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July 15, 2025 17 mins

Welcome to the "You’re Not Gonna Make It" podcast, where I discuss topics that make you feel like humanity’s not gonna make it.

This episode: Don't disappoint Vegeta.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kevin Tejada: You. You know how it's a common thing to characterize children as thinking, (00:40):
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Kevin Tejada: oh my god, I don't like vegetables. (00:44):
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Kevin Tejada: You know, a lot of adults say that too. (00:46):
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Speaker2: And as you can imagine, it's not good. (00:49):
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Kevin Tejada: If you're dumb and avoid vegetables, you run the risk of having a higher chance (00:52):
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Kevin Tejada: of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, which is pretty crazy. (00:58):
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Kevin Tejada: Most adults don't get enough vegetables. You need about 2.5 to 3 cups per day. (01:05):
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Kevin Tejada: I fall short of that sometimes, but I know for damn sure you probably do. (01:11):
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Kevin Tejada: Every damn day. and it's kind of your fault but not necessarily entirely your fault. (01:17):
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Speaker2: In their vegetables if that makes sense and by that i mean that they weren't seasoned (01:29):
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Kevin Tejada: Because think about it a lot of kids they grow up not liking vegetables and (01:34):
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Kevin Tejada: why is that because their parents probably gave them just a fucking plate of (01:39):
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Kevin Tejada: steamed broccoli and said eat up and and they wonder why the kids think it's boring, (01:41):
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Kevin Tejada: Now, to be fair, this isn't the case for everyone, especially if you come from (01:46):
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Kevin Tejada: an immigrant background, (01:51):
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Kevin Tejada: from a country that has spice. (01:54):
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Kevin Tejada: You're not going to tell me eating vegetables at an Indian family's place is (01:57):
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Kevin Tejada: going to be nasty or boring. There's no way. (02:01):
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Kevin Tejada: So honestly, a lot of people dislike vegetables because they just think about, (02:05):
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Kevin Tejada: exists. It's called cooking. And another big reason a lot of adults don't like (02:13):
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Kevin Tejada: vegetables is because they're busy. (02:18):
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Kevin Tejada: I prefer my ultra-processed food. (02:20):
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Speaker2: I prefer takeout. (02:22):
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Kevin Tejada: And I say ultra-processed, not processed, because there's some good processed (02:24):
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Kevin Tejada: stuff you can have with vegetables. (02:28):
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Kevin Tejada: I know chickpeas aren't a vegetable, but cilantro is. And the falafel is basically (02:30):
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Kevin Tejada: a processed ball of good shit, so... (02:36):
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Kevin Tejada: The food being processed isn't the biggest issue. It's the ultra processed food (02:39):
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Kevin Tejada: because it's just a bunch of stuff with filler and whatever. It's barely food. (02:42):
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Kevin Tejada: But a lot of people prefer that for snacking instead of vegetables. (02:48):
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Speaker2: And don't you dare (02:52):
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Kevin Tejada: Think about getting a salad from McDonald's or anything like that. (02:53):
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Kevin Tejada: That shit is pretty bad as well. (02:56):
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Speaker2: I (02:58):
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Kevin Tejada: Mean, nothing you can get. (02:59):
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Speaker2: Out of McDonald's is good for you anyway. (03:00):
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Kevin Tejada: But again, don't think you're getting out scot-free by ordering a salad. (03:03):
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Kevin Tejada: You're still eating shit at McDonald's there But who am I kidding anyway Whoever (03:08):
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Kevin Tejada: goes to McDonald's is not ordering a salad But you know the crazy thing is Talking (03:14):
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Kevin Tejada: about McDonald's and other fast food, (03:18):
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Kevin Tejada: They prove that most people do like vegetables Think about it Most burgers come (03:21):
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Kevin Tejada: with lettuce and stuff like that, right? (03:27):
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Speaker2: You never hear (03:30):
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Kevin Tejada: About anyone taking the lettuce out of their burger, right? I mean if you have, (03:32):
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Kevin Tejada: that'd be fucking crazy My point is the lettuce is not the problem You just (03:36):
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Kevin Tejada: need other stuff That tastes good to go with it If you don't particularly like (03:40):
