Eat Your Vegetables, Mama!

One thing my husband and I bonded over when we first were together was our shared hatred of certain vegetables and fruits. We both couldn't stand tomatoes, bell peppers, or cucumbers. I also had broccoli and a few others on my list. He had a few of his own, too. Disliking foods isn't something to be proud of - it makes life difficult! But, we were happy that our food tastes were so compatible.

When I became a mom, though, I figured I needed to do better. I wanted to be a good example to my children.

A light bulb went off in my brain when I was teaching my little ones to eat their first vegetables and fruits. You know how the books say that it can take seven or more tries for babies to start to like a certain food? Well, I realized that for some of my hated vegetables, I hadn't even given myself that many tries! I'm proud to say that I've worked on many of them in the last couple of years, and made some miraculous improvements!

Check out just a few examples:

I've tried to spread this good news around to my adult friends, but people are very resistant! It seems that most people like to label themselves by the foods they don't like. "I don't like brussels sprouts." Like it's just an immutable fact of life. "I am a person who can't stand celery. It's who I am. Don't try to change me." People say they have genetic predispositions that make cilantro taste nasty. Well, cilantro used to taste nasty to me and I love it now. For serious. I know it's scary. But take a moment to think of the possibility that with a little effort, you could change. Life could become a little better.

Here are my tips for learning to like a vegetable to hate.

• Eat it with cheese. The salt and fat in cheese masks some of the strong flavors of vegetables.
• Take a tiny bite of the vegetable with a large bite of whatever else you're eating.
• Be bold and try a large bite of the vegetable in its simplest form, unseasoned. Do this while imagining you are a food scientist. Try to analyze what you are tasting. Try to be more objective about the taste.
• Try a recipe that looks good using the vegetable or order a dish from a restaurant that you like that includes the vegetable and just eat it. 
• Ask people about their favorite ways to prepare the vegetable. Things often taste better roasted!
• Give yourself many chances to try again. Just change your frame of mind from "I don't like this" to "I will like this some day".

You will be amazed by how your feelings start to change about the vegetable. I don't glare at cucumbers in the grocery store any more. I even bought myself a giant bag of mini bell peppers. They're so pretty!

My husband is still very skeptical of my methods, but he sees them working. He has been a little more willing to try his hate foods. The biggest success so far for him was zucchini! It won't help if I force him or nag him about it, though. The reason why I've been successful is that it was my decision to learn to like these vegetables.

Have you ever tried learning to like a food as an adult?