# I hate vegetables!!!



## Sharkbtn (May 20, 2010)

I really, really cannot stand vegatbles but for my health and my daughters, I would like to incorporate more of them into our meals.  Is there anyone else who despises vegetables as much as I do, but have over come this?  If you have ideas, I would like to hear them.  Thanks.


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## Andy M. (May 20, 2010)

Hate is too strong a word for me in most cases.  I'm neutral about most, like some, dislike others.  I reserve "HATE!" for beets and cauliflower.

Pick the veggies you hate least and make them a part of every meal so the kids get used to them.  Don't let them know you hate them because that gives them permission to hate them too.  Be brave.


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## Robo410 (May 20, 2010)

cauliflower is a great soup veg, it picks up the taste of the broth.  Add it to homemade soups.
cauliflower and broccoli are great with cheese sauce
kale can be cooked and added to mashed potatoes (colcanon) or a rutabaga (neeps and tatties) either are a nice  addition to mashies.
tomato sauce on spaghetti is a veg. 
baby spinach cooks quickly in tomato sauce and is a way to add more veg punch to your pasta sauce.
make soup or stew...carrots are a natural in both.

dice onions small and cook them long...they sweeten and add great flavor and melt away.

try various salads with fresh veg in them (slice small...no one likes a big hunk of hard veg in their mouth!) 

see what works for you


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## stikinecook (May 20, 2010)

Sometimes when I am making mashed potatoes, I will add carrots, or turnips into it- and mash it all up so its all together.    Then add some green onions! Yum  

Or just boil up some carrots and Turnips together, mash them up, add a bit of butter and brown sugar(and some ginger too if you like)


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## legend_018 (May 20, 2010)

Check out this soup video:
http://blog.barleans.com/http://blog.barleans.com/2010/05/17/quick-cooking-video-10-min-creamy-vegetable-soup/

Sometimes it's how you cook it. For example, roasting veggies in the oven or one of those oven like skillets that plug in come out the best. cut up carrots, zucs etc. with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Grilled veggies I like better than other methods (example: skewers). 

This recipe is pretty good:

Marys Kitchen Adventures: Lamb Meatball, Orach and Cashew soup

Good Luck. I know how you feel. I'm not too crazy about veggies either.


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## spork (May 20, 2010)

My mother told me a story of a time when I was maybe four years old when she and I had the ultimate stare-off showdown over a plate of dinner veggies.  I stubbornly refused and did not budge, and she finally gave up, probably well past midnight.  Today, I may not like all vegetables, but I do enjoy trying them every which way.  My mother also confessed that she doesn't much care for carrots, but likes them when they are overcooked in butter and brown sugar.

The take-aways are this:  1) kids have their own taste; we should introduce everything to them and let them discover for themselves, and 2) if you don't like something, change its texture and taste until you do.  Remember, your daughters might become !gasp!, vegetarians, and that's okay.  Don't sweat it too much, sharkbtn, just give your girls big plates.


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## babetoo (May 20, 2010)

i love veggies. well maybe not so much for beets. bored with cauliflower with cheese, last nite i made french fried cauliflower. it was really good. tasted a bit like fried oysters. will make again.


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## Constance (May 20, 2010)

You'd be surprised how many finely diced vegetables you can sneak into spaghetti sauce, meat loaf, sloppy Joes, and meat pies, especially the ones topped with mashed potatoes.

Also, keep trying different preparations. DH hated Brussels sprouts until I sauteed them with bacon and garlic; now he even likes them just steamed. 

For young children, try using imaginative names, like "trees" for broccoli, "baby cabbages" for Brussels sprouts, and "Ninja food" for rice mixed with veggies. Make a "bird's nest" out of mashed potatoes and use peas for the eggs. 

One thing that does not work is talking about the starving children that would be thrilled to have these carrots. When I was little, they were in China, and what I didn't like was oatmeal. I just told mom to send them my share.


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## Kayelle (May 20, 2010)

Sharkbtn said:


> I really, really cannot stand vegatbles but for my health and my daughters, I would like to incorporate more of them into our meals.  Is there anyone else who despises vegetables as much as I do, but have over come this?  If you have ideas, I would like to hear them.  Thanks.



