How to do this when you are so picky?

[Rodger Williams]

New here so hopefully this is good place to post. In planning stages of starting. I have celiac disease and have been off gluten for about 6 months now and decided to give this a try as well..

 

Problem is I am very picky and do not like a lot of things. My go to veggies are of course, corn and peas. I do like carrots and beans but that is almost it really. I do not like squashes, brussel sprouts, asparagous and that sort of thing or sweet potatoes.

 

I have been reading the book and meal recipes and there is a ton of things I just couldn't handle to eat. I am not going to force myself to eat something I don't like. That was tried on me as a kid and it failed lol.

 

Wonder if you can make a 7 day weekly meal plan with just the basics stuff.. chicken, beef, pork..bean, carrots, cauliflower, celery..greens,,,cucumbers, maybe zuchhini....

 

Just wondering if anyone else has a picky palette and is doing this program.

 

thanks

[SugarcubeOD]

I'm not going to suggest that you just force yourself to eat things you don't like, but sometimes it's helpful to identify why you don't like them. For instance, most people in my generation hate Brussels sprouts but that's because our parents used to boil the bejinx out of them until they were gray and disgusting... who wants to eat that? Now we know about roasting vegetables, (high heat, lots of fat and salt).

I know for myself that I used to haaaaaaaaate olives... seriously loathed them... but I set myself a challenge to try a tiny bit of one every time it came into my solar system (off a friend's plate usually). Within not even... maybe two months, I actually started buying them myself and willingly eating (AND LOVING) them.

As adults, we're definitely in charge of our own destiny and that includes whether we are fussy eaters or not. Sometimes it's even down to a change in the way we think about food... such as 'I used to be really fussy about what I liked but I try and be open minded and try new things now and it turns out I have a wider range of likes than I thought' or something similar.

The rest of the answer is, yes of course you CAN do 30 days of the basics. As you remove chemicals, sugars and preservatives, your tastes are definitely going to change and I would challenge and encourage you to try new things because I think you'll be quite surprised!

(jAnd I presume by 'bean' you mean green beans... because any other bean is disallowed for the thirty days))

[Rodger Williams]

Yes, green beans.

I occasionally do try things to see if my tastes have changed and unfortunately they have not. I have been doing some reading and planning and for the most part think I can manage pretty well.I am having some trouble with the fat part..I cannot stand avocados or olives

[SpinSpin]

I can tell you from personal experience that picky eaters can do this program, and your tastes MAY change. My husband, who lived on AM/Pm burgers, peanut butter sandwiches and pasta for the most part, with pizza thrown it did the W30 and did survive it. Beforehand, he ate very little that was green -- and if he did, it was broccoli, pesto or green beans. His mother boiled everything they ate. It was the only cooking method she knew.  But now, he willingly eats zoodles, brussel sprouts, zucchini, salads... he still isn't a huge fan of mayo. although he will eat creamy dressings if I make them with homemade mayo. 

 

Anyway -- I do suggest at least trying some different cooking methods. Roasting in bacon fat may change your mind about veggies you don't care for! Yes, you can do a whole 30 on a limited veggie palate, although do be prepared to become bored with your choices. Remember - no peas or beans (like lentils or pinto) and no corn. It is only 30 days. 

 

Fats wise, homemade mayo, egg yolks, ghee or clarified butter, fattier cuts of meat, tallow or lard, or duck fat or goose, and the occasional nut butter or handful of nuts. You don't need to have olives or avocados. Coconut oil is a good choice too. If you don't care for the taste of coconut oil, you can get some that is neutral in flavor --refined coconut oil. You can also use coconut milk, if you happen to like curries or in cream of soups. 

[texasbred]

Rodger,

Growing up in the South we considered corn our vegetable staple. I was 50 something years old before I was educated to the fact that it is a grain and NOT a vegetable. WHAT? Anyway, it forced me to try other real veggies cooked a different way, mostly fried in coconut oil, and now I not only love most of them, but I can even eat them if they aren't fried to a crisp. You can change your tastes. Really.

I still love corn and when not doing a Whole 30, well you know..... Its demotion to a grain has not deterred me.

[MeadowLily]

Are you traditionally a snacker?  The Whole 30 Recommendation is NO SNACKING.  Allow 4-5 hours inbetween meals and let yourself experience true hunger vs. cravings.  When you're hungry enough, you'll eat a moose.  When you're hungry you'll eat the bark off of trees and pinecones, lawn clippings, grasshoppers and old shoes.   That's the secret.  Let yourself get hungry.  Everything will taste wonderful.