Please forgive me while I rant just a little here. This is one of my huge pet peeves and I've heard it three times today from people who I otherwise respect and like a lot.
I get so annoyed when someone says to me "Oh, I don't eat vegetables. I don't like them." Often I'll ask what kinds of veggies they've tried or how they've tried them prepared and the respose is always something along the lines of how they haven't tried anything because "Vegetables are just gross."
I'm sorry - are you FOUR????? Are you such a child that you won't try something ... that you just make up your mind that it's "gross" (give me a break) and that you won't even give it a chance? Or is it just that it's not a freakin' McDonald's hamburger or something out of a bag smothered in cheese and chili?
It just annoys the ever lovin' crap out of me to hear otherwise normal adults talk about how they won't try *any* veggie because they're "gross".
Right. All veggies. All the different flavors, textures, varieties ... and all the different possible ways to prepare them ... all of them are "gross".
ARGH. Argh argh argh argh.
Grow UP!!!!!
Thank you for letting me rant. Because I certainly can't do it in person to any of these people ...
*sigh*
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Last edited by PhotoChick; 06-22-2008 at 01:34 AM.
I hear you...and I hear -that- enough from my 5 yr old (not about vegetables per se but about anything she hasn't ever tried) to even consider listening to the same thing from an adult.
I don't put up with it from her, why should I from anyone else?
It just rode my last nerve tonight. We went out with a bunch of friends, some of whom I haven't seen in almost a year. They all mentioned my weight loss and asked me how I did it.
I responded as usual: exercising and changing the way I eat to cut out the junk and incorporate healthier foods - lots of grains, veggies, and proteins.
The minute I said veggies, two people went "Ewwww. I couldn't do that. I *hate* veggies." And then 3 of them went on a long discussion about how veggies are "gross" and how can anyone eat so many veggies ... and any time I mentioned a different kind of veggie, it was "Ewww." But then they'd admit that they'd never actually *tried* that veggie or tried it prepared that way ... or whatever.
*eyeroll*
I thought we were all adults, but apparently not!
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Last edited by PhotoChick; 06-22-2008 at 02:25 AM.
i was coming onto this post to tell you off for being childish.. how have you tryed them ect.. hehehehe
proved me wrong.. lol I love my vegetables. they are the thing i eat the most of. But fruit is what i dont like..... j/k.. lol but i eat alot more veg then fruit.. I get suger cravings wheni eat fruit.. so i drink a glass of orange juice a day most days and have either an apple or banana. i eat tomato and avocado too most days so i suppose i dont do to bad with fruit either
look you non veg eating adults.. my kids eat vegetables.. so.. they must be more mature then you.. lol ... they are 3 and 7 years old.. and my daughter has loved her veg since she was 6 months old..
uumm how can you go though life without veggies?? and they havent tryed half of them.. i would have got annoyyed too.. lol
Geez.. singing to the choir here... My live-in boyfriend HATES vegetables. Pasta Sauce and Mashed potatoes are as far into the "vegetable world" he'll go...
Needless to say, if I buy any, they go bad. *sigh* I'm afraid that people are creatures of habit... and if you offer anything outside of habit, they ~EWWW~
I won't eat pickles. in fact, I've never eaten a pickle. They're gross.
A) To me, they stink.
B) I find them visually unappealing.
C) I don't like cucumbers.
Therefore, I conclude pickles are gross. I'll even really get your heart rate up and tell you... I won't eat anything that has even been touched by a pickle--yes, I'll throw away half my burger if the place puts a pickle on the plate and gets pickle juice all over my bun.
I also think watermelon is disgusting. and raw tomatoes that aren't diced into little squares...OMG! The world will end if I eat anything other than chopped, diced, or squashed tomatoes. You think I'm joking...
I think that's one of the hardest parts about being on a diet. You can't expect everyone around you to conform and magically start loving all the yummy foods you do. If you expect others to cater to your dietary choices, you're just setting yourself up for unneeded stress.
Adults have choice. That's the beautiful thing about being an adult. You don't like onions? ...no problem! Don't eat them.
I know people think I'm goofy for eating powdered peanut butter and soy meat... oh well. It's what I like.
Don't get worked up... maybe someday they'll expand their tastes.
I sometimes wonder if this is more of a drama problem than it is an actual nutritional eating impairment.
Take mxgirl737 for instance. I am absolutely certain that she doesn't sit in a group of people and make faces and shreek ew! when there are cucumbers around. Nor does she declare that all vegetables are gross!
I don't like eggplant but I'll bet maybe two people even know that.
I don't like vegetables is a statement guaranteed to stir up a response and some folks like that.
I think so many people are totally unaware how to prepare vegetables to bring out there natural wonderful tastes and textures.
Many, certainly not all, just boil them to death and add salt. They end up a big, undistinguishable bunch of mush.
When I decided to lose my weight, I knew I had to come up with a healthy eating plan. One that I could stick to. I knew that I would need a lot of volume. I don't like to be hungry! I also knew I needed lots of nutrients and low cal food to be the main part of my food consumption. Hence began my love affair with veggies. I also knew that I must, I simply must love what I'm eating. So, I experimented with different cooking methods, spices, herbs and brand new vegetables that I've either never heard of, never tried or never gave much of a chance. Through experimentation, I've discovered lots of wonderful new vegetables and incredible dishes, which I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to eating. Just as much as the old, calorie laden foods I was eating before, if not more so, in fact.
