When you think about eating healthy, you may be under the assumption that you have to eat carrot sticks all day long. Wrong! There are many ways you can eat healthily and actually enjoy it. You just have to think out of the box a little and let your tastebuds guide you. We’re going to give you some tips about how you can teach your taste buds to enjoy different, healthy foods. Plus, we’ll tell you about some of the best food in Guilford that’s also healthy and delicious.
Teaching Your Tastebuds to Enjoy Healthy Food
We’re not all born to love fruits and vegetables. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to love them. You just have to put your tastebuds through a little boot camp. Once you do, you can reap the rewards like having a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.1
Sounds pretty good, right?
If that wasn’t enough reason to get your tastebuds trained, research from the University of Warwick’s Medical School found that a diet high in fruits and vegetables was linked to better mental wellbeing.1
That’s even more reason to get your tastebuds on the healthy train. How do you do this? Check out these tips:
Stick with Your Favorite Flavors
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you want to eat healthier. Start with some things you love. Find dishes that offer those flavors so that your tastebuds will be happy. Then, try to include more nutritious alternatives. This may mean using less butter, less sugar, and leaner options.
Whatever changes you make, do them gradually and consistently. If you do it too quickly, your tastebuds may revolt! But, when you take your time, you’re giving your tastebuds time to adjust and start to enjoy the changes that are happening.
Try New Flavors
When you visit a restaurant, you may see and taste some flavors that chefs add to healthy foods, and you may find that you like them! This can give you ideas of what you can do at home to prepare healthier options.
Give Yourself Options
Eating healthy does not mean eating the same three dishes in rotation. There are so many options out there. You just need to explore them! If you don’t, you’ll get bored with your choices, making you less likely to want to eat healthily.
Increase Vegetables and Whole Grains
Gradually add more vegetables and whole grains into your diet. Roasting or grilling vegetables is a great way to add taste to healthier dishes. Wean off refined grains like white rice and pasta by substituting whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Over time, you won’t even miss all those refined grains!
How Long Does It Take to Train Your Tastebuds?
Training your tastebuds is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s going to take time to get your tastebuds on track. How long? Consider these findings:
- A 2010 study found that it took children eight to nine times of eating a vegetable they disliked to grow to like it.1 Researchers believe adults are not much different!
- A Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that people who reduced their salt intake could readjust to how much salt they enjoyed within 24 weeks. When the study concluded, they preferred food with less salt.1
- The Journal of Nutrition Education and Research found that people who ate a low-fat diet for 16 weeks lost their urge to eat high-fat foods and wanted low-fat foods.1
You need to give your tastebuds time to get retrained. Once you do, you can look forward to healthier and more tasty dishes!
The Best Food in Guilford: Healthy and Delicious
When you’re looking for healthy and nutritious food to help train your tastebuds, Chapter One Food & Drink has some of the best food in Guilford. We offer healthy twists like the Caprese Salad. This dish combines vine-ripened tomato, fresh mozzarella drizzled with balsamic glaze, and house-infused garlic olive oil. It’s sprinkled with fresh basil over arugula for a finishing touch.
Dishes like these can help your tastebuds enjoy fresh vegetables! Our chefs at Chapter One in Guilford are constantly working on ways to infuse healthy options into our menu. The next time you’re in town, be sure to stop by!
Sources:
[1] https://www.samhealth.org/about-samaritan/news-search/2020/01/13/train-your-taste-buds-to-prefer-healthy-food
