For the one who hates vegetables

Are you sick of people telling you to eat more vegetables? Why would anyone pick crunchy, earthy, and smelly greens to add to their plate over hot & creamy macaroni and cheese? And you can’t help but notice that ONE person in your office that is always snacking on carrots… wondering how in the heck they are able to eat carrots every day without getting sick of them…?

Bottom line is that there are a significant amount of people out there that only eat vegetables because they are ‘healthy,’ not because of how they taste. If all foods were nutritionally equivalent and what we ate was solely based on taste, then it would be safe to say that vegetable consumption would significantly decrease across the board.

 But all foods are NOT nutritionally equivalent. There is actual scientific reasoning behind the statement ‘eat your rainbow.’ Different colored foods are often representative of differing nutrient composition and different nutrient densities. Vegetables are a GREAT example of this. For example—tomatoes (red) are rich in lycopenes, an antioxidant that is scientifically proven to help inhibit cancer cell growth. Carrots (orange) are rich in beta-carotene/vitamin A, which is essential for healthy eyes and skin. Spinach, broccoli, and brussel sprouts (dark greens) are rich in vitamin K, which helps the body with blood clotting. Incorporating a wide variety of vegetables into your diet is key when aiming for a well-balanced diet/lifestyle.

 But I don’t like vegetables. Why should I eat something that I don’t like?

Do it for YOU and YOUR health. Even if you don’t like the taste of vegetables, there are ways that you can sneak them into your meals without even knowing that they are there! Listed below are ways that you can incorporate more vegetables into your diet, without having to necessarily taste them.

SEVEN WAYS TO SNEAK VEGGIES INTO YOUR MEALS

1.     Smoothies: If you have a blender in the kitchen I highly recommend trying out some homemade smoothies. Why? Making a smoothie is a great way to sneak some vegetables into your diet without tasting them. Shown below is a recipe for a smoothie that I often eat when I first wake up in the morning.

½ banana (frozen works better for smoothies)

½ cup strawberries

3 handfuls of raw spinach

2 tbsp chia seeds

¾ cup of vanilla Greek yogurt

Lowfat milk or water added until desired consistency is reached

By starting your day off with a smoothie similar to the one described above you are ensuring that your starting your day off well-balanced meal--one that is rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The best part? You won’t even taste the spinach that was added to the mix. And another bonus… it’ll help you with regulating your bowels (a fancier way of saying it’ll make you have to poop in the morning). It is also important to note that you can modify this smoothie recipe by adding/removing any ingredients desired.

2.     Combination dishes: Adding boiled spinach to your favorite pasta dish, casserole, or soup is a great way of adding a nutrient-rich vegetable to your meal, without the added taste!

3.     Powders/spices: Did you know that paprika is made from dried and ground red peppers? Did you know that cayenne comes from cayenne peppers? Did you know that chili powder is comprised of cumin, paprika, garlic, onion, and cayenne powders? Adding more spices into your dishes is a great way to sneak in some of the benefit that comes from adding vegetables into your diet!

4.     Sauces: Don’t like the taste of vegetables in their raw form? Try blending them into a sauce that can be added to your favorite dishes. Whether it be a cauliflower sauce, pesto sauce, pea sauce, marinara sauce, roasted red pepper sauce, mushroom sauce, carrot sauce, etc., there are an abundance of vegetable-based sauce recipes available online that make a great addition to your next dish!

5.     Cauliflower Crust: Next time you have a pizza night try a pizza with a cauliflower crust. By doing this you are satisfying that pizza craving of yours while also trying to incorporate more vegetables into your meal. Some restaurants/pizzerias even have a cauliflower crust as an option when ordering. I personally don’t taste difference at all when eating a cauliflower crust pizza versus a traditional pizza. Cauliflower can also be used as a base for breadsticks, wings, rice, etc.

6.     Veggie noodles: Ever heard of zucchini noodles? Carrot noodles? Broccoli stem noodles? Next time you make your favorite pasta dish try it with a veggie-based noodle. By doing this you are able to enjoy your favorite pasta dishes while also incorporating more vegetables into your diet! And the best part? You won’t even be able to taste the difference!

7.     Chips with a twist: Don’t like veggies in their raw form? Have you tried vegetables that have been baked into a chip? Technically all veggies can be made into chips, however, root vegetables such as potatoes, yams, carrots, and beets work best. Veggie chips can be purchased at your local grocery store or, even better, made from scratch out of your own kitchen. This is a great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

 Is blending spinach into a smoothie as healthy for you as eating plain spinach? Is adding paprika to your dish as beneficial as eating a whole bell pepper? Is adding a carrot sauce to your dish as good for you as eating raw carrots? Is eating a cauliflower crust healthier for you than eating plain/raw cauliflower? Is eating kale chips as healthy for you as eating a kale salad? While the answer to these questions isn’t simply black or white, it is still safe to assume that consuming vegetables in their whole form (whether raw or frozen) is ‘healthier for you’ than alternative methods of incorporating veggies into your diet (like the methods described above). HOWEVER, if you are someone that absolutely hates the taste of vegetables and REFUSES to eat them because of it… I highly recommend that you try sneaking veggies into your diet in other ways. Get creative. Do it for you.

Do it for your health.

Looking for more tips on how to clean up your diet? Are you experiencing symptoms that can be improved with diet and exercise? Interested in meeting with a registered dietitian? Nicole Baker Nutrition LLC is here for those in need!