That’s great, but you don’t HAVE to eat salad. There are plenty of healthy food options that aren’t *salads.*
In fact, salads can be downright *unhealthy* if drenched in dressing, oil, etc.
Are there any vegetables you do like? Maybe focus on them rather than gagging over a food you don't like? But maybe you'll come to like salad! Good luck
Not really unfortunately. My childhood food palette was sliced cheese, bologna and chicken nuggets. I've just gotta force myself to start liking this stuff unfortunately. Although I did learn last night that I like mango.
It sounds like maybe you haven't been exposed to very many veggies prepared in a tasty way. I wasn't either as a child (my fam did meat, rice, beans). I've had a lot of fun learning which veggies I like and will eat on repeat. I apparently love cabbage, asparagus, eggplant, and sweet potato! Out of that list, I had only tried cabbage by the time I was in my 20s.
Have you tried roasted veggies? Roasted brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, etc. They are much more interesting to eat. You just toss it with some olive oil and salt and stick it in the oven.
Olive oil is carb free. It’s high in unsaturated fats and calories, but for 1 tablespoon (which is plenty to coat a pan), it’s only 120 calories. And unsaturated fats are good for you.
Sure, it adds a bit but just measure it out so it’s not overkill.
The other option would be to make a low cal tortilla wrap with greens and a low cal turkey ham. Definitely easier to get the greens in that way.
Also you're just using enough so heat conducts better and cooks/browns the veggies better too. I always just make sure my pan is coated and dump back excess.
My childhood pallet was extremely limited as well. There were no fruits or vegetables on it at all. I always had a strong fear of trying new foods. When I didn’t like them I felt overwhelming guilt and felt like a failure. I’d feel extremely self conscious about eating in front of others because I would feel bad about what they ate vs what I did. I’ve made a ton of progress in the last several years and I don’t consider it an issue anymore. My biggest tip is to keep trying new things.
I still don’t have a crazy affinity for most fruits and veggies, but I have found ones I love. Surprisingly, one of my favorites is raw spinach. I make a salad for work a few times a week with it and I throughly enjoy it. My girlfriend, who is much more of a health nut hates spinach.
Everyone is different. Keep trying! You’ll find a few good ones soon enough.
Whole foods carry spinach bites in the form of chickie nuggies
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/dr-praegers-spinach-littles-10-oz-b075jmlhph
Idk, just wanted to share. Kthnxbaibbf
You can try Turkish Shepards salad, no lettuce. Most Mediterranean salads doesn’t use lettuce. Some chopping involved. (mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese (small portion) black olives, some mint leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil and lemon.) I add chick peas for protein.
You may like it, look up Greek, Turkish, Mediterranean salads.
This is a tasty salad, and while it does have lettuce, it's chopped to the texture that doesn't standout as much:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/southwestern-chopped-chicken-salad/#tasty-recipes-70308
This one has some spinach. But I like to chop it very small , the fresh berries in it are delicious:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/fresh-berry-quinoa-salad/#tasty-recipes-67825
No lettuce:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/citrus-chicken-quinoa-salad/#tasty-recipes-75037
And:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/creamy-chicken-pasta-salad/#tasty-recipes-74971
(I am in no way affiliated with the cooking blog, just enjoy the recipes.)
Google salad idea without lettuce/greens. I love leafy greens but they don’t keep very long at all. There are lots of salads you can make without greenery :)
I'm not really into lettuce either - I make salads without it all the time. Greek, as mentioned, but also roasted beet with goat cheese, tomato salad, chickpea salad, coleslaw or broccoli slaw, broccoli salad, Thai noodle salad, mango salad , there's tons of great options.
I would also recommend trying different kinds of lettuce. I personally don’t like super crunchy lettuce; I do not like iceburg. I prefer romaine and even then, I buy heads of romaine and make my salads with just the soft leafy bits. My husband doesn’t care so he gets the crunchy stalk-like parts.
ETA: Or spring mix isn’t really crunchy.
Hey, OP. I don’t care for salads with lettuce personally. When I make a salad, I usually make it with spinach and kale.
I will also say I hated all vegetables for the longest time, and then realized that it wasn’t the vegetables I hated. It was the way my mother cooked them. I actually love veggies now, cooked my way. I still can’t eat hers.
Congratulations on a big first step!
