Paleo and veggie problems

[dustinthewind]

Hello all,

I have spent the past two weeks going 70% paleo. Of the other 30% I have had 12 fried chicken wings, 1 order of fries, a personal pizza (my two "cheat days") plus one creme brulee and two servings of bread (white and pumpernickel) I have also indulged with a few beers and am trying to kick my diet coke habit.

 

My biggest problem with going more paleo (apart from the diet coke) is I have never really liked most vegetables. I spent years joking that they are what food eats. Sometimes I eat carrots and find them very good, but the next time I buy a bag, they taste awful. Take today's lunch for example: two servings (half a bag) of Green Giant steam in bag seasoned carrots and two small fish fillets. I struggled to finish half of the carrots. 

 

The vegetables that I really like are legumes (black & green beans, peas) and corn. That last one is a grain, of course. I like broccoli when cooked right, and brusselsprouts in moderation. I really don't enjoy raw veggies like leaf/romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and raw carrots, cauliflower, etc.. unless there is some bad dressing like ranch on it. 

 

So far, it has been very tough to stick to paleo, and this is only after two weeks. Are there any suggestions anyone can make? Should I just settle for 70% paleo, is paleo not for me? Should I just go ahead and add low-carb ranch as a way to get the veggies in my system? 

 

Additional info: I am taking a multi-vitamin, B-complex, magnesium, calcium with D, potassium, and fish-oil in the morning to make sure I am getting micro-nutrients.

 

[Elastigirl]

Have you tried roasted veggies? I love roasted veggies. Maybe just experiment with cooking veggies differant ways.

 

Sites with good recipes

nomnompaleo.com

theclothesmakethegirl.com

balancedbites.com

 

Through my google magic I found this recipe http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-ranch-dressing-paleo-effect/

 

And remember to include fat in your meal, that will also help your saiety level and keep you from eating as many carbs

[notanartmajor]

Leafy vegetables work well in smoothies also; add berries and a bit of lemon juice and you're golden.

 

As far as Paleo being for you, well, that's for you to decide but you can't really escape the necessity of vegetables either way. I'd keep at it and try to up the ratio of Paleo to non-Paleo foods gradually.

[Remoth]

Just gotta power through it. Mature your tastes in food. Just think about how good it is for you. That's what I've been doing. I was one of the most picky eaters ever a month ago. Now for supper I have a steak and veggies with a spinach salad. My old ways, I would have half a plate of fried chicken and the other half pasta. I never would touch green veggies. You just gotta eat em. Put a tablespoon of dressing for taste. A tablespoon isn't gonna kill you. It's the people that coat the veggies with half a cup of the stuff that are doing it wrong.

Find veggies you like too. I'm not a fan of peppers at all, but I love asparagus and mushrooms. Carrots are alright. Cooked, they are good. You just gotta do it. It's pretty much a necessity.

[Avalonna]

It sounds like you are eating very plain veggies. I wouldn't be excited about a pile of plain steamed carrots either. Roasting veggies is easy and fantastic - toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them at 400 degrees until they start to turn a teeny bit brown. Or stir-fry them, or saute them in butter. http://chowstalker.com is a great searchable recipe site.

[Raincloak]

Three words: learn to cook.

 

a few more words: if you can't stand eating plants, you cannot have a healthy diet, period.  Vegetables can and do taste good ... IF you do them right.  The sad part is most people have no idea how to do them right, so they nuke a bag of cafeteria mix and wonder why veggies taste so awful.  If microwaved bags of carrots is your idea of vegetables, you've got a world of tasty experiences to discover.

 

If you want to teach yourself cooking and you don't have any foodie friends to learn from, here's what I suggest: look at food blogs, food magazines, and fancy cookbooks to get motivated and pick up ideas.  Then buy the veggies and try the recipes.  Vegetarian blogs and paleo blogs are both good places to start.

 

some of my moronically easy go-to veggie dishes include:

 

stir-fried cabbage and onion with sausage pieces

nuked cauliflower with some kind of strong spicy sauce (eg paleo mayo, anchovy and red pepper, etc.)

shakshuka (eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce)

guacamole with any long skinny dippable thing (bell pepper slices, carrots, etc.)

spinach and scrambled eggs

kale chips

green beans with garlic and balsamic vinegar

[Pherales]

My favorite thing veggie-wise is making chips.  It used to completely baffle family when I turned up for visits with ziploc bags full of sweet potato/parsnip/carrot chips.  as long as you have a slicer (most box graters have one on the side) that you can use to slice veggies thinly, then you have everything you need.

