Picky Eating

Picky Eating
Taste is often the main factor driving what we choose to buy and eat. If you don’t like
the taste of a food, then no amount of nutritional benefit is going to convince you to eat
it. Luckily, there are ways we can adjust our food, train our flavor palettes, and expand
our boundaries to incorporate new dishes, or make foods that have previously been
unappealing acceptable.

First, let’s tackle why you might not like a certain food, using vegetables as an example.
You could be a “super taster” with a sensitive palette or have a genetic predisposition to
be more attuned to the bitter components in vegetables (like the gene that makes
cilantro taste like soap to some people). Another explanation is that you might be
accustomed to hyper palatable foods. This can result from frequent restaurant/takeout
food consumption. Your taste buds might have adjusted to become used to foods that
are very salty or sweet, so anything less than that tastes bland.

If you made a judgment on a food you tried more than a few years ago, it might be
worth it to try it again. Our taste buds change as we grow and our cells turn over. We
even start to lose taste buds with the aging process, which means the bitter compounds
in some vegetables may not be as noticeable.

In addition to our sense of taste, farming practices, genetic modification, and weather
patterns are continually changing how food is grown and processed, and therefore how
it tastes. An example is Brussels sprouts. The bad taste of these were joked about in a
lot of TV and media, and this is because they used to taste very different. In the 1990s,
a scientist identified the compound that caused these to taste bitter (glucosinolate).
They could then breed this trait out of the crop and greatly improve the taste.

Beyond just the taste of food, you may also not like the texture, smell, preparation
method. Luckily, there are several ways to change these properties of foods to make
them more appealing. Think of the following strategies as a starting point.

Texture Modifications

Blending
Using your blender is an easy way to bypass the texture of certain fruits or vegetables.
Experiment with blending greens or fruits you don’t usually have into a smoothie with
some of your other favorite ingredients. Pasta sauces are another great opportunity to
blend in some extra nutrition – try adding leafy greens to a cheese sauce or tossing
some soft tofu or cottage cheese into a tomato sauce for a protein boost and creamy
texture.

If you think you would like cottage cheese, but the curds are unappealing to you visually
or in terms of mouthfeel, try purchasing a whipped version or blend it up yourself. This
will make it smooth like cream cheese, which may be more familiar.

If you don’t like plain Greek yogurt on its own, maybe you would like frozen Greek
yogurt with plenty of mix-ins like crunchy nut butter and dried fruit. Or maybe you could
try a low calorie frozen Greek yogurt bar instead of ice cream the next time you are in
the mood for a treat.

Cooking/Baking
Don’t like the texture of berries? Maybe try making chia jam by cooking some frozen
berries down in a pan and adding chia seeds. Use this as a topping for whole grain
bread or protein pancakes. This is a great way to get used to the flavor of berries while
still benefiting from the antioxidant and fiber content.

Flavor Modifications
Sweet vs Savory
Switch the flavor profiles or conventionally sweet or savory foods. For example, if garlic
or red pepper hummus does not interest you, maybe chocolate hummus will. Cottage
cheese can be paired with savory items (chives, tomato) or sweet (peaches, pineapple).
Perhaps maple Brussels sprouts or honey glazed carrots sound more enticing than the
boiled or roasted versions.

Condiments & Sauces
Use condiments and sauces to build your comfort with the texture and flavor of fruits
and vegetables. This might be ketchup, hot sauce, teriyaki marinade, ranch dressing,
balsamic glaze, etc. Keep in mind that the goal is to slowly use these less and less as
they are typically high in sodium, sugar, or other preservatives.

Breading
Utilize whole wheat breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese to turn broccoli or cauliflower
into fun “bites” that make for a great appetizer or side dish. Slowly work on decreasing
the breadcrumbs until you can tolerate the roasted version.

Start Small
Focus on recipes that involve the food in a small way (as a garnish, side, or topping).
Enjoy your meal in full, and don’t put pressure on yourself to finish or even try the new
food. Sequential exposure has been shown to lead to higher comfort with new foods!