Diet suggestions for a VERY picky eater

[Quinnlee]

Hi all!

I have finally hit the point in my life where I am ready for a change. I'm ready to commit to a weight loss plan and shed the pounds. My main problem is food choices. I am an extremely picky eater. I like most fruits. I don't like veggies. Basically, only broccoli and corn (which I know really isn't a veggie). And I don't eat fish.

In other words, my taste buds apparently belong to a five year old.

I feel like I'm up the proverbial creek without a paddle here and I feel like I don't have any options for success. I could really use some suggestions. Is anyone out there facing the same problem?

I'm glad I found this place. It's nice to see so many people in the same for support

Quinnlee

[astrophe]

What is it about veggies you don't like?

Raw vs cooked? Texture thing like leafies vs bulkier veg? Fresh vs frozen vs canned?

My husband thought he hated veggies til he married me and then he realized he hated his mom's overcooked canned veggies and he loves them fresh cooked just to tender-crisp.

A.

[Quinnlee]

I don't really mind the leafy stuff. Sometimes I can make a salad with a light dressing if I don't put anything else in it. The smell of a lot of veggies when they're cooked (and sometimes uncooked) turn me off. Especially the canned stuff just smells horrible to me.

Quinnlee

[bargoo]

Go with calorie counting that way you can elimimate the foods you don't like and concentrate on those you do like.

[Wildflower]

I agree that calorie counting sounds easiest for you.

However, about the veggies - I have a few suggestions.

As the above poster mentioned, it may be you just never had veggies cooked /prepared properly. Canned veggies smell horrible to me too and I live primarily on vegetables. The only canned veggie I will eat is tomatoes and corn is okay, but I don't eat it often (yes, it's really a grain). Frozen veggies are not great to me either. I can eat frozen broccoli and corn - but I never really eat either.

So... I just cook vegetables myself and season them myself. You may be surprised that with the correct cooking technique / seasoning you actually like things. Check recipes online for vegetable dishes. Also, buy fresh garlic and a garlic press to season (i thought I hated garlic when all I'd ever had was garlic salt).

Good luck!

[rainydays]

I've learned to embrace vegetables, but buying fresh and preparing them with seasoning has been critical part of that. I'm still coming around. However, I've lost 90 pounds by calorie counting, so I'll put in another vote for that! Just eat as healthfully as you can, and build up to adding more veggies. You CAN do this!

[astrophe]

You mention smell -- canned things do sometimes get overdone. Also the brassicas are pretty strong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica

Maybe experiment with the milder tasting veg from fresh? Or try smoothies?

A.

[indiblue]

Everyone's given you great advice. Calorie count among the foods you do like. You can eat healthfully and lose weight by eating whole grains, meats, fruits, dairy, and nuts.

I do think learning to like vegetables is important for both your health and for weight loss. A huge salad with lots of vegetables can fill you up quickly on days you're hungry and approaching your calorie limit for the day. The antioxidants found in vegetables are second to none, and the vitamins available are critical for maintaining a healthy lifestyle into old age.

Echoing what others have said, the "vegetable" category is too vast to not like anything within it. Some ideas:

- If you don't like some cooked vegetables, try other cooked vegetables. I have never been able to eat roasted squash, zucchini, eggplant, or other "delicate" vegetables. But roasted cauliflower and broccoli with onion and garlic is heaven to me.

- You don't have to eat vegetables as-is. Most vegetables are served in a small pile with some salt and olive oil. Not fun. Really dressing them up and making them shine is much more enjoyable. Cooked eggplant can be just a slice of eggplant on a cookie sheet with a little olive oil (gross, to me), or it could be breaded and baked and topped with parmesean and marinara sauce (yum). Vegetables can be toppings on pizza, incorporated into chili and soups, layered in meat lasagna, sauteed into pasta sauces, or pureed into soups. This completely changes the texture and flavor of the vegetable, and brings a lot more variety into a diet.