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Kevin Tejada: lettuce But the lettuce is not the problem, (03:45):
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Kevin Tejada: You're fine eating that You just want some flavor So you're getting closer You (03:47):
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Kevin Tejada: understand vegetables are good Just gotta eat it with other stuff that you think (03:53):
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Kevin Tejada: is good And if you have heard of someone taking out the lettuce From a burger (03:56):
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Kevin Tejada: I think they might be too far gone to be honest, (04:00):
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Kevin Tejada: That's fuck behavior But yeah, you're gambling every time you get takeout and get vegetables. (04:05):
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Kevin Tejada: Like if you order Chinese food, you know, chicken and broccoli. (04:11):
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Speaker2: Pretty sure the broccoli is like covered in (04:14):
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Kevin Tejada: MSG and stuff like that. You're eating it with a bunch of probably fucked up chicken. (04:15):
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Kevin Tejada: So it's not the best way to take in vegetables. (04:22):
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Kevin Tejada: Now, let me play devil's advocate. (04:25):
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Kevin Tejada: Let's say someone says vegetables are bitter and bland. I just can't get past the flavor. Cook, (04:27):
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Kevin Tejada: get the same exact nutrients, then, I mean, I guess that's the point of food to nourish your body. (04:42):
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Kevin Tejada: So if you can get that elsewhere, the exact ones might be challenging. (04:48):
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Kevin Tejada: But, you know, that's somewhat fair. (04:52):
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Kevin Tejada: Vegetables are too expensive or spoiled too quickly. (04:55):
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Kevin Tejada: Cooking vegetables is too much work and takes too much time. (05:16):
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Kevin Tejada: Yeah, I know what to tell you, man. (05:20):
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Kevin Tejada: Get some frozen vegetables and just thaw them out and eat them or something. (05:21):
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Kevin Tejada: Vegetables don't take long to cook in any way. So what you're telling me is (05:28):
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Kevin Tejada: that you don't cook at all, which is a completely separate problem. (05:32):
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Kevin Tejada: There are plenty of healthy people who don't eat vegetables. Maybe, (05:35):
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Kevin Tejada: bile salts inside of you, and it gets rid of a lot of bile salts. (06:19):
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Kevin Tejada: And for your body to create more bile, it needs to kind of use up cholesterol, (06:23):
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Kevin Tejada: which means it needs to get rid of it in that way, in that sense. It's used up. So fiber is. (06:27):
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Speaker2: Pretty helpful for lowering (06:33):
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Kevin Tejada: Some cholesterol. And in case you didn't catch that, most vegetables are full (06:35):
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Kevin Tejada: of lots and lots of fiber. (06:41):
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Kevin Tejada: This stat here says diets low in vegetables are (06:44):
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Kevin Tejada: linked to almost 3 million deaths around the (06:48):
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Kevin Tejada: world per year according to the global (06:51):
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Kevin Tejada: burden of disease study i don't know how the fuck they came to that conclusion (06:54):
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Kevin Tejada: say this person died oh they didn't have enough broccoli i don't know how they (06:59):
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Kevin Tejada: got that but sure people who regularly eat vegetables are 40 less likely to (07:03):
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Kevin Tejada: become obese compared to those who rarely eat them. (07:09):
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Kevin Tejada: And that makes sense because vegetables are full of fiber, super low calorie. (07:11):
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Kevin Tejada: So not only are they filling, but they don't take up a lot of your calorie budget (07:17):
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Kevin Tejada: compared to someone who eats a lot of, let's say, ultra processed food, (07:21):
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Kevin Tejada: which is high calorie, not filling, which. (07:24):
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Speaker2: Means they want to eat more. If you eat more vegetables, you will get fuller, faster. (07:28):
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Kevin Tejada: You'll feel satiated. So that makes sense. People who eat less are not as fat. (07:33):
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Kevin Tejada: 90% of Americans don't meet daily fiber recommendations, a lot of which come from vegetables. (07:40):
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Speaker2: Like I said. (07:46):
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Kevin Tejada: 90% is absolutely insane. I had a friend who recommended these tortillas. (07:47):
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Kevin Tejada: They're from this company, (07:52):
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Kevin Tejada: net carb, like zero net carb tortillas or something. I don't know. (07:56):
