Hi, everyone. I see posts off and on from people who say the “really hate vegetables,” they don’t know what to do with legumes and pulses, “everything tastes bland,” etc. So I just wanted to make a quick post and see if it provides any insight for people who are new to this diet, especially when it comes to getting your vegetables in.
Please note that I live in the U.S., so a lot of my reference points are based on what’s available here and how people tend to eat in this country. YMMV.
First, a few general tips:
* **Start slowly.** If you’re used to eating a “[standard American diet](https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/standard-american-diet-sadder-than-we-thought/),” suddenly tossing in tons of veggies, whole grains, and legumes is going to wreck your gut and leave you on the toilet for days. You will still probably have some bloating/gas when you first start eating this diet, especially if you’ve been eating mostly processed food, but it shouldn’t be debilitating. Make a few small switches first: add an extra portion of veggies or fruit to a regular meal, switch white rice for brown rice or farro, eat less meat and more of the other components on your plate, try “healthier” versions of stuff like white bread before switching to actual wholegrain items (like [Dave’s Killer Bread White Bread Done Right](https://www.daveskillerbread.com/white-bread-done-right), for instance), etc.
* **Buy Beano or a similar product.** Beano helps you break down more fibrous foods. Some people think it’s going to prevent gas, but that’s not really what it does; it mostly makes it so you don’t end up with painful gas bubbles.
* **Start with foods you like and wait to re-try stuff you’ve disliked in the past.** If you know you like canned/frozen carrots, for instance, that’s a good place to start. Pack raw carrot sticks and dip as a lunch side, and roast some with olive oil and seasonings as a dinner side dish.
* **Be patient with textures.** A lot of standard American diet foods are effectively mush, which can make the chewier whole grains and fresh produce a bit jarring. Once you adjust, you’ll be a bit shocked that you ever ate super-processed foods. Case in point: I recently tried a bite of Wonder Bread and was freaked out by how sweet it was and how quickly it dissolved in my mouth.
* **Don’t force yourself to eat things you know you hate.** I can’t stand honeydew, for instance, so I don’t make myself eat it. My husband hates coconut, but is fine with coconut milk, so while I’ll make traditional curries for him, I won’t top his oatmeal with shredded coconut. Again, experiment and try lots of cooking methods and seasonings before making up your mind, as I suggest below…but if you really hate something, it is what it is. Don’t make yourself miserable.
* **Divorce yourself from the “meat-starch-other side” mindset and start thinking “protein-fat-fiber” instead.** Few things are stranger to me than when I’m eating a great meal at lunch, and a coworker expresses shock when they realize it’s meatless: “But what about your protein?” I’ve made salads, for instance, that easily surpass the 25g of protein mark because they contain legumes, nuts, and good cheese. Plus, they’re full of nutrients. 🙂 I would estimate that 75% of our meals are meatless these days, and my husband and I are totally fine.
**How to Add More Produce and Whole Grains**
* **Try roasting.** Seriously, this makes a world of different for so many vegetables and even some fruits! Case in point: I grew up “hating” brussel sprouts because…well, they weren’t part of my cultural foods, to be fair, but also, my father insisted they were bitter and disgusting. The only time I had them as a child (at a friend’s house), they were microwaved-from-frozen, and they were mushy, bitter, and disgusting. When I hit my early 30s, I promised myself I would give more foods I disliked a try by going to restaurants and ordering the “best” version of that food. I tried brussel sprouts at a restaurant that roasted them with onions and bacon, and WOW! The flavor! The textures! I now eat brussel sprouts frequently, albeit with a lot less bacon in my life, LOL. Another revelation for my husband and I is air-fried apple slices; they make a great side, oatmeal topping, or desert component.
* **Other cooking methods have their place, too!** There are times when I prefer something raw, boiled, or pan-seared to roasting. Experiment.
* **Add whole grains and legumes to meals you already like.** If you’re new to things like farro, brown rice, quinoa, black beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and so forth, an easy way to test them out is to cook a small amount and toss them in an existing meal. This is especially easy with salads: make your regular salad the way you like it, then throw in a few spoonfuls of brown rice or lentils. It will up the satiety factor and add interesting textures. For my husband, who grew up eating a VERY standard American diet (meat, potatoes, dairy, canned/frozen veggies, and little else), I started adding cooked beans to things like quesadillas, burrito bowls, soups, and salads, and it helped him realize he actually likes a lot of legumes.
