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Okay, so in an ill-fated attempt to eat healthier, I keep buying vegetables, then getting them home and discovering that I hate them. This week I'm saddled with broccoli and zucchini. Are these okay for turtles?

Next week is artichokes, I have high hopes...I've got to find something I can bear, so far I hate all vegetables except corn and potatoes!

Zucchini is fine. I think brocoli is on the same level as spinach as it has something in it that blocks the absorbtion of calcium

Okay then, guess I'll have to give the broccoli to my mom. Napoleon loves the zucchini though!

Try carrots (for you, I mean). They're a lot better for you than corn or potatoes (all carbs and starch). They also have a sweet crunchy taste. Sometimes using a veggie dip to dip the vegetables in makes them much more palatable too. Celery is good to munch on too since it's mostly water. Try that with peanut butter or a dip.

wow, the things i learn from my wife!

Starchick,

It sounds like you need a vegetarian cooking class....seriously! Veggies don't have to taste bad. We have several vegetarian restaurants around here in the Detroit area that make lunches that are so tasty you won't even miss the meat!

One way to "get rid" of the broccoli: cut it up really small & add some to soups or spaghetti sauce or gravies. You won't even taste it, but it adds good nutrients/fiber to your meals. You can also make zucchini bread out of the zucchini.

Also, if you grate carrots really fine, add this "carrot purree" to spaghetti sauce too. Carrots have quite a bit of sugar in them which helps get rid of the sourness of the tomato-sauce. When you buy sauce off the shelf, you will notice that a lot of the canned sauces have a bunch of sugar added. The carrots are a healthier way to deal with that.

Also, if you like garlic, cut up the veggies into smaller pieces & sautee with garlic & butter for a simple side dish. Broccoli is also something you can eat with some cheese sauce.

Try a baked sweet potato too. You can load that baby up with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. YUM.

I could go on and on. I have a few dietary restrictions, so I have had to get very creative with my cooking. But the more you know about cooking veggies, the easier it is to eat them & try new ones....Best of all, have fun! And don't be afraid to try different cooking methods with different veggies because honestly, things taste differently with different spices.

Yeah, the veggies are a sign of my desperation, I have celiac disease and recently found out that I might have an associated condition which would require me to go 6-9 months with no sugar or starch and severely restricted carbs. So basically all I've found that's okay to eat so far is brown rice, almonds and meat. I know the vegetables are going to be important if not for vitamins at least for variety, but I've always hated them, I hate the taste, texture, everything about them. Literally makes me gag. But I like your idea of grinding them up and hiding them in other things, that might work for me.

Starchick,

I feel for ya.....Celiac's sucks.....one of my friends struggles with it too. She isn't allowed to have any wheat at all because it makes her completely ill. I don't know if you have a Whole Foods market near you, but if you do, check them out. I like to sometimes just take some time to read the boxes of ingredients in things & try new foods. One brand I found that was extremely tasty was the "Enjoy life" brand (www.enjoylifefoods.com). They make these "coco loco" bars that are amazing and they don't have any wheat, dairy, or gluten in there at all! You would think they taste like cardboard, but they don't!

I am a big fan of veggie & fruit juicing. So if you aren't a fan of the "texture" of the veggies, juicing might be another way to get the benefits without the chewing. Strange as it sounds, carrot/apple/celery is one of my fav blends and I drink 16 oz daily. And of course, the fruit juices are all REALLY good, making you wonder why anyone would ever need to add sugar to them at all (!).

So don't worry, even if you have a very restricted diet, there are things you can eat that still are very tasty.

One thing that I like is Sun-Rype fruit and vegie drinks. The come in the little or big tetra-bricks. I'm not sure what the availabilty is in the US though...
Those are good because just 1 cup contains 2 servings of fruit and vegies!
These are the ones I'm talking about:
http://www.sunrype.com/viewgroup.php?id=3

I would recommend using cheese or butter in moderation on the veggies that taste bitter to you. Broccoli actually gets more bitter the longer you cook it, so I would say either steam it or boil it for less than 5 minutes, then add a generous sprinkle of cheese over it. I'd also recommend quinoa. It's a great tasting grain that works well stuffed in peppers or squash with feta. I know you are probably missing the grainy products, and I believe in most cases, quinoa is okay.
Bull dog! Are you quoting Weird Al?

scripta_elegans wrote:Bull dog! Are you quoting Weird Al?

Heck yeah Scripta!

Scripta, I hear ya on quinoa!!! That makes a great breakfast cereal. It's similar to cream of wheat in terms of texture, but you can also use it in soups in lieu of wheat noodles. Quinoa is that tiny bud-like grain that parakeets eat, but it is GREAT for people as well. Has tons of nutrition in it.

Industrial Girl is right! It's amazing how you can change the taste by preparing it differently. Perhaps a vegetarian cookbook could help.

You could also try organic veggies. They have a tendency to taste less bitter especially carrots!

Make sure you keep a positive attitude!!! The mind is very powerful!!!!!

I like to frequent www.allrecipes.com

Here's a Vegetarian Cuisine article:
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Vegetarian- ... etail.aspx