Who knew simple roasting could bring out soooo much flavor in asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots and on and on? I hadn't a clue how wonderful winter squashes were, like butternut and acorn. I despised and yes - ewwed at tomatoes. But I knew they were very nutritionally sound and gave them another shot. At first I roasted them. I knew I loved tomato sauce, but not the actual tomato. Roasting them seemed the perfect answer. And it was!! Then I figured I would try them small. So I chopped them finely and put them in salads. Then I got courageous and tried grape tomatoes. Love em'!
Many people look at me like I'm totally crazy when they ask me what I eat and I tell them that I live on tons and tons of veggies. Like I'm a total nutjob and lunatic. They wonder how I do it and feel that there is no way on earth that they would even attempt a lifestyle like that. They feel as if I'm depriving myself and missing out. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING could be further from the truth.
When I have people over for company, and they try my various different veggie recipes, they are shocked at how good they are. Shocked.
Gosh, I wish people would just give them a chance. Most people just disregard vegetables right off the bat. They have bad memories of them from childhood. I think one really has to be open to the idea of veggies before they even give them a chance. How sad. Many people are missing out on some great stuff that nature provides.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 06-22-2008 at 07:15 AM.
I'm sure there is some genetic predisposition against certain tastes and also possibly a genetic predisposition towards (or against) trying new things. But I think a lot of preference is based on "calibration". When you eat foods regularly, you are more likely to start to enjoy them and to miss them when you are deprived for a short time. This is just as true for salads as it is for donuts (at least it is for me). It also seems like sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness are adjustments that can be made over time.
As a young adult, I was very keen on fruits and veggies but really hated cukes and bananas. I made an effort to learn to like them. I now like cukes (don't love them but I like them). But I still hate yellow bananas, even though I now like red bananas, baby bananas, plantains, banana bread, banana chips, etc. And it's not the texture, it's something about the taste (yuck!).
I like almost all vegetables and prefer them as plain and unadorned as possible. Tomatoes (actually a fruit), asparagus, and cauliflower are three of my favourites.
Have to admit that, like SusanB, I do not like eggplant. Not fond of parsnips or olives either.
I think the OP was talking about people who, in a general blanket statement way, will just say "I hate vegetables" when they've never tried certain things.
mxgirl737, I can understand your reluctance with pickles. I've lived in Japan for 4.5 years and have never tried natto. Supposedly it is very good (healthy) for you. Supposedly it tastes good. I can't get past the god-awful smell.
I also personally can't stand beets. Yes, I've tried them all different kinds of ways...just don't like them.
But...that does NOT mean I won't try them again if someone offers up a new way of preparing them that I haven't had yet.
My ex-father-in-law never ate cooked broccoli for about 40 years. Then one day his wife cooked it outside on the grill where he didn't have to smell it cooking, he tried it and liked it. Just couldn't stand the smell.
It makes me laugh when I hear people say that they don't like vegetables. What do they think their french fries are made from? What do they think is in the sauce on their pizzas? What do they think is in their tomato sauce? I agree that many vegetables when eaten raw or cooked very simply can have a disagreeable taste to some people, but as rockinrobin says, it is simply down to finding a way of cooking them to change the taste.
When my kids were younger they wouldn't eat their vegetables, so we used to puree them and add them to the gravy. They never knew any different.
People who say "eeeww" to vegetables are merely expressing their insecurities, even the thought of being outside their comfort zone distresses them. All you can do is feel sorry for them - or if it helps, give them a damn good slapping, but you will probably be removed from theri Christmas card list if you do that.
There are real psychological reasons in which people may not like vegetables. We do learn young what things we like and what things we don't like. If you were growing up and said 'ew' to veggies and your parents never forced the issue, then it is possible that you may not like many vegetables or it may be very hard to learn to eat veggies.
From my experience, I grew up eating veggies although I wouldn't say they were my favorite things. I hated the idea of spinach because the smell of cooked spinach was gross. I actually still have a hard time with cooked spinach unless it is very lightly sauteed. Of course my disgust with the smell of cooked spinach led me to avoid all spinach and any dish with even a minute amount of spinach in it. Eventually I tried dishes with small amounts of cooked spinach and even ventured onto raw spinach. It was a bit of a mental hurdle for me though. I now love raw spinach and eat tons of spinach every week.
Also, when I moved out on my own and started cooking for myself, I didn't eat a lot of veggies. Veggies would be ingredients in food but would never be the focus. I realized that I needed to eat veggies so I changed my eating habits. I started was by finding veggies i liked and eating those. Then I'd try different preparations of various veggies. I just basically started small, expanded on what I found and kept going. Now I eat a very veggie focused diet. It didn't happen overnight but it did happen.
I think one of the best things you can do for your health and for your weight loss efforts is learn to at least like some veggies. It can take a lot of experimentation but I think it is worth it.
People who say "eeeww" to vegetables are merely expressing their insecurities, even the thought of being outside their comfort zone distresses them. All you can do is feel sorry for them - or if it helps, give them a damn good slapping, but you will probably be removed from theri Christmas card list if you do that.
I don't like vegetables
*sigh* I'm afraid that people are creatures of habit... and if you offer anything outside of habit, they ~EWWW~ 
