This board may be pretty, but behind it, there lies a deep, dark secret of mine...
I adore the color green. I love the life that green brings to any situation,
but here's my secret: the amount of green in my diet is next to nothing.
Yes, you read that right.
I've never eaten a salad. Simply smelling broccoli or cucumber makes me cringe. I hate the attention this "phobia" can bring to me in social situations. I get anxious whenever I'm out to eat because I have to make little changes to my meal so I can actually enjoy it. There's something about the texture, the crunch, the something...and I have never been able to overcome it. I know I'm just plain weird and I'm actually really worried about what this lack of green in my diet will do to me in twenty or thirty years.
On the upside, I've made a lot of improvements to my diet since {cv} came into my life. My mom makes a mean basil pesto that I love. I can handle a few bites of spinach and even some peas. Asparagus is something I've actually come to enjoy. My 21-year-old self wouldn't have touched any of those greens, but here I am, five years later, and I'm learning to add some color to my otherwise plain plate. I really want to make a change--and I need to before I introduce any baby {v}s to this world.
So, here's where I need your help:
How have you conquered your food phobias?
Do you have any tips for me as I try to tackle new foods?
I really am just green with envy of people who can eat whatever is put in front of them. I hope you all don't write me off for my food phobia. You have all been so wonderful over the last year in helping me discover so much--and I can't thank you enough. Truly and honestly, sharing this with you gives me hope that one day I'll overcome this fear. {cv} and any future baby {v}s thank you too...
Your advice means the world to me! And thanks for accepting me, quirks and all ;) xoxo {av}
but here's my secret: the amount of green in my diet is next to nothing.
Yes, you read that right.
I've never eaten a salad. Simply smelling broccoli or cucumber makes me cringe. I hate the attention this "phobia" can bring to me in social situations. I get anxious whenever I'm out to eat because I have to make little changes to my meal so I can actually enjoy it. There's something about the texture, the crunch, the something...and I have never been able to overcome it. I know I'm just plain weird and I'm actually really worried about what this lack of green in my diet will do to me in twenty or thirty years.
On the upside, I've made a lot of improvements to my diet since {cv} came into my life. My mom makes a mean basil pesto that I love. I can handle a few bites of spinach and even some peas. Asparagus is something I've actually come to enjoy. My 21-year-old self wouldn't have touched any of those greens, but here I am, five years later, and I'm learning to add some color to my otherwise plain plate. I really want to make a change--and I need to before I introduce any baby {v}s to this world.
So, here's where I need your help:
How have you conquered your food phobias?
Do you have any tips for me as I try to tackle new foods?
I really am just green with envy of people who can eat whatever is put in front of them. I hope you all don't write me off for my food phobia. You have all been so wonderful over the last year in helping me discover so much--and I can't thank you enough. Truly and honestly, sharing this with you gives me hope that one day I'll overcome this fear. {cv} and any future baby {v}s thank you too...
Your advice means the world to me! And thanks for accepting me, quirks and all ;) xoxo {av}
I hated the texture of oatmeal for the longest time...it used to make me gag. I just forced myself to eat it until I started liking it. It only took about 2 weeks until I was loving it!
ReplyDeleteI always associate food with good memories and good times - I used to despise the texture of things like stirfries and wouldn't eat my meal if different things touched - now I will literally eat anything because I realized the great memories that have been associated with meals, and the great flavors in there if you just give it a chance. It seems silly, but maybe you just need the perfect moment with a salad and you will forever love them from that point on. Delicious dressings also help, and try adding pecans and almonds :)
ReplyDeleteYou can make fruit smoothies and add spinach! You can't even taste it. Or try roasting vegetables like broccoli with olive oil and salt and pepper in the oven. It's so good, I'll eat anything if it's cooked that way.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends can't eat any kind of fruit! I think it has something to do with textures? Everyone has their little quirks:-) xoxo
ReplyDeleteWow! Would have never have guessed this was your phobia, saw your tweet last night. I eat mostly greens and stay away from whites ie bread and cheese. I'll eat egg whites though. I would suggest at the very least going to whole food and picking up their amazing grass powder in chocolate flavor or there is a protein powder from Biochem. It's vanilla flavored. You can blend it with yogurt or mix with milk. It has greens in it so you get that nutritional benefit. Or maybe making a veggie lasagna. Pile on the marinara and mozzarella and you wouldn't even notice. I love broccoli and hummus. I hope this helps!!
