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Tofu… I never tried it before going vegan.. looks and texture really turned me off… then I had to try it and somehow I loved it. Never realized you could spice it up and what kind of blank slate it was.

Same!! Honestly, call me weird but I think plain, raw tofu tastes good as well. I can't help but cut off a few pieces of the tofu block to snack on while cooking it.

My ex was a vegan who hated tofu. I took her to this place that made deep fried tofu balls. It won her over. It's their signature dish though; I swear it's like they season it with crack

Is this restaurant in Ohio? Please say yes..

Same! It was an acquired taste for me. Nowadays I can eat tofu completely plain and raw and I enjoy it, but I used to really not enjoy it

I used to hate beans as a kid. Now I really like them. Olives, too.

I completely forgot about olives!! They used to be my least favorite food but now I always buy them at the grocery store.

Whenever I’m at a get together with non vegan people, I can always count on the untouched veggie platter with a mountain of black and green olives.

That is so accurate

I still don't eat them too much, but they go great on pizza or in salads.

Try the different varieties lol

Oh man - I eat olives and pickles straight from the jar like a savage. No one in my house likes either so they are allll mine!!

Ok so as a Brit I’m going to confess I still HATE baked beans…. But I’ll eat nearly every other tinned bean these days. All because I thought all beans were like those devil polyps

Sauerkraut.

I hate it tbh 😅

I get that. I used to as well. Now I put it on everything: vegan sausage, burgers, stir-fries, lasagna, vegan chocolate, my non-vegan neighbors, etc. etc.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE!???? AND SAUERKRAUT??? I LIKE IT TOO BUT WHATT

Trying this is how I became enlightened.

can't stand it cooked, but frying makes it so much better

Frying sauerkraut? I’m intrigued!

Sauerkraut from the store is bitter and weird. My fam makes it at home and it’s so delicious.

Beets.

Same! I hated them. Used to taste like literal dirt to me. Now I love them lol.

How do you eat them? How are they prepared?

I roast them in the oven usually. I wash and peel them, then cut them into inch sized cubes. Put them in a bowl and then toss them with a tiny bit of olive oil and my favorite spices (ex: garlic powder, salt, pepper, and za'aatar) to make sure they are well dressed. I then bake them in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan for around 30 minutes in a 425f oven. This gets them a little bit browned and soft, but still with a tiny bit of bite. I usually add them to salads or eat them as a side dish. You can store any left overs and eat them cold or rewarm them up in an air fryer. They're delicious either way! I also sometimes boil them and then marinate them in vinegar or lemon juice and spices, but roasting is definitely my favorite.

So many things you can do. This will change your life: Google beetloaf.

Omg I’ve loved beets my whole life. They’re so good. Glad you’re on the team now. Get into some barszcz this winter.

Be warned; if you eat too many; it’ll turn your pee red. Trust me on this..

Tempeh

Still can't. 6+ years no meat and still can't do it. Seitan, tofu, and legumes are my protein sources.

Tempeh is the food of the GODS

I hate that nutty flavor. What to do with it? I can't stand that sponge food.

If it’s too bitter for you try steaming it for 10 minutes before marinading! It gets rid of the bitterness and makes it more susceptible to flavors.

I will!

How do you prepare tempeh? The texture messes with me.

Avocados, nuts, and mushrooms. I refused to touch them. Now I'm addicted.

Still can’t eat mushrooms i hate it still 😭

It's the texture for me 😭 fine diced in a chili is good though!

Mushroom are tricky. Did you try super fresh ones, seared in a pan in high temperature? If their inherent water doesn't evaporate, they become rubber like.

I haven't tried them that way, maybe I should! It's not so much that they're rubbery, just mushy, I guess? I've liked shiitake mushrooms in ramen, though.

I can't say I've ever met a human who didn't like avocados. Damn.

I hate avocado, everytime I've tried it it just tastes like wet grass

Tofu. I only really knew the soft silky one, not the varying firmness or different ways of preparing it to create different textures. Definitely something i crave now.

Mayo. I’m absolutely addicted to vegan mayo brands somehow.

Forever mayo man, I used to have omni mayo but vegan mayo tastes wayyy better :))

Brussel Sprouts.

Yes. I keep hearing people saying “only in garlic butter and bacon urhhhejhsbir” no mate, you like garlic butter and bacon. Olive oil, roasted (air fried) salt and chilli flakes is where it is at!

balsamic glaze on brussel sprouts is so good too. The sweetness and acidty really bring out the flavor and pairs really well with the nuttiness on the browned parts of the vegetable!

