Love vegetables, hate bug checking

amother

Thu, May 06 2021, 9:55 am

Does anyone else have this problem?

I have no problem eating vegetables. I love vegetables!

But I hate bug checking. I'm farsighted so I can't see bugs very well, I need strong light and glasses. I live OOT so bodek etc isn't easily available, I also don't like eating blended or smooshed up vegetables.

I love brocolli, asparagus, spinach, all the vegetables that are so great for you nutritionally but supposedly bad for you halachically.

And it kind of makes me mad because I have no taavah for bugs, I have no desire to eat bugs, I get no pleasure from bugs, I just want to eat healthy! So why does halacha make it so complicated?

Should I just give up and eat junk?

amother

Vermilion

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:47 am

Peppers, cucumbers, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, some hold cabbage doesn’t need checking, avocado, spaghetti squash, mushrooms if cleaned properly

Have you tried doing shamatah bedika

amother

Mustard

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:48 am

I'm with you also. I'm very overweight and I would love to eat Brussels sprouts and fresh artichokes (I miss those!) but nope. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find kosher frozen Brussels sprouts even though I also live OOT - we have one great store here that sells stuff like that - but fresh artichokes are a no-no. I do have good eyesight up close and can see bugs, but the process of checking is so exhausting and time-consuming (and you really can't check a fresh artichoke - they are way too infested) that I'd rather just not bother with most veggies. I don't see a quick and easy solution to this problem anytime soon.

amother

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:52 am

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Peppers, cucumbers, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, some hold cabbage doesn’t need checking, avocado, spaghetti squash, mushrooms if cleaned properly

Have you tried doing shamatah bedika

I eat all these vegetables already.
But the idea is to eat the vegetables that you enjoy and find appealing. To tell me that not only I can't eat junk food but also 75% of vegetables are off limits too just makes it much harder to stick to a healthy diet.

amother

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:54 am

amother [ Mustard ] wrote:

Maybe if rabbonim realize that severe obesity and diabetes are literally sakonas nefoshos they would find ways to mattir eating vegetables.

I feel that some hashgachos are overzealous in finding more and more ways to restrict vegetables to show how frum they are. They should be looking for every heter in the books to encourage people to eat healthier.

amother

Mustard

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:55 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

This! I couldn't find a good way to say it but you just did. I agree 1000%.

ra_mom

Thu, May 06 2021, 11:59 am

I feel you! Any way you can simplify things for yourself? Even without a hechsher, Fresh Express baby spinach is clean so checking their package for bugs is SO much simpler. Asparagus can be peeled and then checking isn't necessary so even if it's not as fancy, it still is a great way to eat it. Broccoli is easy if the heads looks clean and you're using the checking water method. The trouble arrises when you end up with a buggy head, but that can be thrown out (frustrating, I know). It IS hard. And I commiserate.