My family doesn't like many vegetables therefore our diet is pretty pathetic

[Only me]

My husband and I don't really like vegetables and unfortunately don't like the same kind so I'm embarrassed to say that I never pushed vegetables when my kids were young . (They are all young adults now). We all like fruit so that has never been a problem. Unfortunately the produce section where I shop has really gone down hill where I shop so even fruit has been a problem lately. It's hard to find any fruit or vegetables that a good quality. Even bagged lettuce is in bad shape even though the expiration date is long off. Pretty much our vegetables have consisted of bagged lettuce or baby spinach, frozen peas, frozen corn and the occasional stir fry with green pepper, sugar snap peas and carrots. I like broccoli as well as one daughter but no one else does. We all don't like onions (except for seasoning), radishes and anything strong tasting like that.

 

I obviously need to expand our vegetable consumption.. I've heard that roasting is a tasty way to cook vegetables but I'm really clueless regarding how to do that and which ones are good for roasting. I've even tried to sneak a few things into recipes like making a recipe that used mushroom soup but my family was not thrilled. Of course they are all old enough to decide what they want to eat but I'm hoping if I can make them more desirable there is a chance they will eat them. I would appreciate any tips.

[Lady Florida.]

No advice but I can relate. For several years the only vegetables ds would touch were carrots and broccoli (yes, a kid who liked broccoli). He didn't even like green beans, which are usually a kid favorite. It doesn't help that your dh isn't a fan of vegetables - at least with kids you can hope their tastes will change as ds' did.

 

Is there somewhere else you can shop for produce? Roasted vegetables are good, but can be tricky to get right. Grilled is also good - that's how we got ds to start eating asparagus. 

 

Mushroom soup isn't a vegetable, but good for you for trying. do you have an immersion blender? If not you can use a regular blender - I hope they don't take my Italian-American card away from me for saying this, but you can dice or shred carrots to put in spaghetti sauce. Don't use too much or they'll taste the carrot flavor. I haven't actually tried this, but I've seen it as a suggestion. 

[momto10blessings]

Grilling veggies on kabobs is really tasty! I skewer grape tomatoes, broccoli, onion, green pepper!!! I could eat them all day and I'm really not a tomato fan.

[momto10blessings]

Corn on the cob is delicious slathered in butter. Can't go wrong there 😆

[Bluegoat]

Most vegtables can be roasted, except maybe some of the leafy greens.  But it's an especially nice way to do root vegetables.

  So, potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnip, parsnip, celeriac - really whatever you have that you like, and often they are available even in poor produce sections.  You can also look for frozen veg to roast.

 

I usually roast them at about 400C but there is some wiggle room, and with the sweeter ones like beets and sweet potatoes some like a little lower, say 375.

 

It's generally best to try and cut them into chunks of about the same size.  I then toss them in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe some melted butter.  You could also add any herbs like rosemary, tarragon, or a bit of cinnamon if you like.  Some garlic and chunked red or yellow onion is also a nice addition.  The pan should be reasonably but not too full.

 

You can also add something toward the end like a little balsamic or cider vinegar with honey.

 

Usually it will take about an hour to cook them this way, but keep an eye on those sugary veg.  You want them to be fork tender when you are done, beets often seem to take the longest.

 

But there are lots of good "roasted root veg" recipes online if you google. 

 

I also like to roast a mix of summer veg, like a ratatouille - tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, summer squash, and eggplant all tossed in olive oil- but if any of those seem yucky, leave them out.  This cooks a lot faster, say 1/2 hour, and I add herbs like basil at the end.

 

[creekland]

Our philosophy of eating has always been "try it" in an adventure sort of mode.  We go in to a new restaurant or food choice not knowing what we're going to think - and eagerly anticipate what our thoughts are going to be.  When we travel, our family policy is to never eat anywhere we could eat at home (chain restaurants) and if there's a local special... it gets high consideration.

 

With all of this, we know we're going to win some and lose some.  That's all part of the adventure.

 

In the process, we've picked up more foods we've liked than I can count - many different fruits and veggies I hadn't even heard of in my youth (pomelos, kale, etc), many different nationality of foods too (gyros - pronounced correctly as Yhee-row, not Gye-row).  We've also found some we don't care for - tofu, etc.  Then there are things we disagree on like sushi.

