SubscribeAsk The Readers: How to Make a Man Eat More Veggies?
A Diet Blog reader (who shall remain anonymous) writes:
"I have a 28 year old man in my life who won't eat vegetables. He subsists on a diet of meat and carbs. He's thin as a rake, but unhealthy. I feel he's really lacking these valuable nutrients. He goes through phases of vitamin supplements and Vie (Its a 'shot' of liquid veg) but I don't feel these make up for not eating veg, EVER! He claims its the texture that he can't stomach.
I know other adults have this problem. I'd love to know what you think?"
How can you encourage vegetable consumption in adults? Anyone?
More like this in Food · Jul 7, 2008
Yeah I have a friend like that as well. Very strange, and they just don't realise how bad it is for them. Get him to try frozen veggies as I think they are easier to stomach when your not used to them. Some of the packs come with a nice sauce and so the extra flavour may be more encouraging.
ReplyGood idea! I'll try frozen. He likes tinned corn, (gag) so maybe frozen peas would work.
ReplyWill he eat foods like bolognaise sauce, curry, chilli? You can pack those with veg - chopped tomatoes are particularly good as a base. If he doesn't like the texture, how about making soup? You can get a LOT of servings of veg into a bowl of soup.
I have occasionally heard people say they just don't like vegetables -- my thought is always, "What, NONE of them?" There are so many different varieties of veg, and different ways of preparing them. Raw if you like crunchy, boiled if you like softer veg, roasted if you like a sweet/stronger flavour... etc.
Also, don't forget fruits: they have plenty of nutrients too! Try smoothies or fruit juice if he really won't eat whole pieces of fruit -- but again, there are so many different varieties and methods of preparation that he's bound to like SOMETHING.
Good luck!
Reply"there are so many different varieties and methods of preparation that he's bound to like SOMETHING."
- You would think so, wouldn't you?
He will eat roast carrots and parsnips, but only if they are done in a lot of oil, which considering that weight gain is not an issue (may in fact be a happy development) might be no harm.
He will also eat apples and I think bananas, but maximum one a day and I would be surprised if this newfound habit lasts more than a more than a month.
Vegetable soup is a no-go, which negates his claim that texture is his issue, since vegetable soup has the same texture as chicken soup. I can see no logic to this. But I can't see the logic to any of it. Throwing my hands up in frustration isn't the answer. I will persevere!
This is helpful, keep 'em coming!
ReplyOh, and the sauces are also a no go. The first time I cooked for him I phoned to ask if he didn't like onions or was he alergic to them? When he said he just didn't like them I said cool I won't use them, then I finely chopped an onion and included it in my tomato sauce where I didn't think it would be noticed (I refuse to make tomato based sauce without red onion.) He picked out individual shards of onion. I was almost impressed!
ReplyI've got no idea, but I have a few friends who are exactly the same way. They won't touch anything green.
ReplyIts not a texture thing, its a childishness thing. There is actually a good reason that children grow into vegetables (they survive longer if they don't just stick any vegetables in their mouths before being taught what to eat) but all the adults I've met who insist they don't like any vegetables are ones who largely won't try them either... mostly going on the fact that they didn't like them as kids they don't give them a chance... Its small mindedness.
There is no way it could be a texture thing, given that different vegetables and different preparation techniques have different textures. I'd definitely try to stick to very fresh veg and try steaming veg to al dente (for example steam broccoli until its at its brightest green and no longer), so many people are used to all their veg being overcooked and mushy.. I hated brussels sprouts until I had them 'just cooked' instead of over boiled and yum for roasted brussels sprouts. In fact maybe he'd try grilled veggies?
Reply"Its not a texture thing, its a childishness thing."
Amen Sister!
ReplyIf he likes mashed potatoes, you can see if he likes mashed cauliflower (boil some cauliflower, mash it, and maybe add a dash of milk or butter. It's easy.).
Does he like stews? You can sneak lots of veggies in there.
I assume salads would be torture for him, but maybe with the right dressing, cheese, some nice croutons, and grilled chicken he would like it.
This guy is 28 years old. He's an adult, so I think you have to accept that your influence over him is limited.
Reply+ 1 on the cauliflower idea. We also add cinnamon to ours which gives it some extra kick. We also bring it to a boil with coconut milk.
ReplyHi, from my life experience i can tell you one thing, you can not make anyone do something unless they desire it them self.
ReplySo, unless he change his mind about vegetables and understand that they are really necessary he will never commit to eat them in a long run.
