"I Hate Vegetables"

If this is you, what do you do?

Let me say right off the bat that eating a vegetable doesn't make you a vegetarian and you can eat meat and vegetables... together. This isn't going to be a post to tell you to stop eating meat and only eat nutritional yeast, rhubarb and Greek yogurt. And now, with that out of the way!

You know that fruits and vegetables are good for you with all their micronutrients (vitamins/minerals) and the fiber keeps you "regular" (pooping). You may or may not know that back in the day British sailors were called limey's because they had to suck on limes (for vitamin C) when on voyages to avoid scurvy. Regardless, this is a new day and age. You're not going on 2 week/year long sailing voyages where you only eat hard tack and whatever you catch off the side of your boat.

Do you force yourself to eat that stuff if it tastes like medical waste?

But the older you get the worse it tastes, you don't know how long you can keep doing this.... so you don't keep doing it.

But you know you're supposed to. You've gotta keep trying. So now you're eating fruit snacks from "real fruit," packing celery with peanut butter and raisins, and gnawing on baby carrots in your cubicle hoping the crunch isn't as loud to everyone else as it is to you.

But it's not working. 

AND you just get mad and you're an emotional eater so you really just gain weight when you eat vegetables because it is so stressful because you know you are supposed to but it's gross but you do it but you hate it.

Okay, so now what?

First, if this is you chill out. I know it's hard but you've got to calm down. You will not die tomorrow if you don't eat a celery stalk today. You're not going to croak if you avoid the asparagus.

Honestly, there are a lot of people who don't eat fruits and vegetables. They are still alive! I would say look at where you are at and take one step to be better. If you don't like fruits because they smell but you are willing to try, think about eating canned fruit (mandarin oranges). If you don't think you can do vegetables because they are just too dense and you chew for too long, try it juiced or in a smoothies. If you like pasta try making your own tomato sauce with real tomatoes. 

Maybe eat fajitas/tacos with more vegetables. 

A good thing to keep in mind is to try something new with something you like. Don't just order something "because you're supposed to." Then you will resent food and believe it of not their is a lot of psychology involved in what and how we eat. If you are trying to increase your vegetables intake instead of just steak and potatoes, try steak and sweet potatoes, steak and butternut squash, or steak and a side salad. Life is not about forcing yourself to eat "what is right." 

You have to find what is right for you. 

I like Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon. 

Just a reminder you don't have to be a vegetarian to eat vegetables.

What are some things you have tried to increase vegetable intake?

Let me know what you think!

- Eat Wise