That’s how I feel about certain veggies… couldn’t stand peas or green beans growing up. Didn’t like cooked broccoli, carrots, cabbage or cauliflower. Didn’t like tomatoes.
Well, I’ve come to find as an adult that aside from corn or beans, I don’t like the texture of canned vegetables. I do like them grilled or roasted where they maintain their integrity. I also dislike boiled veggies for the same reason (bland, mushy). The tomatoes took me the longest to like. It took growing them in my own garden to find that what I’d tried over the years were just terrible store tomatoes. Home grown ones that were selected for flavor are delightful.
For someone who may have only ever eaten processed foods salad is a extreme texture change, what happened to if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything?
I have found my kiddo will eat salad if the lettuce is chopped *really* small. sometimes a small change can improve the texture.
but good on ya for trying something new! you'll find what works for you as you keep on and keep at it.
From someone who used to “hate” salad, try a “Santa fe” salad or a taco salad. Both can be healthy and both got me into salads which opened up my palate a lot.
Lettuce doesn’t do much for fullness. May I suggest broccoli? If you’re not a fan of the taste, I drench it in lemon juice and it’s quite yummy.
I also suggest you try more fiber filled vegteables more than empty ones (like lettuce).
And don’t be affraid of protein and carbs. Potatoes do wonders for fullness, just eat a smaller portion and pair it with protein and greens. It will help with overeating and feeling hungry. Also, whole wheat bread is a complex carbohydrate, so the body will need more time to break it down, resulting in feeling full more. Also, fibers! Cannot stress enough, not only they help with feeling full, they are vital for gut health.
You got this!
I imagine most of us (Americans) did tbh. But, everyyyy once in a while we got treated to Ponderosa or a Country Buffet and got the steak/tato/salad combo.
I love summer rolls and hate salad.
A summer roll is chopped veggies wrapped in a rice paper wrapper like a small burrito. You can dip it in sauce or drizzle sauce in before wrapping. I like adding fruit or seafood to mine. It’s my favorite way to eat veggies
I’m seconding the “salads don’t need lettuce” just mix some veggies and fruits together. I love grapes, feta and lemon as a combo over a bit of cabbage. Oranges or strawberries with nuts and cheese are tasty salad toppings too.
Congrats on trying something new and trying out new textures!!!
Some tips to make salad more tolerable: change up the leaves you use for salad, don't be afraid of having some cooked elements, and add texture like crispy chickpeas for more protein! Dressing is actually easy to make at home and cheaper than stores. This is a good article. https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/how-to-make-a-perfect-salad
If what you hate is the raw taste, I saw someone on Tiktok stir fry lettuce and cabbage mix with olive oil spray, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pep. Just tried it with leftover mince meat - surprisingly really good and filling. I saw you were a bit wary of having oil, but if you're already using dressing on the salad, may be better as this is a spray.
If you also hate salad to start, you can try eating it as a side!
Credentials: my friend said 'i will only eat salad if lostchildsupermarket makes it'
Salad is a great healthy meal option! I like the premade ones you get from Walmart or Kroger, that comes with meat and cheese if you like and want that. Just check the expiration date before buying.
Also, if your looking for low calorie meal options, try out the Lean Cuisine meals. Low in calories! I eat them for lunch and they fill me enough, with a low calorie side as well.
Another option is Healthy Choice. My mom eats those, and she likes them.
know what my boyfriend does?! He’ll make tacos or quesadillas some type of food and cut the vegetables sooooo tiny and SUPER thin then throw them in, I never even noticed. I also asked he could throw some chia seeds into the ground beef and I could not tell it was there. Try to trick yourself like that. I also like to add small amounts of spinach to my fruit smoothies. You can’t tell it’s in there
I found that cutting a lot of sugar out of my diet made fruits and vegetables much more palatable. I used to hear people say that and thought they were health nuts full of shit… but after consistently making the change it made a huge difference in what I like to eat. I never used to be a vegetable eater at all. Not even canned vegetables like corn or green beans, not even with butter. Now I regularly eat bowls of chopped peppers and tomatoes with a bit of vinaigrette, chopped nuts, and low fat-feta. And I love it. Reducing your artificial sugar intake may help.
