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It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 
 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

How can I lose weight if I only like a few vegetables?

I am a finicky person, with a developed taste for sweets. I do not enjoy many vegetables, and the ones I do enjoy I feel are limited in nutritional value. I want to lose weight, but the thought of incorporating vegetables into my diet, let alone spending money on them just to not enjoy them is hard to swallow. Do you have any suggestions on how I can lose weight with the below listed vegetables?

Corn
Potatoes
Bell Peppers
Asparagus

PS: I only know how to cook the type of corn/asparagus that's pre-packaged and ready to steam in a bag.

Dr. Gourmet Says...

assorted fresh fruits and vegetables

There are a lot of folks out there who don't like vegetables, but when I ask them to make a list of those they do like they will often start with at least four like you have. I will often ask them about others, prompting on such things as onions, carrots, celery and such. Most of the time the list expands and people will add to it gradually. They will say that they can eat carrots or onions as part of a stew, for instance.

Your list is a great start. Since you like them, make the most of that by buying fresh veggies and keeping them on hand. The Dr. Gourmet website has recipes that contain all of these, so that's a good place to start since you're already here on the site. Using Google to search for "healthy potato recipes" or "healthy asparagus recipes" will yield thousands of choices. Adding in a few veggies that might not be favorites - slowly as part of these recipes - is a good strategy.

Since you have a sweet tooth, eating fruit can be a great way to satisfy your craving for sweets and lose weight. Research shows that those eating fruit are just as satisfied as when eating chocolate. Filling your refrigerator with fruit can help you tremendously with eating healthier and losing weight.

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet