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What veggies do you eat?

Old 05-20-2010, 09:26 AM
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Default What veggies do you eat?

I have done pretty well on increasing my fruit intake but in looking at diet tips and the daily recommendations I really need to increase my veggies too. My delima is that I don't like a lot of cooked vegetables.

I have read that we should get 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily with more veggies than fruit though not by much.

Here's what I have tried so far:
Cucumbers
Green Bell Peppers
Baby Carrots
Celery
Califlower (haven't added that yet. I know I liked it in the past but that was with dip )

Any suggestions? I thought about salads but find fat free or low fat dressings not even worth eating.

Remember I don't like a lot of cooked vegetables. I can stomach peas, hominy and LOVE any cooked white potatoes though there is controversy on if those are good or not.
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Old 05-20-2010, 09:45 AM
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I like most veggies, so I might not be any help, but here's a few you don't have that are pretty tasty:

Beets the root and the greens are both edible
Squash, my faves are butternut and acorn
Pumpkin
Sweet potatoes, if you like potatoes, try this one it's much better for you than white and has a ton of vitamin A
Avocado
Green beans, they can be eaten cooked or raw, super low cal and good for you
Pea pods also called snow peas
Broccoli
Spinach, cooked or raw
Radish
Kohlrabi, cooked or raw
Corn
Peppers, there are a ton of varieties, my fave are banana

Well that's all I can think of for the moment, I'm beat, spent the day planting my garden.
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Old 05-20-2010, 09:52 AM
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I eat spinach every weekday. We have a cafeteria at work, so I know I'm going to get that.
Broccoli is a good raw veg.

Have you tried grilling the veggies? It's a different flavor than steaming or boiling. Asparagus, bell peppers, corn, tomato, and zucchini all grill up nicely. (best to skewer the asparagus and tomatoes (if you use small ones))
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Old 05-20-2010, 09:56 AM
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Thanks almeeker! I have some questions and comments~

I LOVE Avocados but worry about the fat.

I never thought to eat Green beans raw. Maybe I will try that. I like them cooked as long as they are in a green bean casserole but that probably defeats the purpose.

Pea pods also called snow peas - I have seen those before but how the heck do you eat them? Do you eat them whole? Sorry that may seem like a silly question but I really have no idea.

Lastly - what the heck is Kohlrabi?

Oh, thought of one more - Pumpkin. All I can think of is pumpkin pie which is probably not what you intended.

Last edited by anderson02; 05-20-2010 at 10:03 AM.
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Old 05-20-2010, 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted by bsaz
Have you tried grilling the veggies? It's a different flavor than steaming or boiling. Asparagus, bell peppers, corn, tomato, and zucchini all grill up nicely. (best to skewer the asparagus and tomatoes (if you use small ones))
I have not tried that. I generally don't like how the consistency and flavor of the vegetables change when cooked. I don't know if that makes sense or not. Cooked carrots is a perfect example for me. I don't think those taste anything like a raw carrot. Try to find a can of soup without carrots... Can you tell I really hate cooked carrots?!?! LOL!
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Old 05-20-2010, 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by anderson02
Can you tell I really hate cooked carrots?!?! LOL!
This makes me laugh. I hate cooked carrots too! Not all cooked veggies, but carrots, blech.
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Old 05-20-2010, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by anderson02
I LOVE Avocados but worry about the fat.
The fat in avocados is predominantly monounsaturated fat. It's good for you and it really fills you up in a way that polyunsaturated fat doesn't. I wouldn't stuff down more than one per day, because at some point you're going to start storing, but one a day for breakfast doesn't sound too shabby to me. I hear it beautifies the skin too.

Have you tried spicing up your veggies? We have Indian food at home all the time and we sauté about a half tsp each of cumin, turmeric, mustard seed, powdered coriander seed; about a quarter tsp of asafoetida (a pungent, garlicky spice; a clove of garlic is a decent sub); and red chili powder to taste before throwing on the veggie of the day. Could be boiled cubed potatoes, cauliflower, shredded cabbage, spinach, corn, green beans, zucchini, okra...

The spices usually mask the odd wilty consistency of cooked vegetables.
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Old 05-20-2010, 11:41 AM
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If you like peas, you might also like edamame (ed-a-ma-may), just a fancy word for soybeans. I first had it as an appetizer at a sushi restaurant, but you can get it at grocery stores too, usually with the frozen veggies. They look like peas, sold right in the shell (just don't eat the shell!) I put a half cup or so in a bowl, splash of water, and microwave for 2 minutes. You can eat them warm, or sometimes I take them the next day for a snack at work and eat them cold. The consistency is like peas but they have a lot of protein.
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Old 05-20-2010, 11:55 AM
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Canned veggies are AWFUL!! There's a reason why babies spit them all over. Stir-fried or steamed fresh veggies are so much better tasting and better in texture. Raw is great too. Frozen is OK if I don't have fresh. I haven't tried grilling them, I should look into that.

I love raw avocado, and I never make my salad on plain iceberg lettuce. I use spinach or the fancy bagged lettuces. As far as dressing goes, I like the Kraft light done right ones, or just a smaller amount of the real stuff. Balsamic vinegar is great on a salad too, there's as many varieties of that as there are varieties of wine. I'll put half an avocado and some canned beans or chickpeas on a salad, because it's got to have some fat and protein or it won't stick with me. Edamame works well on salads too. I also use rice noodles (like chow mein noodles but smaller) and sunflower seeds or nuts in moderation to add crunch to a salad. Mashed up or sliced avocado is a great alternatative to mayo in a sandwich, and plain Greek yogurt is nummy as a veggie dip. Hommus (ground seasoned chickpeas) is a great veggie dip too. I eat most of my fruits and veggies raw, never canned except for beans. Salsa is super easy to make yourself too. I'll use that instead of dressing with some beans, grilled chicken and Greek yogurt on a salad to make a healthier version of a taco salad. I find it's easier to eat veggies if I keep raw ones cut up in the fridge at all times, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes and celery mostly. Then I can just grab a handful when munchies hit.

Oh and a kohlrabi is a root vegetable, flavor-wise it's kind of similar to the stem of a cauliflower plant. It looks like a large white beet. You can shred them for cole slaw or salads, or boil and mash them as a potato substitute. I've seen them used for veggie fries and cubed up in soups or stews as well.

Almeeker, I may be your long lost twin after all lol!

Last edited by Lizzycritter; 05-20-2010 at 12:00 PM.
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Old 05-20-2010, 01:36 PM
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Oh, and vinegrette (sp?) is really easy to make at home. You can just shake it to an emulsion in a jar. That way you can control the taste and the oil content.
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