I Hate Vegetables.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Okay, I don't EXACTLY hate vegetables. I eat them...well, mostly. But truthfully? I probably didn't eat a green vegetable until I was in my late 20's to 30's. Now I am 53 and I have gone out of my way to eat them for the last 5-10 years or so.

I know, I know, "...you've never had them prepared the right way". Ya see, the problem is I am a picky eater. I always have been. I eat NO condiments. No mustard, mayo, ketchup, salad dressings, almost no gravies etc. Which in a weird turn of events actually makes me healthier as a guy getting into middle age. But of all the veggies I dislike, the one I will NOT eat raw is tomatoes. I can't even think of putting a slice of raw tomato with those seeds and the clear juice in my mouth. I have no trouble with tomato paste or sauce in italian food..unless it has chunks. And universally, everyone tells me fresh garden grown tomatoes are one of life's gifts, I just can't go there.

I loved it years ago when George H.W. said, I'm the President now and if I don't want to eat broccoli I don't have to. It kicked up a short lived ruckus. I do eat broccoli...but in the case of all green veggies, I do it because I should, not because I want to. Anyone else like this?

(Yes, I know it will rot your guts out eventually to NOT eat them, thats why I do)

[vash]

hey! i could go full vegetarian if meat wasnt so effen yummy. i eat a craapload of vegetables. my system goes into full lockdown-orange alert if i dont eat the greens. i have 5 pots of heirloom tomatoes that gets better treatment than my other plants. the only veggie i wont eat is lima beans. yeeck. broccoli is hard to make tasty.

do you like veggie soups? you would be surprised what the various veggies taste like, roasted, then boiled soft in some chicken stock, then hit with a stick blender, or pureed in the regular blender. stuff gets good, and you could fake out the palette.

fav are beets..

[Jims5543]

I have a simple rule in life, do not eat green food. Even if the food was intended to be green.

[Dan in Pasadena]

The way I have recently found to eat broccoli is to buy it from the ready made salad bags already cut thin to make cole slaw out of it. It has purple cabbage and some carrot in it. I add raisins or diced apples or pears and its pretty good....which is saying a lot for me. I eat it without dressing but my girlfriend makes it with a low fat italina dresing on it and everyone (except me) raves about it. It probably has less food value since it has been processed/cut up before I get it though.

I will eat broccoli whole its just the stalks are kind of stringy. Pretty much most of the vegetables I like; I like better closer to raw than steamed or cooked. To me they taste limp or squishy after they're cooked. Like I said, I admittedly have an 8 year old's point of view on vegetables. I'm probably the wrong guy to describe "delicious vegetables" to!

[jyl]

I love vegetables. I never put condiments on them. I tend to like my veggies roasted, broiled, baked; maybe steamed; seldom boiled, seldom raw. Although I do like raw tomatoes.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

I have a simple rule in life, do not eat green food. Even if the food was intended to be green.

Funny.... and its probably gonna kill you...or contribute to it. Nevertheless, I agree with you.

Since I am picky I have another "rule". If I don't know what it is? I ain't sticking it in my mouth. Yeah, the attitude cuts down (out?) my finding of new tastes, but I just don't have the "gotta try it" button on my console.

[Jims5543]

Dan I get picked on to no end over it. My wife prepares wonderful recipes to make them taste good and everyone oohs and aaahs over the recipes and I still think it was wasted on a food that cannot be made to taste good. period.

I try to take a multi vitamin and supplements to offset my aversion to the green stuff. Whe I can remember to take them.

My cholesterol levels are good my BFI is good I am considered to be in good shape. Will not eating them kill me? I hope not.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Jim, I too have low total cholestrol (about 175-179) and normal blood pressure. Typically 118/78 to 120/80. Zero plaque in arteries per Heartcheck America and $800 out of pocket - wonderful. My father had a series of heart attacks and strokes over 20 years that eventually killed him but he was a heavy smoker and I have never smoked -again good.

The bad news? My mother's side of the family has cancer in it. My recently departed uncle died of a brain tumor that was not malignant but could not be operated on. My mother has had a breast removed because of tumor. My other uncle died of stomach cancer. My grandmother on her side died of cancer of the pancreas. All this honestly scares the schit out of me.

My understanding is the supplements just do NOT replace eating the real deal. So if the plate I order at a restaurant comes with veggies, I make myself wolf them down. I figure if they get in me it doesn't matter if a smile or a frown was on my face. Also, I think you are more prone to diverticulitis without greens in you. Last, just think about it...food goes in to you to be broken down and nutrients absorbed. The waste gets processed through. To a degree, the roughage veggies provide sort of bottle-brush your guts out! Kinda repulsive to state it like that, but I don't want stuff rotting in there with nothing cleaning out my pipes occasionally. Not to mention you're more prone to ...uh...er..."hemi's" without veggies. Those that know nutrition, do I have that about right?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

Dan I get picked on to no end over it.

Oh man, don't get me started. I am 53 frickin years old. I can eat (or not eat) whatever I want, I do NOT need anyone else's opinion but I have gotten them all my life...probably like you.

