Such great ideas here! I am slowly learning to appreciate veggies. Great idea with the cheese and veggie quesadilla - I frequently melt cheese on a tortilla now, such a simple thing to add veggies, yet I didn't think of it. I'm also going to try roasting some veggies. I find that they are always easier to eat when in small bites, so I will be sneaking them into more recipes. My mother always made the carrot slaw with raisins, but I am going to try it with craisins, since I like those more. Also, I've found I can handle a serving of low-sodium V8 a day and that counts! Thanks everyone!
<<Stir fry for me! I love making a mostly veggie stiry fry and adding a bit of lean protein like shrimp.>>
Same here. I find a heaping plate of onion/pepper/mushroom/garlic/bok choy stirfry to be very satisfying, with or without protein like shrimp or tofu. I always add a little bit of exotic sauce to mine, like Tuscan fig or orange ginger. Sometimes I'll add water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.
From what I've heard/experienced, current research indicates that you have to try (as in, eat a serving of) a food you're not used to 8-11 times before you get acclimated. So there's really something to be said for repeated exposure.
I became a veggie eater after I discovered oven roasting. I'm not a fan of raw veggies, but I also don't like those boiled-to-death-then-covered-in-butter "vegetables". A little olive oil and fresh garlic tossed with asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc... then into the oven at 350 until it's tender but not soft. I love it.
This thread is a little old, but I found it interesting to read.
I've taken to adding veggies I don't normally eat and don't care for. I tried the cauliflower mash, but I use more than half cauliflower and potato. I also tried spaghetti squash in place of pasta. It was good, but labor intensive. I do enjoy making stir fry.
My husband is very similar to you! He'll only eat a handful of vegetables and usually chooses not to any at all. A friend recommended this book to me. Some of the recipes don't sound too great, but a bunch are wonderful. It basically slips portions of vegetables into dishes that you might already like without you realizing they're there. It usually works better if someone else is cooking it for you, so that you aren't thinking about how much is in there! The other thing I like about the cookbook is that it's for kids, so the portion sizes are very reasonable, unlike some cookbooks! I wish I had the cookbook in front of me to remember what my favorite recipes were... just search for "Deceptively Delicious" on amazon or google.
I hate vegetables myself except for corn (either corn on the cob or canned corn and not the salt free kind) russet potatoes and canned green beans. It all must have salt for me to eat it. The ONLY way I can manage broccoli is if it is completely smothered in American cheese. I gag over all other veggies. I can't swallow them. I have tried and tried but I hate them. I don't like smoothies and I don't like most nutritional shakes. So I have some serious work to do myself! People think that telling me do it anyway is going to make me be able to swallow, but it just doesn't happen. What I would give to be able to eat veggies .....and not like salt so much! lol
I used to HATE veggies before I started my journey. Now my favorite vegetables are cabbage and mushrooms. I loooovee steamed cabbage with a little i can't believe its not butter, salt and pepper. I just find it so delicious. And mushrooms! I like to use them (crimini mushrooms) in my breakfast wraps. Otherwise, I pile veggies on my veggie burgers (lol) or sautee them with a little coconut oil to make spring rolls. You just have to find away to prepare them so that you will enjoy eating them.
I used to hate vegetables. I never liked lettuce and tomatoes on my sandwiches, I hated salads, and I couldn't stand just eating steamed vegetables. I spent a lot of time at the dinner table while my parents would force me to finish my veggies.
Since I've been on weight watchers I have been trying to find some "sweet" veggies recipes and then I would wean myself off the sugary stuff that makes them delicious. I've learned that veggies are ok as long as I prepare them in fun and delicious ways. Last night I made carrots cooked in maple syrup (regular) and margarine. They were so amazing and only 1.5p+ for 4 oz! My challenge is to make sure that if I sit down for a dinner I try to have half my plate be fruits and veggies.
For salads I find dressing is a huge factor in whether I'd like it or not. Give balsamic dressing a try - it has that sharp acidic (and if you get the expensive kind its incredibly sweet) taste to it. So much so that I rarely use olive oil in my dressing, thus cutting out so many calories!
I have never been a big vegetable eater either, but I am a firm believer in hiding veggies if I can. Felafels, hummus and the like are great ways to have some without realizing it. Greek, Middle Eastern and Indian food has amazing ways of cooking vegetables in such a delicious manner that I highly recommend you look up their recipes. Like cucumbers in my yogurt (with a little mint and garlic if I'm feeling fancy) or dolmas/wrapped grape leaves!
I also fell in love with roasted or char-grilled veggies - the heat really crystallizes the sugars to make them that much sweeter. While high in sugars and calories, caramelizing veggies can also work wonders (I LOVE the poster's suggestion of cooking carrots with maple syrup. I must try that!)
Like others, soup has also helped me in appreciating veggies. I highly recommend creamed veggie soups but!! make sure to leave little chunks in there since pulverizing veggies can rob it of its nutrition.
I had the most delicious grilled veggies at brunch the other day. Red and yellow bell pepper strips with eggplant and zucchini. All grilled with a sweet sauce, so they were perfect and delicious! I think liking veggies is about finding how much you like each one cooked and what seasonings/sauces to use. There are some veggies I HATE raw and some I HATE cooked. Just got to find out what you like!
LOL! I hated veggies until a couple of years ago. Of course, up until then I thought they either came in a can and had been cooked to death, or they went into a salad: iceberg lettuce, hothouse tomatoes and a cucumber with loads of dressing. EWWWW!
I have found that I can get fresh veg, which we do from a co-op now and try them several different ways. I can almost always find some way to prepare them that I enjoy eating.
Cauliflower for example was on my most hated list. But, I can boil it til it's fork tender, then add just a tiny bit of real butter, like 1 TB to a whole head of cauli. and some kosher salt and a little pepper, and a little bit of buttermilk, then use the stick blender to "mash" them and it tastes almost exactly like mashed potatoes with sour cream, maybe better.
Sweet potatoes. Now...I bake 'em in chunks sprayed with a little bit of butter flavored PAM spray and some chipotle chili powder, some Chinese 5-spice, a pinch of kosher salt, and a little bit of cumin. Bake 'em and mash 'em and use the same savory aromatic spices. I adore them that way. Before, I only tried them with ewww!!!! marshmallows and brown sugar and it made me want to gag!
Fresh green beans I blanch, then drain. I use a little bit of center cut bacon, which is pretty low in calories. I usually give the bacon to the dog once I've rendered any fat from it, then I fry the beans in the drippings plus some chopped garlic. They get all of the bacon flavor. not much bad fat and taste great. I imagine you could use a dab of olive oil and some bacon bits for the same flavor with a better kind of fat. I love the crunchy texture!
So...my advice is to keep trying different ways until you find a way you like. I'm still trying to figure out how to eat turnips. ICK!!!
Barb
Last edited by angelskeep; 03-29-2012 at 12:57 AM.
Reason: can't type!
.....and not like salt so much! lol
