No, I'm not kidding. Okay, so there are 3 veggies I don't like and refuse to eat: Asparagus, brussel sprouts, and artichokes.

Beyond that, I'm actually allergic to raw fruits and veggies. It's called oral allergy syndrome and the severity of my reaction depends on the different airborne allergens in the area I live in at the time. When foods are cooked though, it changes the protein that causes my reaction and then it's fine. So steamed, broiled, etc. is okay. Lettuce doesn't seem to bother me, so I'm grateful for that at least. The worst offenders for me are carrots and celery- even cross contamination causes a pretty bad respiratory reaction in me, so I have to be careful with things like "garden salads" at restaurants and in pre-mixed bags.

But it makes it really difficult for me to just grab something healthy. I can steam a thing of carrots and refrigerate them, but it just doesn't make for a whole lot of variety. I did pick up the book "Deceptively Delicious" a few days ago and we're going to try that this week- hiding pureed veggies in other foods. It's meant for kids, but I think it might work for me.

Does anyone have other ideas I might not have thought about? I do like chopping a variety of veggies (peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc) and roasting them but they always taste rubbery and weird the next day, and I just do not have time to make full meals all the time for myself. So I need something quick and very easy- I have a newborn and a toddler. Surely the answer isn't as easy as "have a V8" right?

Thanks!

Well, with V-8 and other vegetable and/or fruit juices you get some of the antioxidants, but you miss out on the healthy fiber (you could supplement with psyllium fiber, but whether that makes up for the whole difference, I'm not really sure. A dietitian probalby would have more answers).

Cooking destroys a lot of nutrients, so I'd consider a universal allergy to virtually all raw fruits and veggies a potentially serious dietary disability. Ideally your insurance would cover at least one visit with a dietitian to address your specific dietary needs.

Your doctor may be able to justify to your insurance at least one visit.

If you don't have medical insurance, sometimes you can see a dietitian through the health department at a reasonable cost.

I don't have any ideas, but I have empathy! I have OAS, and although right now it's limited to apples, cherries, and peaches, I have a fear that I'll develop more and more intolerances as time passes (which is what I've been told is the pattern). The worst is that people who don't know about OAS think that I'm exaggerating, or just trying to avoid foods I don't like. Nope, trust me, this is real!

I'm sorry! Hopefully you can get some help from a nutritionist like kaplods suggested.

I have the same thing and have found frozen fruits and veggies to be wonderful! There are some single serving options, or I just dump some in a bowl, add a bit of water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. I too can't eat carrots and avoid them at all costs. The best way that I can describe the reaction is literally taking your breath away. Since I don't eat out I have no tips for that one - sorry. Frozen blueberries are so yummy during the summertime! I put them in crystal light lemonaid No sugar added applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Can you eat canned veggies and fruit? There are individual serving sizes in the canned isle and individual fruit in water (NOT syrup).

I have the same issues and I feel for you. IP has been really tricky because I have to plan the veggies in advance and prepare them so that I don't react.

A few things I've found extremely helpful are frozen veggies that can be steamed or roasted; fresh canned veggies (either done myself or from the farmer's market); and quickly blanched veggies that can be cooled for "on-the-go" (I tend to do this with broccoli & cauliflower because they can still be eaten as a snack once they're cooled). I know these aren't major time savers but they're the only way I can seem to get around it.

I did see an alternative nutritionist and it was suggested that I try a dietary enzyme supplement. It provides the enzymes to break down some of the allergens and does seem to help...but I've only been trying it for a week.

My other suggestion is to try peeling the fruit/veggies or washing them in a very weak dishsoap solution or a "Norwex" veggie wash. I've also found with things that have pits it helps to cut away the fleshy part that was in contact with the pit...it sounds weird but it seems to make a difference.

Good luck...I feel for you as I totally understand the predicament. Any other suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I also used to be allergic to nearly all raw fruits and vegetables. Even getting watermelon juice on my hands made them break out in a rash. What you have is called oral allergy syndrome. It is related to pollen allergies. Do you also get hay fever? I went to an allergist and had desensitization shots for my pollen allergies. After being on the shots for five years, my oral allergy syndrome went away! Now I can actually eat salad and even watermelon. Please see about getting desensitization shots.

