You are well aware that vegetables are essential for good nutrition, but you just can’t bring yourself to eat them. It could be you don’t like the taste or the texture, or maybe you feel like it’s just too much trouble to prepare them. If you’re concerned about getting more vegetables into your diet painlessly, there are a few tricks you can try.

Hide Them in Meals

Your mother was right: part of your dislike of vegetables is all in your mind. Many vegetables have strong odors or may not look appealing to you. You’re immediately turned off and don’t want to try them. Following that logic, if you can’t see and smell them, maybe you will be more willing to eat them.

Hiding vegetables in meals will get you over the hurdle of your first negative reaction. When the vegetables blend with other flavors, you won’t notice, and you’ll still get the nutritional value. Explore recipes to see what might work for you. Try mixing cauliflower with mashed potatoes or mincing carrots to add to pasta sauce.

Prepare Them Differently

It’s possible you don’t like vegetables because you’ve never had them prepared to your tastes. They can be bland, like a can of green beans, or soggy, like overcooked carrots. Experiment with different preparation methods, and you just might find one that works for you.

Boiling or steaming vegetables makes them much easier to eat. The process is quick and easy, and by controlling the cooking time, you can avoid the soggy texture. Vegetables cooked “al dente”—tender but crisp—are ideal. Add seasonings to taste.

Juice Them

Juicing isn’t just for fruits—you can add almost any vegetable to a juice or smoothie recipe. The end result will be a cool, refreshing drink, and you’ll still get the full benefits of the veggies, including vitamins and fiber.

Just as with fruit, you can use either fresh or frozen vegetables, chopped up. Celery, leafy greens, cucumbers, and beets are good choices because they have a natural sweetness. Add yogurt, peanut butter, or almond milk for a creamy feel.

Maybe you’ll never learn to love vegetables, but there are some easy ways you can get more of them into your diet. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find a way that works well for you. Your overall health will benefit from your efforts.

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