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Kevin Tejada: Or low net carb, whatever. Look up some mission tortillas. (08:03):
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Speaker2: Turn them over (08:07):
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Kevin Tejada: And look at the fiber. Some of them are like 97% of what you need per day, (08:08):
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Kevin Tejada: you know, depending on your weight and height and all that stuff. (08:15):
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Kevin Tejada: I've even seen one that's like 107%. So basically you eat one of these tortillas (08:18):
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Kevin Tejada: and you're basically good with fiber for the day. (08:22):
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Kevin Tejada: If you eat two, your shits will be golden. (08:26):
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Kevin Tejada: So if you're not going to eat vegetables, at the very least, (08:29):
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Kevin Tejada: is exposed to seven times more junk food ads than fruit or vegetable ads. (08:41):
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Kevin Tejada: I think the number is kind of low because I don't think I've ever seen a fruit (08:47):
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Kevin Tejada: ad before. A vegetable ad. (08:50):
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Kevin Tejada: Maybe I think I've seen a commercial for corn. (08:53):
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Speaker2: Maybe. (08:56):
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Kevin Tejada: Yeah, I don't know. That makes sense, I guess. You can have a lot more fun in (08:57):
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Kevin Tejada: the commercials with a junk food ad. (09:00):
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Kevin Tejada: They got these weird colors, probably a stupid name, with a vegetable ad. (09:02):
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Speaker2: I don't know what you're supposed to do with that. (09:06):
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Kevin Tejada: I don't think I've ever seen one. This next stat goes back to a previous episode about school lunches. (09:10):
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Kevin Tejada: Only 7% of them served in, you guessed it, the United States meet the federal (09:15):
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Kevin Tejada: standards for vegetables, which means the vast majority of food that your kids (09:22):
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Kevin Tejada: are eating, they got like no vegetables. (09:27):
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Kevin Tejada: They got like 5% vegetables. They got a piece of broccoli in there. (09:30):
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Kevin Tejada: Let's go back to fiber. People who don't like vegetables are two and a half (09:34):
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Kevin Tejada: times more likely to have digestive issues due to basically low fiber. (09:39):
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Speaker1: Is interesting and makes a lot of sense. (09:46):
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Kevin Tejada: 38% of adults say they don't like vegetables because they don't know how to (09:48):
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Kevin Tejada: prepare them in a tasty way. (09:52):
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Kevin Tejada: So that tells me about 40% of people don't know how to season food or maybe (09:54):
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Kevin Tejada: even cook, which again is a totally separate, bigger problem. (09:57):
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Kevin Tejada: The cost of not eating enough vegetables is estimated, (10:02):
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Kevin Tejada: found in vegetables. You can figure that out probably, right? (10:22):
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Kevin Tejada: Lost productivity. What the fuck are you talking about? (10:25):
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Kevin Tejada: Are they comparing the cases of people in the hospital for, you know, low vegetable intake. (10:28):
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Speaker2: Low fiber, whatever, to simultaneous low productivity (10:33):
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Kevin Tejada: Digestion within two weeks two weeks that makes sense again all that fiber and (10:50):
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Kevin Tejada: those nutrients so if you're getting the point right now if you don't eat vegetables (10:56):
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Kevin Tejada: your body is missing out on a shit ton and you're missing out on a shit ton (11:00):
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Kevin Tejada: by not having a lot of fiber and if you're thinking i'm gonna be healthy anyway am going to supplement. (11:04):
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Kevin Tejada: Listen, if you don't, you can't eat a fucking cup of broccoli or some spinach (11:09):
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Kevin Tejada: or something, you're not going to care enough to supplement. Don't kid yourself. (11:13):
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Speaker2: Honestly, if you're trying to lose weight, vegetables are fucking awesome. (11:17):
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Speaker2: Like I mentioned before, they're super (11:21):
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Kevin Tejada: And they fill you up more than a lot of other stuff. (11:23):
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Kevin Tejada: There's not really such a thing as zero calorie eating or snacking, (11:28):
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Kevin Tejada: but vegetables are really close so if you're one of those people you know they (11:32):
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Kevin Tejada: didn't like vegetables if you're a baby basically here's some uh here's some tips i'll, (11:37):
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Kevin Tejada: what i do for a lot of vegetables, (11:44):
