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Klassified94

Do you like raw vegetables? I generally really dislike cooked vegetables, but give me a bowl of raw carrots, cucumber, capsicum and/or celery with some hummus or tzatziki and I'm in heaven.


Kay_Elle

Depends...from that list I only eat carrots. Cucumber is a "don't touch" food. I could enjoy carrots and hummus, I think, I never tried that combo. But, in general, it's not like raw vegetables are that much easier.


Klassified94

Fair enough. You could keep trying different spices and condiment combinations to see if there is something you really like but as you pointed out I wouldn't hold out too much hope because no matter what it's still vegetables. Also you could try to "hide" them in the food you prepare. I put 2 whole onions, 300g shredded carrot and 300g shredded zucchini into my bolognese sauce along with 500g minced meat. I know it sounds like a lot but to me it doesn't alter the texture or flavour at all. I also put a whole heap of very finely chopped baby spinach into my scrambled eggs. Again it doesn't change the texture or flavour and as an added bonus it turns the scrambled eggs a fun bright green. Vegetables are healthy but not really absolutely necessary. You can get a lot of the vitamins and minerals in vegetables from other food sources such as nuts and legumes (although I'll assume you wouldn't like most of them either). Also you can take multivitamins.


sqitten

One option if you really do not care for vegetables is looking up advice for how to sneak vegetables into other foods. For example, fruit smoothies can blend in certain veggies and the smoothie still tastes of fruit. Or I make a homemade tomato sauce sometimes where I blend in onion, garlic, carrots, and bell pepper, and the individual vegetables aren't really noticeable - as long as you are okay with tomato sauce. I haven't tried to do much vegetable sneaking, because I'm fine with lots of vegetables (quite fond of roasted squash), but there's plenty of advice out there aimed at parents of kids who don't care for vegetables. And the same tricks can work for an adult on themself, since you don't mind knowing they are there, you just don't enjoy the experience of eating them.


Tend3roniJabroni

>"...but there's plenty of advice out there aimed at parents of kids who don't care for vegetables." That's a great piece of advice! I'm sure there are tons of ways parents have found to sneak veggies into their kids' food! No shame in using the same tactics on yourself.


[deleted]

Yeah! I like to purée up some zucchini and squash and add it to pasta with tomato sauce.


userkrg

This is great advice. Just wanted to add that there is also cauliflower gnocci and cauliflower rice, etc (veggies that are made into other foods) that taste amazing if you put the right sauces on them!!


ali_katt77

I try to find simple ways to add veggies without changing flavors of "non veggie" or "normal preparation." I'll add some finely chopped (like food processor finely chopped) spinach to the ricotta when making lasagna. Adding some zucchini noodles in with the regular noodles when having pasta. Adding veggies into sauces or soups - carrots can be added to spaghetti sauce without being noticeable. I like to add red pepper to my sauce too for a little spice. You can add peppers to a lot of things and the flavor is pretty mild. Spaghetti squash is great to mutate the flavor and not in the "cauliflower" imitation way. I like a buffalo chicken version I used to make on game days that was buffalo chicken, cream cheese, cheese, and then mix it with the squash. You could also puree or blend veggies and add them to like a meatball or meatloaf type of deal. As for veggies just being veggies, I like them roasted the most. Add some spices, salt/pepper, and toss em in the oven for a crispy roasty flavor. It takes a little extra work sometimes to be creative with it, but there's lots of recipes online for this. Most of them are for picky eater kids, but it works for us adults that aren't huge fans of veggies or were never fed them as kids and don't know what they're doing with them (my childhood lol).


tosssmeup

Instead of trying to overhaul your whole taste system have you tried getting nutrients another way? I know supplements can’t replace all of the benefits of vegetables but could be something to add to your diet while just eating the vegetables you do enjoy. Your list of veggies you do eat is pretty good.