 

Neither hubby nor I were brought up this way, but we both enjoy it and our kids love it too.  Middle son is now a college senior and has a girlfriend who was brought up eating very little variety (and all traditional American).  He's introduced her to the concept at college and she's finding out she likes it - even if she doesn't like all the foods she tries.

 

So... my advice?  Change the mindset first, then contemplate various recipes being willing to try them just to see what they're like.

[kiana]

Roasted root vegetables as Bluegoat suggested are highly palatable. Does your family like potatoes? Although they get a bad rap, they actually have quite a bit of nutrition. 

 

A root vegetable and meat stew is also a good way to get vegetables involved as you end up with meat-flavored vegetables.

 

Chopped cauliflower can go well in many pasta recipes such as mac and cheese. Peas also are ok but don't try broccoli there, it's gross.

 

Don't forget about frozen vegetables -- they're often superior to all but the best of fresh and definitely superior to manky fresh vegetables. 

[ktgrok]

Ok, I'm the same way. Not a veggie fan. I think it's because I'm a super taster, most take bitter to me. But I do like them roasted. In fact, I love them that way. What I do is:

 

Buy a bag of california mix frozen veggies (the kind with carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)

Preheat oven to 375 or 400 (I do 375 with convection oven setting on)

Cover a baking pan in foil (for easy clean up)

Put a good amount of olive oil on the tin foil and smear it around with fingers or a paper towel to coat the pan

Dump in the frozen veggies

Toss them around a bit in the oil

Add salt/pepper if you want (I usually do that at the end so everyone can do their own)

Bake about 30 minutes, maybe check at 20 or so if you are using the higher temp

 

Now, I like the edges of the veggies to be a bit browned...it carmelizes the sugars in them and makes them sweeter. Then I love to top them with salt and some parmesan cheese (the kind in the can you use for spagetti, nothing fancy). The salt contrasts with the sweetness of the veggies. Yum!!!

 

Good luck!

[wapiti]

It's easy to roast vegetables like green beans, broccoli, asparagus.  (I like french string beans from Costco.)  Just put them in a pile on a baking sheet, drizzle on some olive oil, toss and spread out on the pan.  Then sprinkle salt and any other seasoning you like though for plain veggie eaters I'd start with just salt.  Bake at, say, 400 until done - different veggies will take a different amount of time.

 

You can do this with kale, too.  "Kale chips"  (My kids are not big veggie eaters. They eat this.)

Edited September 5, 2016 by wapiti

[ktgrok]

Oh yes, stew! Or veggies cooked in meat to flavor them! Carrots can be put under your pork roast as you cook it and are really good like that. Or carrots and onions and celery in beef stew. 

 

Plus taco night with tomatoes, salsa, and avocado?

[Mama Geek]

Shredded cabbage is really good in stir fry...think egg rolls.  I have made mashed cauliflower and through in a small potato to make it taste almost like mashed potatoes.  Even dh who loves mashed potatoes really likes mashed cauliflower done that way.  Dd started liking radishes and peppers after we grew our own.

[gardenmom5]

grating veggies is a good way to add them to something surreptitiously.

 

believe it or not - I would start by cutting out sugars/artifical sweeteners.  sugar trains the brain  to want lots of sweet and does affect the perception of veggies. (it also messes with the brains ability to recognize satiation and you will eat more.)

 

I throw extra veggies in with pot roasts, etc.  or anything I make  that uses vegetables in the recipe.  (clam chowder).

 

I make turkey pot pie - with LOTS of veggies in it.  (I do a biscuit crust on top).

carrot cake for dessert.

[Pam in CT]

I didn't like vegetables growing up because I only ever had them boiled into mush.  Once I learned to cook them, loving them was easy.

 

Try roasted (root vegetables, brussel sprouts, larger squash) and grilled (summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, kabobs, asparagus) as above.  Also a lot of vegetables (green beans, broccoli, spinach) do well with a super-basic saute (a little olive oil to get going, then the vegetable, then a bit of white wine or sherry near the end) or stir fry (a little peanut or high-temp oil and chopped garlic to get going, then the vegetable, then a bit of fish sauce and soy near the end) as well.

