I'm really getting back to a place where I feel really good! OMG! I have eaten so many veggies lately. In fact, I am literally sitting here right now eating probably about a pound of lightly cooked veggies with some shrimp and a little ghee/Sriracha concoction I came up with mixed in. I am always amazed when I get back to eating large volumes of fruits and vegetables (emphasis on the vegetables) how I can control my appetite and just how good I feel!
However, I can think back to a time when the thought of eating veggies turned my stomach and tempted me to just stay overweight if that was my only option...THAT is how much I hated them.
Vegetables are sometimes an acquired taste. So here are a few suggestions of how to ease into the veggie world until you're a veggie eating maniac like me some day:
-Start by making a list of vegetables you actually like and resolve to work them in at least once a day. Eventually resolve to work them into each meal, even if it's only a small amount. This will help your taste buds begin to adapt. Remember, we aren't aiming for things like potatoes and corn. We are aiming for things like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, leafy greens, brussels sprouts, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, etc....vegetables low in calories and high in water, fiber and nutrients. Veggies such as these have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity which can help prevent diabetes AND help you lose weight!
-Try to cut back on processed sugars, artificial sweeteners and anything that says "natural flavoring" on the package. These "fake tastes" will make your taste buds less sensitive to the subtle flavors and sweetness in vegetables, you'll only be able to taste the bitterness.
-Turn everything into a salad. I actually got this little tip from the amazing author, Jon Gabriel. Like pizza? Dice it up and put it on top of a salad. Spaghetti? Same thing. Or, do like I used to do, and promise yourself you can eat whatever you want for dinner if you get your veggies down FIRST.
-Use dressings, marinades, butter, croutons, etc. Don't worry about the calories to begin with! Your goal right now is to change your habits and this will lead to LONG TERM changes, not short term starvation diets that never ever ever seem to work. If you like ranch dressing, smother a buttload of diced, colorful veggies in it and learn to love that crap! Once you like it (and you will!), start to lighten up on the dressing a little. My ghee/Sriracha sauce is a perfect example. I just ate a literal pound of veggies and absolutely LOVED every bite of it because of my tasty sauce mixed in. And it probably added about 100-150 calories to my almost no calorie vegetable plate. Oh and bonus! It is grass fed ghee which many consider to be a very healthy form of fat!
-Eat like a toddler. Get one of those sneaky chef cookbooks and learn how to disguise the taste.
-Educate yourself. The more you learn about the health benefits of vegetables, the more you will start to view them differently.
-Make it beautiful. Cut your veggies in cool shapes and decorate your plate. Arrange your salad in a way that makes you tempted to Instagram it.
And be patient with yourself!! It took years and years of gagging on things to finally get to a place where I actually CRAVE vegetables so give yourself time and patience and never ever stop trying!
Fruits and vegetables are life giving foods so you must decide when you're eating, are you eating for life?
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