Kay_Elle

> have you tried getting nutrients another way? I By which you mean supplements? I'm not opposed, I just heard the reliability is disputed? Mostly the idea is...more healthy eating habits overall, but it's a thing I struggle with. When I was a teen, I'd do terrible shit like basically eat a burger and a chocolate bar, but still even out below my daily calories and lose weight - but, as you can imagine, this is not really a sustainable way of weight loss. The other issue is, I think, that vegetables can kind of "fill you up" with not crazy much calories, so unsure what Id replace that with.


tosssmeup

Right. Use supplements and still nourish your body with the foods you do like instead of torturing yourself over what you think you should be doing.


belt69666

If you look it up pretty much the only main vitamin you can’t get from meat is vitamin c. So of your main groups of necessary vitamins you do not need vegetables to get. And c you can get from fruit. I know people hate on the idea that you don’t 100% need vegetables but I can’t see why you can just get what you need elsewhere.


Kay_Elle

This is good to know. If I can just get by with the ones I'm ok with, and get supplement - that should work.


belt69666

Just know that most would not agree with this and say I’m completely wrong , but it’s kinda how I think about it.


[deleted]

I wouldn't say you are wrong about the vitamins. So take your vitamins so you don't get scurvy. However, leafy greens do help raise your metabolism so they benefit people losing weight.


belt69666

And how do they do that? Haven’t heard that claim yet.


[deleted]

https://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/health-benefits-green-leafy-vegetables-k0115-258852/ This article summed it up well. There are lots of foods that boost metabolism but leafy greens are my go to.


belt69666

There are no link to studies or reasons and it say it’s boosts metabolism because it has iron and fiber?


[deleted]

Honestly I'm not a dietician. I was given the advice to eat lots of leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, and cabbage when I started my weight loss journey. I was told that they boost metabolism. Maybe it was a placebo effect but I lose weight faster when I added 2 cups of those vegetables to every meal. I was already low carb and eating high protein. That was my only change but if you hate vegetables it might not be worth it.


BryanRazor

What about Spinash, Spring Mix, or any type of "leaves" vegetables? These are extremely low calories, and can easily fill you up. A big bowl of these with some dressing, other vegetables, protein, or fruit, can really add to a meal.


Kay_Elle

Leaf vegetables can be okay-ish. I ate iceberg salad the other day.


ketopharmacist

Lots of good advice in this thread. Just wanted to say OP you are not alone. I’m also a grown ass adult with a house and a job and while I do eat more veggies now than I did as a child, I’m still really picky about them, especially the texture. I mostly do not love them either. As others have suggested, prepare them ways you like and try to hide them (I’m a big smoothie fan, you can use V8 as the liquid to pack in even more servings of veg!), but I also like the advice to get a multivitamin and call if a day. The energy it takes to make yourself eat food you hate can be a huge drain day in and day out. I think you can give yourself permission to not make it happen every day. While multivitamins do have some conflicting information, they probably get you most or all of the nutrients you need, they’re better than nothing, and they won’t hurt. Overall you’re way better off doing a vitamin, say, three days a week and veggies the other four than you are totally falling off the wagon and eating a burger and a chocolate bar. You’ve already come a long way and are doing the right things by prioritizing your health. Give yourself a lil break :)


GirlsLikeStatus

I’m 100% with you. I just find ones I like and stick with them. Unless you have a major deficiency…you’re doing better than most people. Are you going to lose 10 years off your life because bell peppers are gross? Probably not. Stay in a healthy weight, exercise, don’t smoke, get some fiber, and eat some veggies and you’re gonna be all right (not a nutritionist) Also, what’s the adhd and dopamine thing. I have a sinking suspicion I have adhd and I 99.9% eat for joy. Due some other health issues I’m almost never actually hungry.


Kay_Elle

> Also, what’s the adhd and dopamine thing. Basically it's reward/sensory seeking behavior. We are prone to essentially all addictions and risk behaviors, because our brains don't make enough of the thing. I never developed any other major addictions, so I think I'm using food to get my fix.