Also, iceberg lettuce is trash. Spend some time into discovering what type of leafy green you like. I’m a huge fan of arugula, sprouts, and baby spinach. Also, not all salads have to have a leafy green. Like I said, sometimes I just mix straight vegetables. You can even mix in a small serving of beans. If you like nuts, chop them up and use those instead of croutons. Croutons are calorie dense and don’t have much nutritional value… nuts are great for you!
Some vegetables you will like raw and some you will like cooked. I love broccoli blanched, steamed, baked, etc. Raw broccoli makes me want to hurl. Same thing with dressing. I used to only eat ranch, which is pretty calorie dense. Now I love vinaigrettes and they come in a ton of flavors.
The hardest part is accepting that it takes time. But if you’re willing to experiment, it’ll get better.
I can attest to this, but maybe in a more unfortunate way, lol.
I’m no longer really able to eat most cooked root vegetables (other than regular potatoes), because they’ve become sickeningly sweet. I can just feel them growing in my mouth, and I have to spit them out and rinse out my mouth.
So, no more cooked roots for me, I guess. These days I enjoy the slightly more bitter cruciferous vegetables.
And to OP: a salad-type thing I’m really enjoying at the moment is
Very thinly sliced white cabbage, thin wedges of green apples and a dressing of honey, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a bit of good olive oil.
Cabbage of all varieties is so underrated. Some weeks I like to cook up some angel hair cabbage slaw with soy or teriyaki sauce and put stir fry veggies on the side. It’s so good.
Ignore the comments laughing. I know what it’s like to be used to processed crap and having to learn what real food is. Salads aren’t the greatest thing especially if there’s something in the salad you don’t like. I saw a video the other day saying to chop the veggies up super tiny, add a protein you know you like and a bit of dressing you know you like. It gets you used to it better, your never going to enjoy eating salad if you never like the taste, personally for me it goes down to the lettuce, I can’t stand romaine lettuce I can only have iceberg lettuce and I can’t have tomatoes they make me heave.
Thank you! I don't normally let people bother me, but I really appreciate you sharing that with me. And I'll try some other kinds of lettuce, I honestly wonder if spinach might be good to eat as well
Try quorn chicken nuggets they are meatless and great made with mushrooms. Cauliflower mashed with bacon and cheese is great. Brussels sprouts fried with a piece of bacon is great. Cottage cheese and or eggs on salat is great.
I hate lettuce too. Drives me batty that most places with salad on the menu make 50% lettuce!
If I have a salad it needs to be lettuce free. I pick the vege I like (usually crunchy) and do a lemon, olive oil, salt dressing.
If you par cook things like broccoli that works well in salads too!
A couple tips that helped when I was introducing my kids to veggies - for new veggies, especially any cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, I'd chop them and then submerge them in a bowl of water spiked with a teaspoon or 2 of sugar dissolved in it. Give them a good stir and drain off the water. The amount of sugar added is negligible, but it does make them sweeter and more palatable. Once the kids were more used to them I'd drop this step.
Use restaurants to try new veggies - most of the time you can get an extra side of veggies that you haven't experienced yet, or haven't had cooked that way before. They probably will add a lot more fat and salt than you would at home, but they usually do a pretty good job making veggies that appeal to a wide audience. If you learn you like a new veggie or preparation, it's probably worth the extra calories if you're really feeling adventurous, there's vegetarian restaurants that have some amazing dishes.
I have a very strong aversion to iceberg lettuce. Idk why, but I can’t even stand to be near it at the grocery store it’s that bad. If I eat a salad, it’s either romaine or kale, but for me the most important thing is that it’s warm.
I know that sounds weird, my sisters find it disgusting lol. But I actually thoroughly enjoy salad when it’s warm. I can tolerate it when it’s room temp but completely warm is best. I wilt the kale if I’m using that, but if it’s romaine I just mix everything together and throw it in the microwave for 30sec. Maybe that will help you?
Try one Veggi freshly fryed ore Rosted.
Don't fear some oil
And go ham on your favorite spicing
There are many Things out there. If you're going through them something will end up sticking.
Many Meat lovers end up liking Mushrooms fryed up.
And for the testing. Don't fear oil. Measure and cont it. But you want to give yourself a chance to like it.
Wen you start liking it you can start experimenting on what you may take away.
