7 ways for vegetable-averse adults to overcome it without strain

What you will learn from this article

• Common causes of adult vegetable aversion and "how taste works"
• How to overcome vegetable aversion without strain using dried vegetables and vegetable powder
• Concrete attack techniques by disliked vegetable
• Ways to incorporate them daily, with recipe examples
• The effects of vegetable shortfall on the body, and a guide to improvement

"I'm not a child, yet I can't eat vegetables"—this worry is actually more common than you might think.

One survey found that about 25% of adults answered that they "have vegetables they dislike," and data show that more than half of them routinely avoid vegetables. Because it is hard to bring up with those around you, many people may be worrying about it alone.

We at Agriture are a company that produces dried vegetables in Kyoto, and we often hear from customers that "my vegetable-averse family member ate them when I used dried vegetables." Frankly, overcoming vegetable aversion does not require "willpower." The key ischanging them into an easy-to-eat form, contained in burdock and cocoa.

In this article, we share ways to get vegetables without strain by using dried vegetables and vegetable powder.

Why does adult vegetable aversion arise? The mechanism of taste

The cause differs from children's pickiness

Children's vegetable aversion is often an "instinctive defensive response to bitterness," and in most cases they naturally become able to eat vegetables as they grow. For adults, however, the situation is a little different.

Much of adult vegetable aversion is a "learned food aversion" in which an unpleasant past experience has become fixed as a memory. Memories of being forced to eat as a child, or experiences of being made to finish school lunches without leaving anything. Such experiences build a rejection response to vegetables themselves.

The three walls of taste, smell, and texture

Breaking down the causes of vegetable aversion, they split broadly into three.

Grasping specifically "what you dislike" is the first step to overcoming it. If taste is the problem, ways to mask taste; if texture is the problem, ways to change the form—the countermeasures differ entirely.

Some people feel bitterness strongly due to genetics

It is not widely known, but there are genetic individual differences in how bitterness is felt. Depending on the genotype of the TAS2R38 taste receptor, even eating the same bell pepper, there are "people who feel almost no bitterness" and "people for whom it is intensely bitter."

About 25% of the whole population are called "supertasters" and feel bitterness far more strongly. In other words, vegetable aversion is not "selfishness" but may well be a matter of constitution. Just understanding this can make the urge to blame yourself much easier to bear, don't you think?

Three reasons dried vegetables help overcome vegetable aversion

Reason 1: Grassiness and bitterness are greatly reduced

In dried vegetables, the volatile aromatic compounds (the substances behind so-called "grassiness") fly off during hot-air drying. The sharp smell unique to fresh vegetables softens considerably, which is a big advantage for those who dislike the smell.

Also, removing moisture concentrates flavor, but because many bitterness components break down with heat, the pleasant change of "sweetness remaining while bitterness decreases" occurs. It is not unusual for someone who dislikes carrots to be able to eat dried carrots.

Reason 2: The texture changes completely

Many people dislike the squishy texture of eggplant or the squelchy feel of tomato. Dried vegetables have a texture different from fresh vegetables even when rehydrated, turning tender and soft in soups and simmered dishes, or crisp and light.

Being able to sidestep a disliked texture entirely is a strength unique to dried vegetables.

Reason 3: The look has little "vegetable presence"

The psychological factor cannot be overlooked either. Dried vegetables are cut small or have subdued color, so even added to a dish, the awareness of "eating vegetables" fades.

Mixed into soup or curry, it is barely noticeable. This is even more effective with vegetable powder, which can almost erase the vegetables' presence, leaving only a hint of color.

Vegetable powder is the ultimate "unnoticed vegetable intake"

What is vegetable powder?

Vegetable powder is dried vegetables milled even finer. Because the particles are extremely fine, it dissolves completely into dishes when mixed in. The taste and aroma also become quite mild, so for the vegetable-averse it can be called a last line of defense.

Agriture, too, produces vegetable powder using domestic vegetables, and we often hear "this doesn't bother me at all."

What about the nutritional value of vegetable powder?

「粉にしたら栄養がなくなるのでは？」と心配する方もいますが、食物繊維やミネラルはしっかり残ります。少量でも野菜の栄養を補いやすいのが特徴です。

野菜パウダーにしても、食物繊維やミネラルはしっかり残ります。少量で野菜の栄養を補えるのが特徴です。

Recommended ways to use vegetable powder

The key is to start with a small amount. If the taste doesn't bother you, gradually increase the amount—this step-by-step approach is the key to success.

By disliked vegetable | a concrete attack guide

Bell pepper & bitter melon (bitterness type)

The top two disliked for their bitterness. Dried bell pepper has its bitterness components reduced during heat drying, making it far easier to eat than fresh.

