is chilli, onion, broccoli and/or brussel sprouts and cheese. Be creative.

You might want to cook them first if they're raw. I buy mine frozen and pre-cooked, but I live in the middle of nowhere and I don't think I've ever seen a raw brussel sprout.

Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
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I am exactly the same when it comes to veggies, I really dont like them.... I found a recipe online for veggie fries so decided to try them.....I made the sweet potato ones! They were lovely! The flavours worked great together! I also made the dip which was lovely! I didnt expect to like the dip as i normally hate greek yogurt, but this worked well. I would probably use a little less salt and pepper as directed in the recipe, but heres a link to it if you fancy trying them! 

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mercedessandoval/these-veggie-fries-are-the-best-new-years-resolutions?utm_...

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I'm always sort of amused by people who make a blanket statement that they "don't like vegetables" or "vegetables are boring". 

 

There are at hundreds of different kinds of vegetables out there and at least a dozen ways to prepare them. So I have to ask people who claim to "not like vegetables" if they've actually tried ALL of the possible options and combinations? Because usually the answer is .. no. Of course not. 

Even the comment "lettuce is boring" is silly. There are 8 different kinds of lettuce I can think of right off the top of my head. Have you tried all of the varieties? Have you used them in ways other than just tossing them in a bowl and putting salad dressing on them? Just as an example, butter lettuce is crunchy and slighty (as the name says) buttery. I love to use individual butter lettuce leaves as the "wrap" for an Asian chicken mix - just like you can get at PF Changs, but made healthier. 

Roasting veggies changes their flavor dramatically and some of my favorite roasted veggies are carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts (and I never used to like brussels sprouts, but roasting them until they're a little crispy on the bottom is so good). 

What about baby spinach leaves? I love them in a salad with some blue cheese and mandarin orange wedges on them, but you can even whirl them up in a smoothie where you'll never even see or taste them. Or chop them up as part of the filling in a lasagna or baked pasta dish for an extra veggie boost. Same with kale - you can blend it into anything and you'd never know it was there. 

Cabbage? I love cole slaw. Love it. I make it at least once a week sometimes with a traditional creamy (yogurt based) dressing and sometimes with a more Asian inspired dressing with peanuts and a little bit of spice. I also love to chop it up and toss it in a casserole with some baby  new potatoes and some turkey or chicken sausage and roast it until the potatoes are done and the cabbage just starts to crisp up around the edges. 

I love collard greens, especially cooked spicy. Honestly one of my favorite breakfasts is spicy collard greens topped with a poached or soft boiled egg. 

Asparagus is delicious roasted and topped with a little bit of parmesan cheese and sprinkled with lemon juice. 

Bok choy! It's my favorite veggie to say. I make a stir fry with either chicken or beef, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and baby bok choy. They're so cute and they taste delicious. 

 

Cucumbers. On the health scale, they're mostly water, but I love them for a snack. A seeded cucumber "boat" with a little cream cheese and smoked salmon? One of my favorite low calorie and protein rich snacks. 

I think the first step, honestly, is to stop saying "I don't like vegetables". That's just reinforcing and creating a false reality. You don't like some vegetables. That's normal. I hate lima beans and I can take or leave boiled carrots (although I love them roasted). I tolerate cauliflower although when it's riced, it's ok. And I think that iceburg lettuce is kind of like the carnation of the vegetable world. Cheap and everyone has it. But I don't use that to say "I don't like vegetables". I just eat different vegetables and I try different ways of fixing them.

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I agree with @Esya about the palate changing over time. When I used to eat a lot of sweet foods, my sense of taste became accustomed to it, and at that time the more bitter taste of vegetables was not that pleasant. As my diet moved away from sweet things, foods with a more bitter taste became palatable, even enjoyable.

 

In some cultures having a diet that is balanced between the different flavors is important to maintaining health.

 

 

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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I like to sprinkle a bit of grated cheese on most, from a shaker like for on spaghetti.

Before posting, re-read to see if it would make sense to someone else not looking at your Fitbit or phone.

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I decided to put celery in my banana-pumpkin smoothie, but I had to sweeten it up some with artificial sweetener. Pumpkin sweetens things up better than carrots. (Caution: pumpkins, carrots, squash, cantaloupe have excessive vitamin A.)

 

Regarding salad, I absolutely love balsamic vinegar. When I'm at Panera Bread, I like their "Seasonal Greens" salad, which has balsamic vinegar. That salad has the lowest calories I know.

