[MiddleEye]

Does anyone else have this problem? I hate healthy food. I'm not even kidding, but when I go to the grocery store and think, "I need to buy some fruit and vegetables." My very next thought is, "Oh god. I can't eat that. I would rather just be hungry." I would literally rather buy no groceries than buy vegetables. It's horrible. I am trying to eat more fruit now. I do love bananas...and I can eat pineapple and strawberries if I dig them in yogurt. I recently learned how to eat spinach. Ha. And last night I actually ate broccoli. It wasn't great, but it could have been more horrible.
This food issue is really hard for me. I get really depressed when I think about it. And I feel so unfulfilled when I eat healthy food. I can eat healthy food, but afterward I'm just going to crave something fried or ice cream for hours. Sigh...

Christina

[ggreenhouse]

How are you preparing them....most vegetables are better the less cooked they are. I find much fresh fruit too acidic....I love to juice though.

Also, think about adding flavor to your vegetables..green beans are dull, but green beans with roasted peppers or olive past is delicious.

Adding fresh dill, or chives, or thyme to vegies can really help. A squeeze of lemon...a dab of olive and that boring broccoli is tasty.

A good cookbook like Joy of Cooking can help so much with flavors and combo's and interesting ways to prepare them...and sneak them into the foods you do like to eat....

[kaplods]

Often, vegetables are an "aquired" taste, which means you have to eat them a lot of times before you start to like them. The more you avoid them, the harder they become to eat. That's why I think that kids (unless they're very overweight) should be allowed to eat their veggies swimming in cheese sauce, gravy, ketchup, dip, whatever will help them get them down (especially since they've shown that kids taste bitter much more strongly than adults so most very green veggies like broccoli are almost universally hated by kids).

I think a similar approach can be taken for the adult veggie-phobic, doing whatever you can to make them palatable, until you can tolerate (and even maybe one day enjoy) them. If that means V-8, dicing or pureeing them and adding them to sauces and meatloaf, drowning them in ranch dressing (preferably light - unless you're low carbing)... whatever it takes... to be able to include a few in your diet regularly.

I have always liked veggies, but I have to hide or "doctor" them for my veggie-hating hubby, so I roast them (shake them with a little oil and ranch dressing powder and/or garlic powder and seasoning salt). At first I not only had to roast them like this, but ALSO stir them into pasta sauce to make vegetable lasagna with meat sauce. Now he likes a lot of veggies roasted (he will pick out any veggie that is too "slimy" though, so he won't eat zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper.... if it's not diced in 1/4 inch or smaller cubes.

He will eat a lot of raw veggies in an iceberg lettuce salad (if it's drowning in ranch dressing), and he will eat them in veggie soup (again, if the pieces are cut very small).

I even buy or make "veggie" cream cheese, to get trace amounts of veggies in his diet, and get him used to vegetable flavors (Knorr veggie soup/dip mixed into a block of softened cream cheese). He'll even eat this spread on celery sticks, now.

We've been married four years, and I think I've increased his veggie likes from one (broccoli) to maybe six (he still won't eat green beans under any circumstances), and even then some of them have to be prepared in very specific ways (he likes stir fried cabbage with a little oil and soy, but isn't fond of boiled).

I know a lot of people will say, if you don't like veggies, just don't eat them, but there's more and more research that fruits and veggies go along way toward preventing cancer and other health problems, and even "undoing," damage caused by health risks in other foods like nitrates and cancer-causing compounds formed during high-heat roasting and grilling, so if you can re-educate your palate to like at least a few, or hide some in meatloaves and such, at least you're getting some of the benefits.

