My 67-year-old father likes only three vegetables: raw carrots, a pile of iceberg lettuce and corn on the cob slathered with butter.

While he recognizes that vegetables are packed with nutrients and was regularly exposed to them as a child, he doesnt wish that he liked more of them. His distaste seems more related to texture than taste, since he thinks they dont taste like anything, he told me recently.

Like my dad, about 90% of American adults dont eat the recommended 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Depending on age, children should have 1 to 3 cups of vegetables a day , but most are not getting enough .

With so many people lacking vegetables in their diets, we asked experts whether people can train themselves to like them or at least to eat more of them and how they can teach their kids to love vegetables.

To many, fresh vegetables arent affordable or sustainable

Cynthia Stadd , a holistic nutrition professional in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in food relationships and eating psychology, attributes the absence of vegetables in so many diets to the accessibility of the produce and busy schedules preventing people from eating healthier.

What I hear most people say is, I know I should be eating more vegetables. Im totally open to it. I want to. I just dont know how to get them in. I dont have time to buy them. I dont have time to prep them. I dont have time to cook them, Stadd told HuffPost.

Many Americans, especially in low-income areas, lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables . Jill Patterson , a Connecticut-based registered dietitian nutritionist and consultant specializing in school nutrition and employee wellness programs, said many of her clients tell her they dont keep fresh vegetables on hand because they spoil too quickly.

She said one solution is canned or frozen vegetables, the latter of which are just as nutrient-rich as fresh and have a longer shelf life.

Vegetable avoidance can also be genetic or psychological

Genetics could predetermine a dislike for vegetables, Patterson told HuffPost. People with supertaster genes , estimated to be about 25% of the population , have more taste buds and experience stronger taste sensations, especially related to bitterness. Supertasters tend to be picky eaters and averse to many vegetables, like spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.