ReplyDeletethat's so interesting. were you forced to eat it as a child and now it's become an aversion that goes deeper than taste? you don't have to feel ashamed about it though! we all have things that we don't feel comfortable doing. as long as you're healthy, that's the most important thing!
ReplyDeleteMy brother is the same way! Even some fruit textures make him squirm. I like the smoothie idea (you can't even taste the spinach you put in). I also encourage someone's suggestion of amazing grass powder. The chocolate flavor is delicious! My gynecologist recommended it to me (and that's sayin' something). Most importantly you have the right mindset and desire to overcome your veggie phobia. I know you will! <3
ReplyDeleteStart yourself off easy and hide the broccoli (or what have you) in seasonings or a sauce, chopped really tiny and a little at a time, then work your way from there.
ReplyDeleteMy sister did this (without telling me) and got me to eat mushrooms and fish, both of which had previously mad me gag. She told me the fish was chicken, and between the garlic and sauce, I didn't notice until I'd eaten a full serving. I still don't care for mushrooms or fish, but I don't cringe at them either!
So glad to hear I'm not alone. I HATE all green vegetables too, and can barely choke them down. It's so embarrassing to be an adult that hates salad and basically despises most typical side dishes served with dinner... broccoli, peas, green beans, asparagus, etc. I can maybe take one bite, and literally have the wash it down with water! Over the last 2 years I've been able to eat some salads, but only if they're romaine lettuce with lots of cheese and salad dressing! Iceberg lettuce, FORGET it!
ReplyDeleteyou are too cute. green monsters are a good way to go, you definitely can't taste the spinach...but the texture may bother you...worth a try though! they make a lot of cookbooks about disguising veggies in recipes...that may be a good way to go! check out the sneaky chef.
ReplyDeleteAhh, I can totally relate! I have a strange thing about avocado. And, mushy bread. (My stomach just turned thinking about it)
ReplyDeleteI find that to overcome it, it's best to just eat it in small small bites - kind of like baby steps. I'm almost over my avocado thing...almost. It's a work in progress!
aww, love your honesty!! perhaps you can start sneaking in a little at a time? i used to hate salads, and then one day i decided i wanted to eat one. now i have one every day. no idea how the change happened, but it can!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is too funny! I am a texture person..so I get food phobias for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like green things either and I have a texture problem, too. I have learned to eat broc in the past year when it is cooked just the right way. It has to be really soft or chopped up finely. You can always disguise all your greens with lots of cheese or other food. That is what I do!
ReplyDeleteaww ali, you're too funny. we all have our food phobias. i wont touch ANYTHING with seafood...no sushi. no crab. no lobster or shrimp. yacks! life is short don't force yourself to eat anything you don't want :) xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteI am honestly the pickiest eater ever. well I was... I haven't eaten meat since I was 6.. it was a texture thing. and the thought of it. I also didn't eat vegetables..some vegetarian I am. I will never eat meat again, but as I've gotten older, I've had to start eating better. and I feel your pain about the social anxiety you get when out. I get the same way with not eating meat. But what I've learned, with things that I need to eat, is that it takes me about 5 or 6 times to kind of decide if I like it or not. I'll eat it and not like it and it's petty horrible and then I'll try it again a few weeks later and so on, until I can eat it. You have to take small steps... not force yourself. and I always reward myself too. LIke if I try something new and even if I can't eat it, I tried. so then I can have some french fries! ha and like I hate cucumbers and wouldn't eat them until very recently. and I'll only eat them with vinegar on them. It really is a battle...but my advice is to go slow :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the color green and that board is FAB!! I actually love veggies...but it's taken time...I think it's all about how they are prepared. It has to be interesting and taste good {shocking idea right?}. It sounds like you're already on the right path to introducing them more into your diet. It's all about the baby steps!
ReplyDeletesomeone mentioned this i think but check out www.greenmonstermovement.com - the smoothies aren't that bad (tons of different kinds) and if you know you're getting your nutrients from that then maybe you won't have to force yourself to actually eat stuff you don't like and you can still be healthy!!
