Am I the only one who doesn't eat fruit or a lot of vegetables?

Question

So please tell me I'm not the only one. Now I'm not joking, but the only fruit I eat is raisins and olives. Yes olives are a fruit surprisingly (I've done my research). And pretty much the only veggies I eat are rye common ones like potatoes, corn, carrots, peas, sometimes cauliflower, broccoli and spinach. That's pretty much it. I am actually pretty worried that I may suffer from a disease which I'm glad and very happy that hasn't happend yet. I'm only 15 though, but please can someone help me as I'm really trying to eat healthier because im scared for my future.

Answer

Good for you for wanting to eat a variety of health y foods. You already eat a few vegetables, so there's somewhere to start from. Here are some ideas:

Roast the broccoli and cauliflower. So delicious. Also try roasting green beans and asparagus, being careful to brown them slightly without burning. If you're feeling a little braver, roasting also works nicely for brussels sprouts, cabbage, and winter squash (kabocha and butternut are my favorites).

Make a stir fry with carrots, peas, corn, broccoli or cauliflower, and one vegetable you don't currently like. Eat the pepper/snap pea/zucchini/celery in the same bite with something you already like.

Use turnip (rutabaga, purple top, kohlrabi) half and half with potato in various dishes. Again, you can combine both into one bite.

Try making a half and half milkshake/smoothie with both ice cream and fruit.

Add fruit into muffins, quick breads, pancakes, and oatmeal. If you struggle with blueberry muffins, try blueberry chocolate chip first to get used to the different flavor and texture!

Puree vegetables and stir a little bit into soup or chili. You'll get some of the flavor (and the nutrition) but it will still mostly taste like chicken noodle.

Go to the grocery store and pick out something you've never eaten before, just to explore it. Try dragonfruit or starfruit or artichoke. Committ to trying 3 bites and then feel free to stop if you hate it.

Set goals for yourself. For example, "I will eat at least one serving of a vegetable not on my 'acceptable' list every week" or "I will have at least two bites of whatever fruit or vegetable my parents serve at dinner, no matter what it is." Make some kind of chart to log your progress and hold yourself accountable (hang it on the fridge if you think external pressure will help, or keep it in a private journal if not).

Prepare things different ways (e.g., raw, steamed, sauted, baked) before giving up on them, as the flavor profile can really change depending on cooking method. Peeled macintoshes mixed with oats, cinnamon, butter, etc... in a crisp are a whole different experience from tart granny smith slices with peanut butter.

Just keep trying. You're not going to like everything you try, and you're not going to like a lot of it on the first try. Keep taking a bite or two even if you didn't like it last time - it can take several attempts before your taste buds adjust.

Answer

Our daughter-in-law and her mother won't eat tomatoes. Tomato sauce is ok but not if it is chunky. One granddaughter is so fussy the only green vegetable she will eat is fresh sugar snap peas out of the garden but she only eats the raw peas, not the edible pods. So, you are already better off than she is (she's 13). You might ask your parents if you can see a registered dietician for help. It's possible that you don't like a vegetable or fruit the way it is cooked or served. My husband will eat fresh steamed broccoli but not if the broccoli isn't very fresh. Everyone in the family seems to like roasted cauliflower. Can you visit a farmers market or good farm stand with varieties that aren't common in supermarkets? For example, green beans come in a lot of different varieties but I only see one variety at my local supermarket. I like the flavor of a green bean called Fortex but I also like it picked young. Have you tried steamed or roasted vegetables refrigerated and used like a salad? I like green beans and tomatoes. 
Apples are another good example of a fruit you might like if you got to pick the variety. I liked a sweeter apple like Fuji but my husband prefers a tarter tasting crisp apple like Honey Crisp. For cooking I'm able to get Caville Blanc which I also like to dehydrate and use in baking recipes. Eating an apple used to make me hungry but when I was on a diet I learned to enjoy eating an apple and a piece of stick cheese.
See if you can borrow Eating on the Wild Side from the library. The author discusses how people used to eat more bitter foods and now we like sweet. She explains plant science and history and how some varieties contain more phytonutrients than others. Red lettuce, for example, contains more than iceberg lettuce. I don't particular care for iceberg lettuce and prefer romaine or red leaf. 
A friend won't eat a banana unless it's the perfect ripeness she prefers. Another won't eat butter. Still another has problems with texture so she won't eat whipped potatoes but baked potatoes are fine (so are french fries). I don't think you are unusual and I think your taste preferences may change as you get older. I won't buy peaches from the supermarket because they are hard and tasteless. I only buy them when they are in season at the local orchard. There may be a good reason why you don't like certain fruits. I like fresh pineapple better than canned. If you like cottage cheese or yogurt, you might try mixing fruit with it. I also like to add some local honey. We like pears with cottage cheese. My favorite seasonal salad is Winter Salad with Poppyseed dressing. It contains romaine, diced apples and pears, shredded swiss cheese, cashews and dried cranberries. The homemade dressing is key to good flavor.
Good luck. I bet you will do fine.

Answer

So long as you're eating sufficient quantities of vegetables, to ensure you're having a balanced diet, then you'll be fine just eating your quite narrow range of items. 

In due course, you may find you want to try different fruits and vegetables and, perhaps, find you enjoy them. But, really, this isnt something you should fuss any more over. 

When I was your age (longer ago than I care to think about), transport links were not as developed as they are today. It means we were much more reliant on items that were grown locally - a much more restricted diet than today, when it's easy to import items from around the world. It wasnt something to fuss over and it wouldnt be a disaster if something happened to cut off those import links in the future

Answer

What do you typically eat? 
What you eat will give you an idea of you're eating in a healthy manner.
For example, it's better to eat wholesome, natural foods vs highly processed box foods.

Answer

Do your parents cook the meals in your household? I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s and my mom made canned vegetables or boiled vegetables to death. I HATED veggies growing up. Now that I’ve learned to cook for myself, I love all kinds of vegetable preparations (roasted, grilled, stir-fried, etc.). I have found a way to make almost every vegetable tasty.

As for fruit, I do enjoy 2-3 servings of fruit a day and insist on fruit incorporated into breakfast somehow. Just make sure you are eating quality fruit at the appropriate stage of ripeness. I HATE red delicious apples (no flavor to me), but LOVE other varieties.

I think when you are on your own in a few years, you will develop a healthy eating style all your own, especially since you show an interest now - at 15. Best of luck to you!

Answer

Have no fear.. change is always possible. And you are still so young. My best friend growing up hated veggies or any food with color.. and ironically she's a vegan now.

I love the idea incorporating veggies in soup. You can also do green smoothies to get it in one go. Once you start acquiring a taste for it, you'll be set. 
Green smoothie recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/green-smoothie-recipe/

Here's another resource where you can sneak veggies in your daily food. I use this a lot with my child: http://www.thesneakychef.com/recipes/

Meatloaf, meat balls, pasta sauce, mac and cheese etc.

Answer

Eat plenty of pizza and Slim Jims -- you'll be fine.

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Am I the only one who doesn't eat fruit or a lot of vegetables?

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