How to Start Liking Vegetables for Adults

According to many psychologists and researchers, it’s innate for humans to have a dislike for plants such as vegetables because of its bitter taste. This is the reason why there are a lot of people who think that it’s impossible to start liking vegetables once you enter adulthood since the window of opportunity to change this innate behavior, which is during childhood, has already passed. However, what they don’t realize is that this innate behavior can still be reversed through certain lifestyle and behavioral changes regardless of your age. Here are some of these changes.

Behavioral: Start realizing that you’ve been eating vegetables all along

From burgers that have lettuce and pickles to pizzas that have tomato sauce and bell peppers as toppings, vegetables have long been used in preparing meals from fast foods and high-end restaurants. This means that you’ve been eating vegetables since you were a child without knowing it. This opens your mind to the fact that vegetables don’t have to taste bitter or disgusting and that when cooked right, you might actually enjoy eating vegetables. By realizing this simple fact, you’ll find it easier to learn how to start liking vegetables.

Lifestyle: Start cooking vegetables on your own

By cooking meals on your own, you can start experimenting on different flavors that will make it more enjoyable for you to eat vegetables. Use fresh or dried herbs to enhance the natural flavor of vegetables without adding too much salt in your diet. This allows you to eat healthier dishes that are not drizzled with spices or condiments that can cause stomach problems, such as bloating as well as cardiovascular health concerns. You’ll also be able to discover cooking methods that can make vegetables yummier, such as broiling.

Behavioral: Don’t reward yourself for eating vegetables

For years, parents have rewarded children for finishing their plate of vegetables in order to motivate children to actually start eating these foods. Most parents find this technique to be very effective when it comes to introducing vegetables to children. However, recent studies show that this behavioral technique teaches children that they will be able to eat something that tastes good once they eat vegetables.

Hence, they won’t see vegetables as something that they should eat without any reward. This technique will also instill the perception that vegetables are not enjoyable to eat regardless of the cooking method. This is why you should not reward yourself for eating vegetables. Also, following up vegetables with unhealthy food defeats the purpose of eating healthy food in the first place.

Lifestyle: Stock your pantry with vegetables

One great way to motivate yourself to start cooking vegetables is to stock your pantry with vegetables. This will ensure that you’ll run out of excuses to start cooking vegetables on your own since the ingredients are already at arm’s reach. Start buying vegetables that you can see yourself eating at some point even though you’re unsure how to cook them.

By following these changes, you’ll start seeing vegetables as delicious cooking ingredients that you can actually enjoy regardless of your age.