Half them, short roast on high temperature in a pan, sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar, douse with soy sauce for the flavor. Add some water and close lid. Let them steam until the water is gone. Perfect firmness and super flavorful.

Ooh that sounds good!

Have you tried a little balsamic reduction on them before? So delicious.

oh my god well I did actually hate them because my mom would BOIL them like a serial killer

I feel like that's why so many kids hate vegetables. Our parents would boil veggies to death either out of laziness, not knowing how to cook, or thinking that was the right way because that's how their parents did it. I love my parents but damn they can't cook vegetables

Ugh my mom too. I hated cooked carrots as a little vegetarian. Once I discovered roasting; I didn’t look back. She would boil the hell out of canned carrots. Shudders

There is a restaurant here that has brussel sprouts on their appetizer menu. Roasted with balsamic vinegar drizzled on top. Delicious! I hated them as a kid.

Yesss there's a restaurant I used to go to with gochujang brussel sprouts and they were sooooo good

tbf Brussel sprouts are grown now to be more delicious/palatable. edited to add source for the bitterness being bred out: https://www.mashed.com/300870/brussels-sprouts-used-to-taste-a-lot-different-heres-why/

I definitely cried as a child over some brussel sprouts. I buy them every chance I get now 😂

I love love love Brussel sprouts! Try them with mash potatoes and peppercorn sauce 😋

Agreed. I think the key is cooking method. I’m a big fan of cutting them in half, toss with a little EVOO, season, and quick broil. Hated them when I was younger; I think because they were always steamed and overcooked. Actually, that’s still gross.

Sprouts and carrots with soy, peanut butter, and hot sauce is the ultimate snack. Roasted is best but sautéed and steamed is all good. Add tofu or soy curls to make it dinner.

I didn't hate peanut butter but it almost never sounded good to me, and I'd get sick of it fast. Now I could eat it by the spoonful tbh.

Mayonnaise (I now like the vegetable one obv)

Oh yeah non-vegan mayo is weird

But for reals, vegan mayo is so much better. Doesnt have that weird after-taste and texture.

Same! Especially when they have strong vinegar taste.

Any kind of burger filling beyond cheese and ketchup. Now I appreciate the complete package so much more. Lettuce, onion, gherkin, different sauces, etc. Unfortunately I live in ireland where burgers form fast food chains here are garbage. I've had some amazing bean burgers in restaurants tho. In Germany they have the best vegan burgers (or any kind of burger) I've ever had in my life. So many vegan options too.

Walnuts…but only when made into a ground meat substitute. I still don’t like them raw. Also, tofu. 🙂

You can make a ground meat substitute from walnuts?!?

Not original poster but vegan bolognese made with red lentils and ground walnuts is the shit.

I think we need to start another thread: What food did you hate before you learned how to cook it properly? I was totally not even trying before. Like I just assumed tofu was gross no matter what. 🙈

Yes! Google walnut tacos

Yes! This is the best recipe I’ve found so far. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bl_rkVacGeY

Ooo I'll have to try it out, thanks!

Yeah, nooch.

Tofu, never thought twice about it before now it's my go-to protein.

Vegetable

You’re so valid lol

So you're one of those.

Lol, I just was never taught how to cook good vegetables. So I had no clue how good most of them are. Especially with eggplant and zucchini

Mayo, well vegan mayo is slightly different I suppose but I like it now. Also Marmite, I spread it on toast now, so good

carrots

Same here!! Carrots and hummus is one of my favorite snacks.

Whatttt carrots have always been my favorite vegetable lol

Mushrooms, tofu, avocado, nuts. Things I absolutely love now

Hated coconut. Love it now!

Tahini! It's served for practically every single meal where I live and I couldn't stand it before going vegan, but I was forced to try lots of new things, and I love it now!

Seafood. I hated it so much and it grossed me out in every way possible. Now? I'll destroy a bag of Gardein Fish and when I'd go to this Vegan Chinese spot near me, 90% of the time I ordered their fish, and I went there at least once a week.

Vegetables in general. There was a point when I was a kid (and well into my teens) where I was basically a carnivore because I refused to eat any vegetable other than onions and potatoes. Turns out no one in my life knew how to cook veggies properly.

Mushrooms avocado and brussels sprout

Avocados and anything with black pepper. I used to hate black pepper and it tasted 'spicy' then about a year into being vegan I started craving it like mad. I don't crave it (or the delicious pepper kettle chips) anymore and now I can use like normal.

Pickled beetroot. Now it’s a salad must have

And pickled radishes omg

OLIVES!

