| I have been preparing my own meals for many years. | | | | particular flavors - use less basil to lessen its pungent |
| Like most people, I suppose, I would fix only familiar | | | | flavor, use more carrot to boost its flavor and texture. |
| dishes.That has changed. For health benefits, I began | | | | Other salad ingredients can be nuts, peanuts, coconut, |
| eating more fruits and vegetables. Trying unfamiliar | | | | cereal, baked beans, and fruit. Some ingredients I like |
| vegetables and fruits made eating interesting and | | | | are raw beets, raw potato and raw sweet |
| more enjoyable. Many of those new fruits and | | | | potato.Watch out for raw greens and other raw |
| vegetables became favorites. I tried many other foods | | | | vegetables that cause digestion system upset. It only |
| that were new to me, for example, whole grains, | | | | takes small amounts of some raw vegetables to |
| various types of beans, seeds and nuts. Many of | | | | cause a lot of discomfort. Use small quantities of an |
| those became favorites. Using unfamiliar ways of | | | | untested food to begin with until you know how well |
| preparing food also made eating more of an | | | | your body deals with it. The body will adapt to some |
| adventure. A few of my favorites are pesto (pureed | | | | foods over a period of weeks or months but results |
| greens and oil), raw foods that are normally eaten | | | | vary from food to food and, I suppose, from individual |
| cooked, and unusual combinations such as bread with | | | | to individual. Some raw foods I avoid because of |
| peanut butter, covered with pizza sauce.The | | | | previous bad experiences are green beans, asparagus, |
| circumstances of my life encouraged more changes. | | | | and beet leafs. I don't eat more than a tablespoon of |
| Making do with a small amount of money gave me a | | | | raw parsley pesto in a day. The same for kale. I don't |
| liking for oatmeal, beans, and other very low-cost | | | | eat more than the equivalent of 1/4-cup pesto of raw |
| foods. Growing up on a farm and having a garden | | | | Chinese cabbage.To develop a liking for a new food, |
| each year provided new fruits and vegetables to try | | | | eat it at the beginning of a meal when you are most |
| and enjoy. Having been raised to 'waste not, want not', | | | | hungry. Being hungry greatly improves the ability to |
| helped me not to pass up unusual foods: gifts such as | | | | appreciate the taste of a food. Eat only a small |
| my sister's 'beans 'n' greens', the landlord's parogies, | | | | amount of the new food at each sitting. For some |
| and my son's homemade deer jerky. The point is: The | | | | foods, a tiny bite, just enough to sense its flavor, is |
| changes in my diet gave me more foods to enjoy. I | | | | enough to handle at first. Don't give up easily on a food |
| now know that I can like a great many unfamiliar | | | | that at first seems too strange to be enjoyed. Some |
| foods. At first some of those foods may not be | | | | foods will require dozens of 'get acquainted' trials.Other |
| enjoyed because they are so different and are | | | | strategies for liking new foods:- Read about nutrition |
| unrecognized as a | | | | and health to know the benefits of a changed diet.- Be |
| 'goody'. For me, that recognition is typically made | | | | aware of how much time you spend shopping for |
| gradually by many small trials. Once that recognition is | | | | food and other food related tasks. Would you rather |
| made, the food 'hits the spot' and can be nutritious, | | | | have some of that time available for other things? |
| healthy and convenient. Then I have yet another food | | | | Non-traditional foods can use preparation methods that |
| to enjoy.The process of trying new foods and having | | | | take less time.- Make a choice about the money you |
| them become enjoyed fare, makes eating an | | | | spend for food. Atypical foods may be less expensive |
| adventure. Eating becomes more nteresting and more | | | | than traditional and popular food. Getting the most |
| enjoyed. Meals become more than a time to enjoy | | | | bang for the buck can add to the pleasure of eating.- |
| what I have enjoyed before. Awareness is heightened | | | | Make a decision to increase the pleasure in your life. |
| by experiencing the unfamiliar. There is anticipation of | | | | Your success in developing a fondness for a new |
| discovery of a new enjoyment. Meals become | | | | food, will encourage you to try other kinds of new |
| pay-off times of previous experimentation efforts. The | | | | pleasures.Have reasons in mind to try unusual foods:- |
| food is more appreciated for having creative effort | | | | to be able to enjoy healthy foods.- to enjoy |
| invested in it. Perhaps I have gained a health benefit, | | | | low-prep-time foods.- to use what you can grow in |
| saved some prep time, saved money that can be | | | | your garden.- for the satisfaction of acquiring new |
| used for some other purpose, and have added to my | | | | pleasures.- to increase your enjoyment of eating.Know |
| repertoire of pleasure.A cookbook might help you get | | | | why liking new foods is difficult. This is the |
| ideas about what new foods to try. A cookbook | | | | know-your-enemy principle. It seems to help me. |
