Most of you reading know, by now, my lack of affinity for raw vegetables. I had a friend ask me once, "Didn't your mother make you eat your veggies when you were little?" Hm. I thought about that for a second and replied, "No, I guess not." I know I didn't remember eating them. Mom was a great cook and had dinner on the table every night (after working at a physically difficult job all day long) but we ate meat & potatoes - maybe green beans or corn on the side. Not many salads hit our kitchen table.
So the other night, I'm talking to my mom on the phone and I asked her about this. "Did you ever try to get me to eat raw vegetables when I was a kid?" She said "NO! Your stomach wouldn't let you eat it; you had colitis and would moan and groan and roll in pain every time you ate something like that. We could see your stomach knot up in cramps. Lettuce was the worst! No, I actively kept you away from that stuff."
AHA!! Light-bulb moment! Now, I must say that I'm odd in that I don't remember a lot from my early childhood. I have no idea why that is, but it's true. I knew I had colitis, especially as a baby. I supposedly cried from birth to approximately 9 months of age. Almost non-stop. I'm surprised they let me live till my first birthday. I guess I thought it subsided when I hit toddlerhood, but evidently not. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, lettuce, any kind of roughage - put me in severe pain. I guess even my doctor suggested that I "had a good disease - just don't eat what causes the symptoms."
So I didn't. And I guess I never developed a taste for it because I got into the habit of not eating it because it would make me sick. I was allergic to strawberries till I was a teenager, too. I did learn to like the fruits that were a problem, but they're sweet so I guess that's what made it easier.
I need to work harder at trying new veggies, though. Erich suggested maybe yogurt dips instead of the mayonnaise-y ones. (I think mayonnaise is evil.) So next trip to the grocery store, I'm going to again try cut-up veggies with a nonfat, sugar-free, yogurt-based dip.
I appreciate all your suggestions about veggie recipes and stuff. Keep it coming! And again, thanks for reading!
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My mom's definition of "vegetables" was potatoes, peas, corn, green beans and lima beans. Yes, she was overweight too ;)
ReplyDeleteI did however learn to love almost all veggies. Something else you can try is cutting the raw veggies really small/thin, throwing them in a bowl and adding a tsp of olive oil, some lemon juice and salt. Mix it up and munch away. Don't make more than you plan on eating in a sitting coz it doesn't save well.
Diane, That sounds really good! And good for you!! Cindy, here is a recipe and a list of dipping veggie ideas I found:
ReplyDeleteRanch Dip (makes ½ cup)
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (or ½ teaspoon dried parsley) pinches of salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Veggies to dip:
• Jicama sticks - peel jicama, cut into slices and then into sticks
• Cucumbers - peel and cut into rounds or sticks
• Bell peppers - green, yellow, red or orange. Slice into big rings
• Carrot sticks are classics, but also try carrot coins
• Broccoli or cauliflower florets - raw or lightly steamed
• Snow peas and sugar snap peas can be dipped and eaten whole
• Green beans – raw or cooked
• Cherry tomatoes
I just wanted to tell you again how proud I am of you. Also, to tell you what a motivation you are. Thanks for this blog.
((HUGS)) and love!
Lisa :)
How about just the spray salad dressing ..It gives just a taste of something extra...:)
ReplyDeleteya know now that you mention it, i dont ever remember eating anything but chef boy ardi pizzas at your house, when we were kids. lol
ReplyDeleteso have you outgrown the colitis now?
i eat raw veggies when i buy them(which is not often) but the way i eat them wouldnt help, so im not ganna say, lol
i just love that you are finally doing this.
and im so proud of you.
love ya, Trutz.
Missy
Diane - Yep, sounds like my house, too! I wish I had been smarter and learned to love veggies before now. I will try what you suggested - I never thought of cutting the veggies up really small.
ReplyDeleteLisa - Now I might be able to eat that - nothing sounds scary except the buttermilk. LOL! I'm such a picky eater. And thanks so much, sweetie.
Sharon - I've thought about those, actually. I really need to try everything.
Missy - LOL! Yeah, I would make those Chef Boyardee pizzas every weekend. We could get delivery out there in the boonies, ya know? :-) I still love those pizzas. I've even bought them at home and imported them here since they're not available where I live now. I know you hated them! I have definitely outgrown the colitis unless I overdo it with the fruit then my stomach lets me know. And thanks, I appreciate the pride. Kind words keep me motivated. :)