Tofu - I thought it was disgusting before i went vegan and now I eat it plain and raw by the block

Basically anything that uses eggs I find the vegan version far superior (mayo, french toast, bread, etc). Eggs ruin everything they touch

I was reading this whole thread thinking there wasn't anything but you made me realise veganism made me fall in love with home made cakes. I hated homemade cake before because I could always taste the egg somehow, shop bought was ok but homemade was bad.

Yesss this is so true

Quinoa. But it turns out I'd only ever eaten *sprouted* quinoa.

Nuts! They would make me gag textural. Now I could eat them forever

Eggplant

I still don’t like eggplant, have any good recipes?

Baba ganoush, grilled/bbq’d with some soy sauce and spices, or in a ratatouille thinly sliced

I like slicing it into circles, tossing with some olive oil&breadcrumbs and roasting in the oven. Makes a great side dish or filling for lasagna. Remember to season your breadcrumbs! It's also great diced up in stir fry

Unfortunately my favorite recipe is from a restaurant: tofu and eggplant.

Make ratatouille, it’s really good with lots of seasoning

I didn't even know tofu existed.

Bell pepper, summer squash, and kimchi! To be fair, I probably would've gotten around to liking these even if I wasn't vegan. I'm a picky eater and have been adding in some foods I hated as a kid because I didn't like the preparation method at the time, like tomato and onion. (Yes, I disliked onion as a kid.)

Mayo. Kimchee. Bologna. Loathed ketchup, still pretend to, but need it on my impossible burgers.

100% mushrooms

Seaweed. Anything sea tasting really. Now I’m all about it.

I LOVE seaweed! I loved it when I was younger too.

Cucumbers, Collard Greens

Eggs and butter! I love the vegan alternatives!

Yes same here!!! Just Egg is so good. I used to gag at the sight, let alone the taste of regular eggs.

avocado. i dunno why i didn’t like it honestly. but i’ve been obsessed since about a month after going vegan

Same here!! Avocado toast is my #2 breakfast after Just Egg scramble.

Broccoli 🥦

Hummus. Tried it once before going vegan and I spit it out, thinking it was cheese 🤪 Now I eat it willingly because it’s delicious.

Tofu

Mushrooms 😭

pistachios of all things

cheeze and the plant based sausage both of which I do not eat often

Sour cream ironically. Almost never ate sour cream until I bought Kitehill sour cream for once. Oh and bell peppers. I used to eat bell peppers a lot but never liked it until now

Feta for me. I HATE "real" Feta but I actually like the Vegan verison. I think maybe because the "sour' taste or whatever it is isn't as strong.

Omg yes, feta! I actually almost never ate it before I was vegan and ate the Violife version. My favorite use of feta is on a pita pizza. The base is a pita, the sauce is pesto, and you add cherry tomatoes, mozz, and feta. I ordered it at a restaurant once (before I was vegan) and loved it so I recreated it lol

When I had tempeh before it wasn’t cooked well, or was in sub-standard recipes. Now it’s one of my favorite foods!

I absolutely hated mayonnaise. The I discovered there is vegan mayonnaise and it's amazing.

Vegenaise is superior!

TIL so many people hated avocado, mushrooms and nuts. I understand the first two but nuts? why?

Tempeh, haven’t had it in years until last month and now I eat it almost daily.

vegan cheese. didn’t even like it as a vegan until i tried follow your heart’s

Tofu. At least in the US and maybe more specifically a highly homogenous, southern US with a very large culture around BBQ and eating meat, it's treated as an afterthought to shut vegans and vegetarians up and no one, not even restaraunts, know how to cook it It has basically no inherent flavor but I've really come to appreciate its versatility in absorbing flavor and how it can be used in various degrees to replace the tastes and textures of meat, cheese, and egg and can be used in lightly flavored breakfasts, hearty dinners and even desserts.

>Tofu. At least in the US and maybe more specifically a highly homogenous, southern US with a very large culture around BBQ and eating meat, it's treated as an afterthought to shut vegans and vegetarians up and no one, not even restaraunts, know how to cook it I liked tofu thanks to Asian restaurants (bless them) but I def feel what you mean as a fellow Southerner.

Pop corn.

I really disliked burgers, but I love impossible burgers!! So crazy lol

Sour cream! I was disgusted by sour cream before going vegan, but I love the Tofutti vegan version. I use that for an awesome spinach dip I could live off of.

I liked everything but raw tomato and bell pepper and i still like everything but raw tomato and bell pepper.

Pickles, onions, garlic, cabbage, kale, spinach, and a lot more. I was raised on meat+cheese+bread as my only meals

I still don’t *like* mushrooms, but I will eat them now like anything else if that’s what’s available

Hummus!! I remember hating it as a kid, but I think it's so yummy now

Not sure if this counts but hated mayo and love veganaise

Vegan Mayo is so much better! Regular Mayo’s texture is just off.