 

Another strategy is to work out a couple of dips that people like, then put the dip out ONLY WITH VEGETABLES, no crackers or bread or pita, just vegetables.  Even my veg-averse nieces and nephews eat raw carrots, beans, broccoli and red peppers if that's the only carrying mechanism for dip, lol.

 

 

 

I've never figured out a winning strategy for cooked carrots; we only ever eat them raw, or in stews etc.  Y'all have a good method?

[kiana]

I've never figured out a winning strategy for cooked carrots; we only ever eat them raw, or in stews etc.  Y'all have a good method?

 

Roasted with butter, salt, and some savory spices. Olive oil would probably work too. I use like a quarter inch in the pain but I drain it off for reuse when the carrots are cooked and/or use the pan for a yorkshire pudding. They get sorta crispy on the bottom. I slice them in half and put the flat sides down to maximize crispiness.

 

Mashing a few carrots into mashed potatoes is pretty delicious, it adds a bit of flavor and color. This is also great for parsnips and sweet potatoes. 

[Pam in CT]

I'll give it a try, kiana, thanks.  That's essentially how I do assorted root vegetables, and I have put carrots into the mix, but never tried it with carrots alone.

 

 

 

(I may be permanently scarred by memories of overcooked frozen carrots stamped into floret shapes...)

[creekland]

I didn't like vegetables growing up because I only ever had them boiled into mush.  Once I learned to cook them, loving them was easy.

 

My family didn't overcook veggies, but I've come across several who cooked them to mush.  Many times (not always) these folks - or their offspring - like veggies a ton better once they taste a different cooking method, even if that cooking method is just less cooking.

 

I've found I like carrots a lot better when I feed them to my ponies.  They just aren't my favorite veggie - which is probably good, because they supposedly have quite a bit of natural sugar in them.

 

My all time favorite (kitchen) veggie is fresh from our garden young green peas, very lightly cooked.  Those are just so good.  Canned peas, OTOH are repulsive and I'll only eat them if I have to in order to be polite somewhere.

[Sneezyone]

I like roasted carrots and butternut or acorn squash with ginger, cinnamon and a hint of lemon juice and olive oil. Soooo tasty.

 

I do a shredded napa cabbage, red cabbage, green onion and carrot salad with grilled chicken and peanut-ginger-sesame dressing. Delish. Sometimes I make the dressing with mirin (or rice wine vinegar), sesame oil, sriracha, a smidge of mayo and brown sugar or honey. You can top with those crispy wonton things too.

 

Zucchini, ever so lightly pan fried or grilled, is good too (DO NOT OVERCOOK!!). Sometimes I squeeze lemon juice on top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, that's it. Other times I sautee with onion, soy sauce and fresh garlic.

 

DH and I like eggplant parmesan. The kids are less fond of it.

 

Roasted corn on the cob 'California-style' with mayo, chili powder, parmesan cheese, garlic powders and lemon-pepper is a big hit at our house too. 

 

We do plain salads too but I mix those up. Sometimes it's salad greens with craisins, feta and toasted walnuts. Sometimes it's julienned Italian salami with olives and sundried tomatoes. Sometimes it's 'cobb-style' with boiled egg, julienned ham, tomatoes and blue cheese.

 

I throw parboiled/blanched veggies (usually broccoli and thin-sliced carrots) in my pasta salads too. I just shock them in cold water to maintain the pretty colors.

 

Can you tell we eat a lot of veg?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by Sneezyone

[Amira]

I'm another person who didn't eat a lot of vegetables growing up, but I love them now. The first time I went to the Middle East I discovered that vegetables could taste good and I started looking for recipes that made them delicious.

 

I almost never roast vegetables although I do like them that way. I'm more likely to pickle, sauté, and stir-fry them, or turn them into salads without greens. Tonight we had Thai pickled cabbage, last night we had Mexican pickled vegetables and lots of tomato sauce, the night before we had lots and lots of stir-fried vegetables.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Amira

[Only me]

You guys are great. Thanks!