I ordered a plain hamburger once at a fast food place and the counterman said, "You're gonna eat it like THAT?" Like I ordered it with dog schit on it or something! People that would never say, "you're ugly" or "you're fat" have no problem commenting to your face about what you SHOULD eat in their opinion.

Whew, I feel better now....rant over. Obviously I wanted your opinions on this or I wouldn't have posted this thread.

[Superman]

Condiments? You see, I think sandwiches are just a way of getting mayonaise into my mouth. Lettuce is a way of getting creamy (fatty) salad dressing into my mouth. I'm lucky, and unlucky, to be able to eat anything I want.

I actually like vegetables, though. After my divorce, I discovered I LOVE cabbage. Can't get enough.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

I have a simple rule in life, do not eat green food.

I agree, except I make an exception for chocolate-chip mint ice cream.

I'm another non-veggie type guy.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Oh man, don't get me started. I am 5x frickin years old. I can eat (or not eat) whatever I want,...

Me too, just as long as it's what my wife tells me to eat.

[mattdavis11]

Me too, they're such a lousy lay.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Okay, I don't EXACTLY hate vegetables. I eat them...well, mostly. But truthfully? I probably didn't eat a green vegetable until I was in my late 20's to 30's. Now I am 53 and I have gone out of my way to eat them for the last 5-10 years or so.

I know, I know, "...you've never had them prepared the right way". Ya see, the problem is I am a picky eater. I always have been. I eat NO condiments. No mustard, mayo, ketchup, salad dressings, almost no gravies etc. Which in a weird turn of events actually makes me healthier as a guy getting into middle age. But of all the veggies I dislike, the one I will NOT eat raw is tomatoes. I can't even think of putting a slice of raw tomato with those seeds and the clear juice in my mouth. I have no trouble with tomato paste or sauce in italian food..unless it has chunks. And universally, everyone tells me fresh garden grown tomatoes are one of life's gifts, I just can't go there.

I loved it years ago when George H.W. said, I'm the President now and if I don't want to eat broccoli I don't have to. It kicked up a short lived ruckus. I do eat broccoli...but in the case of all green veggies, I do it because I should, not because I want to. Anyone else like this?

(Yes, I know it will rot your guts out eventually to NOT eat them, thats why I do)

Actually, I quite like a lot og veggies that most people don't (lima beans), but otherwise I'm the same as you. Not a ketchup or mustard fan. No pickles, etc. And I feel the same way about raw tomatoes. Cooked, sun dried, sauce, all good.

[Jims5543]

Ever meet a vegan? Epitome of Health? I think not!

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by vash

hey! i could go full vegetarian if meat wasnt so effen yummy. i eat a craapload of vegetables. my system goes into full lockdown-orange alert if i dont eat the greens. i have 5 pots of heirloom tomatoes that gets better treatment than my other plants. the only veggie i wont eat is lima beans. yeeck. broccoli is hard to make tasty.

do you like veggie soups? you would be surprised what the various veggies taste like, roasted, then boiled soft in some chicken stock, then hit with a stick blender, or pureed in the regular blender. stuff gets good, and you could fake out the palette.

now my new wife? she makes everything she touches taste like cherry pie. i love her so much, i am so glad she married me, i love being whipped! she's hot too.

fav are beets..

Silly cliffy!

[BeauBlues]

Dan, I thought I was the only one. I am a very picky eater too and I hate vegetables. The only exception is a regular old salad, preferably caesar. Even that is considered unhealthy! And I have been developing this theory, "If it tastes good, it's probably bad for you" Sucks doesn't it?

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

Ever meet a vegan? Epitome of Health? I think not!

I had a girl friend who went/was going vegatarian. I discussed with her the fact that I was going to continue being a carnivore. She then said that I would probably end up eating her.

I said, with a smile: "Is that such a bad thing?"

She blushed and gave into the inevitible...

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by BeauBlues

... I have been developing this theory, "If it tastes good, it's probably bad for you" Sucks doesn't it?

I concur. But a footnote to this rule is that if its an acquired taste, then it might be good for you. The problem with that idea is I'm no good at acquiring tastes.

[mikester]

If god didn't want us to eat animals he wouldn't have made them out of meat.

I know plenty of fat vegetarians by the way. I've gone the veggie route; I do like condiments but I'm not much of a fan of salad dressing (Except Caesar - I like that). Anyway - my wife was a vegetarian when we met but as she was pregnant with our first child - one night she looked at me and said 'I need a steak.' She wasn't a vegetarian because she didn't like meat - it was a health and lifestyle choice. I'm a flexible guy - I tried it for a while and it was okay. I didn't go 100% though; I'd have a burger here and there and on nights I was on my own I might live it up a little. By and large however I didn't eat much meat at all; I was probably in the best shape of my life then. I was also living the best I ever had at the time too so those two probably went hand in hand.


I still don't feel like I know how to prepare veggies...

Speaking of steak...