| about a particular ethnic food or some other unfamiliar | | | | People have an instinctive protection against eating |
| category of food would be particularly helpful. Buy one | | | | toxic foods. Nature has provided you with a mistrust |
| or get one from the library. Some ethnic categories | | | | for new, unfamiliar food. If the food is enough different |
| are Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, African, soul food, | | | | from what you are used to, it will not be immediately |
| Southern, and Mexican. Other categories are health | | | | liked. This is a necessary instinct that keeps you from |
| food, | | | | poisoning yourself by eating the wrong mushroom, for |
| quick and easy recipes, weight loss diets, vegetarian | | | | example. Evolution along with chemistry eliminated the |
| recipes, and using food from the garden. You might | | | | gulp-down-anything individuals from our gene pool. The |
| even enjoy some obscure categories such as pioneer | | | | little-by-little taste-developers survived.If it's the sugar, |
| food, early American/Native American food, wild food, | | | | salt and spices you depend upon to enjoy food, other |
| early European food, food from storage, and low cost | | | | flavors will go unappreciated. To help your fondness |
| food. I particularly like quick and easy cookbooks.If you | | | | for new foods come easier, ease up on spices, salt, |
| need help becoming comfortable with trying new | | | | and sugar. That encourages your taste to appreciate |
| foods, try small changes:- Eat breakfast foods at lunch | | | | a greater variety of flavors. You then can more |
| or supper. | | | | appreciate the sweetness of cherry tomatoes, the |
| Or try a vegetable at breakfast. If you normally have | | | | sweetness of raw pumpkin, and the sweetness of |
| a sandwich at bedtime, have a salad instead.- Try | | | | sweet potatoes, for example. You can enjoy the mild |
| different brands from the ones you normally use.- | | | | flavor of raw chestnuts, the richness of nuts, and the |
| Leave out one or more ingredients from your standard | | | | subtle starchiness of cereal grains. Your palate will be |
| recipes. Or change the proportions - a little more of this | | | | more adept at experiencing the pleasures of subtle |
| or a little less of that.- Substitute a similar ingredient for | | | | flavors. A great many foods that previously seemed |
| a usual ingredient, for instance, orange juice | | | | mostly tasteless, can then be enjoyed for their unique |
| concentrate or lemon juice instead of vinegar on a | | | | flavors.Your enjoyment of stronger tasting food will be |
| salad.- It may help to eat smaller portions but include a | | | | helped by reducing sugar and salt use. You will be |
| greater number of foods at each meal. | | | | switching from depending on saltiness and sweetness |
| That may help you develop a liking for variety.- Try | | | | to getting pleasure from other flavors.Finding new |
| unusual combinations such as cooked chicken and raw | | | | foods:- Browse at a health food store, a farmers |
| fruit cut in small pieces and mixed together...or pizza | | | | market or an ethnic food festival.- Take the time to |
| sauce on a peanut butter open-face sandwich...or a | | | | look at all the items at a local supermarket.- Browse at |
| teaspoon of honey or pancake syrup on a dark green, | | | | local ethnic food markets: Middle Eastern or Greek, for |
| leafy salad.Salads are great to experiment with. Many | | | | example.- Try raw foods and whole grains.- Use |
| vegetables can be enjoyed in a salad. Try various | | | | native plants and foraged plants. Know what you are |
| amounts and combinations of carrot, tomato, cabbage, | | | | doing, there are poisonous plants that resemble edible |
| broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, or other vegetables | | | | ones. A few plants are toxic even when eaten in small |
| you enjoy. Use other types of greens: romaine lettuce, | | | | quantities.- Do your own cooking and gardening, if you |
| bibb lettuce, collards, mache and basil. Dressing can be | | | | have the time and space.A few unusual recipes can |
| just oil, pesto, syrup, tomato sauce, ketchup, fruit juices, | | | | be found at |
| mayonnaise, peanut butter softened with oil, and even | | | | recipes unusual recipes.htmAlan Detwiler started the |
| jam or jelly. | | | | web site Leisureideas. Visitors to the site are |
| Dressing can be used to soften the strong flavor of | | | | encouraged to use imagination and whatever happens |
| raw cabbage, basil, or dark green lettuce.The subtle | | | | to be available to discover new ways to enjoy |
| flavors of many vegetables are easily hidden with | | | | themselves.Alan writes books on how to pursue |
| anything more than tiny amounts of vinegar, lemon | | | | playfulness and a sense of wonder. His books are |
| juice and tomato sauce. Try a salad without any | | | | available in digital format and can be purchased and |
| dressing to enjoy the full flavor of the vegetables. The | | | | downloaded on the eBookMall web site. Go to Then |
| vegetables can be proportioned to subdue or enhance | | | | do a search for Detwiler. |