The trick is to "combine it with oil." Because bitterness components are fat-soluble, coating them in oil reduces the stimulation to the tongue. Personally, adding dried bell pepper to fried rice is my top pick.

Carrot & tomato (smell / texture type)

If you dislike carrot's earthy smell, try dried carrot. The volatile aromatic compounds fly off considerably in the drying process, so the smell changes to a level you could call a different thing.

For tomato, dried tomato is recommended. It lacks the squelchy texture of fresh tomato, and its sweetness is concentrated with stronger umami too. Used as a topping for pasta or salad, even those who dislike it can often eat it surprisingly well.

Leafy greens (texture / grassiness type)

For those who dislike the "fibrous texture" or "grassy taste" of spinach or komatsuna, vegetable powder takes the stage. In powder form the texture is completely zero. Dissolved into soup or sauce, you won't even notice it's there.

A practical schedule for keeping it up daily

Week 1: First, add it to miso soup or soup once a day

Trying to eat a lot all at once leads to setbacks. In the first week, just add a handful of dried vegetables to your morning or evening miso soup or soup. That takes only 10 seconds of effort.

Week 2: Mix it into your staple

Once you're used to miso soup, next try mixing vegetable powder into rice or pasta. Just adding vegetable powder to the rice cooker and cooking makes a faintly colored, nutrient-added rice.

From week 3 on: Expand your cooking repertoire

The key to success is not to rush and to increase gradually over 4 weeks. As your body gets used to it, oddly enough, resistance to fresh vegetables often fades too.

What happens to the body when vegetable shortfall continues

Short-term effects (weeks to months)

• Constipation: Lack of dietary fiber worsens the gut environment
• Skin trouble: Lack of vitamins A and C disrupts skin turnover
• Fatigue: Mineral shortfall lowers metabolism
• Mouth ulcers: Lack of B vitamins

Long-term effects (over years)

• Nutritional imbalance：ビタミン・ミネラル・食物繊維が不足しがちに
• 体調の変化：疲れや不調を感じやすくなることも
• Lower bone density: Lack of calcium and vitamin K

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends 350g of vegetables a day, but the average intake among Japanese people is about 280g, a shortfall of around 70g. Simply making up this 70g with dried vegetables or vegetable powder can change the effect on the body considerably.

Summary

What overcoming vegetable aversion requires is not grit or endurance, but "the ingenuity of changing the form."

Dried vegetables have reduced grassiness and bitterness, and a texture that is a different thing from fresh vegetables. With vegetable powder you can go a step further, dissolving it into dishes to erase even the "sense of eating vegetables."

What matters is not aiming for perfection. First, once a day, a handful in your miso soup. Please start from this small step.

FAQ

Q1: Can I get enough vegetable nutrition from vegetable powder alone?

Vegetable powder firmly contains dietary fiber and minerals, but heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C are reduced. Rather than relying on powder alone, it is recommended to supplement with fruit or supplements while gradually taking on dried and fresh vegetables too.

Q2: Aren't dried vegetables so strong in flavor that they'll put me off even more?

When rehydrated in water, the flavor becomes quite mild. Added to soup or simmered dishes, it mixes with the flavors of other ingredients, so the vegetable taste rarely comes to the fore. If concerned, try starting with strongly flavored dishes such as curry or stew.

Q3: Can dried vegetables be used for children's vegetable aversion too?

Of course. In fact, households incorporating dried vegetables during the transition from late-stage baby food to toddler meals are increasing. Mixing vegetable powder into Hamburg steak or pancakes is also popular as a measure against children's vegetable aversion.

Q4: How long does it take to completely overcome vegetable aversion?

It cannot be stated flatly because individual differences are large, but many people say that starting from dried vegetables, it "stopped bothering them" in 1 to 3 months. Taste has the property of getting used to something through repeated eating, so continuing daily, even in small amounts, matters.

Q5: Which should I start with, dried vegetables or vegetable powder?

Those with very strong resistance to vegetables should start with vegetable powder first. Because the appearance barely changes even mixed into dishes, the psychological hurdle is low. Once you've gotten a little used to it, switch to dried vegetables and move to the step of feeling the "sense of eating vegetables."

Q6: When using dried vegetables, is it OK to throw away the soaking liquid?

Water-soluble vitamins and minerals dissolve into the soaking liquid. If possible, using it as-is in cooking is best. With miso soup or soup you can use the soaking liquid too, so you can get it with no loss of nutrition.

Recommended reading

Sustainable initiatives / Commercial dried vegetables / Product lineup / The appeal of heirloom vegetables in Hokuriku! Regional brands such as Kaga vegetables thoroughly explained / The blind spot of the fighting businessman. How to quit "vegetable juice for now" and resolve vegetable shortfall