I sure hope the kids have never heard your views on veggies Sharkbtn, you must know that kids learn what they live, or you wouldn't be here.....good for you!
It's like anything else, we learn from our parents what to fear and "hate".
As someone else said, "hate" and "despise" are ugly words, and not fit for kids or vegetables.  ( a little tongue in cheek here). That being said, yet again, there has been some very good advice here at Discuss Cooking. I hope you stick around here.....this is a great place.
Welcome


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## luvs (May 20, 2010)

there's so many simplistic, plain 'ol ways that a veggie could be garnished/seasoned/sauced/cooked till texturally great.
-beurre noisette was a beginner sauce we used in cooking-school. browned-butter, (that being whole butter, cooked until the aroma of a hazelnut is there, poured over veggie or less frequent items. broccoli was the practical item we prepped using buerre noisette.

-beurre blanc (vinegar reduction whisked into a butter, slowly, for an emulsified sauce. we preferred tarragon vinegar & i loved that sauce despite my disdain for licorice-y tarragon.

-roasted veggies (i cook my usuals near 450-475, though they need very frequent adjustments, be that shaking the sheetpan or tinkering other stuffs.
i season/olive oil them. simpliasic seeasoning.

-polonaise. buttered/cooked crumbs, boiled egg. for, amongst others, cauliflower, broccoli.

-au gratin or creme-of veggies. make a bechamel & make an au gratin item

-visually appealing foods = interesting & enticing. when planning a dinner, keep color & the components of a balanced, yet excellent dinner item entities.

-scoop pulp from halved zucchini &/or summer squash. sliceinto 4 or less portions, on a diagonal bias.
stuffings- (buttery crumbs, seasoned parmesan & stuffing or lack thereof, 
or mozzarella/provolone/tomato sauce/basil/oregano/garlic, minced/sage/minced onion.

bake them.

these, most of them, seem so unhealthy, great food, though! 

-cheese! (either a sprinkling of a cheese or a sauce)- bechamel/cheese & several seasoning items whisked into that..... frank's sauce, pepper, mustard, worchestershire, garlic/shallot (minced)

-hollandaise/bearnaise sauce


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## lindatooo (May 21, 2010)

I love veggies but DH does not very much - he will eat them but aside from salads and carrots he shys away from them.  I discovered roasting them - oh what a difference!  Sprinkle them with a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil (oil first, of course) and roast them at a hight heat - they sweeten, they just become so much better than they are any other way!

Also mixed veggies are many times better than just one kind!

I cook carrots in the microwave with butter, brown sugar and mustard...yummy!

Sauteed brussel sprouts (quartered or halved) are way better than steamed!

What everyone else said about you not passing your food prejudices on to your kids is absolutely right!


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## frozenstar (May 21, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> Pick the veggies you hate least and make them a part of every meal so the kids get used to them.  Don't let them know you hate them because that gives them permission to hate them too.  Be brave.



Totally agree on this one. I never hated veggies, in fact, I've been a veggie guy. But don't ever show to your kids that you hate veggies. They definitely need vegetables to stay healthy. Try to eliminate those that you hate the most. (I hope you don't really hate them all..) And look for recipes that best suits for them.


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## mexican mama (May 21, 2010)

You can never go wring with french fries...but make sure its not greasy...soups are great to add veggies..like tomato soup and such .,..also Pizza with a good meat and veggies ratio


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## BreezyCooking (May 21, 2010)

What exactly is it that makes you "hate" vegetables?  Certainly you can't just automatically hate them all, because that doesn't make sense.

Cooking methods are definitely in play where veggies are concerned.  If you've only eaten &/or cooked vegetables boiled to death, then maybe it's time to experiment with other tastier & healthier cooking methods like sauteeing in a little olive oil with fresh herbs, roasting (which caramelizes/brings out the natural sugars in vegetables, braising along with meat, adding to chili/omelets,sauces - the list outside of just cooked to death are virtually endless.

Vegetables are absolutely necessary for a healthy lifestyle - please make an effort to start enjoying them!


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## blissful (May 25, 2010)

Wow, there are so many ways to love/hate veggies. 
If you go to the grocery store and pick up some celery, it can smell sweet or bitter, when I have a choice I choose the sweet celery.
I've met people that don't like--not just the flavor--they don't like the texture. But, you can change the texture by chopping it finer, or grilling it, steaming it, carmelizing it--no matter the veggie, you can change it until it is the way you like it.
I have a friend at work, she eats NO veggies, she suffers from dark circles under her eyes, I wonder if it is due to a lack of vitamins and minerals in her diet, but it's her choice.