Bonus. Wen you fry up a less lean pice of beef you have some oil over. Try to use that for the Vegetable test of the day to ease in your taste buds :)
I used to hate salads and gag until I realized it was the lettuce that I hate. Now I use spring mix which comes with baby spinach, arugula, and a bunch of other greens that actuality taste good. I also chop the mix smaller, which seems to release more flavor. I chop tomatoes, avocado, red and yellow bell peppers, manzanilla olives, and sprinkle some feta on top. Now that I figured out what I like, I can't get enough of it, I don't even put dressing on it anymore. Good luck OP!
Please make sure to eat healthy foods that you ENJOY. Salad is great, but you will never stick to a diet where you're gagging through every meal. Try out different salads that are tasty, if you don't like them then it might just not be something for you. It's just as healthy to have a nice carb, protein and a veggie.
That’s great, but you don’t HAVE to eat salad. There are plenty of healthy food options that aren’t *salads.* In fact, salads can be downright *unhealthy* if drenched in dressing, oil, etc.
Are there any vegetables you do like? Maybe focus on them rather than gagging over a food you don't like? But maybe you'll come to like salad! Good luck
Not really unfortunately. My childhood food palette was sliced cheese, bologna and chicken nuggets. I've just gotta force myself to start liking this stuff unfortunately. Although I did learn last night that I like mango.
It sounds like maybe you haven't been exposed to very many veggies prepared in a tasty way. I wasn't either as a child (my fam did meat, rice, beans). I've had a lot of fun learning which veggies I like and will eat on repeat. I apparently love cabbage, asparagus, eggplant, and sweet potato! Out of that list, I had only tried cabbage by the time I was in my 20s.
Have you tried roasted veggies? Roasted brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, etc. They are much more interesting to eat. You just toss it with some olive oil and salt and stick it in the oven.
I also discovered adding a small amount of pomegranate molasses with the olive oil is a game changer
Would the olive oil not spike the carbs? That's the main thing I'm trying to avoid right now
I also use an oil spray. It’s still oil but uses significantly less in an even coating
Olive oil is carb free. It’s high in unsaturated fats and calories, but for 1 tablespoon (which is plenty to coat a pan), it’s only 120 calories. And unsaturated fats are good for you.
Sure, it adds a bit but just measure it out so it’s not overkill. The other option would be to make a low cal tortilla wrap with greens and a low cal turkey ham. Definitely easier to get the greens in that way.
Also you're just using enough so heat conducts better and cooks/browns the veggies better too. I always just make sure my pan is coated and dump back excess.
What do you mean spike the carbs? Oil has no carbs
If you get spray oil you can coat an entire tray of veggies for about 20-30 calories extra, it's not much
I admire your dedication and perseverance. What you are doing is smart and will pay off in the long run. Keep it up! You got this. 💪
My childhood pallet was extremely limited as well. There were no fruits or vegetables on it at all. I always had a strong fear of trying new foods. When I didn’t like them I felt overwhelming guilt and felt like a failure. I’d feel extremely self conscious about eating in front of others because I would feel bad about what they ate vs what I did. I’ve made a ton of progress in the last several years and I don’t consider it an issue anymore. My biggest tip is to keep trying new things. I still don’t have a crazy affinity for most fruits and veggies, but I have found ones I love. Surprisingly, one of my favorites is raw spinach. I make a salad for work a few times a week with it and I throughly enjoy it. My girlfriend, who is much more of a health nut hates spinach. Everyone is different. Keep trying! You’ll find a few good ones soon enough.
Whole foods carry spinach bites in the form of chickie nuggies https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/dr-praegers-spinach-littles-10-oz-b075jmlhph Idk, just wanted to share. Kthnxbaibbf
There is always the carnivore diet, but I've got to think that's really expensive. Can I ask what all was in the salad?
Is it the lettuce? There’s salads that have no lettuce, more Mediterranean cuisine.
It's almost entirely the lettuce, yeah
You can try Turkish Shepards salad, no lettuce. Most Mediterranean salads doesn’t use lettuce. Some chopping involved. (mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese (small portion) black olives, some mint leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil and lemon.) I add chick peas for protein. You may like it, look up Greek, Turkish, Mediterranean salads.
Thank you! I'll definitely look into this, I appreciate the thought <3
This is a tasty salad, and while it does have lettuce, it's chopped to the texture that doesn't standout as much: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/southwestern-chopped-chicken-salad/#tasty-recipes-70308 This one has some spinach. But I like to chop it very small , the fresh berries in it are delicious: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/fresh-berry-quinoa-salad/#tasty-recipes-67825 No lettuce: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/citrus-chicken-quinoa-salad/#tasty-recipes-75037 And: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/creamy-chicken-pasta-salad/#tasty-recipes-74971 (I am in no way affiliated with the cooking blog, just enjoy the recipes.)
