krmagdc Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I am on day 4 of my second Whole30. My last one I completed but didn't follow the reintroduction plan and basically just binged as soon as I was done. I'm NOT doing that this time! My issue is that I have not ever liked cooked veggies, or a big variety of veggies at all. I know about trying new things and starting to like different tastes while doing this, etc. I do have some new veggies on my grocery list this week. These are the veggies I normally eat: carrots, cucumber, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, spinach, red/orange/yellow bell peppers, radishes, sweet potatoes/yams, cauliflower, broccoli (but I don't really like it). I only eat those raw, except for the sweet potatoes/yams. Does it matter, nutritionally speaking, if I eat those raw vegetables three meals a day? It definitely gets boring, salads take me a long time to eat, and raw carrots with my breakfast just aren't always appetizing. I think another issue is that I like all my meals on the plain side, with not a lot of mixing. So where other people are eating curries and stews I'm eating roasted chicken with raw carrots/cucumber/peppers and half of an avocado on the side. And it ends up being a LOT of veggies on the side that take a long time to eat, versus a meal where the protein is mixed with some veggies and then you can just have a smaller serving of veggies on the side, if that makes sense. New things I am planning on trying are zucchini, butternut squash, mushrooms (in egg muffins for breakfast?), and from what I've read here jicama might be a good one too. Any other good starter veggies? I don't know what my question really is but any thoughts are welcome! I also need some guidance on fats and meats (I only like chicken/fish but am trying to branch out!) but will save that for another time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsStick Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Have you tried roasting veggies? I prefer the texture to steamed veggies, personally. They end up being firmer than steamed/boiled veggies but still easy to eat. I find that eating too many raw veggies really tears my stomach up over the long haul. You can do it easily - if you're roasting a chicken, tuck a few peeled, chopped carrots around the chicken. Add some celery and/or onions and it's good too. Or I do a mixture of roasted sweet potato chunks, parsnips, rutabaga, mushrooms, carrots, etc. tossed in oil and spices and baked at 375-400 until they're done. Roasted broccoli (again, toss in fat of choice and spices) is also delicious and fast to make (about 15 minutes at 400F, give or take). Green beans are good (as is broccoli) with ginger and garlic, or with mushrooms and thyme. If I'm doing steaks or burgers or chicken, I'll even saute onion, peppers, and mushrooms and pile them on top. Mmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpinSpin Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Actually, eating cooked veggies can be better than always eating raw, because some nutrients are more bio available in cooked veg then in raw. What about stews and chili? Do you not like the texture of long cooked veg? I often sneak veg into chili because of the long cooking time and they melt in and just become part of the 'gravy'. One of my favorite go to breakfasts is egg salad scooped up with celery sticks. And I also like original joes--scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach and left over ground meat or chopped up meat patties. I do highly recommend roasted veg--I often do veg under chicken when I roast it -- carrots, parsnips, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, butternut squash--so good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amberino21 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 what about making soups? you could make lots of different soups with the vegies you currently eat, and it's easy to add in new ones. (it may not be possible to taste the new vegies in a mixed up soup, but at the very least it would be more variety) i'd add beetroot to your mix, and onion. brussel sprouts and cabbage are also good - roasted sprouts, or sautéed cabbage in ghee are both delicious. you could also make coleslaw salad if the mixed vegies doesn't bother you, and the home made mayo you'd use for the dressing would be a great way to get in some more fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted November 10, 2013 Moderators Share Posted November 10, 2013 The real reason to roast a chicken is to have chicken fat drip onto chopped vegetables roasting under the bird in the oven. There is nothing quite like the taste of veggies roasted with a chicken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Tom's being too modest to post it right now, but once I tried his method for skillet roasted chicken thighs I've never done them any other way (and i eat chicken thighs quite a bit). Tuck whatever veggies you like under the thighs before it goes in the oven. Mushrooms, carrots, parsnips, onions, etc. are all good this way. http://www.wholelifeeating.com/2012/01/skillet-roasted-chicken-thighs-and-brussels-sprouts/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krmagdc Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 Thanks for the ideas. I want to try soup but I'm not a fan of liquids with chunks in them! Maybe I will try some totally blended soup first and then work up from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greek to me Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Spaghetti squash with puréed sundried tomatoes. You can add protein to that. Roasted cauliflower,sautéed leeks and garlicall puréed together. Roasted butternut squash, artichokes, red peppers in a green salad. Egg frittata with carmelized onion, and everything else you want to throw in. Sweet potato and roasted cauliflower 3:1 with chicken/veggie broth -puréed Roasted Brussels tossed with carmelized pecans. I admire your ability to eat raw veggies. I HATE raw veggies and am not good at experimenting but I'm learning and have had some awesome treats this way. Word of caution, do not try and replace flavors. Think of these as their own flavors. Ie cauliflower mash will not taste like mashed potatoes -no matter what people tell you. But it has its own unique flavor. These are just a few thoughts. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moggle Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 How about stir-frying. When I stir-fry I sometimes only half-cook the veggies. Then perhaps you get the best of both worlds? Stir-fried veg I like the best are peppers, mushrooms, zuchini, celery & green beans. You could even throw some spinach in at the very end. A couple of other veggies/combos to try are: Roasted Fennel bulb (sort of like an aniseed-onion. Needs to be roasted for 1+ hours but worth the wait) Mashed carrot/rutabaga(swede)/parsnip. Add lots of ghee & pepper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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