[princessredtights]

I've never loved veggies. I can tolerate broccoli and cauliflower. Green beans are "okay". How do you fix veggies? (I tried carrots with hummas and find the flavor of the hummas funny...I think it was the red bell pepper one). I'm stalling on my weight loss and think it's this (and the lack of water )

Any suggestions/"secrets" are appreciated

[Yogini]

I add veggies into everything I make. In fact, I make veggies the base of my diet because they are nutrient-rich and powerful disrase fighters.

One great way for veggie-shy people to get more veggies in is to make home-made spaghetti sauce and sneak in lots of pureed veggies into the sauce. Chili is another place that this is easy. You like broccoli and cauliflower and that is great because they are 2 of the healthiest ones

Eat colorful salads, I'm not talking useless iceberg lettuce or even wimpy romaine...get mixed baby greens, chop some cabbage, shred some carrots and beets in there, slice up some vidalia, green or red onion, chopped tomato, a hand full of sunflowerseed sprouts, sliced cucumber, celery, spinach, sliced grapes, chopped apple, orange slices, raisins, cranberries, an ounce of walnuts or almond slivers...you get the idea! The more colors and textures the better! Use a simple low-fat viniagrette or use a healthy bottled dressing you love!

[jmuns79]

Also, don't give up on hummus. The roasted bell pepper kind is one of my least favorite. Try the regular, or the garlic flavored one.

I didn't used to like veggies, now I really love them. I have two servings of veggies with dinner (usually it's broccoli that I steam or green beans). I also add veggies to most of my recipes. For example, if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of bell pepper, I put in like 1 1/2 cups and maybe some tomatoes and onions too.

Personally, I hate salads and carrots, so I don't do too many raw veggies. If you eat the frozen WW meals (or lean cuisine, or anything like that), buy some frozen veggies. Heat up some of them to have with your meal. They make it more filling.

Baby steps on the veggies. But I promise you that you will feel better once you start incorporating them (now if only I could do the same thing with fruit...)

[loralee]

Karen,
There is a forum here on 3FatChicks under the main item FOOD called VEGGIE CHALLENGED. Maybe you would find an idea or two there. Some of the postings say things like " I hate veggies" and "What is your favorite ways to sneak in veggies". Both of these psots have a lot of replies - I have not read them - but maybe you will at least get a laugh from someone who hates veggies like you do.

I agree with jmuns79 saying to take baby steps with adding veggies. If you truely hate veggies, there is no reason to fake liking them. Just try a different approach each week, until you find something that works for you.

At least you are willing to try! I admire that.

[xostephie]

This is a solution from a person who dislikes alot of veggies, and hates cooking! I find that the easiest way for me to eat my veggies is to make it not taste like veggies. One of my favorite things to do is to buy are the Green Giant frozen veggies that are seasoned; or for instance, they have a california veggie mix with cheese-reasonably now in calories, plus it has cauliflower, Carrots, and Broccoli- all really good veggies!

Edited to say, I forgot that you said cauliflower and Broc. are ok:P Anyways, they do have all sorts of other kinds, just take a look around! I actually found a seasoned mix of yellow squash and onions*cant remember the brand though* that is yummy yummy!

[Ilene]

Soups are a great way to incorporate veggies. Try pureing your favorite veggie in chicken stock or tomatoe soup or tomatoe sauce...

[Kelly_S]

How to get those 5 servings of Fruits/Veggies!?!?!


We've all heard it before, time and time again: Eat at least five servings of
fruits and vegetables a day. But most of us flounder when it comes to putting
the "Five-a-Day" mantra into action. In fact, the average American eats a measly
three servings of fruits and vegetables per day (and that includes potatoes)!

So, that's why Nutricise is here with 10 tips to help you get your 5-a-day the
easy way!

1) Sauté savvy: Add sautéed peppers, onions and asparagus to an egg-white
omelet.

2) Jump-start your day: Sprinkle fresh fruit over your cereal or pancakes at
breakfast.

3) Pile it on: Choose vegetable toppings, such as spinach or mushrooms when
eating pizza.

4) Spice it up! Spoon some fresh salsa over your favorite sandwich.

5) Make it easy on yourself: Buy ready-to-eat veggies and salad greens.

6) Sweet tooth satisfaction: Add berries or bananas to yogurt for a yummy treat.

7) Sneak it in! Toss extra fresh veggies into canned tomato sauce or soup.

8) Cool treat: Try frozen grapes or blueberries for a refreshing snack.

9) Color me healthy: Challenge yourself to have 5 colors on your dinner plate!

10) Grab and go: Sprinkle raisins in salads, cereals or yogurts, or eat them on
the run!

So, come on, eat as much as you want -- it's good for your health, and your
waistline!
(How often do you hear that?)

Veggie Hater's Guide to VegetablesBy Leslie Fink, MS, RD for WeightWatchers.com









Gag at the thought of eating boiled broccoli? Can't stand the sight of steamed cauliflower? Nobody says you have to eat them if they make your stomach turn. Maybe you just haven't found the right vegetable yet. These foods are good for you (nutritious, low calorie and full of fiber), and one truth about vegetables is that everything tastes better dressed up. Here are 12 great ways to sneak veggies into your diet.