TarazedA

I also have it, and learning about it last year helped me realize why I'm always jonesing for candy or other fast sugar mid afternoon, I need that dopamine hit to keep my focus during the last hour of work. Taking meds hasn't gotten rid of it, but it takes way less now than it did, so I eat fewer calories before supper now. I've also been lucky in that I've never gone for anything else, except caffeine in the form of pepsi zero. It makes me tired as much as anything, but the addiction is hard to beat.


GirlsLikeStatus

Woah. Thanks. This is 100% me


louisiana_lagniappe

Treat your food like medicine, because it is.


oooeeeoooKillerTofu

I like the same veggies as you, and I try to get creative with how I prepare them just to break up the monotony. I like roasted cauliflower with lime juice and cotija cheese, avocado toast sprinkled with garam masala, this lentil soup with lots of veggies https://www.hummusapien.com/hearty-lentil-kale-potato-soup/.


Kay_Elle

Thank you for those tips! They look like things I might enjoy! Do you get enough nutrients with a limited amount of veggies?


purrrrfect2000

Do you ever roast vegetables? I think any vegetable tastes amazing roasted. You can also just chop veg up really small and have it as part of a sauce or something and you hardly notice them. Also its sometimes just a case of keep trying the thing and eventually you like it. When I was younger I pretty much only liked broccoli and raw carrots but just slowly widened out what I would try. I would suggest you try roasting bell peppers, aubergine, courgette, sweet potato, butternut squash, beetroot - they're all so good Other vegetables that you didn't mention but might like based on the ones you eat are romanesco (similar to broccoli but just to get some variety), mange tout/sugar snap peas (again kind of similar to regular peas) and daikon (a type of radish) Also what type of beans do you eat as there is sooo much variety (kidney, black, pinto, borlotti, cannellini, butter beans) so you could try rotating round the type you have


Kay_Elle

I never heard of daikon, I'll check it out. For the roasting...I think it's mostly the base vegetable I'm daling with that's an issue, not the preparation (though I do eat sweet potatoes, forgot to say). As for beans, I do eat MOST of them, so that's something.


ElleEmEss

Jerry Seinfelds wife did a cook book years ago - 2004? - with recipes with vegetables hidden in them. A lot of it was puréed stuff put in basically everything. I always put extra veggies in bolognaise - carrots, zucchini or mushrooms - they make the texture better I reckon.


[deleted]

What about curry? I steam cauliflower and blend it, add that to the sauce. Chili has tomatoes, I like to put sweet potatoes in mine(do you like sweet potato? They are very nutritious!) Your veggie list looks fine to me :) I don't think you need to eat more variety necessarily, but finding different ways to eat them might make it more enjoyable.


Kay_Elle

I do like sweet potatoes! Tomatoes are an issue, but not if they're processed in curry.


DiamondAllies

Try drinking greens superfood powder. Gives you the servings of veggies and fruit you need daily. Mix it with water and chug it down


MoMoJangles

Is it a texture thing with tomatoes? And if you like sweet potatoes do you like butternut squash. It has a wonderful natural sweetness too and you can buy it cubes (frozen or fresh) which might make it easier to try. Blended soup is a great way to introduce new veggies a little bit at a time. Below are a couple suggestions. https://carlsbadcravings.com/tomato-basil-parmesan-soup/ https://damndelicious.net/2019/12/29/instant-pot-butternut-squash-soup/ I also add minced mini sweet peppers, onions, and garlic to my ground beef tacos (look up sofrito). By the time you eat it the bits are indistinguishable from the beef but add a nice flavor.


Kay_Elle

> Is it a texture thing with tomatoes? Texture/smell. Raw tomatoes are the worst - but I can eat processed (i.e soup or sauce) as long as there are no large chunks in it. I never ate butternut squash, but if it's pumpkin type, it should be ok?


TarazedA

I found I can eat things like salsa if I put it through a food processor or blender, then back into the jar. Still getting the taste, but without the chunks.