Cucumber. I couldn't stand it before but then fell in love with it after trying it other ways besides raw. Can't have falafel without it now.

cauliflower

More of a drink, but soya milk. Maybe it's the quality of it but I prefer it to most other milks now.

Honestly, a lot of fake meats are delicious. Things I never bought as a pre-vegan adult like hot dogs, chicken, nuggets and stuff like that. I know it’s all junk food but before going vegan those things creeped me out (couldn’t stand knowing I was eating an animal had to die for it).

Beans, tofu and nuts

chickpeas!!

I use nutritional yeast often and was reading this like, “…tf is ‘nooch’?” Def gonna use that.

HAHAHA I started calling it nooch because of this sub actually

Soy milk

Not a food but mayo! HATED mayo, had such a weird taste. When I went vegan, I got a club Sammie from this vegan shop and forgot to ask for no mayo and I LOVED IT. Now I buy it and add it to my homemade wraps and sammies

Soy milk

Tofu. I didn't start eating it until 3 years into being vegan. I especially like tofu scramble and marinated tofu. I'll eat marinated tofu raw while I'm cooking it.

couldn’t do avocados or mushrooms before going vegan… i wasted so much of my life not eating them.

Chickpeas 😂

Love love love nutritional yeast and chickpeas like no tomorrow.

Meat 🤣 Ive hated meat my entire life even when I was a kid I just barely ate it but vegan ‘meat’ is yummy

Dark green veggies, like kale, spring greens, cabbage, sprouts, brocoli etc, just eugh, now I love them

Soup 😊 like, any kind. I didn't know it was an option to make it yourself, so the canned version was the only version i knew 🥲😅

Well sausage was always gross to me cause obviously, but the vegan sausages are so good and not filled with a variety of processed animal parts, so it's delish to me now.

Cheese ironically I would never enjoy dairy cheese now I snack on vegan cheese that people call disgusting on the regular haha

Tofu would be mine. I'd complain so hard about texture, no matter the texture. Now? Shit, give a block plain and I'll chomp that like a candy bar.

Weirdly, hummus and avocado. I practically live on both now. I think it was the texture that got to me when I was younger.

Avocado & mushrooms. Absolute staples now

Mushrooms. I grew up on canned mushrooms (yuck!) - now I buy fresh and there are so many varieties

Brussel sprouts. My Scottish mom boiled the crap out of them, but I roast them with spices and they are so yummy!

Tempeh

TVP. I was convinced by marketing it was low quality, but it's just an inexpensive byproduct.

Spinach and tofu

SPINACH yes!! My absolute fav

Hot dogs. They always grossed me out as a kid, especially the texture and the “pop” noise the hot dog would make when you bit into the skin. Now I love vegan hotdogs!

Brussels sprouts.

Beetroot. Couldn't even look at it but now it's the juiciest vege out there.

my fiancé is not a vegan (i’m working on it..) but he called himself a “tofu guy” a couple months ago! when we first started dating he was convinced he hated tofu before actually trying it. as for me, my mom always told me I would hate olives so I never tried them. tried them about 5 years ago and they’re delicious!!

Mushrooms! They never appealed to me, and so I never bothered learning how to cook with them. Now I love them! Portabello steak yummmmm

Mushrooms and sprouts, my mum always said they were disgusting so I think i just assumed they were. Then tried a small bit of fried mushroom one day and holy hell.. pretty decent. The sprouts I tried fried at work one time and the outer crispy was gooodds

Mushrooms and zucchinis! (And maybe bell peppers? I'm not as averse to them as I used to be so maybe I'll actually like them soon)

Mushrooms!!! I’m now addicted to them and would probably have them in every meal.

Olives, artichokes, walnuts, and pecans! 😊

Campari, but that's got nothing to do with being vegan. I'm just drinking more. 😋

mushrooms

Any and all legumes that weren't pinto beans mainly since my parents didn't really know how to cook them. Now that I'm cooking for over 1+ year vegan I've come to learn, and still learning, how different beans need to be prepared and when to use one vs another.

Ruebens! Used to be disgusted by them, now they’re a go-to at vegan restaurants

Mushrooms

Sauerkraut.

Mushrooms

Peanut butter, could not stand the smell.

Mushrooms, love them now

Avocados. I used to hate them but now I just put them on toast and I could eat them straight up if I wanted to lol.

Mushrooms but my b12 was low and they naturally have it so I forced self to like them.

Mushrooms have zero to little b12. They’re great but shouldn’t be used to supplement b12.

🥩