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I am very lucky that I am not picky at all and have always eaten veggies. every color, every texture. Love them. The only ones I don't are onion and garlic- mostly because of the smell but they also don't agree with me. I was raised in a Jewish Russian household where both are used like salt and pepper- clearly they wore me out as a child. But the other part of that is I wasn't ever allowed to turn away from anything that was put in front of me. So I didn't have a choice - which is great. I will try anything once. Maybe twice.

I eat veggies in every form, but in the spring and summer mostly raw. They are the freshest and most delicious this time of year- no sense cooking out the nutrients. I think if you keep telling yourself you don't like them or they are boring, you will never broaden your food perspective. You should. There is so much good food out there that is fresh, healthy and will do wonders for your waist.

Elena | Pennsylvania

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I tend to eat the same vegetables over and over (although I have used many in making new recipes).  This summer I'm going to challenge myself and I have signed up for a a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which supports local farming.  They have a list of over 40 items that I will get an assortment of over 20 weeks.  Except for perhaps beets most are ones I've eaten and enjoyed (okay, I really don't like beets) but some are ones I've only heard of (ground cherries, tomatillos) and have never cooked with.  I figured it was a good way to push myself out of my comfort zone.

 

I do love roasted vegetables.  In the summer I use what's going, but take some onions (sliced), garlic (sliced), cherry tomatoes (halved), and cauliflower (smaller pieces) and toss with some olive oil and roast at 400-425 until well cooked.  Toss with a little balsamic vinegar and eat hot (or cold). You can add any vegetables you like and do the same - thicker items take longer.  I bought some asparagus the other day to have with steak and I did the same - asparagus, onion, garlic, a few grape tomatoes.  It was wonderful.

 

I cheat in the winter and put a 750g bag of mixed frozen beans into a foil roaster (mainly to make clean-up easier).  I sprinkle some spices on top, and since they are frozen I don't bother with the oil.  You can put a small amount in once they're thawed.

 

 

Anne | Rural Ontario, Canada

Ionic (gifted), Alta HR (gifted), Charge 2, Flex 2, Charge HR, One, Blaze (retired), Trendweight.com,

Down 150 pounds from my top weight (and still going), sharing my experiences here to try and help others.

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I am a vegan that is not fond of most vegetables either. But I have found that I can bury lots in pots of chili and not know they are there.  I make one that has carrots, cauliflower, beans and mushrooms.  You would never know any were in there but the beans.  I use spinach instead of lettuce for burritos,  blend spinach in smoothies and sauces.  

 

I started eating WFPB to save my health, get my blood pressure down and lose weight.   My health has improved since I started eating healthy.  I may not be fond of the vegetables/fruit, but they are saving my life.

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It's all in the preparation and seasoning. I prefer my bell peppers raw and will toss them in a salad with tomatoes and onions. I like to make a massaged kale salad with nutritional yeast, tamari, and lemon juice. There are so many types of lettuce! I like to mix romaine and kale together in a salad. Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves are good to use as wraps for minced vegetable mixes (someone else suggested that). You can make stews, soups, and casseroles that sort of "hide" the taste and texture of vegetables. It might not train you to eat them plain, but you will at least be eating them. 

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I am in the same boat as you. I have never liked them. Unless cooked with butter, garlic, and salt. I think that might ruin the healthiness of them though. Any suggestions on a good salad dressing that's not too bad for you? I just have to force them down. And cooking them takes a long time. I am more of a grab and go person. So if it takes more than ten minutes to make, I have a hard time preparing it. I also don't like cold food which is weird, I know. My best friend is my george foreman grill. Through some olive oil and garlic on some veggies and drop them on that. That's about the only way I'll eat them. I still dont even have a clue how much is enough though when it comes to vegetables.

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There's nothing wrong with garlic; it's very good for your blood, even if not for your breath (nothing a postprandial mint or some chewing gum won't help). Instead of salt, maybe do salt-seasoning blends like Herbamare. To reduce butter, maybe get a cooking spray or spray melted butter in the pan to cook it.

 

When it comes to salad dressings, vinaigrette-type dressings are better than creamy dressings. Or you can use silken tofu to create creamy textures.

 

In another subject someone mentioned dipping the tines of your fork into the salad dressing and then using the fork to pick up a bite of salad. You eat less dressing but still get the flavor. The last time I had a salad (yesterday), I splashed a small amount of dressing on the salad and then did the fork trick. I would also take some salad on my fork and give it a quick dip in the dressing.

 

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