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Kevin Tejada: now ideally you want to eat vegetables raw if (11:47):
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Kevin Tejada: you can because if you cook them they lose some of their their goodness not (11:50):
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Kevin Tejada: in taste but in terms of nutrients not not a crazy amount but it's it's better (11:54):
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Kevin Tejada: raw but you know eating vegetables period is just better than not so what i (11:59):
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Kevin Tejada: do is normally when i cook eggs or something like that are mushrooms vegetables i'm gonna assume. (12:04):
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Kevin Tejada: Mix together I either scramble them Make an omelette, whatever And then the (12:23):
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Kevin Tejada: spinach and mushrooms They're built in to the eggs And before that I also put (12:29):
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Kevin Tejada: on Some salt, some seasoning Oregano's fucking great with mushrooms, (12:34):
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Kevin Tejada: And then yeah I mean it's great I don't know, (12:39):
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Kevin Tejada: vegetables usually. Now, what you can also do is if you have like, (12:47):
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Kevin Tejada: let's say you're a person who likes protein shakes or meal replacements or something (12:51):
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Kevin Tejada: like that, put some vegetables in there. You're basically not going to taste them. (12:54):
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Kevin Tejada: Depending how strong the other stuff is, you're not going to taste the vegetables. (13:00):
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Kevin Tejada: Just put some fucking kale, put some fucking broccoli in there. (13:03):
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Kevin Tejada: You're not going to taste it. Just put it in. (13:06):
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Kevin Tejada: Another vegetable I like is the baby carrot. (13:08):
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Kevin Tejada: That's something I use to snack on mindlessly now I've discovered I've lost (13:13):
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Kevin Tejada: a lot of you know I've lost 100 pounds I lost a lot of weight I've I'm in very (13:19):
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Kevin Tejada: decent control of my intake. (13:23):
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Speaker2: But what I found (13:25):
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Kevin Tejada: Is that I'm just a person who fucking likes snacking I just (13:27):
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Kevin Tejada: like it so instead of removing a bunch (13:30):
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Kevin Tejada: of snacks from home and making myself miserable I (13:33):
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Kevin Tejada: just swap out snacks with baby carrots and other (13:36):
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Kevin Tejada: things of course but baby carrots are fucking awesome first of (13:39):
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Kevin Tejada: all i like them by themselves i can take a bag (13:42):
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Kevin Tejada: of baby carrots just eat that while i'm reading and i'm good i (13:45):
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Kevin Tejada: don't need anything else but what you (13:48):
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Kevin Tejada: can do is get some dip there's a there's a cool dip called bitchin sauce i would (13:51):
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Kevin Tejada: look into it's really good you take the carrot and you bite it a bit not like (13:56):
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Kevin Tejada: it's a baby carrot so small so you got to be careful just bite it right in the (14:01):
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Kevin Tejada: middle and you basically create a carrot scoop at that point and. (14:04):
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Speaker2: Then you can (14:09):
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Kevin Tejada: Use it with the dip or whatever it is, (14:09):
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Kevin Tejada: sauce it becomes not a mindless snack anymore but (14:13):
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Kevin Tejada: baby cares by themselves it's like three calories (14:16):
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Kevin Tejada: per baby care so you can go fucking wild with (14:19):
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Kevin Tejada: that i mean you should still track them but if you don't (14:23):
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Kevin Tejada: want to you're not going to do much damage at all a huge ass (14:25):
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Kevin Tejada: bag is going to be like 300 calories tops which is what five oreos so you know (14:28):
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Kevin Tejada: pretty good pretty good bang for buck honestly another tip get frozen vegetables (14:35):
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Kevin Tejada: i know some people might say oh it's dog shit compared to getting them fresh (14:40):
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Kevin Tejada: and keeping in your fridge and eating them today or tomorrow. (14:43):
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Speaker2: Yeah that's ideal but we're (14:46):
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Kevin Tejada: Talking you know comparing to zero intake so (14:49):
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Kevin Tejada: just get your fucking frozen vegetables if you want it's totally fine you have (14:52):
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Kevin Tejada: an air fryer put them in there for like five minutes you're good you have basically (14:56):
