Vegetables: you either love them or loathe them. And it’s not just a problem for parents trying to get their kids to eat healthier, either. There is a fair share of grownups that also hate vegetables with a passion. Although consuming fresh fruits is a good step in the right direction, proper nutrition requires eating both fruits and vegetables. There are plenty of ways to toss in veggies without anyone (young or old) being the wiser.
Sometimes in the effort to be healthier, you’ve gotta be sneaky. The same tricks parents use for their kids who despise vegetables could also be applied to adults. Even if you’re the adult that doesn’t want to jump onto the veggie bandwagon, the following suggestions can certainly change your mind and might even make you a fan of a veggie (or two).
Smoothie Away
Smoothies are the perfect way to combine any number of food items in a way that’s delicious and nutritious. Even better, blending makes it nearly impossible to taste each ingredient individually. This includes vegetables. Do a taste test and chances are you won’t be able to identify which vegetables are in the smoothie.
Not up for the challenge of an all veggie smoothie just yet? Start off slow by mixing a few vegetables with fresh fruits and/or fruit juice. Since blending is all a matter of personal preference, you can tailor the smoothie for your taste buds. Over time add a few more vegetables into the mix and you’ll be enjoying their benefits without issue.
Experiment with Cooking Techniques
Even the biggest veggie lovers would agree that consuming these food items raw and uncooked isn’t very appealing (even with ranch dip). No one says you have to eat vegetables in the raw, however. Different cooking techniques bring out the best in all veggies so it’s just a matter of finding the right combinations. For example, grilling is a fun and easy way to combine healthy foods with traditional entrees. Steaming and sautéing are other popular options for enjoying vegetables.
Hide Them in Meals
Love salads and pasta dishes? There are plenty of opportunities between these two to sneak in all different kinds of vegetables. For the best results, dice the veggies into very small pieces so that they blend better with the rest of the meal and are less likely to be detected by cautious eaters.
Sneaking vegetables into pasta dishes is pretty easy to accomplish. With salads, it might be more challenging. One way to be successful at this is to take a cue from the Japanese (this is mainly beneficial for the carrot haters out there). Instead of tossing in slices of chopped carrots, try shredding them instead. Shredding makes the texture easier for people to eat and also makes it less likely for them to focus on the taste.
At the end of the day, the most effective way to bring vegetables into your life without kicking and screaming is to consider all the different types there are and pick the ones you’d have an easier time learning how to eat. Do cauliflowers scare the bejeezus out of you? Turn to broccoli florets instead. Don’t understand why kale is such a big deal to everybody? Start off with spinach. Customize vegetables to your preference and it’ll be less of a battle.
