| I have been preparing my own meals for many years. | | | | lessen its pungent flavor, use more carrot to boost its |
| Like most people, I suppose, I would fix only familiar | | | | flavor and texture. Other salad ingredients can be nuts, |
| dishes. | | | | peanuts, coconut, cereal, baked beans, and fruit. |
| That has changed. For health benefits, I began eating | | | | Use small quantities of an untested food to begin with |
| more fruits and vegetables, including some that were | | | | until you know how well your body deals with it. The |
| unfamiliar. I tried many foods that were new to me, for | | | | body will adapt to some foods over a period of |
| example, whole grains, and various types of beans, | | | | weeks or months but results vary from food to food |
| seeds and nuts. Many of those became favorites. | | | | and, I suppose, from individual to individual. A couple of |
| I began to more often use unfamiliar ways to prepare | | | | years ago eating one spear of raw asparagus was |
| food. A few of my favorites are pesto (pureed | | | | more than I could tolerate. Now I can cut up an ounce |
| greens and oil), raw foods that are normally eaten | | | | of raw asparagus and add it to a salad without any |
| cooked, and unusual combinations such as bread with | | | | problem. Any food has limits; it's just that raw foods |
| peanut butter, covered with pizza sauce. Eating | | | | tend to have smaller limits and more immediate |
| became more interesting, more enjoyable, and more of | | | | penalties for exceeding the limits. |
| an adventure. | | | | To develop a liking for a new food, eat it at the |
| The circumstances of my life encouraged more | | | | beginning of a meal when you are most hungry. Being |
| changes. Making do with a small amount of money | | | | hungry greatly improves ones ability to appreciate the |
| gave me a liking for oatmeal, beans, and other very | | | | taste of a food. Eat only a small amount of the new |
| low-cost foods. Growing up on a farm and having a | | | | food at each sitting. For some foods, a tiny bite, just |
| garden each year provided new fruits and vegetables | | | | enough to sense its flavor, is enough to handle at first. |
| to try and enjoy. Having been raised to 'waste not, | | | | Don't give up easily on a food that at first seems too |
| want not', helped me not to pass up unusual foods: | | | | strange to be enjoyed. Some foods will require dozens |
| gifts such as my sister's 'beans 'n' greens', the | | | | of 'get acquainted' trials. |
| landlord's pierogies, and my son's homemade deer | | | | Other strategies for liking new foods: |
| jerky. The point is: The changes in my diet gave me | | | | - Read about nutrition and health to know the benefits |
| more foods to enjoy. I now know that I can like a | | | | of a changed diet. |
| great many unfamiliar foods. At first some of those | | | | - Make a decision to increase the pleasure in your life. |
| foods may not be enjoyed because they are so | | | | Your success in enjoying new foods will encourage |
| different and are unrecognized as a 'goody'. For me, | | | | you to try other kinds of new pleasures. |
| that recognition is typically made gradually by many | | | | Have reasons in mind to try unusual foods: |
| small trials. Once that recognition is made, the food 'hits | | | | - to be able to enjoy healthy foods. |
| the spot' and can be nutritious, healthy and convenient. | | | | - to enjoy low-prep-time foods. |
| Then I have yet another food to enjoy. | | | | - to use what you can grow in your garden. |
| The process of trying new foods and having them | | | | - for the satisfaction of acquiring new pleasures. |
| become enjoyed fare, makes eating an adventure. | | | | - to increase your enjoyment of eating. |
| Eating becomes more interesting and more enjoyed. | | | | Know why liking new foods is difficult. This is the |
| Meals become more than a time to enjoy what I have | | | | know-your-enemy principle. It seems to help me. |
| enjoyed before. Awareness is heightened by | | | | People have an instinctive protection against eating |
| experiencing the unfamiliar. There is anticipation of | | | | toxic foods. Nature has provided you with mistrust for |
| discovery of a new enjoyment. Meals become | | | | new, unfamiliar food. If the food is enough different |
| pay-off times of previous experimentation efforts. The | | | | from what you are used to, it will not be immediately |
| food is more appreciated for having creative effort | | | | liked. This is a necessary instinct that keeps you from |
| invested in it. Perhaps I have gained a health benefit, | | | | poisoning yourself by eating the wrong mushroom, for |
| saved some prep time, saved money that can be | | | | example. Evolution along with chemistry eliminated the |
| used for some other purpose, and have added to my | | | | gulp-down-anything individuals from our gene pool. The |
| repertoire of pleasure. | | | | little-by-little taste-developers survived. |