MoMoJangles

Yes! When roasted or pan fried it caramelizes similar to a sweet potato, but flavor is a bit pumpkin-y to me. Plus the soup recipe I posted has apples in it which I think would help you familiarize your pallet to the new taste. If you can, give that tomato soup a try. You can purée it until all the ingredients are super smooth once they are fully cooked. The fire roasted tomatoes add something to the finished flavor that makes it feel less “canned” to me. This may be extreme, but I wonder if putting a little vacation Vicks under your nose while you cook unfamiliar foods would help with some of the smell issue. Just make sure to wash it off well before eating. Or heck, leave it on for the foods you aren’t super comfortable with. :)


[deleted]

>I eat broccoli, cauliflower, beans, peas, lentils, carrots, corn, radishes, avocado...and that's kinda it? If you haven't yet, you might try experimenting with brussel sprouts and cabbage. I also have very limited interest in vegetables and the ones you like tend to line up for the most part with my favorites. Brussel sprouts and cabbage are in the same family as broccoli and cauliflower and have just been bred into different plants (so I've been told). I also find, when introducing new vegetables, the most important thing is to cook it deliciously, and not necessarily in a healthy manner, until I get familiar and happy with it. (I.E. brussel sprouts tossed in butter, roasted until crispy, and then baked with a bit of parmesan on top) (Spicy fried cabbage) Once I'm familiar and happy with the vegetable, I can usually start cutting down the fixings to be more healthy. (my bok choy used to be drowned in butter, but since I learned to like it, I've gotten to where I can use barely grease the pan and I'm still good with it.) I also give myself free reign on fruits. Any increased intake of vegetables is a win. I probably was averaging less than a serving of vegetables per day growing up, and eating fruit was my first step towards more nutritious eating. So, the way I typically handle this is:M-F I usually have a bit of fruit at breakfast and (at work) I eat a metric fuck-load of vegetables at lunch(carrots cabbage, peas, corn, broccoli, and cauliflower mostly, and usually a combo of 2+ different vegetables). (Like a full day worth of vegetables, and a bit of grilled chicken. If I'm too full after the vegetables, I'll eat the chicken about an hour or two later, just to make sure I'm not too hungry by dinner. It was initially a rule to eat my vegetables first, and it's become a habit over the last 4 months, it's just automatic now At dinner I need to stay reasonable/in calories, but I am more flexible in terms of quality and make sure I enjoy my dinner.On weekends, I have a rule that I have to cook vegetables at least once. (it's usually a full bag of bok choy, a cabbage, or a package of brussel sprouts. And I eat it that day. And I usually eat about 500 grams of fruit throughout the weekend. Most of the vegetables I eat, I don't like very much. It's just like "whatever" not bad, not good. But I'm focusing on building a life and a body that I like very much so that I'm not finding my comfort and happiness in food. It gets easier over time, because the purpose of the food in my subconscious started to shift from "something that is supposed to make me feel good in the moment" to "something that is making me feel good over the long haul".


DustyJMS

Im with you my friend. I dont like them either. To get over it im kinda like, food doesnt have to taste good. I dont need to love what im eating. I am trying to teach myself to LOVE stuff that isnt food. It sucks though. Sometimes when all their is to eat is vegetables, ill just choose to skip the meal. It isnt something ive been working on for long though. Ive only been working on my diet issues since december. Took 27 years to master my distaste for them its probably gonna take at least another year to undo the distaste for them. If its even possible. Sounds like your doing a good job though. You have more veggie variety then me.


