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