Get him to read about positive effects of vegetables and try to spark a desire in him to do it no matter how they taste. People start to look for cure when its too late eg. cancer etc.. Suffering makes them look for ways to end it eg. eat medicine change diet habbits , which doesnt taste good. So, educate him 1st.
I know this because i been there.
NOT a childishness thing. You like what you like. You might also get him to talk to a food aversion therapist. Such attention to texture of all vegetables can actually be a sign of OCD, not childishness!
You can't force someone to like what they like. I personally can't stand onions, taste or texture, no matter how they're cooked or hidden in my food. (Hide them in my food, and things will get ugly very quickly.) But I've hidden other veggies in my own food quite successfully. There are a couple of great books out there (Sneaky Chef, for one) that give great ideas on how to hide veggies in other foods, and you'd never know they were in there.
ReplyThere's a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife). And it's all focused on how she sneaks more vegatables into her kids diets. Basically she purees vegetables and adds the puree to an assortment of recipes and her kids don't have a clue.
Might be a worthy investment.
ReplyI have the same situation at my house. I've found that cutting up veggies into very small pieces and adding them to foods works. Instead of a side of broccoli, chop it up very small and add it to a pasta dish.
Seasoning is also important. Someone who doesn't like veggies is not going to eat a pile of steamed or raw veggies plain. If you can whip up a light sauce or sprinkle them with a lot of seasonings (something low-sodium but spicy is best), they will go down quicker. I also think men are more open to eating veggies with a dip, like ranch or bleu cheese.
I'm not totally in favor of being sneaky, but, as a last resort, sometimes adding purees will help until the guy figures out that veggies are his friend. I do own Missy Chase Levine's latest book: "The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen!): Hiding Healthy Foods in Hearty Meals Any Guy Will Love", and the recipes there are pretty good.
ReplyI forgot to point out that some people are "supertasters", which means that they have super-strong senses of taste. Some veggies and other foods can taste really awful to them.
Here's the wiki on supertasters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster
ReplyVERY interesing. But unlikely; Smoker.
ReplyMake it spicy and it's gonna be much easier.
ReplyI don't know if this addresses the texture issues, but I began eating many more vegetables that I didn't eat previously when I used them in a stir-fry. Like I said, I don't know if it helps with the texture, but it's easy to cater the taste to his liking with the different types of sauces there are.
ReplyWhen all else fails - drink them! Toss some spinach, broccoli, cooked carrots and maybe some apple (to make it a little more palatable) in a blender. Have him plug his nose and just down it like a pledge at his first frat party!
ReplyI like vegetables, and I don't think even *I* could do that :)
ReplyI have to ask anonymous: what kind of "unhealthy" is he? He may well be getting adequate nutrition, or he may have specific deficiencies; or, there may be some other problem.
ReplyA very good question Charles G, and one I had to think about a little. He doesn't eat vegetables therfore I assume he is unealthy. One tends to associate obesity or anorexia with unhealthiness and forget that you can be a very normal weight, toned and slim, and still not have a "healthy" diet. The health concerns, as I see them, are that he often gets run down. He has energy deficiency/over-load which I feel would be more even if his diet was more even. I feel horrible and heavy if I eat a plate of carbs and meat. Also, I'm concerned about the connecton of this kind of diet with such issues as depression, and more serious health concerns later in life. I love this man. I want him to be around in thirty years :)
Reply- Hide the veggies in soup / stews
Reply- Carrot stick / celery with dip - you control the dip's health quotient
- More low gi fruit - apples / berries
- Breakfast smoothie - with a fruit/veg superfood - at least he is getting antioxidants
- Post workout shake - with the superfood - http://healthhabits.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/an-unbelievably-great-post-workout-shake/
he is an adult. you have to have an adult talk about what lack of veggies and improper nutrition will do to his health. take him to a specialist, nutritionist as a last resort and if that doesnt work, i might advise you to drop his ass from your life since caregiving (from you) for him later in life (or much earlier in this case) is extremely difficult these days.
i am fast losing respect for people who dont take responsibility for themselves, there are no excuses to be made these days with all the information available. believe me i try my best with friends and family and i caregive for my parents as well.
