emirates7 - 7 Strategies to Develop a Taste for Healthy Food

Ever wished you could feel as excited about a fresh salad as you do about cheesy chips? It’s fine to occasionally skip a healthy ingredient, but if you regularly choose carbs and junk food over fruits and vegetables, try these strategies to help you enjoy healthier options.

1. Keep Trying
Eating foods you’re not fond of might seem unpleasant, but it could be the secret to changing your preferences. “The best way to start liking a new food is to keep trying it. Just a small amount on the side of your plate is a good start,” says a dietitian.

Research with children has shown that repeatedly tasting a disliked vegetable over several weeks can improve their liking for it. Another study found that children aged 2–6 increased their liking and consumption of specific vegetables after being offered them daily for 14 days.

So, don’t give up on that cauliflower. If you don’t enjoy it boiled, try roasting it, adding it to cauliflower cheese, or blending it into soup.

2. Shift Your Associations
Brussels sprouts and cabbage may bring back unpleasant memories for those who remember them as overcooked and mushy. “A lot of the way we taste food comes from our mind and the expectations we build around it,” explains a psychologist at the Food Psychology Clinic.

3. Pair It with Something You Like
As Mary Poppins famously said, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” While consuming large amounts of sugar isn’t advisable, the principle can be useful.

Studies have shown that pairing foods with flavors you enjoy can increase your liking for them. For example, children who repeatedly ate Brussels sprouts with cream cheese began to like the sprouts more.

4. Take It Slow
Trying to introduce too many new foods at once can be overwhelming and may lead you to quit. “It’s important not to change too much at once. Since most of our eating habits are subconscious, changing our food behaviors requires conscious effort, and there’s only so much willpower we can exert at one time,” advises Caracamo.

Start by trying one new flavor at a time, and give yourself breaks if you’re not ready for another night of experimenting with oily fish or legumes.

5. Think Positively
“If you imagine fruits and vegetables tasting delicious before you eat them, they’re much more likely to taste great,” says Caracamo.

Indeed, the brain is a powerful tool that can help you overcome food aversions. Picture that orange as juicy and delicious, or think of that bowl of greens as a nutritious energy boost for your body, and you might find they taste better.

6. Keep Healthy Food Within Reach
“It helps if healthy food is easily accessible. Keeping a bowl of fruit on the table, a packet of unsalted nuts and seeds in your bag, or a container of dried fruit next to your breakfast cereal can nudge your behavior,” says Phillips.

When healthy snacks are nearby, you’re less likely to reach for chocolate or crisps. Over time, you might even start craving healthier options.

7. Stay Persistent
Retraining your palate may not be easy, but it’s achievable. A study that used MRI scans to measure people’s reactions to foods found that participants who adopted a healthier diet developed a greater desire for healthy foods and a reduced craving for less healthy ones. Don’t be too hard on yourself—if you can’t find a way to enjoy mushrooms, they might not be for you. Move on to another ingredient, and eventually, you’ll discover healthy foods that you can genuinely enjoy.