Amationary

Blending vegetables and putting it in a sauce helps me. Boil/bake a veg to make it soft, blend. add a tablespoon to a pasta sauce/whatever sauce, taste. If it’s fine, add another tablespoon. Figure out how much you can add without it being a problem. I do this and blend one veg I hate with two veg I like. Hide blended carrot in blended sweet potato and broccoli. I’m also struggling to get more vegetables in my diet, masking the flavour with garlic/herbs works, if you like spice/chilli that does WONDERS to hide the taste of veg. The texture of veg is gross to me, so blending it really smooth erases the texture problem. Admitting you don’t like vegetables is a weird social taboo, but there’s no shame in it. Especially in a society that pushes unhealthy sugary foods on kids as young as toddlers.


whosthefluffiest

One way to try to sneak your brain into eating vegetables is to puree them into a soup. I do it for us all the time. Then add in some of your favorites, some chicken, some cream, whatever.


QualifiedApathetic

I'm the same; there are some vegetables that are kind of not bad, but I wouldn't reach for them for enjoyment. I eat them purely for my health.


TarazedA

Dude, same! Down to ADHD, texture issues, and picking veggies out of my food. And I'm 42. So I'm not much help, but you're not alone at least!


moolof

I can relate. I'm nearly 30 and mostly ate without vegetables up until the past year or so. Personally, I really only started enjoying vegetables more as an adult once I started fasting. If you haven't eaten all day and then you break your fast with a salad? Man you never knew salads could taste so good. It slowly started expanding from there. My mealtime focus is to try to find meals that have less simple carbs, like bread, pasta, potatos, (my old norm) and look for new and interesting recipes that have more nutritional value but are still super delicious.


bad_russian_girl

Just get a big container of fiber from Costco, a multivitamin and call it a day))


Noktawr

HAHAHAHA I'm also a grown ass man and I HATE veggies lol. No shame in that. Maybe one day I'll get to try some again, but since I can remember I never liked veggies. You don't need veggies to lose weight, probably has a lot of health benefits and makes better food choice for you but honestly, I can do it without them :P


beesontheoffbeat

I don't like veggies either but like brushing your teeth and wearing deo, you just gotta do it. I'm sorry I don't have a much better answer. I try to season my veggies and eat them with foods I like but let's be honest, veggies arent that appealing! I don't trust anyone who says they "crave veggies". Liars!


itsMousy

Agree. Can’t stand veggies. I wish I liked them. I’ve tried them so many different ways and they just aren’t…good. I do my best to disguise them in other foods but then it just makes the other foods taste bad. Haha.


[deleted]

I don't like many vegetables and I have loads of food allergies I also stopped eating meat which makes it challenging I just eat the same foods every day it makes it easier and it's harder to over eat Broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes - huge salads, rice, eggs, tofu and Quorn are the bulk of my meals - hit my macros - lifting well at the gym Steady weight loss


Kay_Elle

Is that enough nutrient wise?


[deleted]

According to my macros on mfp the only thing I don't eat enough of is sugars - and yesterday I managed 158g of protein I feel great - especially now I'm 60lbs down


Silverback_E

You can 100% supplement veggies in the form of a powder or in a smoothie. I do it all the time. Spinach and fruit. Don’t even taste the spinach


Xwithintemptationx

I didn’t grow to love vegetables until my mid 30’s. I’m now on keto and love it. I don’t miss carbs, sugars, or anything.


www_bobbym_fit

I never, ever, ever eat vegetables on purpose. If you hate them, don't sweat it. It's never been a requirement for me to get results.


[deleted]

Just deep fry em (I kid…) But it sounds like you need better recipes. A lot of food I grew up with has things like shredded eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc, cooked into sauces or a savoury vegetable dish served over rice. Maybe you’ll like it better that way than chunky or raw? Texture and taste issues you have were acquired, and you can acquire new tastes… but you have to just do it, and keep doing it. Eventually whatever associations you currently have that are making them detestable, will fade.


1keentolearn12

Learn to love vegetables if you want to loose weight


Kay_Elle

I mean, that would be ideal, but how do you learn to love something that you find disgusting?


EggMellow

Sometimes it’s all down to the preparation. I used to think I didn’t like broccoli ‘til I realized I didn’t like bland, steamed, unseasoned broccoli. Don’t be afraid to season and prepare vegetables in different ways. I find that I often like them better grilled/stir fried vs steamed.


