10 food hacks that made gross foods into delicious meals
Parents, here are tips that can help you get your picky kids to eat healthier
Writer’s note on May 8, 2025: The paywall has been removed from this post. Free subscribers, please test out some of these suggestions, especially the recommended Crispy Oven Fried Garlic Mushrooms that I made (and demolished) today. (If you’re interested in reading more top 10-, 15- and 20 lists for your home upgrades, home offices, tech shopping and everyday living, click here. If you’re a pet lover, you may enjoy this collection as well.)
Original publication date: March 17, 2025
Recently, I listened to a couple of family members discuss raising chickens in their backyard due to the egg shortage. I laughed, thinking of how one of them (who is built like D’Angelo when he sang “Brown Sugar”) scurries away when he sees a mouse. How in the hell was he going to even touch a chicken, never mind raise any? Still, his wife is weirdly into animals, and she was the one who came over to rescue me and my parents from a questionably dead squirrel that fell down the attic steps.
While our imaginations ran wild and none of us had the heart to use a BB gun (even though I know how to properly shoot, the animal-cruelty voice in my head kept lecturing me to not even think about it), she grabbed a dustpan and a small broom. Propping the attic door open to make sure it really was dead, she scooped up the squirrel like a puppy and marched to the dumpster outside. If there’s anyone I know who can raise chickens, it’s her.
Recommended Read: “The best time to try egg substitutes is now ~ Post-COVID, egg prices get higher and Dollar Tree stops selling them”
Still, egg shortage or not, I want nothing to do with chickens and don’t like eggs. As a kid, I never could tolerate the smell of scrambling eggs. Whenever I got a whiff, I’d step outside or open a window. Additionally, egg whites looked like (PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS NEXT LINE IF YOU ARE EATING) saliva to me.
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As a kid, my mother thought I was being stubborn and refused to let me leave the table without eating my breakfast. I ate the scrambled yolk part and left the whites. She insisted that I take a bite of the egg whites, and my head was hanging in the porcelain within seconds. After that, she realized I was serious and left me alone.
To her own surprise, I could psych myself out when it came to boiled eggs. Sprinkle red pepper and lemon pepper on both halves, and I’d do the Happy Dance in my Easter dress. Slice that boiled egg in between two buttered pieces of toast and bacon (I wasn’t a vegetarian until college), and I could do the Electric Slide in between bites. It’s the exact same food, just prepared differently.
By the time I learned about vegan egg substitutes that are already yellow, I was sold and easily started making vegan eggs a staple in my breakfast. And, yes, you may catch me doing a happy food dance.
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And that’s one of many reasons it was easier for me to transition into eating healthier foods, vegetarian dishes and vegan dishes. In my 20s, I knew it was mind over matter. If I could just figure out how to make fiber-rich and vitamin-rich foods look good, I could make myself eat them more often.
10 food hacks for picky eaters who think healthy food looks gross
Here are 10 food hacks to make food taste good that looks gross — from a picky-eating kid who became a picky-eating adult (and a 20-year vegetarian). Let’s cook!
1. Oatmeal
I used to watch “Oliver Twist” all the time when I was a kid, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around why anybody ate oatmeal. First, it looks like somebody ate it already. Second, it has no real texture. Third, it always made me want to mimic that adorable little white boy in the movie and go, “Please, sir, I want some more” followed by shouting “Mooooooooooooooore?!”
Food hack: This loathing for oatmeal lasted for four decades. I tried multiple times to eat it again and cringed watching anybody else do it. It just wasn’t going to happen. That is, until I ran out of blueberries for a banana and blueberry morning smoothie. I had these freebie packs of oatmeal in the back of my kitchen cabinet, one of which was a blueberries-and-creme oatmeal combination. I shook that dry mix into my blender, and I was amazed at how good it was. I didn’t even buy more blueberries for the rest of that week. I just kept using those fruit oatmeal packs with a banana and almond milk (or water) and then got more oatmeal when I was done. I tried again to eat hot oatmeal and actually liked it. Like eggs, once I got past the look of it, I realized the taste is good.
Oatmeal nutrition facts:
Calories: ~140
Protein: ~5g
Carbohydrates: ~28g
Dietary Fiber: ~4g
Fat: ~2.5g (mostly unsaturated fats)
Sugars: 0g (naturally low in sugar)
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2. Brussels Sprouts
I didn’t have an issue with brussels sprouts. However, my grandfather dogged them out so much that he made me not like them. He used to have to eat them all the time as a kid and grew up detesting them. I just thought they looked like miniature cabbages.
Food hack: I went home one day and made them on my own. I still don’t know why I did this, but I squirted a little lemon juice in the bottom of a bowl along with black pepper, dipped a brussels sprout in the bowl, and then demolished a whole container of them. Yum! I also like it in salad bags, mainly Mann’s Power Blend®. Later, I found our balsamic vinegar, specifically strawberry glaze balsamic vinegar, is a tasty topping too.
Brussels sprouts nutrition facts:
Calories: ~56
Protein: ~4g
Carbohydrates: ~11g
Dietary Fiber: ~4g
Fat: ~0.8g (mostly unsaturated fats)
Sugars: ~2.7g
Vitamins and Minerals: High in vitamin K (219 mcg, ~274% of the daily value) and vitamin C (97 mg, ~108% of the daily value).