Sneaking Those Veggies In
· Opt for something au gratin. Cut a slit in a baked potato and fill it with chopped spinach, tomato sauce and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese; broil or bake until bubbly. Experiment with other fillings.
· Onion rings are made from vegetables too! Give ours a try.
· Stir shredded carrots into jarred tomato sauce white you heat it up, or chop some fresh tomatoes into marinara sauce. Toss sauteed vegetables (cooked with olive oil or cooking spray and sprinkled with salt and pepper) into an omelet, frittata or scrambled eggs. The smaller you make the pieces, the less you'll know they're there.
· Make your famous casserole recipe and toss some veggies in. Peas, diced carrots, chopped broccoli florets, spinach or tomatoes make wonderful additions. Who can taste them in a casserole?
· Don't downplay the value of starchier vegetables. They're more caloric than leafy greens, but much heartier. Try a baked sweet potato, some butternut squash soup or a roasted winter vegetable casserole.
· Pair sweet, crunchy vegetables with salsa or your favorite dip. Red pepper strips, sugar snap peas and jicama sticks are delicious carriers for hummus, light ranch dressing or our Seven-Layer Mexican Dip.
· Toss some roasted vegetables into your lasagna; some broccoli or green beans into your next plate of fusilli.
· Don't overlook baking. Experiment with lightened-up recipes for zucchini muffins, carrot bread or sweet potato pancakes.
· Make a big pot of vegetable soup, puree it and finish it with skim milk for a creamy touch. Our Cream of Broccoli Soup gets rave reviews.
· Experiment with new flavors: Use pureed, cooked cauliflower florets as a dip base. Simply season it up with your favorite condiments, herbs or spices. Or try using boiled and then pureed asparagus spears as a base for guacamole, instead of avocado.
· Turn your kids onto vegetables at a young age: Serve them grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters and top pizza with broccoli floret "trees." Give lean hamburgers some personality by using shredded carrots for hair, red pepper strips for mouths and diced cucumbers for eyes and noses.
· Finally, avoid repetition. Even a veggie lover will get bored with a nightly side dish of steamed green beans. Mix it up a bit by varying your seasonings and sauces. Robin Vitetta-Miller, MS, nutritionist and food writer, suggests four ethnic ways to flavor your string beans: Thai - sauté in peanut oil, add a squeeze of lime juice and top with chopped peanuts.Chinese - sauté in sesame oil and top with toasted sesame seeds. Greek - sauté in olive oil and top with crumbled feta cheese. Italian - sauté in olive oil with diced tomatoes and dried oregano.

[TMunday]

Originally Posted by princessredtights

I've never loved veggies. I can tolerate broccoli and cauliflower. Green beans are "okay". How do you fix veggies? (I tried carrots with hummas and find the flavor of the hummas funny...I think it was the red bell pepper one). I'm stalling on my weight loss and think it's this (and the lack of water )

Any suggestions/"secrets" are appreciated

Hi there. I am not a very big veggie eater either really. I am very picky. I used to only eat corn frozen, fresh or canned, green beans prefer frozen or fresh, and peas out of a can only. But now I eat frozen or fresh brocolli and cauliflower (mixed or alone) and I eat the mixed frozen brocolli and cauliflower with carrots sometimes too. I eat mostly brocolli (my family hates this now lol), cauliflower, and green beans now though. We hardly have corn!! That is a not so good for you veggie from what I have learned.

I like to steam my veggies on the stove. They taste great that way and I have heard the good stuff stays in them more that way. I also boil them when I run out of time though sometimes.

You can also have raw spinache leaves in your salads! That is awesome!! You don't even know they are in there!!! I hate spinache.... but this is good!! I try and eat 1 salad a day at dinner at least.

I also get fruit too. Strawberries, cantelopes, grapes, peaches, bananas, apples, canned fruit cocktale (no sugar but with splenda), canned peaches (same only splenda), and pineapple in the can with its own juice only. Fresh fruit is a better choice but canned lasts better around here, and it is cheaper.

With all of that I get in enough veggies thru out the day. I hope that helps. I am going to have to read all of your replies today. Great topic!

[huntersmommy]

i always add a lil bit not alot of molly mcbutter to my veggies i love it and its not as bad for you as the margarine and other fatty spreads. water is very very impt to get in during the day it makes ahuge difference in weight loss when you are getting your water in.. maybe try adding a squeeze of lemon and some splenda to your water for a different taste.

[TMunday]

I beleive iced tea is also considered a water product. I love sun tea. But... we are pretty much out of season for that.

[Kelly_S]

Originally Posted by TMunday

I beleive iced tea is also considered a water product. I love sun tea. But... we are pretty much out of season for that.

Unless it is decaff tea it is not considered a water for any part of your requirement.

I have a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker and we use that year round. DH loves his tea....

[TMunday]

My memory has to wake up lol. Can you tell I am new to WW again lol. I forgot all about the caffiene part.

I have that tea maker too! I should find it and put it back into use haha.

[gingerG]

that's kind of a tuff problem as vegetables are a big part of most diets. I love them grilled on the bar-b-Q I brush them with garlic and olive oil and they are great.
Red Bell peppers,Maui Onions,thin slicked potato and eggplant. I'm not sure this will help you if you just don't like them. How about soups and juices, can you tolerate them? My favorite way of eating cauliflower is pickled..delish...

[TMunday]

Sounds different and so yummy Ginger! Thanks for sharing that with all of us!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At one time we were going to buy one of those juicer machines. We decided against it though.

[huntersmommy]

my mom had one of the juiceman juicers that you see the informercial on tv for the thing was great and some of the juices are very yummy i rember one that was apples and carrots and there was something else and it tasted great