Love the Vegetables You Hate

15 ways to make broccoli, cabbage, and parsnips as delicious as chocolate (well, almost). It may be Mother Nature's cruelest abuse of power: The very chemicals that make vegetables so good for us--phytonutrients that promote health in so many ways--are the same ones that cause us to shudder at the sight of steamed greens. In fact, as many as 30 percent of Americans are extrasensitive to the bitter taste of the chemicals in these vegetables. Such people are known to food experts as supertasters. For some people, it isn't the taste but the lack thereof that makes them turn up their noses at vegetables. Many vegetables pack a lot less flavor than they could, points out Tristan Millar, director of marketing and business development for Frieda's, the specialty produce marketer in Los Angeles best known for introducing the kiwi. "American growers have focused on varieties that ship well and spoil slowly, and there's been so little emphasis on taste." But with a little extra information, you can conquer vegetable resistance. Here are 15 ideas to help you improve your health and eat more vegetables: Eat the Babies In some vegetables, flavors intensify as the plant matures, which is why the so-called baby versions have wider taste appeal with just as many health benefits. Experiment with baby artichokes, turnips, squashes, and carrots (the small ones sold in bunches, with greens still attached--not those sold in plastic bags, which are simply regular carrots, trimmed down). You can find them at larger supermarkets, specialty grocers, and farmers' markets; some, such as younger brussels sprouts, can even be bought frozen. Not only do many people find baby vegetables more flavorful and less bitter, but they prefer the texture too: Younger vegetables are more tender and require less cooking, says Barbara Klein, PhD, a nutritionist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "And they're sort of fun." Oil 'Em Up Years of fat-phobia have conditioned us to shun oils whenever possible, but using fats (oils, butter, and cheeses) judiciously can go far in helping you love your veggies. Heresy? Hardly. The link between vegetable avoidance and certain cancers is strong enough to justify some extra calories, if it gets you closer to your recommended five to nine fruit-and-vegetable servings each day. Fat not only makes all food taste more satisfying, but--as it binds with seasoning--it can transform vegetables from a duty-diet item to something downright yummy, Klein says. Try Dips, Say Cheese Snack on raw veggies with a bowl of dip or your favorite salad dressing (try one of the delicious canola- or olive-oil-based products) in front of the TV; sometimes, taking vegetables away from the dinner table makes eating them feel like less of a health chore. And it's not as decadent as you think: If you're dipping broccoli in a butter-and-lemon sauce, Klein points out, you'll likely use less sauce than if it were poured on. Say CheeseModerate amounts of cheese sauce--not 1950s-style smothering--make broccoli or cauliflower rich and satisfying. Or toss bits of your favorite cheeses (including a little cream cheese or feta) in with green beans, spinach, or kale. Splurge on Something Fried So many people dislike the pungent taste of parsnips that it's hard to believe that fried parsnips are the most popular item at the Kennebec Tavern in Bath, ME. Shaved paper-thin, fried in vegetable oil, and then sprinkled with kosher salt, "they're light, airy, and crisp, like a chip," says one server. "Only one person has ever not liked them." But remember, such fried treats as this are a health splurge: The popular battered-and-fried onion at some restaurants, for example, can pack a day's worth of calories. Rethink Your Cooking Style Adding fat isn't the only way to pump up the taste of your vegetables. Try these three health techniques: Start Blanching Ever wonder why the Chinese consume so many more vegetables than Americans, including the strong-tasting crucifers such as broccoli? While it's true that Asians are less likely than Caucasians to have an extreme sensitivity to bitterness, the real secret is blanching, a technique common among Asian cooks, says Klein. Steam vegetables for 30 to 60 seconds, then remove them from the heat and drop them in cold water. "That stops the strong flavors from developing," Klein says. Stir-frying also preserves flavor by cooking quickly. Cook Brussels Sprouts Faster If you normally find that sprouts taste too strong, turn them into a delicacy: Slice diagonally, and separate into rings. Microwave with a little water, butter, and plenty of caraway seeds just until done, suggests cookbook writer Lori Longbotham, author of Better by Microwave. ...And