ReplyCatering to a picky person can create trouble down the road and fuel resentment. Just cook whatever healthy veggie filled foods you want and if he's hungry, eventually he will start to eat it. (similar to the tactics used for picky kids)
ReplyThis is true. I am being sort of a crazy bint aren't I? And he is a grown up. I think that I will try a bunch of these ideas, like the mashed cauliflower etc. but if he refuses to eat these I will just prepare meals as usual and if he doesn't want to eat them he can starve and if he wants to pick out the vegetables thats fine too. I have Mommy syndrome; I constantly feed my friends. I can't continue to make a separate meal for this one person. At any rate he looks like a right oddball sitting there eating a totally different dish.
ReplyAnonymous
You sound a lot like me. I worry all the time, but it is usually about my kids and their friends. My husband eats anything.
At every meal I put out a plate of raw veggies and fruit (a tradition passed down from my mom). They are veggies that I know they will eat. I also make a different veggie as part of the meal. They usually won't touch this, but I ask that they at least try a bite.
This is how I hide my veggies. I grate carrots, zucchini, potatoes, etc. in my meat loaf. They have no clue it is in there. I add all kinds of veggies to my spaghetti sauce. Right before I serve it I blend it with my hand blender. Also, I love to make veggie soup as an appetizer. I will make a pot with lots of veggies and some kind of bean then I also blend it before I serve it. If their friends are over, there are no leftovers.
Good luck.
ReplyThis is basically how my mom approached feeding vegetables to her picky eaters - which were all of us kids. We'd eat most anything you could grow in the garden raw. We'd eat peas carrots and green beans cooked. (We'd eat corn, but let's all agree that corn is a grain, not a veg, and has little nutritional value, shall we?) We'd eat fruit. She'd cook the asparagus, broccoli, etc for herself and dad and it was there and we were free to try it if we wanted. We mostly just shuddered. There were probably more veggies than we knew lurking in the spaghetti sauce. Most fruit you couldn't get year round here - apples, oranges or bananas were pretty much it for winter - but dessert to us was canned fruit like peaches or pears - unless it was pudding because mom was trying to get more milk in us (we weren't big on milk either, but that's another story...)
By the time we turned 20 there was pretty much no vegetable that we wouldn't try or didn't like. We just grew out of it. So - I'm saying - don't worry. Just keep on offering raw veg and fruits, sooner or later your kids will go to camp or a friends house or a restaurant and try this stuff and find out it's not so bad.
Still won't eat brussel sprouts though. But I think that's the only one I dislike.
If someone likes tomato soup, (or bloody mary's) then they might be willing to have a cold or hot mug of v8 juice - add a little lemon juice, worchestershire sauce, and tabasco to jazz it up. It's one way both my 11 year old and I like to have our veggies. One cup is two servings of veg.
ReplyHonestly, you can't change people - they have to want to change themselves. He needs to grow up and man up.
ReplyIt might be difficult if there is a psychological element coming into play, if this person feels anxious when it comes to trying new things, as though they are out of control of the situation. Maybe ask him what's the worst that could really happen if he tries a vegetable that has a texture he doesn't like. He might get sick and gag? Well all of that is in his head, his own issues with the food, as the vegetable itself is perfectly healthy and fine.
I myself haven't been a big fan of veggies, but have learned how to prepare them so that I can enjoy them more. I love carrots and cucumbers raw. I enjoy veggie dip platters. I love all sorts of salads. And most of all I have discovered that I looove grilled veg skewers on the barbecue!! I don't really enjoy bell peppers all that much, but I've found they taste sooo good with that smoky grilled flavour! I think knowing that veggies have very few calories is what makes me want to find ways to enjoy them even more. I'd rather fill up on veggies than calorie-laden bread or junk food any day! (Although this shouldn't be a concern for the person you have written about.) But definitely look around online for all the different ways you can prepare an awesome meal with veggies. I was recently introduced to sweet salads containing fruit and nuts with a sweet dressing, and it's like a whole new food group for me, lol!
Good luck!
ReplyDoes he like pickles? I discovered accidently that my BF will eat many vegetables if they are pickled. . . he seems to have a sour tooth! So, as others have suggested, the key may be finding the right combo and bringing more of those into the diet
ReplyI, too, am married to a 28-year old veggie hater. Well, I shouldn't say he HATES them; more like he just doesn't like eating them. He would rather eat meat and potatoes any day of the week than a salad or anything with veggies.
