I have never been able to appreciate green vegetables such as Lettuce,
Parsley, Celery,Spinach,Silverbeet,Green Stringbeans,Peas, etc etc.
You name it and if its green I dont like it;  at all!! Never worried
me much but advice I am getting lately is that whatever is in such
rabbitfood is in fact lacking in my diet and needs to be
re-established for the sake of my health. I heed this professional
advice but still would have to force down any such leafy food rather
than enjoy it. In this instance I am hoping the researchers, who have
never failed me yet, can find me a substitiute easier to swallow so to
speak. Perhaps there is none but if there is something simply
available such as an oral
tablet taken daily that duplicates all those great things in the green
food then I would like to know about it. I am assuming that simply
taking a particular vitamin supplment each day is inadequate, yes??
no??
Any ideas??

Hi johnfrommelbourne,

As I'm sure you know, many other people are also "unable to
appreciate" green vegetables.

Two months ago, researcher larre-ga answered a question here on "why
veggies taste so gross":
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=35060
Her answer is well worth reading, and I've duplicated a couple of her
references in the "additional links" section below.

The previous questioner disliked all vegetables. You are more
fortunate, in that it's only green vegetables that you dislike. Recent
research continues to reinforce the contribution of fruit and
vegetables towards good health. If only it were more easy to comply!

A page at "Personal Health Zone" summarises the relationship between
diet and heart disease, making reference to the benefits that can be
obtained from switching to a "Mediterranean diet" with its emphasis on
"more whole grains, fresh fruits, more root and green vegetables, more
fish and less meat (with beef, lamb and pork being replaced by
poultry) ... more nuts, legumes and olive oil":
http://www.personalhealthzone.com/heartdiet.html

The Mediterranean diet is high in several antioxidants (vitamins A, E
and C). The page referenced above lists natural food sources for these
vitamins, and also discusses the taking of supplements in some detail.

Supplements such as tablets can help people who otherwise cannot get
sufficient amounts of certain nutrients, but they are not always a
direct substitute. The page referenced above points out that certain
forms of Vitamin E supplement are more readily absorbed and retained
than others.

The above  "Personal Health Zone" page includes references to
peer-reviewed journals, so you can trace the advice back to its source
if you wish.

The Food Standards Agency has an "I hate greens" page. After
reiterating the contribution of green vegetables to fighting heart
disease and cancer, they do mention some alternatives:
"Some of the nutrients found in green leafy vegetables are also found
in fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products and meat"
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/healthiereating/asktheexpert/doihaveahealthydiet/Ihategreens.Whatissogood?version=1

However, a diet rich in processed cereals, dairy products and meat is
certainly not ideal. The same page is rather cold towards your "ideal
solution" of oral tablets. It states (without references):
"Although we can buy supplements containing these micronutrients, all
research suggests that the extracted nutrients do not give the same
protective effects that eating the whole fruit and vegetables do."

There's ongoing research to provide some of the health benefits of
green vegetables in other foods. For example, biotechnologists have
developed a strain of rice with enhanced levels of vitamin A, although
it's somewhat controversial:

Biotech's Chancy 'Quick Fix' For Hunger
http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds/2000/12-quickfix.html

You can take hope from two things. Firstly, as people grow older, they
tend to be more likely to enjoy vegetables. Secondly, the human body
is capable of coming to like most nutritious foods if they are eaten
on a regular basis.

Suppose you decided that you wanted to include with each main meal a
green vegetable and a non-green vegetable. How can you include a green
vegetable as painlessly as possible?

Anne Collins suggests that you "hide the taste by making lots of home
made soup [and] cook casseroles with lots of different vegetables and
beans"
http://www.annecollins.com/weight_loss_tips/diet-family.htm

A writer going by the name of 'drugged' writes passionately about
juicing: "People who hate green vegetables but accept the fact that
they must be consumed for good health can easily juice greens mixed
with carrot or carrot/apple for much better taste and easier
consumption"
http://www.epinions.com/content_2330960004

A page entitled "Sensible Eating" discusses the overall diet, and
recommends to eat 4-5 helpings of fruit and 3-4 helpings of vegetables
each day. I guess you could get by with just one of those helpings
being a green vegetables. That writer suggests to:

make home-made soup (which many people enjoy)
cook casseroles (so that the flavour of the meat infuses into the
veggies)
chop and stir-fry your vegetables
be adventurous with salads (remember, cucumber is a green vegetable)
pour chili sauce over them
sprinkle grated cheese on top
http://www.annecollins.com/nutrition/sensible-diet.htm

Seek tastier versions of vegetables. I know people who "hate" peas,
but will happily pick pods off our home-grown plants and much sweet
fresh peas for hours. Others prefer the smaller, sweeter frozen peas
(sold as "Petit Pois" in my supermarket). Try snow peas (mange tout)
or sugarsnap peas as an alternative.

Roasting a zucchini (courgette), broccoli or brussels sprouts sweetens
them and may make them delectable to someone who wouldn't ordinarily
eat them. You may not think you like asparagus, but good quality tips
lightly sauteed in butter can be superb. If you like green olives, you
can substitute them for other green vegetables in some recipes.