* **Season, season, SEASON!!!** The standard salt-and-pepper absolutely has its place, especially once you learn to like vegetables and their flavors for what they are. But in the meantime, trying different spices can make a world of difference. A lot of my favorites come from The Spice House, but #notanad; I just like their stuff. A few recommendations:
* [Mediterranean Herb Blend](https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/mediterranean-herb-blend) \- This is a no-brainer. Use for roasting veggies, like eggplant, potatoes, squash, and bell peppers, or mix in to/swipe on to meat for great roasted chicken thighs, tasty gyros/pitas, etc.
* [Gateway to the North](https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/gateway-to-the-north-maple-garlic-seasoning) \- Absolutely amazing on anything that’s good savory-sweet, especially sweet potatoes.
* [Chinese Five Spice](https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/chinese-five-spice) \- Another great one for roasting veggies, namely autumn/winter stuff like butternut squash, yams, and fennel. This works well in stir fries, too.
* [Marrakesh Market Blend](https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/marrakesh-market-blend) \- I recommend this a lot for people who want something flavorful and warming, but can’t eat garlic or onions.
* **Sauces and dressings** will also be helpful here; the same for **fresh herbs**, which can add tons of flavor when tossed with or sprinkled on your meals. Look up recipes for homemade vinaigrette and yogurt dressings, in particular! One of my favorites for bowls is plain kefir with lemon juice, garlic, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. If you aren’t sure where to start, buying tzatziki or hummus at the store can be a great way to start.
* **Prep ahead of time.** Sometimes, I will wash and pre-cut fruits and veggies, and pre-cook things like hard-boiled eggs or a whole grain, to have them on hand for snacks and meals.
* **Consider investing in some helpful appliances.** For me, the two that have helped the most are a two-drawer air fryer (salmon on one side, veggies on the other is a great dinner) and an Instant Pot (easy way to prep grains, make soups, etc.). Air fryers and Instant Pots can be had for under $100 a piece and will last for ages if you care for them properly. You do not NEED this stuff, though; if you have the time and patience, a standard oven-and-stove will work well with your various pots and baking sheets.
**Meal Ideas**
* My first recommendation is that, again, **you start with meals you already make and enjoy; just made modifications**. A good example is a burger and fries. Switch the beef patty for lean turkey/chicken or a black bean burger. Reduce the amount of mayo, and/or try other creamy items as condiments, like mashed avocado. Make your own fries/potato wedges with fresh potatoes tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper versus using premade fries. And make half of your plate veggies/fruits–an easy way to do this is to do sliders instead of huge burgers, make a smaller portion of fries, and pair the meal with a garden salad or some roasted vegetables.
* **Shamelessly plagiarize.** I regularly steal recipe ideas from restaurants like Sweet Green, meal kit websites, and YouTube “what I eat in a day” videos. My lunch today, for instance, is a salad I copied from Marley Spoon: spinach, butternut squash and fennel roasted with EVOO/maple syrup/Chinese five spice, toasted walnuts, a blend of whole grains (mostly farro and barley), blue cheese, and a maple syrup/lemon juice/EVOO dressing to top it all. It’s excellent. Most Americans hear “salad” and automatically think “iceberg lettuce/tomatoes/cucumbers/cheese/croutons/dressing,” but a salad can be just about any green topped with hundreds of different flavor combinations.
* If you can afford it, **give meal kits a try**. These are especially good for people who aren’t natural cooks, like my husband. Green Chef and Marley Spoon tend to have lots of Mediterranean diet-friendly recipes, in my experience.
* **Soup is like the Mediterranean diet lunch cheat code.** I regularly make white bean soup, lentil soup, and split pea soup–all meatless, yet packed with protein and fiber–and pair it with a side of bread for our lunches. It’s cheap, quick, nutritious, and easy. And because these soups are generally dairy-free, they freeze well, too.
* **Obviously, a Reddit post with what you do and don’t like can be a great idea, too!** I’ve seen plenty of posts here that ask something like, “If I enjoy X, but I don’t like Y, what recipes should I try?”
My final tip is to **go for color**. Colorful meals suggest you have a plethora of nutrients on your plate, but also, they’re really enticing. Humans really do “eat with our eyes” first. The salad I mentioned earlier is a great example: it’s bright green, bright orange, creamy white, and toasty brown, all on one plate. It looks gorgeous, and as soon as I plated it all, I couldn’t wait to eat it.
Overall, this diet is manageable for most people if you just give yourself time and allow yourself some grace. Remember that your health is an investment, and keep why you’re switching to this diet in the back of your mind. And as always, if you’re struggling, this is a great Reddit community to go to for support. 🙂 Good luck to you!
by HappySpreadsheetDay
1 Comment
This is great, thank you for sharing. I especially love the meal kit idea.