ReplyDeleteIf I see a good presentation of something-on commericals, internet, menu- then it might make me crave it even if I have never had it or don't even like it. I'm sure you could look up pretty pictures of green on Pinterest, since that lovely site has everything!
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh! I used to be the pickiest eater EVER. the only veggies I would eat were canned green beans and corn on the cob. Once I got to college, I realized I was weird and started to be more adventurous. Caesar salads! After that I realized that lettuce really only tasted like the salad dressing you put on it. Post college, I met my boyfriend and have since become a veggie fanatic! I found that roasting veggies in the oven is SO much tastier than steaming or boiling them. Roast some broccoli in the overn until it just barely starts to turn a little brown on the edges, squeeze a lemon over it and mix in some parmesan. My advice is try different ways of preparing vegetables and also don't be afraid to try a bite (I can't believe I sound like my dad here...)
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time eating leafy greens. They're just not flavorful or appealing to me. So I try to trick myself into eating them. Since you like pesto, maybe try replacing some of the basil with spinach and make spinach pesto (you can barely tell the difference if you keep some of the basil in it). I also like to make fruit smoothies and drop a handful of spinach leaves or kale leaves into the blender. It looks really ugly - like a gross greenish/brown color - but I promise you absolutely cannot taste it!! I use bananas and berries in my smoothies and that's pretty much all I taste. So if you can't stand to look at it, just close your eyes and drink. I don't think you'll be able to tell the difference! :)
ReplyDeleteIf you like smoothies check out the greenmonstermovement.com - I PROMISE you can't taste the spinach and it's a great way to get fruits and veggies in!
ReplyDeleteIf you like smoothies check out the greenmonstermovement.com - I PROMISE you can't taste the spinach and it's a great way to get fruits and veggies in!
ReplyDeleteI can relate! For some reason I won't eat foods are red and it's a big running joke in the family. I won't eat strawberries, bell peppers, red onions, cherries, and tomatoes. I'll eat raspberries and watermelon though. It's a texture thing. I'm surprised you like asparagus though, that's a tough one to like. Maybe true some roasted veggies and load a bunch of cheese or yummy goodness to slowly easy yourself into it.
ReplyDeleteBecca
http://blondeslogic.blogspot.com
I am such a picky eater too..I hadn't ever had a sandwich up until a year or so ago (and even still, I've never had a sandwich on plain white bread, only focaccia or french bread...and I still have never tried a PB&J. I also won't drink milk or put it in my cereal it makes me cringe. And I also hate any and all seafood...so I have yet to conquer most of my food phobias!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you're making good progress though! Keep it up!!
xo lamb loves
Love your green with envy board is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI happen to be someone that will eat anything that's put in front of me..ha..but only bc I HATE being a picky eater and will eat it until I like it! (weird I know) I used to hate blue cheese, guacamole and cottage cheese! I would slowly start adding them to crackers and raw veggies to ease myself into them. Now I LOVE blue cheese and can't live without guacamole!! Cottage cheese is still so so! Still working on that one! Just eat greens sparingly and add in as much spices and sauces to cover up the taste in the beginning! and for texture..thinly slice ;)
That's funny you mention that because that used to be me! I was the world's worst eater. Thankfully, something happened, who knows what, but now I expand my tastes all the time. The one thing I will not touch is pickles. or mayo. Or condiments really. I'm not a fan. But I will say this, I hated salads and now they are one of my favorite foods. I covered up the flavors with really sweet dressings in the beginning. After I had a little too much of them (and realized what they were doing to my waistline!) I branched out and tried tangier dressings and now I absolutely love a homemade vinaigrette. Maybe that'll help! If not, I'm sure you'll be just fine
ReplyDeleteHave you tried green smoothies? Like spinach or kale with banana? They're really good and I PROMISE they totally mask the taste of the veggies...I used to be the same way as you and still am with a lot of green veggies...peas for example? Make me want to throw up! Also, some people just don't like some things! Maybe look into some of those good for you veggies that you don't like and look at what vitamins and minerals you get from them and try getting them from other foods!
ReplyDeleteWe feel the same way! Not a huge fan of vegetables, but love love the color!
ReplyDeleteWe feel the same way! Not a huge fan of vegetables, but love love the color!