 

It's really as simple as thinly slicing your veggie of choice onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, then tossing it under the oven at high temperature until they start to brown and crisp.  Leave them to cool for a while, then dump them in a bag with sea salt, pepper, chilli powder, herbs...the seasoning possibilities are crazy.  Bam, tasty veggies, and a substitute if you have a snacking problem.

[cline]

Def try roasting.  You can use a tasty oil or butter and some great spices.  If you like spicy, you can put cayenne on anything (note:  I didn't say hot sauce b/c that usually has sugar in it).  I actually like chili flakes on things. 

 

Oh, and you can grill just about any veg.  I do it all the time.

 

Also, try to make it a point to try new veggies.  But the trick is to go in with an open mind.  Much like:  "hmmmm...guinea fowl?  never tried it but it's meat so heck yeah let's try it!" go in with the same attitude "braised cabbage with bacon?  never had braised cabbage but heck yeah!  Let's go!".  If you are convinced you won't like it, you won't.  No matter how tasty it is.

 

Carrots are palatable to most folks and they are pretty sweet compared to most veg.  If you start experimenting with more veg, your tastes will adjust and carrots will still be tasty but so will other things.  BTW, I hate steamed carrots.  gah!  But raw and roasted - I'm there.

 

Also, one other thought.  To be fair, most veg are out of season right now.  You might not be getting veg at their peak.  This is why a lot of people turn to frozen veg in the winter.  But winter greens should still be available to you and rather tasty - kale, collards, etc. 

[dustinthewind]

Thanks for the comments. I realize now that I misunderstood that paleo meant no seasonings and stricter limits to cooking methods.

[Remoth]

seasonings really dont add up to much I think unless you are covering everything in salt. real seasonings are fine. a few pinched of cayenne, etc can go a long way. 

 

Vexate - Chips? man, that sounds good. Gonna have to try that!!!

[cline]

Thanks for the comments. I realize now that I misunderstood that paleo meant no seasonings and stricter limits to cooking methods.

 

oh heavens no!  I highly recommend a good paleo cookbook or two.  Grill, saute, roast, steam, pressure cook, boil, microwave until your stomach is content!  And spice is well... the spice of life!  I use a lot of hot chili spices, ancho chili, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon rind, etc. 

 

Don't forget you can use a healthy oil with spices too. 

[Vian]

Well Fed is a cookbook by the same woman who does theclothesmakethegirl.com. She is a liberal user of spices and has really opened my senses to some spice blends that I never would have used otherwise. If you are a fan of ethnic foods like indian, middle-eastern, moroccan, thai, and chinese, her blog and cookbook are great places to start. I used to be so afraid of spices, I'd use nothing but salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Now I use almost all the spices in my cupboard.

[dustinthewind]

Dinner tonight will be baked lemon pepper chicken tenderloins (tossed in olive oil) and sweet potato fries seasoned with garlic, paprika, sea salt, cinnamon, and chili powder. This is looking MUCH better than yesterday's lunch

[PrincessHeather]

It sounds like you are eating very plain veggies. I wouldn't be excited about a pile of plain steamed carrots either. Roasting veggies is easy and fantastic - toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them at 400 degrees until they start to turn a teeny bit brown. Or stir-fry them, or saute them in butter. http://chowstalker.com is a great searchable recipe site.

 

Nearly every veggie will taste good sauteed in butter with a little salt a pepper. So good.

 

Other things that might be good to try are squashes. Butternut squash is slightly sweet tasting and mild, as it acorn squash. They can be roasted and pureed or mashed, or made into soups. Spaghetti squash is also good, especially with a good sauce.

 

Spices should be your best friend... I'll eat practically any veggie if it has some chipotle powder on it!

[Elastigirl]

Dinner tonight will be baked lemon pepper chicken tenderloins (tossed in olive oil) and sweet potato fries seasoned with garlic, paprika, sea salt, cinnamon, and chili powder. This is looking MUCH better than yesterday's lunch

MMmm, sounds good

[franchise]

I second the squash recommendation, especially right now since they're in season. I had never really had any squash other than zucchini or plain yellow squash. Maybe the occasional butternut soup at a restaurant. Acorn squash is now one of my favorite foods, spaghetti squash allows me to keep eating the pasta sauces that I love, and butternut squash, while kind of a pain to peel, is really good just roasted with a little honey. I will say, though, invest in a good solid knife - getting through those squashes can be difficult sometimes!

[jiujitsujuju]

I was in the same place as you a couple years ago... I never ate very many veggies as a kid, and those I did eat were forced down my throat (figuratively) by my parents at dinner.  It wasn't until my second year at college that I started eating them often... hopefully some of these tips can help you out:

 

1. As far as lettuce/spinach/salads go, the dressing really is key.  I use balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a bit of dijon mustard (negligible amount of sugar) whisked together... much healthier and imo better tasting than ranch or other bottled dressings.  I also like to put walnuts on my salads to give them a bit of texture (this is especially nice if you have to leave off the croutons);  it makes you feel like you're not just eating a bunch of leaves.