I'm also thinking, from experience, that some veggies taste different depending on the soil they are grown in. I've grown the sweetest most delicious carrots in my garden, while buying carrots that were never as sweet as that. 
I've grown the HOTTEST jalepenos during one dry summer, again, nothing like the ones I've purchased in the store. 
Vegetables are as varied as the day, the soil, the weather, and how it is cooked. 

Start to eat veggies slowly, one little taste at a time. Try a cold crisp sweet bell pepper, or red bell pepper with a little salt, see if you like it. You might like it raw and not like it chopped and cooked on pizza (my mom didn't like them cooked). 
Try some thin cut carrots, with or without dip, just taste them, they might be different every time you buy them. 
Do you like corn, most people like corn. The best corn is in season, right off the cob, with a little butter and salt and pepper. 
Let your palate grow, day by day, until you know what you like. 
Good luck with your veggies, let them keep you healthy, ~Bliss


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## Mimizkitchen (May 25, 2010)

mexican mama said:


> You can never go wring with french fries...but make sure its not greasy...soups are great to add veggies..like tomato soup and such .,..also Pizza with a good meat and veggies ratio



Sorry Mama but french fries to me are not what I consider "veggies" even tho the potato is, it's not exactly what the OP was saying, I think... The point was more yukky veg that kids, and herself, hate... French fries are a give me and almost everyone will eat them..


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## CharlieD (May 25, 2010)

I hate vegetables too, but do cook with them, and try to incorage my kids to eat it.


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## Claire (May 30, 2010)

OK, I've tried to read all the posts to this.  One suggestion I have is grilling them (and I'll probably post this elsewhere; I've done it once a year since becoming a DC person).  

Brush halves of zuchini, eggplant, (courgettes and aubergine) with olive oil or, if you're a true veggie hater, some melted bacon fat.  S&P, maybe your favorite garlic seasoning.

More delicate vegs, wrap in foil with a bit of olive oil or butter and seasonings.

Harder squashes, just wash and pierce.

Grill all of these over a charcoal fire. 

The winter squash, you cook until they are almost black on the outside.

All of these vegetables will have a lovely, smoked flavor, almost meat-like.  They're great by themselves, in a pasta or rice dish, or super in beans.


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## justplainbill (May 30, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions Claire.  My fav grilled veggie is a salad made from roasted red peppers.  Hope the EPA does not outlaw this method of cooking.


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## LPBeier (May 30, 2010)

I was just watching an episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" yesterday called Undercover Veggies, where his niece hated all things veggie (except potatoes).  The link takes you to the three recipes from the episode.  All use parsnips in unique ways.  I use zucchini much the same as the parsnips in muffins and my hubby and Dad can't tell the difference.  They actually love the muffins!


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## spork (May 31, 2010)

CharlieD said:


> I... try to incorage my kids...


Why am I not surprised to hear that CharlieD's kids are incorrigible?    Keep feeding them some of the old country, they will come around to its taste, I guarantee.


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## Treklady (Jun 21, 2010)

Green smoothies:

1 bag of spinach
1 cup frozen fruit (give or take)
1 banana
Honey or agave (liquid sweetner is better)
1/4 cup oatmeal (optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I make these in my nearly 30 year old Hamilton Beach home blender. Now I know that if I want to do tougher greens, that I will definitely need to purcahse a more hight powered blender. But for right now, this is doing me just fine.

If it is too green for you then try cutting back on the greens and increase the frozen fruit, then change the ratio of greens to fruit as you adjust.


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## mexican mama (Jun 22, 2010)

Used to not like it but with I have discovered when you grill or kebab the veggies it becomes delicious:tomatoes (coz of my Mexican heritage, we cannot have a meal without it),zuchini,potatoes and even fruits will do nicely...seasoned with your fave spices: cumin,peppers, salt etc will definitely take away the bitter taste that veggies sometimes have.


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## heloise.lechevallier (Jul 23, 2010)

You may also try to mix a bit of veggie with sweet ingredients, i.e. making a carrot/orange soup, or cucumber/mint gaspacho.


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