If you're not familiar with more exotic vegetables, try visiting an
oriental market. You may find some of the greens sold there will suit
your taste better than those which you are more familiar with.

Always buy the freshest, highest quality produce you can find. It
really does make a difference to the taste. Try organic produce too. I
find organic carrots much tastier than regular carrots, although
personally I can't taste any difference between organic greens and
regular greens - but your experience may differ.

At restaurants, let yourself be tempted by unusual vegetarian dishes,
or meat-based dishes with interesting-sounding vegetable
accompaniments. An unusual method of preparation, a special sauce, or
an unusual combination of flavours, may be just what you seek.

Finally, as with all things dietary, don't let it become an obsession.
If you eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables, you don't have to eat
a green vegetable absolutely every day of your life.

Happy eating!

PS: Feel free to post a comment in a month or two to let us know how
you are going - I know several Google Answers researchers who would be
interested to hear the details of your healthy eating adventure.


Additional links:

Vegetables You Used to Hate, by Darlene King (a cookbook)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1552850617/102-4039171-0260968

"Do you hate vegetables? ... Your aversion to all things green could
be due to your genetics" (Science Net U.K.)
http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/Biology/0204/tongue.html

Broccoli can heal many ills
http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20020403/LI_003.htm



Google search strategy:

alternatives "green vegetables"
://www.google.com/search?q=alternatives+%22green+vegetables%22

hate "green vegetables"
://www.google.com/search?q=hate+%22green+vegetables%22

"instead of green vegetables"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22instead+of+green+vegetables%22


Regards,
eiffel-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by eiffel-ga on 28 Aug 2002 14:16 PDT

Thanks for the kind comments, johnfrommelbourne. This was an
interesting question for me to research. Food is a subject near and
dear to the hearts of many of the researchers!

If you wish to post a follow-up in a month or two to let us know how
you get on with your greens, feel free to add a comment to this
question. Questions stay open for further comments even after the
answer has been posted.

Incidentally, I saw at a supermarket today a bottled drink with a name
"Green Max" or something similar. It promised to contain all kinds of
green things including spirulina, nettles and even grass! But when I
looked closely at the ingredients list, it was almost all fruit juice
with only a tiny smidgeon of greens.

Yes Eiffel as websearcher says "a great answer"; superb in fact. I now
have a lot more to go on and will get back to you on experiments in a
cupla months as you suggest, ( providing that is possible??). Is there
really other researchers interested in this bland subject by the way??
Perhaps "Seedy". I dont think he eats his greens either preferring
Texan barbecues.I suspect the subject matter must have been right up
your alley, yes?? no?? I mean you seemed to tackle it like an expert
in the field. I said before on answer I got back on "touristy things
to see & do in North Carolina" that I had enough quality info to
justify calling the info an encyclopedia on the subject and now
likewise with all the stuff you have provided on green vegetables. I
have not yet gone through all the links you provided but some of the
extracts you made available from some of these sounded very promising.
For instance the Anne Collins ideas made sense and I had never thought
of drinking green vegetables mixed with other juices as "drugged" is
suggesting but that also sounds like a very good way of getting the
right nutrients into my system. Your ideas for asparagus and the
roasting of some types of green vegetables to sweeten them up also
appealed to me greatly

 In fact I am now feeling a bit mean in that I only paid you a
relatively small fee for an avalanche of great info but I really did
not expect the professional consultants type report that I got back.
Once again great research work and thanks again.

  John From Melbourne

eiffel-ga wrote: "Secondly, the human body is capable of coming to
like most nutritious foods if they are eaten on a regular basis."

From personal experience, I agreed with this statement. Years ago I
didn't like the taste of broccoli, but then I decided to have a little
bit every now and then because it was "good" for me. Now I actually
don't mind the taste at all. One thing that helps if you dislike the
taste is to mask it with a bit of (low fat) dressing/dip.

Also, I found the reverse of eiffel's statement to be true, for me at
least. That is, by eating more nutritious foods on a regular basis, my
body has begun to dislike un-nutritious foods. For example, I can no
longer eat a McDonalds hamburger without upsetting my stomach, whereas
years ago I had no such problem.

- cogpsych

Hi johnfrommelbourne:

Just as an addition to eiffel-ga's excellent answer above, I can't say
enough good things about the product "Greens +", who can be found at:

http://www.greensplus.com/

and at most health food stores. 

While I wouldn't want it to be a *complete* replacement for eating
greens, it certainly would be a huge start to getting you the
nutrients you are missing.

[I have no affiliation to this company, but have been a happy customer
for years. :-) ]

websearcher-ga

jonhfrommelbourne: since I like and grow lots of veggies, question,
what about fruit? There is no "law" that states you absolutely have to
eat green veggies. Potatos? Cherries? Watermellon? Kiwi fruit?
Oranges, Apples, Pears, etc. I like most greens, dislike broccoli, had
it once, hated it. I love fresh raw peas, grow them and eat them right
off the vine. Love fresh, not that frozen crap, stringbeans and
wax(yellow) beans. I also love fish, so I am getting my omega 3. As to
the antioxidant qualities of the greens, I think you could do the same
with a balance of the fruit that you consume.

The great thing about being an adult is that we don't HAVE to like
something in order to do it. We can simply choose to do it.