 

2. Lemon juice!  This helps make so many veggies tastier to me, especially broccoli. 

 

3. Carrots: I've found that bagged carrots are hit or miss... sometimes they're great but other times they are awfully bitter.  Fresh, whole carrots tend to not have that bitterness and are usually sweeter in my experience.  (YMMV, could be a coincidence)

 

4. Kale chips are great... if done right it doesn't taste like you're eating veggies at all!  This is a great way to get greens into your diet if you don't like salads.

 

5. Exercise!  I really started eating more veggies once I began a regular workout routine.  I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like my body craves them when I'm working out often.

 

Lastly, at a certain point you just have to suck it up and force yourself to eat them, knowing how good they are for you.  If you do this for awhile you'll start to develop a taste for them and it will no longer be a chore.  Good luck!

[mandy75]

fresh green beans, tossed in bacon grease, roasted till slightly brown and crispy. Best thing ever!

[Katinka]

My husband is not really a fan of vegetables, but since I've gone paleo and try to serve 2 different ones at dinner each night instead of 1 vegetable and 1 grain, he's really come to find more that he enjoys. You missed all of my favorites on your list! The popular ones in my house right now are:

 

Asparagus (expensive, but totally worth it)

Sweet Potatos

Zucchini and Tomatoes (sautee with garlic and olive oil)

Eggplant

Butternut Squash

Acorn Squash

Green Beans (a legume, but most paleo diets allow it because it's more pod than bean)

Cabbage

 

Also, if you find one you don't like, make sure you try it in all three ways to buy it - fresh, frozen, and canned. They really do have different tastes and textures.

[Remoth]

Also, if you find one you don't like, make sure you try it in all three ways to buy it - fresh, frozen, and canned. They really do have different tastes and textures.

+1. This is really good advice. For example. I don't really like raw carrots, but I love them cooked and in things like soup or stews. Much softer consistency.

[Shoshie]

Another vote for roasting.  Also: grilling.  Nothing like some roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts, or broccoli.  I pretty much hate all vegetables steamed, except for green beans.  Like you, I need something to dip stuff in to make most raw veggies tasty.  Try guacamole, maybe?  I've also heard that you can make your own mayo with olive oil (and, therefore, creamy, delicious dip), but it's failed every time I've tried.

[Katinka]

Another vote for roasting.  Also: grilling.  Nothing like some roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts, or broccoli.  I pretty much hate all vegetables steamed, except for green beans.  Like you, I need something to dip stuff in to make most raw veggies tasty.  Try guacamole, maybe?  I've also heard that you can make your own mayo with olive oil (and, therefore, creamy, delicious dip), but it's failed every time I've tried.

Shoshie - have you tried the mayo recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl? I haven't tried any other recipe, but it's worked every time for me, and I've heard other people swear by it. I also replace the lemon juice with apple cider vinegar, but that's for taste, not really important to the recipe.

[Stormie]

Sometimes my father gives me the whole, "but I don't like that vegetable."  And I tell him that he is a grown man and needs to just do what is good for him and eat his damned veggies.  It sucks to eat things you're not fond of but over time you get use to them.  And at least you're forcing yourself to get used to something healthy.

 

I've replaced my diet Coke habit with tea and honey.  Yeah, the honey isn't zero calorie like diet Coke, but it is super tasty and not filled with all of those nasty chemicals and still gets me my caffeine fix when I need it.  Just use the honey in moderation and back down the amount you use periodically until you only need one or two teaspoons to notice the sweetness.

[Shoshie]

Meh, I feel like life is too short to eat things that you actively don't like.  I refuse to eat celery because I hate it.  SO MUCH.  I will pick the tiniest pieces out of things.  Because, yuck, celery. 

 

I have found a new love for eggplant, which I hated most of my life.  I just need my eggplant to be cooked into oblivion, and then I'm all about it.

[jiujitsujuju]

I used to hate spinach, but after forcing myself to eat it for a few months, I really enjoy it now... salads, omelettes, plain... It's not so much the taste, but when I eat spinach with meals my stomach is much happier, and my brain started to associate it with feeling good so I look forward to it now.  Just because you don't like something now doesn't mean you can't grow to like it.  I used to HATE the taste of coffee, but drank it to stay awake for school when I didn't get much sleep... now it's painful to go without the delicious taste of coffee (I switched to green tea).  So force yourself to eat a variety of veggies... you never know what you might grow to like.