Not sure where to post this...
 

I have a really hard time with figuring out what to eat. I'm a VERY picky eater. can't stand most veggies or fruits. I been taking fruit and veggies pills to help. I'm also trying to make smooties/shakes to have before I hit the gym. but i don't know many GOOD recipes. but anyways here is a list of what I ate today. it's probably all wrong. I would appriciate any help on what I can/should eat.

Bfast: toast w/o butter. 1 egg cooked in the microwave, no butter. fiber one yougurt

Lunch: piece of turkey wrapped in lettce with a tsp or chredded cheese,

Snack: PB and banana smoothie before the gym (ended up not going to the gym bc my hubby didn't want to)

Dinner: Turkey burger w/ cheese, lettuce, mayo, avacado on a bun, about half cup of french fries(baked) and some bell peppers cooked in italian dressing.

I had a poptart about a hour after dinner. I couldn't help myself :o

I drink green tea and water only. I don't drink soda or anything else really. about once a week i'll have a cup of coffee with splenda.

I been watching what I eat for about 3 days now. I would normaly have apple jacks for bfast then a frozen pizza for lunch. not good at all. I really want to lose weight this time.

I'll do 15 mins on the ellipitcal bc im soooo out of shape. 15 mins on the bike. and then do about 30 reps lifting weights for my arms. is there something I should be doing differnt? I know I wont see results instnaly but I don't really feel any differnt. just a bit sore from the gym. I weighed myself 2 weeks ago and I was 263. Im going to weigh myself on friday to see if there have been any changes. sorry so long I just want to do this the right way. I can't afford weight watchers or anything like that. so any cheap healty ideas would be great!!! thank you sooooooo much!

I'm a very picky eater too :/ I used to hate vegetable and fruits but as I have started to cut out processed food I've found that my body starts craving healthy food more. You are only on your third day of watching what you eat and to me the first 2-3 weeks were ****. I kind of lived off wheat thins and special k bars, but cutting back/out of processed food is always the hardest, it sounds like youre food choices are good so keep that up :) slowly your body will adjust.
You should try some Mac&cheese with peas or vegetable soup, slowly try incorporating veggies and fruit into your diet

Welcome!

First, do you have a specific plan you're following? I'm a calorie counter. It doesn't cost anything extra. There are lots of plan to follow. I recommend having something with guidelines (more than just "watching what I'm eating"). There are specific forums here for many different kinds of weight loss plans. Ask questions...everyone is friendly and willing to help.

Second, what is it you don't like about fruits and veggies? Texture? Taste? If you don't like raw veggies, try recipes where they're cooked. Don't like cooked veggies, look for ways to eat them raw besides a salad. Use the internet to explore all kinds of recipes, not only for good smoothies, but veggies and such too. I also think that the less processed stuff you consume, the more you may find your tastes changing and actually liking (and craving) fruits and veggies.

You CAN do this!

ETA: You may have to decide you're going to step out of your comfort zone box and try veggies you'd never considered before. I never knew I liked jicama. Now I LOVE it, especially in a salad. You just never know...

Yeah, if you aren't accustomed to eating vegetables, it might take a while for your taste buds to get used to them. Sauteeing in a little olive oil or roasting in the oven does wonders. It's surely better to add a few extra calories in olive oil in order to give your body the treat of a big pile of veggies.

(An easy veggie side dish: get fresh green beans--or frozen ones. I like the frozen tiny green beans/haricot vert. Trim the ends off and blanch in hot water for a minute or two. (5 minutes for fresh, 1-2 mins for frozen). In a saute pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat and add in some minced garlic--fry for a minute or two. Add some red pepper flakes to the oil/garlic and then throw in your green beans. Saute for a couple of minutes until the beans are coated with the oil and the garlic starts to lightly brown. Add salt, pepper and a generous squirt of lemon juice. Eat. Very quick and easy and very tasty.)

Another very palatable veggie dish is caramelized carrots. There are lots of recipes for that on the web--basically you cook the carrots in a little butter and a little sugar and allow the carrots to release their own sugars and brown nicely. It's very good.)

I hate raw veggies and I won't touch a salad with a 10 foot pole! I do like most fruits though, aside for melons..yucky!

If I eat veggies I usually have to cook them...broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower are those of choice. I steam them, add the 0 calorie butter spray..garlic salt and pepper.. Or even cottage cheese. It isn't too bad then. Try experimenting with veggies and different combos. I have even eaten steamed carrots with PIZZA sauce! no kidding! It is actually pretty good!

Rule of thumb though you CAN lose weight still without those things..you may be missing some good nutrients, but try to make sure your up on your supplements. CALORIE count, and stay away from empty calories...because yes it boils down to a calorie deficit, but if you aren't getting the nutrients you need your body will not burn that fat as efficiently. Plus you may leave your self susceptible for illness when you don't get your nutrients. Google search what amount of vitamins and minerals you need for your age per day. And pay attention to what you eat and what is in it!