If your husband absolutely refuses to eat veggies, it's going to be important to start slowly. I often put spinach in hamburgers. Just take a box of frozen spinach and thaw it out and mix it up with some lean ground beef and an egg and you get spinach burgers. I swear, you can't tell there is spinach in them at all. If he likes mashed potatoes, you can try getting him to eat mashed sweet potatoes (at least they have a little more nutrition than regular potatoes). Also, I've found that my husband hates most veggies because he always had them when they were overcooked. If you make veggies in a different way (say, steamed or roasted or something like that), maybe he'll eat them. Most people I know will eat deep-fried vegetable tempura...not the healthiest, but if it gets your husband's palate accustomed to veggies, it could be a step in the right direction.
I think most people who hate veggies were not exposed to them early enough in their childhood. Our tastebuds develop a lot in infancy up through the age of about 5. My mother told me that one of the best thing you can do to prevent pickiness in kids is to start feeding them puree of whatever the rest of the family is eating starting at about the age of 8 months or so. Of course, you have to be careful about SOME foods, but in general babies will eat almost anything if they are exposed to it early and often.
ReplyTrue story:
A young person that I know refused to eat any kind of vegetable for the entire length of his adolescence. If they were hidden in food he was eating, it would trigger a gag reflex and he would refuse to eat another bite. When he was in his late teens his parents, who by this stage were willing to try anything, took him to a hypnotist. Apparently, when he was 18 months old he was scalded by steamed vegetables while alone in the kitchen. The family countered this psychologically, he faced his early trauma and now he can eat anything.
I don’t know if this is common, I can only give you this one example, but it’s worth thinking about.
ReplyYou can't "make" anyone do anything. I would start with anything he does like and give new options to try (celery and peanut butter, salads, red pepper and hummus). If he likes sandwiches always include lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Baked potatos? Steak fries? Have you tried making cauliflower "mash" - buy frozen with lite cheese sauce and place in blender after cooked.
If he is willing, make an agreement to try a new vegetable (e.g. steamed okra with red pepper flakes) once a week. If he is not willing, back down. But at least tell him why you are concerned and see if that is motivating.
ReplyMashed cauliflower tastes a lot like mashed potatoes when you have enough butter with it! I make veggie glop in my food processor and add carrots, celery, cauliflower - anything that isn't green - to tomato sauce. It works!
ReplyAnd then do what with it? Heat it up for pasta?
ReplyAn X partner of mine wouldnt eat vegetables. I cooked her some tasty stir fry's and we also cooked some other great recipes. Once she realised that vegetables can taste great then she was open to introduce vegetables into her diet.
ReplyMy boyfriend is exactly the same way!
He will eat zero vegetables, hasn't in probably 10 years. Once i made him eat a baby carrot, but he seriously regretted it. He refuses to try any vegetables now, no matter how hard I try. He will pick out the tiniest litle piece of pepper out of anything.
He eats a few fruits, but not often, and maybe only 4 of them.
I feel like many of these comments aren't helpful (ie.. no matter what, if we add a fun dip, it doesnt mean he will all of a sudden decide he will eat carrots). If only it were that easy!
It's true - you can't make someone do something they don't want to do... but at the same time, there must be something we can do!
I've been thinking about therapy... I'm real concerned about his future health (and my health, as the stress can't be helping me!)
ReplyHas anyone ever heard of Food Aversion Therapists?
I am assuming this is usually therapy for babies & children.
I wonder if it is available for adults as well.
I've been thinking about just general therapists, but not sure.
I feel like when someone hates so many different types of food, there must be something else to it.
Dietitians?
I'm really just focused on making sure that our loved ones are healthy & will remain so for a long time.
Obviously food is the best source of vitamins and minerals, but if it's not coming from food, will a daily vitamin be enough?
I met a pediatrician once who said the vitamin would be fine, but I dpn't quite believe it!
Any thoughts?
ReplyMy boyfriend is exactly the same way! I can't stand it, I LOVE veggies, and so does my son. I work full time and don't have time to come home and cook 2 meals just to satisfy him. We've had to adhere to his diet, only we eat our veggies on the side now. It's very difficult. The dishes I am use to making (or should I say was use to making) had veggies in them, onions, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, beans have all been cut out. Spaghetti can't have anything green in it, I have to make 2 different sauces. I'm tired of it. I haven't a good real stir-fry in 2 years! Chinese is out too! Good grief, I wonder how we have survived! His health has got to be bad, he refuses to see a Dr. though. I blame is Mother 100%, all she ever cooked for her kids was hamburger in some fashion, no fish, seafood, pork, steak, nothing just hamburger (and se catered to him by not putting veggies in his). I'm getting frustrated trying to come up with new recipes to try...
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