By: Amanda Schroeder
What happens if you’ve made the decision to eat more healthfully (yay!), but the mere thought of eating vegetables makes your stomach turn? Are you doomed to a life of holding your nose while you force-feed yourself kale? Of course not! What if your children immediately turn up their noses at the mention of veggies? Should you just accept the fact that they will never like them and give up? Definitely not! Whether you have just begun on your journey or you’re a seasoned vet, changing your habits and tastes can be really challenging! Committing to healthier eating does not mean eating perfectly all the time, and it definitely shouldn’t feel like a punishment. You eat at least three times a day – forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like is miserable and almost guarantees that you will struggle to maintain your healthy choices long-term. So, what do you do if you’ve just come to the oh-my-gosh-I-think-I-hate-vegetables realization? Here are three tips to get you and your family loving them!
- Find what you like! I have a confession to make. I hate Brussels sprouts! I have tried countless times to like them, cooking them this way or that way, and I just don’t. “But they’re so good for you,” I would tell myself, “Just get over yourself, and eat them!” Giving myself permission to never eat them ever again was so liberating! It’s okay to hate them; there are so many other options to choose from! Now, this isn’t meant to dissuade you from trying them – you may find that you love them! The point is that we are all different and you might need to broaden your horizons to find what you like. If you didn’t grow up eating vegetables, you might not even know where to begin and that can be overwhelming. If you’re starting from ground zero, commit to trying one new vegetable every time you go to the grocery store. Check the sale ads and pick something in season that piques your interest. (That way it won’t feel like you’re also experimenting with your budget!) If you’re like me, buying a vegetable that is foreign to you means that you also have no clue how you’re supposed to cook it. Thankfully, it’s 2016 and the internet knows all! Do some Google searching and find a recipe that appeals to you. Then, throw caution to the wind, have an open mind, and go for it! It’s also important to try different cooking methods. You might hate raw tomatoes but love the rich flavor of roasted tomatoes. Since I started doing this, I have found that I love beets and cauliflower with my whole heart. (Where have you been all my life?!) I would have never known had I not stepped out of my comfort zone. Plus, finding your favorites means that eating them will seem like a treat, not a chore.
- Add them to things you already eat. Who says you can only eat vegetables as a side item? Try adding broccoli, cauliflower, peas, or corn to your macaroni and cheese. Or put some chopped peppers and onions in your meatloaf. Have you ever tried spinach, tomatoes, or chopped asparagus in your scrambled eggs? Try it! One of my favorite breakfasts in the world is carrot cake oatmeal. It sounds crazy to add carrots to oatmeal, but it’s so good! I just boil shredded carrots in the water until they get soft before adding in the oatmeal. Then, I top it with a little maple syrup, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts, and it tastes like heaven! (And I’m eating carrots for breakfast!) Build-your-own style meals are also a fun way to get everyone involved and eating more veggies. Just chop up some of your family’s favorites and let the customization begin! Have a family pizza party and make personalized pizzas. Or bake some potatoes and let everyone add their favorite toppings. And what about tacos, burritos, or sandwiches? The possibilities are endless! Adding veggies to recipes you already love is one of the best ways to introduce them if you or your family aren’t used to eating them. (And who doesn’t love a pizza party?)
- Be patient. You are a rock star for making the decision to feed yourself and your family healthier foods! It’s important to celebrate your commitment and be patient until you find a groove that works for you. Maybe you made eggplant lasagna and it really wasn’t for you, or maybe your kids won’t touch anything green – don’t let that discourage you! You are essentially reprogramming one of the biggest habits in your life, and that can take some time. Keep trying new things, whether that be veggies you’ve never had or using new cooking methods or new recipes with veggies you have tried. I promise you will find options that everyone loves! And, though it seems like the best tactic, try your best not to force your kids to eat every last green bean on their plate. You might succeed in getting them to eat veggies that one time, but chances are, they will begin to associate them with punishment. The goal is to create adults who choose to eat vegetables because they like them, not ones that can’t even look at a turnip because they were forced to eat them as a child. And that is true for you as well! Rewiring the way you eat and think about food definitely requires extra effort, but you are worth it! Your family is worth it! Keep trying and, sooner than you might think, eating veggies will become so normal that you won’t even think twice about it.
Feeling overwhelmed? Check out these links to help get you started!