[ellabella]

Hmmmmm. I've NEVER been a fruit & vegetable lover. Which is why, after I had my son - many, many moons ago - I did the Atkins diet plan very successfully. I took off all the weight (@ 60 pounds) and MAINTAINED it for seven years. Then, a hot fudge sundae did me in - I figured, "what the heck? I'm as small as I was when I graduated from college. I can certainly have ONE hot fudge sundae!" Except I couldn't. Really. Sweets for me trigger binges. ALWAYS, and without exception. Solution? No sweets, right? Right. Except I ALWAYS *slipped* after dieting for a few months and building up this powerful desire for chocolate, cheese danish - anything gooey and sweet. THEN I was *off plan* until I gained everything I'd lost back again, plus a few extra for good measure.
NOW, I REALLY have to get down to business, and I can't do the Atkins any more. I have lost my taste completely for all that high fat, high protein, high calorie stuff. I'm a little put off by too much red meat these days.
SO, as I keep seeing people say here, I'm determined to not be on a diet anymore, but rather to make a lifestyle change. High fiber, low cal, low fat, and drinking TONS of water. Eeek!!! (I never could stand plain water, either!).
I have to say that I'm not OVERDOING the vegetables, even now. I liked some of the seasoning and roasting ideas, by the way, and plan to give them a try. But up to now - since I began my *lifestyle change*, I mean - I've pretty much been getting my veggies in organic pasta sauce (I add a can of diced tomatoes, cut up onions and peppers and sliced black olives. Put it over whole wheat pasta for added fiber) and edamame, lima beans, spinach, sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes are really good just baked like you'd bake a white potato) and salads with more interesting ingredients than I normally would put in them - chick peas, for example. I'm STILL not trying to eat brocolli & cauliflower (can't handle the gas) but I AM snacking on an apple (with the skin) and a tablespoon of peanut butter to dip it in for my morning snack. I was never a fan of apples, but I'm getting used to them now, and I'm liking fresh pears, as well, and berries - all kinds of berries - on my Fiber One cereal every morning. The FIBER makes me full!!!! It's a miracle!
Okay, enough, enough...I do have a tendency to run on...but just wanted somehow, to let you know that even veggie-haters like me can figure out a way to like them, and I'm OLD and set in my ways! So, even an old dog can learn new tricks - and tastes - especially with all the support & ideas I get here at 3FC! Keep coming! I do!

Have a great day!

Ella

[Goodbye Chubby]

I can totally sympathize, and I do agree that fruits and vegetables are an acquired taste. If you work on it, you'll gradually warm up to a few new things. I've actually decided to do Lent this year (I'm not Catholic, it's just something to get me motivated) and I'm eating ONLY fruits and vegetables, and let me tell you, it's really a challenge! However, it's forcing me to step out of my boundaries; for example I cooked eggplant for the first time (still not a huge fan though). I don't really care for fruit much, so my diet has been very veggie heavy. My feeling is that you can do just about anything if you know it's temporary.

Just try adding a new veggie with your typical meal. If you don't like it, you still have your main course. Salads are great because you can make them any way you want. You may never be a fruit/veggie lover, but I'm confident you can at least be a fruit/veggie tolerater, and that's better than nothing.

[MariaMaria]

Originally Posted by Goodbye Chubby

I've actually decided to do Lent this year (I'm not Catholic, it's just something to get me motivated) and I'm eating ONLY fruits and vegetables

This sounds like disordered eating. Do you have a history of bulimia/anorexia/other issues like that?

Vegetables and fruits are great but they're not great sources of fat and protein and some of the vitamins your body needs.

[Goodbye Chubby]

Originally Posted by MariaMaria

This sounds like disordered eating. Do you have a history of bulimia/anorexia/other issues like that?

Vegetables and fruits are great but they're not great sources of fat and protein and some of the vitamins your body needs.

There are other ways of getting necessary nutrients. I've posted questions and read threads on the vegetarian forums. I take a daily multivitamin and eat beans, leafy greens and lentils (for protein) with my other fruits/veggies. This is only a short term thing and I feel I'm going about it in the best way possible. There are people who live a vegetarian lifestyle for longer than 40 days (granted, they usually still eat grains). I understand your concern; I've posted several times about my Lent challenge, but you're the first to question the healthfulness of this decision. This certainly will not be a regular occurance and I'll be very happy to go back to my usual, more varied eating habits once I've conquered this challenge. By the way, I still have been getting between 1200-1800 calories daily and am very mindful of my health. I wouldn't encourage anyone else to do otherwise. This is a very encouraging and healthy site that I'm happy to be a part of, which is why I've been here so long.