Onions Slower The onion family, which includes leeks, shallots, and garlic, is rich in compounds suspected to fight cancer, says nutritionist Valerie Green, MPH, spokesperson for the National Cancer Institute's "5 A Day" program. But for onion-haters, the sharp flavors and strong smells can be almost nauseating. Try slow-roasting onions, which brings out the sweetness and cuts the sharpness. Toss foil-wrapped packets of leeks or sliced onions, brushed with a little olive oil, on the grill to see how easy it is to take the sting out. Hold Out for Perfection While tomatoes rival potatoes as America's favorite vegetable, many people say they taste funny, feel pulpy in their mouth, or are too bland. And in winter, those pale hothouse tomatoes prove their point. The secret is making sure you buy those that are vine ripened, which eliminates almost all the bitter flavors, says Autar Mattoo, PhD, a molecular biologist with the USDA. Ask for them in season at farmers' markets, and at better and specialty grocers. Protect Them from Bad Company Parsnips, which have a strong flavor to start with, can become bitter when stored near apples and other fruits, which produce ethylene gas, according to research from Penn State University. (The flavor of carrots, squash, and some herbs will also suffer, while crucifers such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage may turn limp and yellow more quickly.) The best way to store parsnips: in a closed paper bag, with ethylene producers (which also include apricots, avocados, peaches, cantaloupes, peppers, and tomatoes) in a separate crisper from ethylene-vulnerable produce. Enroll in Eggplant 101 While everyone knows too-mature eggplants are bitter, the size of this fiber- and potassium-packed vegetable isn't your best clue: If your thumb leaves an indent that doesn't bounce back, the eggplant will be spongy, tough, and bad tasting, even if it's a little one. To further improve taste, check out its "belly button": At the blossom end, eggplants have either an oval or round dimple. Buy only the ovals--the round ones tend to have more seeds and less "meat." And to reduce eggplant's bitter tendencies even more, after you slice it, sprinkle it with salt, then wait a half hour, rinse, and proceed with your recipe. The salt draws out water, which contains the bitter-tasting compounds, says Klein. Eggplants are worth the trouble: The insides of these veggies are high in cancer-fighting polyphenols (the same chemicals that make apples so good for you); the pigments are high in antioxidants. Get Thee to a Farmers' Market The flavor in cruciferous veggies intensifies the longer they're on the shelf, particularly if they're wrapped. "Lots of times, I'll give somebody broccoli I picked that morning, and they'll rave about how delicious it is, convinced it's some gourmet variety. It's just that fresh tastes that much better," says Mark Farnham, a broccoli breeder and geneticist with the USDA. In winter, look for broccoli that's sold in bunches, rather than shrink-wrapped to Styrofoam. Add Stealth Vegetables If you don't like the taste of many vegetables, soup may be your best solution: Most soups cook for so long that the vegetable flavors mellow and weaken while the seasonings become more pronounced. And you can sneak grated carrots or zucchini into muffins and breads. Next time you make a meat loaf, after you add your usual 1 cup of bread crumbs and an egg, throw in 1 cup of grated vegetables: Onions, zucchini, mushrooms, or even green beans will be virtually undetectable, even to you. While the longer baking time breaks down some nutritive value, minerals and vitamins stay in the casserole, and veggies make a moister meat loaf. Read Up on the Vegetable You Hate Most A study at Monell Chemical Senses Center found that understanding why something that tastes foul is good for you--combined with repeated, regular exposure to that particular food--actually makes it easier for you to stomach it. "If you knew that kale could help protect you from cancer, you might be more willing to forget the taste and eat more of it, particularly if cancer runs in your family and is a concern for you," says researcher Leslie J. Stein, PhD. Honor Your Inborn Sweet Tooth All babies are born with a natural aversion to bitter foods and a preference for sweets, says Jennifer Fisher, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Scientists have long speculated that's because so many poisonous plants are bitter. "What we do know is that sweet tastes better to us," she says. So indulge in sweeter vegetables--yams, squash, peas, and carrots--which pack plenty of nutritional advantages. By Sarah Mahoney , Sarah Mahoney writes from her home in Durham, ME: Prevention Magazine