I have this too! I thought I was crazy! Its worse with fruit for me - apples, pears, plums, peaches, anything like that, also raw almonds but I wouldn't say I have a nut allergy. Doesn't help if I peel the skin either. My only reaction is it makes my mouth/throat itch which is REALLY ANNOYING and can make my lips swell a little but not to a noticeable degree.

I also get it from eating carrots but its not as bad as fruit - haven't noticed with any other vegetables. If I handle/peel potatoes it makes my hands break out but not when I eat them.

I don't eat much fruit anyway so every so often I'll sacrifice the itching to enjoy a pear and I don't notice the itching as much with the carrots if I eat them with hummus or something like that. I thought I was making up these allergies!

Who in the world is allergic to veggies and fruits.

This is my first time hearing about it O_O

Many people are allergic to raw fruits and vegetables. I am allergic to many things among raw fruits and vegetables. I went to a allergist to "see" exactly what I was allergic to. Low and Behold, I was allergic to many many things. The 'cure' is supposed to be allergy shots for like 5 years of my life. I have been doing the allergy shots and the allergist has said that the raw food allergy could potentially go away or get better because of the shots. I've been getting the shots almost 3 years now and I still have the allergy. BTW, these raw food allergies are not feared to get worse, but any peanut or tree nut allergy, CAN get worse and cause life threatening issues. So if your raw food allergy is the only thing that bothers you, then I'd say steam or cook them, or just stay away, but if you have other airborne allergies, go see an allergist. If you find yourself getting an allergic reaction to peanuts or tree nuts, STOP eating them. Also carry an EpiPen with you as many things are made with or around peanuts.

What about those puree squeeze packets for toddlers? I have loads of runner friends who eat them because they're easy to take on the go and there's a TON of variety. I love the spinach and pear ones. Plus, you're probably already buying them for your wee ones!

DD is allergic to pesticides, apparently, so she can't eat raw carrots or celery--but can eat ORGANIC raw carrots or celery. That might not help you, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

My husband also has OAS with apples, peaches, nectarines and walnuts. Luckily, veggies don't seem to cause him problems.

What about lots of all-veggie soups?

This is how I incorporate more vegetables into my foods instead of just eating them on the side. It works for me and my daughter, but we don't have any food aversions.

It's just some small ways that we bulk up our nutrients and volume without noticing.

I also do freezer cooking, so when I make burritos, nuggets, meatballs, burgers, etc, I cook them (with the exception of burritos, which I just wrap), then freeze them on a cookie sheet and transfer to gallon baggies. I freeze individual servings of curries, chilis, stews, soups, and other "one-pot meals."

Why cook 8 times if I can make 8 servings at once and freeze them?

This works well for homemade sauces too. If you won't use an entire jar at once (of tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, bbq sauce, etc) you can freeze in smaller jelly jars and keep a jar in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer until you need another one.

I'm not sure if you're making homemade baby food, but freezer cooking was the only way I could save money and I knew exactly what was in my daughter's food. I just cooked, pureed or chopped very small (depending on age) and froze in ice cube trays until we could transfer to labeled baggies.

All of this allows me to have a variety of healthy meals on-hand at any time, plus I save myself time, money, and we know what is in our foods at all times. We hardly throw food out at all. If I'm not going to eat it, I'll find a way to freeze it :P

Another thing that's worked for me is getting a casserole dish with a lid that fits in my microwave. That's made it really easy to cook frozen veggies in the microwave. I can do a whole bag in about 6 minutes!

PacSun-

I am also allergic to some veggies, corn, tomato, soy, legumes and sesame and I only found out about this from skin testing at an allergist's office. Now, I am on immunotherapy, aka allergy shots. I had allergy shots when I was younger an they did help. Have you seen an allergist yet? If you haven't, I would if I were you. Allergies are no joke and nothing to mess around with. Anaphylaxis is very serious, in fact, it can be life-threatening and I have had two episodes where I had to go to the ER because of swollen lips, itchy mouth, flushed, warm and dark pinkish almost red skin on my face. Please don't doctor yourself with these things, see an allergist.