- You can "hide" vegetables in food too. Zucchini bread, green smoothies with spinach, carrot-apple muffins are some of my favorite ways to sneak in extra veggies.

- Explore different cuisines, which eat vegetables completely differently than Western cuisine. Mediterranean (baba ghanoush), Korean (kimchi), Indian (veggies in all types and combinations- a lot of main dishes are completely vegetable-based with amazing spices) are some of my favorite ways to enjoy the usual eggplant, cabbage, peas, okra, and cauliflower.

[sontaikle]

Originally Posted by indiblue

- You don't have to eat vegetables as-is. Most vegetables are served in a small pile with some salt and olive oil. Not fun. Really dressing them up and making them shine is much more enjoyable. Cooked eggplant can be just a slice of eggplant on a cookie sheet with a little olive oil (gross, to me), or it could be breaded and baked and topped with parmesean and marinara sauce (yum). Vegetables can be toppings on pizza, incorporated into chili and soups, layered in meat lasagna, sauteed into pasta sauces, or pureed into soups. This completely changes the texture and flavor of the vegetable, and brings a lot more variety into a diet.

Ugh now I want some breaded eggplant! I actually think my mom made some for dinner, so yay!

Breaded eggplant is A-freakin-mazing! And i say that as someone who usually doesn't like it otherwise!

My favorite thing to do is put two slices in a wrap and put roasted peppers in too. If you want, put some fresh mozzarella (I usually forgo this now) and it's like heaven in your mouth! Especially if you snag the fresh mozzarella just after it's made (and thus still warm).

[omgzitsmiranda]

do you like cucumbers?

[CADreaming1]

I like my veggies raw or hidden! There are cook books aimed at parents of picky eaters that helps them hide veggies in food so you don't know they are there or taste them but you get the nutrional value. It is easy to hide veggies in mac n cheese but mac n cheese isn't diet friendly. Look online there is a cake recipie that uses chocolate cake mix and pureed pumpkin great cake no veggie taste. Sandra Lee has a zuchinni chocolate cake recipie that is also tasty. Baby spinach can be put in salads on sandwhiches and cut up and put in chilli and spaghetti sauce without a taste difference. I add natural applesauce to my pancake batter and the kids don't notice. I also like that all natural juices with veggies in them no not V8 I mean Naked no sugar added Green Juice and some others have veggies and they are delicious although watch how much you drink. A sample calorie counting day for me means a breakfast smoothie with 8oz of juice, a frozen banana, and 1cup of frozen fruit (berries, mangos I try to mix it up) plus other ingrediants probiotic yogurt, flax oil, wheat germ, oat bran, gelatin... Oatmeal with dried fruit and natural apple sauce for lunch baby carrorts for snack, there is 5 servings right there ok only 1 veggie but I am getting lots of variety and haven't hit dinner yet. Feel good about trying and get in what you can, that you like.

[berryblondeboys]

I have made non veggie eaters love veggies. It's all about preparing them right. Not overcooking and seasoning them properly and always fresh - never canned or frozen. Recently at a party I made a cauliflower dish. Three people said they always hated cauliflower, but tried it as people were raving about it. And they found they loved my cauliflower. People who thought they hate Brussels sprouts who came to our house for thanksgiving, found they were divine and became converts.

Get some veggie cookbooks. Try roasting them and grilling them. It brings out their natural sweetness without being lost in boiling water. Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of sea salt or a bit of fresh (not from the jar) garlic. Fresh or dry Dill goes great with veggies as does fresh basil and fresh parsley. Truly... Veggies can be purely awful. Or purely delightful. It's all in how they are prepared. I think I might barf if made to eat mushy broccoli or canned green beans. Yuck! So I can understand how someone would think they hated them.

I used to feel that way about fish too... Until I had fish prepared at the seaside on the grill with olive oil, garlic and parsley and lemon. Now it's a favorite dish. Growing up my mom couldn't force it on me as she bought frozen cheap crap that was mush in the mouth. Yuck!