| A cookbook will give you ideas about what new foods | | | | If it's the sugar, salt and spices you depend upon to |
| to try. A recipe book about a particular ethnic food or | | | | enjoy food, other flavors will go unappreciated. To help |
| some other unfamiliar category of food would be | | | | your fondness for new foods come easier, ease up |
| particularly helpful. Buy one or get one from the library. | | | | on spices, salt, and sugar. That encourages your taste |
| Some ethnic categories are Middle Eastern, Southeast | | | | to appreciate a greater variety of flavors. You then |
| Asian, African, soul food, Southern, and Mexican. Other | | | | can more appreciate the sweetness of cherry |
| categories are health food, quick and easy recipes, | | | | tomatoes, the sweetness of raw pumpkin, and the |
| weight loss diets, vegetarian recipes, and using food | | | | sweetness of sweet potatoes, for example. You can |
| from the garden. You might even enjoy some obscure | | | | enjoy the mild flavor of raw chestnuts, the richness of |
| categories such as pioneer/early American food, | | | | nuts, and the subtle starchiness of cereal grains. Your |
| Native American food, wild food, early European food, | | | | palate will be more adept at experiencing the |
| food from storage, and low cost food. I particularly like | | | | pleasures of subtle flavors. A great many foods that |
| quick and easy recipe books. | | | | previously seemed mostly tasteless, can then be |
| If you need help becoming comfortable with trying new | | | | enjoyed for their unique flavors. |
| foods, try small changes: | | | | Your enjoyment of strong tasting food will also be |
| - Eat breakfast foods at lunch or supper. Or try a | | | | helped by reducing sugar and salt use. You will be |
| vegetable at breakfast. If you normally have a | | | | switching from depending on saltiness and sweetness |
| sandwich at bedtime, have a salad instead. | | | | to getting pleasure from other flavors. |
| - Try different brands from the ones you normally use. | | | | Finding new foods: |
| - Leave out one or more ingredients from your | | | | - Browse at a health food store, a farmers market or |
| standard recipes. Or change the proportions - a little | | | | an ethnic food festival. |
| more of this or a little less of that. | | | | - Take the time to look at all the items at a local |
| - Substitute a similar ingredient for a usual ingredient, for | | | | supermarket. |
| instance, orange juice concentrate or lemon juice | | | | - Browse at local ethnic food markets: Middle Eastern |
| instead of vinegar on a salad. | | | | or Greek, for example. |
| - It may help to eat smaller portions but include a | | | | - Try raw foods, whole grains and other unprocessed |
| greater number of foods at each meal. That may help | | | | foods. Typically, they have more texture and flavor. |
| you develop a liking for variety. | | | | These foods are higher in fiber and so produce more |
| - Try unusual combinations such as cooked chicken | | | | intestinal gas. Limit portion size to reduce gas |
| and raw fruit cut in small pieces and mixed together...or | | | | production. Load up when gas will not be a problem. I |
| pizza sauce on a peanut butter open-face | | | | allow myself to pig-out at a before bedtime meal. If the |
| sandwich...or a teaspoon of honey or pancake syrup | | | | meal is low in calories, that large meal doesn't keep me |
| on a dark green, leafy salad. | | | | from having a good night's sleep. |
| Salads are great to experiment with. Many vegetables | | | | - Use native plants foraged from lawns, fence lines, |
| can be enjoyed in a salad. Try various amounts and | | | | and woodlands; and growing as weeds in gardens. |
| combinations of carrot, tomato, cabbage, broccoli, bell | | | | Know what you are doing, there are poisonous plants |
| pepper, cucumber, or other vegetables you enjoy. Use | | | | that resemble edible ones. A few plants are toxic |
| other types of greens: romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, | | | | even when eaten in small quantities. |
| collards, mache and basil. Dressing can be just oil, | | | | - Do your own cooking. Restaurants have menus that |
| pesto, syrup, tomato sauce, ketchup, fruit juices, | | | | appeal to a majority of people, not to people wanting |
| mayonnaise, peanut butter softened with oil, and even | | | | something different. Even the person who cooks for |
| jam or jelly. | | | | their own family may be unlikely to prepare other than |
| The subtle flavors of many vegetables are easily | | | | familiar and popular food. |
| hidden with anything more than tiny amounts of | | | | - Have a garden, if you have the time and space. |
| vinegar, lemon juice and tomato sauce. Try a salad | | | | Every year I can try out new recipes and a new |
| without any dressing to enjoy the full flavor of the | | | | vegetable or two. Otherwise, take advantage of the |
| vegetables. The vegetables can be proportioned to | | | | variety the large supermarkets offer. |
| subdue or enhance particular flavors - use less basil to | | | | |