Taste Bud Training

I was reading an article this morning about training our taste buds to like the foods that we only eat because they are healthy for us. According to Rebekah Simmons, a licensed dietician, it is possible to train our taste buds just as we did when we were very young and developing those favorite tastes. Here are the tips from that article:

"Take a spoonful. Don’t put yourself through eating a whole plate of broccoli; one or two bites are enough. The trick is to try the same food several times within a short period of time.

Mix it up! Eat foods that are prepared in different ways. Cooked carrots may not be your thing; You might prefer them raw. Try things cooked, dried, raw, or mixed with other foods.

Start slowly. Don’t try to eat too many new foods at once. It takes time to teach your tongue to like something new. Start by adding a small amount of vegetables in soups or pasta sauces and then slowly increase the amount added.

Make it small. Shredding or dicing a new food before adding it to a food you like gives the dish a hint of flavor without overpowering it or making it too noticeable. For example, try making pancakes or bread with shredded apples.

Don’t give up! Remember it can take at least seven times of trying a food before liking it."

One of the flavors I a trying this on is Selantro. I really have not liked that taste, but the more I try foods with that flavoring, It is starting to grow on me. I remember that first time I tasted (and smelled) pizza. I thought this would never catch on anywhere. But it did. Now a week seldom goes by that I do not eat pizza.

The spiritual implication is that there are things that are right to do but are unpleasant to us. Training ourselves in a healthy way can move us to enjoying those tasks and actually looking forward to them.

Have fun with some new things today.