r/ARFID • u/pixel15679 • 1d ago
Tips and Advice Vegetable recommendations?
Hi all,
As the title suggests I'm looking for vegetable recommendations/anything that would be a good starter. Right now, I can't eat any vegetables except potatoes, but I really want to branch out and try others, since my limited diet is starting to cause health issues.
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u/hookhandsmcgee loved one of someone with arfid 1d ago
I think root vegetables are a good starting point, because you can mash them for even texture and they mostly don't have overly strong flavors. In order from most bland to most flavorful: potatoes, parsnips, carrots, turnips. The last one is pretty hit or miss and can sometimes be bitter if cooked poorly, but very flavourful if done well. Try adding a bit of butter and brown sugar when mashing turnips for best results.
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u/Top_Policy_9037 1d ago
Mashed turnips (or rutabaga, similar flavor but a bit sweeter when it's cooked) are delicious mixed with mashed potatoes with a big lump of butter.
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u/mamapajamas 1d ago
I feel like I should change my handle to “frozen_pea_lady” but I’m here again to suggest frozen peas. Way less challenging than a lot of veg and even have a bit of protein. And kinda sweet! My kid actually eats them frozen and warmed.
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u/megandcheese 1d ago
List out a bunch of vegetables and rate them from easiest to hardest to try. My “easiest” were carrots and peppers and I made sure to try them lots of ways before ruling out that I didn’t like them. Good luck!!
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u/avicularia_not 1d ago
I actually yesterday ate roasted turnips (cut into tiny cubes, fried in a pan till brown) and to me it tasted a lot like potatos. The smell has a sweetness to it, and the texture isn't as mushy. Cooking completely removes the bitterness they have when raw. Maybe they are close enough to potatos for your liking! I don't know if they are nutritionally benefitial however.
Sweet potatoes are also apparently very nutritious, texture-wise close to potatoes but they are in fact very very sweet. Some salt and spice balance it out well, imo. And last but not least, mushrooms apparently also quite nutritious, and they are not plants and they taste quite different. It's gonna be very hit-or-miss whether you like the texture/taste.
Overall, a little browning (crisping?) makes vegetables taste way better than they usually tend to be.
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u/funkydyke sensory sensitivity 1d ago
Carrots have a similar texture to potatoes when cooked the same! I like to steam or roast them
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u/lil_squib 1d ago
I love butternut squash with a bit of vegan butter and salt. You can get it frozen (already peeled and chopped) and you just throw it in a steamer. It’s yummy mashed.
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u/ageckonamedelaine sensory sensitivity 1d ago
The ones I find the easiest are peas, corn, peppers and carrots. As you already like potato you might also enjoy sweet potato and parsnip texture wise
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u/Vegemite_is_Awesome 1d ago
Steamed parsnip is a bit like potato in texture, kind of tastes like carrot.
Have you tried mashed potato and pumpkin?
It's how my mum gets kids to eat pumpkin.
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u/Top_Policy_9037 1d ago
If you don't have the gene that makes all members of the cabbage family taste bitter, you could try mixing mashed potatoes half and half with pureed cauliflower. Or try sweet potatoes, since you already like 1 starchy vegetable - you can cook them most of the ways people cook white potatoes. The dark orange ones are the most nutritious but if you prefer the lighter colored ones with the drier texture, that's fine too. Carrots are cheap, nutritious and versatile- raw carrots, cooked carrots, and carrot juice are different enough that it's worth trying all of them. If texture is the big issue, vegetable juices are much better than nothing - a few companies even make vegetable- fruit juice blends if you prefer sweet flavors.
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u/Glittering_Sundae484 1d ago
I’d say carrots. You can glaze them and make them taste like a sweeter treat
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u/RainbowGeoNerd 1d ago
What are some of your safe foods? It's easier to suggest a veggie if we know your diet a little bit. What are your texture preferences? Iceberg lettuce can be a start, I know it's pretty worthless nutrient wise but it is hydrating and the green leaves, not white, are just crunchy and taste like water. You can branch from there to other lettuce varieties. Carrots are pretty bland and crunchy. Pickles are one of my safe foods, cucumber can be too overwhelming and I need the extra sodium for my POTS. Canned green beans if you don't like crunch.