[KungFuPanda]

I live roasted veggies. I'd start small and roast potatoes, carrots, and onions. I toss mine in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, give them a stir, and dump them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment. I like to put McCormick's steak seasoning on mine, but salt and pepper will do. Once you sell them on the roasted veg idea, dz can add other things. This method is nice if someone doesn't like one vegetable because it's pretty east to eat around it, so toss the mushrooms on for yourself. Carrots and potatoes take a while to cook. I tend to add quicker cooking vegetables halfway through.

 

I actually prefer soups over salads. A nice veggie soup can be frozen and will go with most meals. (Just don't freeze potatoes.) if you want to sneak something into a soup, purée it and mix it in. It'll thicken the soup and they might not object to what they can't see. Maybe you can make a nice beef stew, but purée the mushrooms? If they like tomatoes, try minestrone. The first time you make it, just do the veggies they like. Next time, sneak something else in.

 

Another thing to do is come home from the store with a vegetable you don't recognize. Then look up ways to prepare it and give it a try.

[kiana]

Oh, and I just remembered. For anyone who does like spicier dishes, I made a minor variation of this a few weeks ago and it was delicious. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/spicy-cauliflower-recipe

[Sneezyone]

Roasted red potatoes with dried dill, seasoned salt and olive oil work really well too. They crisp up nicely, not at all limp. I have better luck with those than russets or white or yellow ones.

[creekland]

You guys are great. Thanks!

 

Just keep in mind that you're not likely to like everything you try - and that's ok.  Even those of us who like veggies and regularly eat them have our preferences.  We all found our loves by trying things.  Keep trying and I bet you'll find winners.  Ditch the losers with no remorse.

 

Baked sweet potatoes are tasty.  We're having those for lunch today - rubbed in butter and baked in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or so, then everyone can add butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever to their hearts content.  We all love sweet potatoes, but we all like them our individual way once baked.  I like mine with just salt and butter.  Middle son loads his up with anything available.

[FriedClams]

I like salads and roasted, otherwise I'm not a huge fan. I also love veg and dip, which is nice to put on the counter at 4 even everyone is getting hungry.

[umsami]

I hated salad growing up, and still hate most salads (like the ones my Mom makes).  Chopped salads and homemade vinaigrette were a revelation for me. I love salad like that.

 

Egyptians cook mixed veggies in a tomato sauce, onion mixture which is really good....and not so vegetable-ish.  Veggie Soups are sometimes more palatable too.  Try pureeing them with an immersion blender. 

 

I would also embrace fruit....and be sure your kids are eating it at every meal, if they're not getting veggies. 

[LucyStoner]

While I am a big fan of roasted veggies, I am also a big fan of seasoning veggies well. Besides roasting with a little fat and and salt, there are some fantastic ways to spice, season or sauce veggies. I hated cauliflower until I had aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes with Indian spices).

 

Get a vegan cookbook with tasty recipes, pick a few and modify to add meat if you like. For example, my sons don't like plain kale. They love the peanut noodles with kale that I got out of vegan cookbook. I make it with chicken for the boys instead of tempeh. They don't like collards much but they will at least take a few bites of the citrus collards with garlic that I make from the vegan book Grub.

 

Once veggies become the center of attention on the plate prep wise instead of the bland mass of veggies nevertheless to the hunk o meat, they become infinitely more interesting.

 

I don't think the trick is finding veggies you both like so much as finding ways to cook most any veggies in a way that you call can at least try. Try enough and you'll find something to love,

[ktgrok]

Oh, I also like to buy bags of peppers and onions (birdseye makes one...it's red and green peppers and onion, all sliced up). But instead of sauteeing like the package says, i broil them. Makes them taste like they have been fire roasted or grilled. Again, toss with some oil, but this time put under the broiler, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway. You want them soft and some of them browning nicely. YUM. Oh and add salt, to balance the sweetness of the peppers and onions. 

[mamaraby]

Maybe pick a veggie and make it the week's star? And then try it lots of different ways. Roasted? Grilled? Lightly sautéed? In a salad? Raw? Don't like it? That's ok. Stick it on the end of the rotation and try it again later. Lather, rinse, repeat a few times. Still don't like it? That's ok. I grew up eating vegetables and still love them, but I do 't care for sunchokes, artichokes, and you can't convince me to try okra (well, maybe one day just for dh).