ReplyDeleteI used to get so grossed out by the texture (or even thought) of yogurt. But I just started forcing myself to eat it and now I like it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can start adding green stuff to your diet with smoothies? I make a smoothie with almond milk, bananas, strawberries, and spinach--maybe you can just start out with a little bit of spinach (the banana will mask the taste) and then add more and more green stuff each time?
You're too cute! I think we all have our foodie quirks! I hate muchrooms & olives with a passion. I've even "tried" to like them & it's never gonna happen. I'd say don't eat anything you don't like - but try to focus on something that you can replace the greens with that is equally as healthy!
ReplyDeletelike everyone else has said - try hiding it! since you like pesto, here's a recipe for broccoli pesto (http://www.coconutandlime.com/2006/02/broccoli-pesto.html). who says you have to eat broccoli in its standard form!
ReplyDeleteand lastly, watch this YouTube video about broccoli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0E-0ntoNWo&feature=player_embedded#at=83). it'll make you smile.
regardless of whether or not you learn to like green things, we still love you!
I struggle with the exact same problem and it really limits my veggie intake which is not good! I've started trying to get some veggies through smoothies. I make one with spinach, apple juice, and other fruits and you can barely taste the spinach. I've also discovered Amazing Grass powder for smoothies which helps increase my veggie intake. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOK I can't get past that you've never had a salad! They can be sooo good :)
ReplyDeleteMy food issue is items touching. Thanksgiving meals make me sick. All of my famliy loading on lots of food on ONE plate and gravy getting all over...SICK hehe!
I love salads, haha! I can't say I've ever tackled any of my food phobias, though, as I still refuse to eat salmon. The cupcakes and typewriter look so cute!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I love it! I've never met anyone with a phobia of green veggies! My favorite salad has fried chicken strips on it with honey mustard dressing... you can BARELY taste the lettuce! You should try it!!
ReplyDeleteI kind of love some veggies like cucumber and broccoli and green peppers (try all of them cut with hummus) and I eat about anything put in front of me, but I did have a hang up on beets and coconut for awhile. Beets was because my mom always grew too many of them in the garden and we'd eat them for weeks... recently I've tried them again and they are yummy... but I did realize I like them a lot better raw then cooked (or pickled) so maybe you should just try preparing them in a different way. Coconut (not sure if its a veggie, I guess its a nut) is because of the texture, but I discovered I like coconut milk and flavoring recently... Oh and salads always taste better if someone else makes them for you, you should try a salad wrap, its like eating a sandwich but with veggies.
ReplyDeleteI don't eat fruit! Don't feel bad you are who you are and when you have baby {v's} {cv} can handle all the greens :)
ReplyDeletexx
z
I don't think I have ever had this problem, so I don't know that I have any advice for you :/ But good luck! I know you can do it!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Joelle
So I was rereading blogs tonight (I know, who does that? But I love to put off going to bed :) and thought of this book I saw on Oprah once: http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
ReplyDeleteTrick yourself! I always wanted to try some of these recipes!
I used to be real picky when it came to greens - only ate avocados, broccoli and romaine lettuce. I've been grilling my veggies lately with balsamic vinaigrette and lots of spices, and even topping then with some parmesan and they are delicious! Try working them into your diet slowly, even hiding them in your meals. I've never had the green smoothies everyone is talking about but I hear they are delicious - maybe try those too!
ReplyDeleteHope this helps a bit! We all <3 you no matter what!
xo, Kels
Haha! I don't know if I should be laughing, but this definitely gave me a chuckle. Not what I was expecting. I am not a picky eater... and will try most things. Just nothing tooo weird like bugs or tongue. Ick!
ReplyDeleteWhat??? No salad? Only now liking asparagus? That's ok - we ll have things that make our taste buds cringe.
ReplyDeleteAbout 6 years ago I branched out with what I eat. Don't get me wrong I've been very picky in the fast. I used to have a hard to time with meat, elk or lamb, and I've tried both and really like them. I hated mushrooms due to the texture and in the past 10 years I do eat them (more so now). Yogurt used to totally gross me out but, now I love it especially greek yogurt (I'm in love).
ReplyDeleteMy advice to you is mix-it up a bit and make meals "with" green veggie apart of it, baby steps. Eat more asparagus if that's what you like. How about green beans?
I hope my two-sense helps...