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Kevin Tejada: steamed vegetables not steamed but you know what I mean you have good to go (15:01):
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Kevin Tejada: vegetables five six minutes at 400 degrees honestly. (15:05):
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Speaker2: If a lot of (15:10):
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Kevin Tejada: Vegetables are kind of bitter or boring to you get the ones that have a bunch (15:11):
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Kevin Tejada: of flavor get some peppers get some peas or something like you can't just say (15:14):
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Kevin Tejada: i don't like vegetables after, (15:19):
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Kevin Tejada: talking about there's a million kinds of fruit you like one of them and tomatoes (15:23):
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Kevin Tejada: are fruits if you like ketchup you like fruit thinking. (15:28):
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Speaker2: About it isn't ketchup (15:31):
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Kevin Tejada: Like tomato pudding basically because it's it's just like in that form and it's (15:31):
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Kevin Tejada: with added sugar Right It's a. (15:36):
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Speaker2: Fucking gross term Tomato pudding (15:39):
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Kevin Tejada: Anyway And honestly the biggest tip with vegetables Is don't eat them by themselves, (15:42):
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Kevin Tejada: Like I gave you my first example Eat them with something As an addition To supplement (15:47):
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Kevin Tejada: your food As a side Whatever it is, (15:53):
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Kevin Tejada: You're just eating vegetables Sure it can. (15:56):
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Speaker2: Be boring You know (15:58):
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Kevin Tejada: Unless you really love salad But. (16:00):
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Speaker1: A decent seasoning. (16:03):
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Kevin Tejada: I mean, a decent dressing can be pretty good. But in general, (16:04):
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Kevin Tejada: vegetables are a great addition to a meal. (16:08):
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Kevin Tejada: I would recommend that. It's much easier to get in as well. (16:10):
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Kevin Tejada: Eating some food you like on the side, take a broccoli, eat some food on the (16:13):
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Kevin Tejada: side, you have a baby care, whatever. I'm just back and forth. It's easy. (16:17):
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Kevin Tejada: Like I said, if you don't like the form, put it in a smoothie or something, (16:22):
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Kevin Tejada: make it into sauce or something puree, change the form, choose a different. (16:25):
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Speaker2: Kind of vegetable. Like you can get these in so many ways. (16:30):
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Kevin Tejada: You can probably live without vegetables, but not as well. (16:34):
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Kevin Tejada: You can supplement, but there's a combo of fiber, certain nutrients, (16:37):
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Kevin Tejada: certain antioxidants that you can kind of only get in vegetables. (16:43):
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Kevin Tejada: So they're just good bang for buck. You can supplement all you want, (16:47):
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Kevin Tejada: but you're going to need to eat that fucking spinach at some point. (16:51):
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Kevin Tejada: And honestly, spinach is great. Put some salt on that, put it on the pan. (16:54):
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Kevin Tejada: It's fucking nice, man. Put in your pasta. Oh, my God. (16:58):
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Kevin Tejada: And by the way, over time You may grow to really like vegetables And over time, (17:02):
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Kevin Tejada: that might happen From not even eating vegetables themselves When I was a kid, (17:07):
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Kevin Tejada: I remember liking carrots And then when I became a teenager I'm like. (17:11):
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Speaker2: I really don't like carrots Now, I'm old as shit, past 30 I fucking love carrots Over time, (17:15):
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Kevin Tejada: Your tongue and all that stuff Your body changes a bit So if you didn't like (17:22):
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Kevin Tejada: vegetables when you were a kid Time to grow up and try it out. (17:26):
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Speaker2: Because you might love them (17:29):
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Kevin Tejada: If you don't love those, try different vegetables You know, even though I'm (17:31):
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Kevin Tejada: not heated during this episode I feel like it's my most preachy one yet Because (17:35):
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Kevin Tejada: I'm basically just telling you probably what your parents told you, (17:39):
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Kevin Tejada: But here's the thing Most of you haven't fucking listened So I'm telling you (17:43):
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Kevin Tejada: now Eat your fucking vegetables, (17:47):
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Kevin Tejada: If you don't, you're probably not going to make it Anyway, see you next time. (17:50):
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