[MariaMaria]

There are people who live a vegetarian lifestyle for longer than 40 days (granted, they usually still eat grains). I understand your concern; I've posted several times about my Lent challenge, but you're the first to question the healthfulness of this decision.

There's a big difference between vegetarianism (or even veganism) and eating ONLY fruits and vegetables, which is what you originally posted.

[kaplods]

"granted they eat grains," is not a small distinction. Most fruits and vegetables have such a high water and fiber count for few calories and almost no protein or fat, that eating (and drinking) only fruits and vegetables, is generally considered, "a modified fast." Even if you're removing some of the fiber by juicing, the all fruit/veggie diet/modified fast can actually be a bit hard on the body (and even very uncomfortable due to uhm digestive difficulties), if you're not in extremely good health.

If you're not eating nuts, avocados, corn(which is actually a grain), potatoes, lentils and beans, you're not getting enough protein or fat for longerm health (even 6 weeks).

So, it's not a stupid question.

[Goodbye Chubby]

Maybe I have a looser definition of vegetables. I'm eating walnuts and corn. I do eat potatoes, and I stated earlier that I AM eating beans and lentils, and I never said anything about a "stupid question." I said that I understood the concern if you actually read what I wrote. And if you'd like to know, my digestion has been very fine, regular, and healthy.

[kaplods]

Stupid was a very poor choice of words, I should have said "unusual," which you did allude to. I wasn't intending to be confrontational, and without facial expression and tone of voice, I often forget how easily words can convey emotions not intended. I just meant that Maria's questions seemed very logical and resonable to me (and it seemed from your post to her, that you didn't think so). My point was simply that while Maria may have been the first to question the healthfulness of your approach (as you originally stated it, and as she, myself, and others may have interpreted it) her question wasn't an "unusual" one, and others (including myself) may have been thinking it.

Many people do not think of fat and protein containing plant foods as "fruits & vegetables," but rather add the classifications nuts, legumes, grains..... So your looser definition definitely does make a difference healhtwise for both a short or long term food plan.

Sorry for the uninteded rudeness

[CharlieBaby]

I have a yummy broccoli salad recipe... will it get in the way of the Veggies for Lent discussion?

4 cups small broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture, and toss well. Chill for 1 hour.

NUTRITION PER SERVING (serving size is about a cup)

CALORIES 175(29% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.4g,poly 3g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 55mg; SODIUM 148mg; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31g

I am very picky about how I like my veggies. Raw are always yummier to me than cooked, and if they must be cooked, I like 'em steamed just to the point where they're still pretty firm. Try Cooking Light for some other wicked recipes, and salads - with fun extras like walnuts, dried cranberries or raisins, and sunflower seeds - are a great way to get your veggie servings. Good luck!

[Spinymouse]

MiddleEye, do you like sauces, like curries and pasta sauces? I sometimes will substitute vegetables for pasta or rice and put the sauce (like marinara, curry, etc) over a vegetable (like spaghetti squash, green beans, asparagus, spinach or carrots -- pick any or a combination.) I suppose you could mix the vegetables with the pasta or rice at first while getting used to the idea. It sounds kind of funky but I think it works pretty well. Good luck!

[hopeakers]

Yeah, I'd just as soon starve as eat crunch veggies. I can handle some types of peas and beans, love potatoes. I also like sweet corn if it's still on the cob. Otherwise, I hate the stuff. A lot of it has to do with texture.
I honestly gag if I'm eating something and bite into a little crunch because something like a sliver of onion or lettuce found its way into my food. It's embarassing. I feel like I'm three years old.
The thing I've had the least luck with is iceberg lettuce. I actually throw up every time I try to swallow. I'm sure that's a mental thing, but I need a way to sneak past that and learn to eat some of this healthy stuff.
HELP!