3. Tofu
The first time I tasted tofu, I was at an Asian food restaurant with a prior boss and a few team members. My then-boss, who is not a vegetarian, was munching away on a tofu dish. She knew I was a vegetarian and motioned for me to try it. This sista looked so impressed by the bean curds, and I assumed I would love it. Wrong. I grimaced and said, “This tastes like unsweetened marshmallows.” She busted out laughing and squeezed my arm.
Food hack: One thing omnivores and new vegetarians don’t always understand is tofu is no different than cooking chicken. If you don’t do anything to it and try to eat it plain, you’re going to end up with a bland meal. Seasoning and marinating matter as much as baking, BBQing or frying both foods in a wok. And tofu must have the water pressed out first for the exact same reasons you wouldn’t boil vegetables and drink the boiled water. Tofu is not meant to stay watery when you cook it.
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Whether you use a tofu presser, paper towels or a clean, microfiber towel, it must be drained of all water first. And if you’re going for a tougher texture, choose firm or extra firm tofu, not silken tofu (the latter of which is used for eggs and baking).
Tofu nutrition facts:
Calories: ~94
Protein: ~10g
Carbohydrates: ~2g
Fat: ~5g (mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fats)
Dietary Fiber: ~1g
Calcium: ~253 mg (~19% of the daily value)
Iron: ~1.8 mg (~10% of the daily value)
Magnesium: ~37 mg (~9% of the daily value)
4. Jackfruit
This tropical fruit resembles pulled pork and looks amazing in a sandwich. I tried a jackfruit sandwich at a vegan festival, and it was one of the worst sandwiches I’d ever had in my ongoing efforts to go vegan.
Food hack: I paid for a Surprise Bag of Too Good To Go, and I received a platter of soul vegan food. I waited until I arrived home to eat it. I was so skeptical of the vegan meat choice that I called the restaurant and asked if they gave me the wrong plant-based Surprise Bag. The owner remembered me, and she said, “No, that’s jackfruit.” My jaw dropped. I told her she definitely “made a liar out of me” the next time I say I don’t like jackfruit. I’ve had a few versions of jackfruit since then and realized jackfruit is actually pretty delicious when it’s seasoned well — especially grilled jackfruit.
Jackfruit nutrition facts:
Calories: ~155
Protein: ~2.8g
Carbohydrates: ~39.6g (including ~31.5g of natural sugars)
Dietary Fiber: ~2.6g
Fat: ~0.5g (very low in fat)
Vitamin C: ~11mg (~18% of the daily value)
Potassium: ~739mg (~21% of the daily value)
Magnesium: ~48mg (~12% of the daily value)
Recommended Read: “Dubai chocolate and matcha latte have been trending for months, but are they worth the hype? ~ Making Dubai chocolate and matcha latte at home for your guests”
5. Grape Leaves
I just didn’t see the point of grape leaves. Vegetarians (read: me) can quickly tap out on eating a bunch of different leafy vegetables. One person can have only so many salads.
Food hack: I volunteered to paint a school with a prior co-worker. After we left the school, she invited me to her home to hang out for a bit and she had Dolmas in her fridge. Nothing about those things looks appetizing, but I was pleasantly surprised at how scrumptious those sour little rolls were. I tried to make them on my own for Mother’s Day, and my poor mother tried to humor my meal. (She kept suggesting takeout though.) She gave up and just separated everything to eat it separately. I didn’t make her try it twice nor did I ever try to make non-store-bought Dolmas again. We did end up going to a restaurant for our next meal, and I still buy them at Whole Foods Market on occasion.
Dolmas nutrition facts:
Calories: ~80
Protein: ~1g
Carbohydrates: ~10g
Dietary Fiber: ~1g
Fat: ~4g (mostly from olive oil, if used)
Sodium: ~350mg
Vitamins and Minerals: Contains small amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron
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6. Edamame
Nothing about them used to look appetizing on a menu, so I ignored them. I wasn’t opposed to them. I just had zero interest in tasting them.
Food hack: I went to a restaurant where they were served as an appetizer with salt on top. Considering I don’t much like anything but Morton Lite Salt, that was two times the fail. But I tried one and then another, and I realized these things are like eating chips. I asked for my own appetizer and haven’t been to a Thai or Japanese restaurant without buying them ever since. Whether I eat them plain, with salt, Cajun spiced edamame or boiled from a freezer bag, I love all of these versions.
Edamame nutrition facts:
Calories: ~190
Protein: ~18g
Carbohydrates: ~8g
Dietary Fiber: ~8g
Fat: ~8g (mostly healthy unsaturated fats)
Iron: ~3.5mg (~19% of the daily value)
Calcium: ~100mg (~8% of the daily value)
Folate: ~482mcg (~121% of the daily value)
Vitamin C: ~9mg (~15% of the daily value)
Magnesium: ~99mg (~25% of the daily value)
7. Pineapples
I just didn’t see the point of putting them on anything, from pizza to salad. They’re yellow. They’re too sweet. And I hate when they’re in the way of watermelon in fruit salad. (Same goes for green melon and cantaloupe, which I’m still not a fan of. Every time I see all that other fruit blocking delicious watermelon, my response is “Who put this loser fruit in here?”)