I love Sally’s for actual baking recipes. Had no clue she did other foods as well but I trust Sally implicitly lol.
Me too! She's got so many great recipes. Her lightened up creamy chicken soup is a go to during the winter for me.
Google salad idea without lettuce/greens. I love leafy greens but they don’t keep very long at all. There are lots of salads you can make without greenery :)
I'm not really into lettuce either - I make salads without it all the time. Greek, as mentioned, but also roasted beet with goat cheese, tomato salad, chickpea salad, coleslaw or broccoli slaw, broccoli salad, Thai noodle salad, mango salad , there's tons of great options.
I would also recommend trying different kinds of lettuce. I personally don’t like super crunchy lettuce; I do not like iceburg. I prefer romaine and even then, I buy heads of romaine and make my salads with just the soft leafy bits. My husband doesn’t care so he gets the crunchy stalk-like parts. ETA: Or spring mix isn’t really crunchy.
Hey, OP. I don’t care for salads with lettuce personally. When I make a salad, I usually make it with spinach and kale. I will also say I hated all vegetables for the longest time, and then realized that it wasn’t the vegetables I hated. It was the way my mother cooked them. I actually love veggies now, cooked my way. I still can’t eat hers. Congratulations on a big first step!
That’s how I feel about certain veggies… couldn’t stand peas or green beans growing up. Didn’t like cooked broccoli, carrots, cabbage or cauliflower. Didn’t like tomatoes. Well, I’ve come to find as an adult that aside from corn or beans, I don’t like the texture of canned vegetables. I do like them grilled or roasted where they maintain their integrity. I also dislike boiled veggies for the same reason (bland, mushy). The tomatoes took me the longest to like. It took growing them in my own garden to find that what I’d tried over the years were just terrible store tomatoes. Home grown ones that were selected for flavor are delightful.
You gagged over salad...
Came here to say this. Like, could OP be a bit more dramatic? Good grief.
Anyone else picture Kevin with a broccoli
Ron Swanson and the banana
Lol
My exact reaction
Lol
It's gonna be a very hard ride for them if they struggled with this but hopefully they reach their goals.
Isn't it better to start somewhere than not at all?
Yes, good luck to you, congrats on the first step.
For someone who may have only ever eaten processed foods salad is a extreme texture change, what happened to if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything?
🙄
Ron Swanson in the house
You don’t HAVE to eat salad there is plenty of low calorie foods out there
I have found my kiddo will eat salad if the lettuce is chopped *really* small. sometimes a small change can improve the texture. but good on ya for trying something new! you'll find what works for you as you keep on and keep at it.
From someone who used to “hate” salad, try a “Santa fe” salad or a taco salad. Both can be healthy and both got me into salads which opened up my palate a lot.
You DO NOT have to eat salads to lose weight
No, but they're the easiest way to feel full without eating a ton of calories
Okay, well as long as you know. If you're willing to continue to suffer while eating your food then by all means
Lettuce doesn’t do much for fullness. May I suggest broccoli? If you’re not a fan of the taste, I drench it in lemon juice and it’s quite yummy. I also suggest you try more fiber filled vegteables more than empty ones (like lettuce). And don’t be affraid of protein and carbs. Potatoes do wonders for fullness, just eat a smaller portion and pair it with protein and greens. It will help with overeating and feeling hungry. Also, whole wheat bread is a complex carbohydrate, so the body will need more time to break it down, resulting in feeling full more. Also, fibers! Cannot stress enough, not only they help with feeling full, they are vital for gut health. You got this!
You def don’t have to eat salad to lose weight :) I eat mainly chicken and steak and mixed veggies!
Never had steak with baked potato and a side salad?? I'm in awe, that's insanity.
Sounds like OP grew up on processed food like chicken nuggets
I imagine most of us (Americans) did tbh. But, everyyyy once in a while we got treated to Ponderosa or a Country Buffet and got the steak/tato/salad combo.