Hope that helps!

My daughter loves veggies, but I still put them in everything because I want her to get as much as she can, but also I need the volume to be satisfied and not the calories.

Some of my ideas/suggestions:

-I shred raw zucchini into turkey meatballs before baking
-I coarsely pulverize steamed cauliflower and grate raw yellow squash and mix with ground chicken before coating with breadcrumbs for chicken nuggets
-I mix ground beef 50:50 with minced mushrooms
-I mix steamed cauliflower puree 50:50 with homemade cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese
-In tomato sauce, you can add in a multitude of veggies and blend or keep chunky (peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, spinach)
-Pureed soups are a great way to get in veggies like broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and more.
-I make spinach "nuggets/balls" by chopping spinach finely and mixing it with potatoes that have been mashed (thank you for the idea, Dr. Praeger)
-I put spinach in everything instead of other types of lettuce because it's easy to eat raw or cooked
-Kale chips
-This chili recipe has so many veggies and tastes amazing
-Stuffed chicken breasts/other meats with vegetables - you can use almost anything, then bake
-Mashed veggies - you can use any root vegetables, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, etc.
-Mix spaghetti squash half and half with spaghetti and eat with tomato sauce
-Make your own veggie burgers with finely chopped vegetables

Last thing - try roasting. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the taste of roasted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts: A little olive oil, salt, pepper on high heat does wonders!

This might sound stupid but what excatly is processed food? is it like boxed/frozen food?? lol

I can't stand how crunky veggies are. like i can eat potato chips (mmm lol) and be find but when it's come to biting in a apple I can't. I suck at taking the skin of anything bc my left hand has problems. I have to steam my brocoli untill it falls apat to the touch. I also don't have bottom teeth on my left side. when i was little the dentist just pulled them all out instead of fixing them. so it can take me a while to jew something :( I'm a sucker for carbs! I have them with every meal but i'm trying to cut back. I don't really have any type of plan. just to eat better and workout. I normaly park my but in front of the computer or tv all day. BUT i been trying to change that to. I just got home and did 30 mins on the elliptical and 20 on the treadmill. I would of did longer on the treadmill but the daycare at the gym was only open for 10 more mins. I should go to the gym sooner but i'm up late bc i can't sleep Grrr!! thank you for your advice. I like cooked veggies BUT smotherd in butter LOL what else can I use instead of butter? I tried brussel sprouts and they tasted like dirt. maybe I cooked them wrong?? I had them at a resturant and liked them but making them myself I can't do. I have a food steamer that I use for veggies. I don't really know how to cook any veggies. I grow up on hamburger helper and meatloaf :o my mom wasn't really into cooking but oh well. any good recipes you like??

That sounds really good! Can I steam the green beans first so they are softer? I hate the crunch in veggies. can I add red peppers instead of the flakes? I have a bunch i brought freash on sale and I cut them up and froze them. I don't like the crunch of them either but i like the marinate them in dressing then cook them on the grill. mmmm so good with grilled chicken too :D

You mix your vegges in cottage cheese??? I heard of fruit but not veggies lol. I might have to get one of those no calorie butter sprays you mentiond. what are empty calories excalty??

how to you roast? like with the broiler? my husband saw a gril he wanted that also doubles to a roaster.. I think thats what it was.

These are wonderfull ideas!! never thought of them. I had no idea you can make your own nuggies!! do you just bake them afterwards?? I saw a recipe that used chopped califlower as "rice" thought it looked neat.

One of my very favorite veggie recipes is this:

Turn on your oven to 350F.
Cut bell pepper (red and orange look good in the pan, but green are usually cheapest), Onion, zucchini, and asparagus (or pick one, two, three...whatever you think you might like) into bite sized pieces (slice the zucchini).
put all the pieces in an oven safe pan.
Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Toss it all around to coat each piece a little, adding more as necessary. You don't want it running, just making them shiny.
Then add flavors you like. I usually use a lot of garlic powder, some lemon pepper, and a little bit of salt. Sometimes I add basil too.
Put it in your oven. Cook it as long as necessary to make it as soft as you would like. You might want to stir it once or twice, just to keep the tops from browning too much. I LOVE this!

Again, use the internet to look up recipes. One site I use a lot is allrecipes.com. I think Cooking Light has a site too. Even here at 3FC there are lots of recipe ideas. You can add different flavors to different veggies, depending on your taste. Brussel sprouts are a tough one to experiment with, I think. Others are right too...you don't have to eat the veggies by themselves. Mix them in with other things (soup style, casserole style, etc.)

Don't be afraid to experiment. You never know what combination may strike a chord with your taste buds. Good luck!!

No special equipment required - just your vegetables, a little olive oil, fresh cracked salt and pepper, mix until all veggies are coated and put on a baking sheet (I mix mine on the sheet itself). Bake at high heat 450 for 12-20 minutes, check for the texture you want.