Show Your Palate Who's Boss

Hi everyone: ) Hope all is well! You know this blog is something I get real pumped to write, and because of that I've been sharing it with basically whoever I talk to. I can't help it. So at work yesterday I excitedly told Matt, my coworker, to check it out. He also lives a fairly health-conscious lifestyle so I was anxious to hear his thoughts. First words out of his mouth? "Nice, but you forgot to mention almonds have no taste."  

Ha. Thanks Matt. You need to know him to appreciate the love through his bluntness. But after I thought about it for a second I realized he's right! Sort of... A lot, a LOT of "healthy" food has absolutely no taste. But some of the reason we consider it to be that way is because of how we've trained our tongues to interpret flavor. Yes. You may hear someone who primarily drinks diet soda and then switches to regular say, "Oh my gosh, this is too sweet for me now!" Or be surprised at the sight of a kid eating anchovies, jalepenos, wasabi peas, etc. But it all has to do with our mouth's habits. Of course something like almonds are going to taste plain when compared to something like a bunch of buffalo chicken wings! However the point here is to consider that once you've decided to eat healthier, it may just take a little bit for your palate to re-adjust to what's actually good for it. Especially if what you're used to is artificially flavored, fat/grease-ridden, or high in salt. Cut yourself a break though if at first you hate healthy food. You have to start somewhere and maybe I can help. 

One of the first things I would suggest is to make your investments in a good spice rack instead of buying things pre-flavored. You will not only save money because spices last longer and can be used more universally, but you will also save your body from hidden preservatives, excess sugar, and salt. Your body doesn't really know what to do with too much of that stuff anyway and ultimately either bloats you or turns to fat! So spend some time roaming the spice aisle at the store and try whatever sounds delicious. I really like Ms. Dash's  line of seasoning blends because they're salt-free, but don't compromise flavor - it's amazing! Here are some healthy "tasteless" things I spice up to satisfy my palate:

• Corn kernels popped on the stove seasoned with Ms. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning -- great substitute for mesquite bbq potato chips! 
• Plain oatmeal flavored with cinnamon, raisins, and brown sugar -- exactly like pre-flavored version except I control the sugar

Just a couple to start, but really anything bland and healthy can be made more flavorful. We eat for nourishment, but we also eat to enjoy! So please take the idea of healthy food as a work in progress and reason to experiment. With time your palate will align to nutritional flavors and it will be a no-brainer to make choices that seem like sacrifices now:) That's all I got, more later...  

~ Sar