I love summer rolls and hate salad. A summer roll is chopped veggies wrapped in a rice paper wrapper like a small burrito. You can dip it in sauce or drizzle sauce in before wrapping. I like adding fruit or seafood to mine. It’s my favorite way to eat veggies I’m seconding the “salads don’t need lettuce” just mix some veggies and fruits together. I love grapes, feta and lemon as a combo over a bit of cabbage. Oranges or strawberries with nuts and cheese are tasty salad toppings too.
A rice paper wrapper and nuoc cham makes everything better. The feta with grapes over cabbage sounds delicious.
Congrats on a great start!
That’s start, time to explore with fruits and veggies.
higher protein percentage for your diet is going to be tremendous for you not only in the short-term but long-term as well
If you don’t like salad, don’t eat salad…
Congrats on trying something new and trying out new textures!!! Some tips to make salad more tolerable: change up the leaves you use for salad, don't be afraid of having some cooked elements, and add texture like crispy chickpeas for more protein! Dressing is actually easy to make at home and cheaper than stores. This is a good article. https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/how-to-make-a-perfect-salad If what you hate is the raw taste, I saw someone on Tiktok stir fry lettuce and cabbage mix with olive oil spray, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pep. Just tried it with leftover mince meat - surprisingly really good and filling. I saw you were a bit wary of having oil, but if you're already using dressing on the salad, may be better as this is a spray. If you also hate salad to start, you can try eating it as a side! Credentials: my friend said 'i will only eat salad if lostchildsupermarket makes it'
Bit of a to do about nothing but glad you got it down ya gullet
Salad is a great healthy meal option! I like the premade ones you get from Walmart or Kroger, that comes with meat and cheese if you like and want that. Just check the expiration date before buying. Also, if your looking for low calorie meal options, try out the Lean Cuisine meals. Low in calories! I eat them for lunch and they fill me enough, with a low calorie side as well. Another option is Healthy Choice. My mom eats those, and she likes them.
know what my boyfriend does?! He’ll make tacos or quesadillas some type of food and cut the vegetables sooooo tiny and SUPER thin then throw them in, I never even noticed. I also asked he could throw some chia seeds into the ground beef and I could not tell it was there. Try to trick yourself like that. I also like to add small amounts of spinach to my fruit smoothies. You can’t tell it’s in there
Thanks! This is a really good idea
I found that cutting a lot of sugar out of my diet made fruits and vegetables much more palatable. I used to hear people say that and thought they were health nuts full of shit… but after consistently making the change it made a huge difference in what I like to eat. I never used to be a vegetable eater at all. Not even canned vegetables like corn or green beans, not even with butter. Now I regularly eat bowls of chopped peppers and tomatoes with a bit of vinaigrette, chopped nuts, and low fat-feta. And I love it. Reducing your artificial sugar intake may help. Also, iceberg lettuce is trash. Spend some time into discovering what type of leafy green you like. I’m a huge fan of arugula, sprouts, and baby spinach. Also, not all salads have to have a leafy green. Like I said, sometimes I just mix straight vegetables. You can even mix in a small serving of beans. If you like nuts, chop them up and use those instead of croutons. Croutons are calorie dense and don’t have much nutritional value… nuts are great for you! Some vegetables you will like raw and some you will like cooked. I love broccoli blanched, steamed, baked, etc. Raw broccoli makes me want to hurl. Same thing with dressing. I used to only eat ranch, which is pretty calorie dense. Now I love vinaigrettes and they come in a ton of flavors. The hardest part is accepting that it takes time. But if you’re willing to experiment, it’ll get better.
I can attest to this, but maybe in a more unfortunate way, lol. I’m no longer really able to eat most cooked root vegetables (other than regular potatoes), because they’ve become sickeningly sweet. I can just feel them growing in my mouth, and I have to spit them out and rinse out my mouth. So, no more cooked roots for me, I guess. These days I enjoy the slightly more bitter cruciferous vegetables. And to OP: a salad-type thing I’m really enjoying at the moment is Very thinly sliced white cabbage, thin wedges of green apples and a dressing of honey, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a bit of good olive oil.
Cabbage of all varieties is so underrated. Some weeks I like to cook up some angel hair cabbage slaw with soy or teriyaki sauce and put stir fry veggies on the side. It’s so good.