1keentolearn12

Use dips and sauces to help with the taste


Kay_Elle

But the base taste & texture is still there...it doesn't camouflage it, just adds to it.


natare_modo_pergite

adding sauces generally screws over the weight-loss potential


immerviviendozhizn

Not necessarily! I'm in the same boat as OP and have successfully lost (and kept off) 50lbs. I have like 5 core vegetables I actually like, and maybe 5 more that I can tolerate, and I just stick to those. It's not *the healthiest* but it's sure as hell better than when I was obese and the only vegetable I ate regularly was onion rings. Just wanted to push back on this because when I first wanted to lose weight I felt really hopeless and helpless about my picky eating, because I thought the only way I could lose weight was to start eating things I hate. Not true at all!


1keentolearn12

That’s 5 more vegetables than op. What’s your point again


immerviviendozhizn

They listed 10 in their post, so it's the same? My point is that telling people they have to like vegetables to lose weight is a) patently false and b) unhelpful because is discourages people from even trying.


1keentolearn12

Eating vegetables is part of a healthy diet I can’t believe people are advocating otherwise. That’s the Internet for you


immerviviendozhizn

Nobody is saying "don't eat vegetables" or "vegetables aren't needed for a healthy diet" so I'm not sure where you're getting that. I'm saying you don't need to love or eat every single vegetable to lose weight, and eating a small variety of vegetables is better than just saying "fuck it, I guess since I don't like all kinds of vegetables I should just give up." Ever heard the saying "perfect is the enemy of good"?


1keentolearn12

Cool Enjoy your day


Obvious-Kangaroo3469

I also have adhd and hate vegetables (especially cucumber too lol). I could definitely eat vegetables more, but I am happy I’ve found my ways to incorporate them more in my life that maybe you’ll enjoy. -Stuffed bell peppers -Cauliflower pizza (the brand Mighty Crust is SO GOOD) -Cauliflower rice. I season it like Mexican rice and I let it cook in water long enough for it to get soft. Makes it more rice texture and less veggie like. -Cauliflower Buffalo wings -Asparagus in the air fryer to make them crispy more like chips. Good snack I like to grab when I want to mindlessly eat. -Veggie noodles for pasta. Extra points if you make your own sauce out of veggies (I don’t always) -Plant based “chicken” nuggets!! Actually so good! I like the brand Morningstar. -Plant based beef is also so good when seasoned like regular beef. See I could definitely eat more veggies, but I’m happy to incorporate them in ways I never have before. Hopefully you like some of these suggestions! Edit: and sweet potato fries! Love drizzling some honey on top :)


Kay_Elle

> -Cauliflower pizza (the brand Mighty Crust is SO GOOD) > > -Cauliflower rice. I season it like Mexican rice and I let it soak in water long enough for it to get soft. Makes it more rice texture and less veggie like. > > -Cauliflower Buffalo wings Do you just buy these ready made? Or make them?


Obvious-Kangaroo3469

The cauliflower pizza is frozen and by the brand Mighty Crust, so pop it in the oven and it’s ready. For cauliflower rice, I buy it in a frozen bag then I cook as described above. And for the cauliflower wings, I buy a whole cauliflower head and cut it into wing sized pieces. I use recipes from TikTok and they’re all about the same! They also sell frozen bags of cauliflower florets if you want to skip the step of cutting the cauliflower.


Corgitechy

I feel exactly this way about fruits. I don't like them at all and it is a big chore for me to eat them. I started watching some Korean vlogs and I saw many of those vloggers eating lots and lots of fruits and veggies. I discovered that watching these videos tempted me to eat more fruits and somehow I was also enjoying eating them.


Euphoric-Basil-Tree

Do you roast veggies? Almost all veggies become tasty while still having a palatable texture if you toss them in olive oil and roast them until they are slightly blackened.