 

I'll second the suggestions for trying a few vegan cookbooks. Terry Hope Romero has a cookbook called "Salad Samurai" that has seasonal salad ideas beyond the typical "salad" most people might eat.

 

I really like steamed red potatoes and corn on the cob with lemon juice and Old Bay. I like my kale and collards massaged or quick boiled (3-4 min in boiling water and then into ice water). I like my fennel and cauliflower roasted and served with some Farro, olives, and golden raisins. I adore Brussels sprouts roasted or finely shredded and massaged with a slightly spicy dressing.

 

I add sautéed peppers and onions to lots of things. I like to take a large quantity of spinach and add it at the end of any number of saucy dishes. I like to grate zucchini and add that to spaghetti sauce.

 

I take the kids with when I go grocery shopping and practice the "always say yes" philosophy. You want to buy that? Sure. We'll figure out what to do with it when we get home. I do the same thing at the farmer's market.

 

Give it time. Try new things. Eat what you like. Don't keep eating what you don't.

Edited September 5, 2016 by mamaraby

[ondreeuh]

We're in the same boat. None of us particularly like veggies, but we eat them because they're good for us. I don't really count corn, potatoes, or carrots as "eating veggies" just because the starch is so high.

 

I use celery/carrots/onions in a billion recipes, and we often use broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus as a side dish. Zucchini is actually my new favorite because it's easy to slice and saute. We like sweet potatoes, but they take so long that I don't often bake them. Maybe I'll try roasting. I'm considering using panko to make veggie tempura.

 

Lately I've been buying the prepackaged salads in a bag. We had a Mediterranean one with feta that was quite good. Those are usually heavy on the raw cabbage, which I don't particularly like though (cabbage burps - ugh).

 

 

[Tanaqui]

It can take as many as 10 or 20 exposures to move a food from "blech" to "I'll tolerate it", and more to move it from toleration to enjoyment. I'd suggest you pick 5 or so vegetables and look up three to ten recipes each for them - most of which will be pretty similar. Then the trick is to serve two at dinner and once at lunch, every day.

[Ausmumof3]

Roasted cauliflower is delicious. But if you have most success with stir fry you could just try adding a few different varieties to your stir fry and expand that way.

[Ausmumof3]

Also I have a saying for you that I love

 

don't eat vegetables because they are good for you. eat vegetables because they are beautiful.

[Ausmumof3]

Another favourite we love is asparagus but you need to very very lightly blanch it. Super hot water In and out then serve with butter.

[marbel]

My family dislikes most vegetables.  But once in a while I'll find something beyond green beans that works for them (or one of them).  My son fell in love with a particular asparagus dish one day after despising asparagus all his life.  The cooking method (stir frying) and other ingredients (walnuts, 5 spice powder, green onions among them) changed it for him.   This has encouraged him to try more vegetables in different ways (though since I do all the cooking I'm the one preparing them - which is fine - kind of a good challenge for me).   

 

But something I pretty regularly do is make chicken or beef curry, and I "hide" vegetables in there.  Cauliflower and green beans cut up very small will disappear into the curry sauce.  

 

Another thing may be to up the seasoning a bit. When I started roasting cauliflower, no one really loved it.  I added more black pepper and some red pepper flakes, and it was much more welcome. 

 

[Zinnia]

I dislike almost every frozen vegetable.  The exceptions that I buy are frozen corn, spinach, and lima beans.

 

My kids are very reluctant vegetable eaters.  Some things that they like are the spinach dip off the Knorr vegetable soup package, roasted cauliflower, and many, many salads.  They eat black bean and corn salad (bl beans, corn, red bell, onion, cilantro, in a vinaigrette).  They also devour cucumber salad (usually cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes in Italian dressing).  Taco salad is a big hit, as is Greek salad (lettuce, a can of garbanzos, black olives, pepperocini, topped with chicken and a vinaigrette).

 

One child of mine really, really, really loves ranch, but only the one you make at home from the packet.  With that, he'll eat any salad or raw vegetable.  The rest of the family really likes homemade vinaigrette on anything.  

 

We don't have really good luck with a cooked vegetable side dish, though my dh and I love that, and we have it most nights of the week.  The kids usually take a cursory bite and move on.