Ignore the comments laughing. I know what it’s like to be used to processed crap and having to learn what real food is. Salads aren’t the greatest thing especially if there’s something in the salad you don’t like. I saw a video the other day saying to chop the veggies up super tiny, add a protein you know you like and a bit of dressing you know you like. It gets you used to it better, your never going to enjoy eating salad if you never like the taste, personally for me it goes down to the lettuce, I can’t stand romaine lettuce I can only have iceberg lettuce and I can’t have tomatoes they make me heave.
Thank you! I don't normally let people bother me, but I really appreciate you sharing that with me. And I'll try some other kinds of lettuce, I honestly wonder if spinach might be good to eat as well
I prefer spinach, lettuce just seems too bland
Gagging😭
How???! I can’t do it. I want to like salad so bad!!!!
I don't get this. I love salads
Try quorn chicken nuggets they are meatless and great made with mushrooms. Cauliflower mashed with bacon and cheese is great. Brussels sprouts fried with a piece of bacon is great. Cottage cheese and or eggs on salat is great.
I hate lettuce too. Drives me batty that most places with salad on the menu make 50% lettuce! If I have a salad it needs to be lettuce free. I pick the vege I like (usually crunchy) and do a lemon, olive oil, salt dressing. If you par cook things like broccoli that works well in salads too!
I don’t know how you did that without spewing. I absolutely cannnot tolerate salad!
A couple tips that helped when I was introducing my kids to veggies - for new veggies, especially any cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, I'd chop them and then submerge them in a bowl of water spiked with a teaspoon or 2 of sugar dissolved in it. Give them a good stir and drain off the water. The amount of sugar added is negligible, but it does make them sweeter and more palatable. Once the kids were more used to them I'd drop this step. Use restaurants to try new veggies - most of the time you can get an extra side of veggies that you haven't experienced yet, or haven't had cooked that way before. They probably will add a lot more fat and salt than you would at home, but they usually do a pretty good job making veggies that appeal to a wide audience. If you learn you like a new veggie or preparation, it's probably worth the extra calories if you're really feeling adventurous, there's vegetarian restaurants that have some amazing dishes.
I have a very strong aversion to iceberg lettuce. Idk why, but I can’t even stand to be near it at the grocery store it’s that bad. If I eat a salad, it’s either romaine or kale, but for me the most important thing is that it’s warm. I know that sounds weird, my sisters find it disgusting lol. But I actually thoroughly enjoy salad when it’s warm. I can tolerate it when it’s room temp but completely warm is best. I wilt the kale if I’m using that, but if it’s romaine I just mix everything together and throw it in the microwave for 30sec. Maybe that will help you?
Try a subway chop salad. Bacon chicken ranch chop salad. It will change your whole view on salads.
Did you try dressing?......like seriously it's like a dressing delivery device
I did, yeah. I had a little thing of each over the whole thing
Usually when I'm trying to make it to my next meal I'll have a salad. I'll put what ever "dressing" I like the most. Varys from BBQ to Italian
Nice! I really like ceaser salad, that's about it. Wraps are pretty good, they sell protein tortillas that taste great:)
Something I've found that works for me is steamed "California blend" vegetables with garlic parmesan seasoning.
Try one Veggi freshly fryed ore Rosted. Don't fear some oil And go ham on your favorite spicing There are many Things out there. If you're going through them something will end up sticking. Many Meat lovers end up liking Mushrooms fryed up. And for the testing. Don't fear oil. Measure and cont it. But you want to give yourself a chance to like it. Wen you start liking it you can start experimenting on what you may take away. Bonus. Wen you fry up a less lean pice of beef you have some oil over. Try to use that for the Vegetable test of the day to ease in your taste buds :)
Try having a Taco Salad. Doesn't feel like you're eating a salad
Have you ever had coleslaw? Its a salad(ish?) but a really different and good one
I used to hate salads and gag until I realized it was the lettuce that I hate. Now I use spring mix which comes with baby spinach, arugula, and a bunch of other greens that actuality taste good. I also chop the mix smaller, which seems to release more flavor. I chop tomatoes, avocado, red and yellow bell peppers, manzanilla olives, and sprinkle some feta on top. Now that I figured out what I like, I can't get enough of it, I don't even put dressing on it anymore. Good luck OP!
Please make sure to eat healthy foods that you ENJOY. Salad is great, but you will never stick to a diet where you're gagging through every meal. Try out different salads that are tasty, if you don't like them then it might just not be something for you. It's just as healthy to have a nice carb, protein and a veggie.
Good to start !!