Food hack: I had Thai fried rice with tofu and pineapples at Little Wok in Evanston, Illinois, and my eyes lit up. The sweet and tangy taste blends well with the rest of the tofu vegetable fried rice ingredients. (Some restaurants call it Hawaiian fried rice. I have had Hawaiian fried rice in Maui, but I don’t remember it. I was too busy guzzling down their homegrown coffee, chocolate and fresh calamari.)
Pineapple nutrition facts:
Calories: ~82
Protein: ~0.9g
Carbohydrates: ~22g (including ~16g of natural sugars)
Dietary Fiber: ~2.3g
Fat: ~0.2g
Vitamin C: ~79mg (~88% of the daily value)
Manganese: ~0.9mg (~45% of the daily value)
Other Nutrients: Contains small amounts of vitamin B6, copper, potassium and magnesium
8. Mushrooms
The entire time I was an omnivore, I would push spaghetti, pizza and pasta to the side if someone ruined it by putting mushrooms inside.
Food hack: I’ve been a vegetarian for approximately 20 years, and it wasn’t until the last two years or so that I finally figured out that mushrooms actually are a very good meat substitute. My mind was blown to find out that oyster mushrooms take on a similar meal as fried chicken. I made this Yeung Man Cooking oyster mushroom recipe multiple times, and it was a hit. But you have to be very precise about the amount of flour included or it’ll have chewy batter. Once I mastered fried oyster mushrooms, then I started making all kinds of mushroom recipes.
Beauty & the Foodie has a recipe for Crispy Oven Fried Garlic Mushrooms that was even better than the fried mushrooms I’d occasionally buy from Harold’s Chicken in Chicago. As I’ve done with my Round-To-It recipes, I did make a few tweaks. I used applesauce instead of one large egg, skipped the margarine (accidentally) and used flaxseed instead of sunflower seeds. The result? Amazing. Crunchy. Same vibe as fried chicken. And baking them instead of frying mushrooms in a wok or pan avoids that chewy batter problem mentioned above.
Apparently, opening my mind to something other than processed vegan meat made me finally like mushrooms. Now, I prefer mushrooms over anything in the frozen vegan meat aisle.
Oyster mushroom nutrition facts:
Calories: 28
Protein: 2.9–3 grams
Carbohydrates: 5–6 grams
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Fat: Less than 1 gram
Vitamins: Rich in niacin (Vitamin B3), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
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9. Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
I don’t recall when I first had them. They were one of those legumes that was always around, but I only ever paid attention to it in hummus and falafels. And I don’t like Indian cuisine enough to eat them regularly.
Food hack: Seafood was my biggest plant-only-based struggle. I keep calling myself a vegetarian, but I leaned more toward pescatarian in the earlier years because I still ate the occasional Filet o’ Fish. I still miss tuna, too, although I cannot eat any other type of seafood without getting ill. To my absolute surprise, I found out vegan mayo and garbanzo beans in a food processor take on the texture and taste of tuna salad. Any time I have a craving for tuna — and am jealous of my dog who has a spoonful of it a few times a week — I soak chickpeas and enjoy a sandwich.
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) nutrition facts:
Calories: 269
Protein: 14.5 grams
Fat: 4.25 grams (mostly healthy unsaturated fats)
Carbohydrates: 45 grams
Dietary Fiber: 12.5 grams
Vitamins: High in folate (282 micrograms, about 71% of the daily value), Vitamin B6, and thiamine.
Minerals: Rich in iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and zinc
10. Cashews
I’ve seen people demolish mixed nuts, and I just don’t get it. The only ones I like(d) are pecans, unsalted peanuts and sunflower seeds. I tried walnut meat, and it’s overrated. And nothing about pistachios or cashews impressed me. They’re just salty.
Food hack: I got tired of spending $7-$9 for 10 slices of vegan cheese and kept hearing about vegan cashew cheese. Walgreens always had unsalted cashew bags on sale. I already had nutritional yeast for a recipe I long ago abandoned and then for popcorn after a co-worker told me how good it was on air-popped popcorn. The Brown Vegan podcast kept bringing cashew cheese up, along with other channels I enjoy (Yeung Man Cooking and Nard Dog Cooks), and I finally gave it a go. From that point forward, and for about a year, I never let my refrigerator be free of cashew cheese. I don’t eat it as much in 2025 as I did in 2024, but it’s still just as good.
Cashews nutrition facts:
Calories: 157
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 12 grams (mostly healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats)
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Dietary Fiber: ~1g
Minerals: Rich in magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese
Vitamins: Good source of Vitamin K and small amounts of B vitamins
Thinking of these 10 food staples in my fridge made me wonder how I ever survived without them. Here’s hoping your picky-eating adult guests and children can find some joy in eating these too. Good luck!
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the now-weekly paid posts each Friday (as of March 16, 2025). Thanks for reading!