Imagine yourself in a world where fat, sugar and excess calories make you look like a super model and feel like Hercules. Potato chips would be better for you than carrots. Chocolate would be a better choice than broccoli. While you cannot turn junk food into super food, there are some easy ways to make healthy foods more palatable. Take the time to experiment and you will eat healthy foods more often, improving your overall health.
How Does Food Make You Feel?
The satisfaction of a full stomach brings us good feelings. However, satisfaction from unhealthy foods rarely lasts long, leaving you feeling run down and tired. It is helpful to ponder how your body feels about one hour after eating a meal. If you notice that you feel guilty, bloated and uncomfortable after eating that pizza, you are less likely to go for the same food next time. Pay attention to the way foods make you feel, and you will be more likley to try healthier alternatives.
Experience Your Food
Besides nourishing your body, food combines all of your senses to deliver a pleasurable experience. Tasting is only a small part of it. Your feelings about certain foods, preference for particular textures and favorite smells all make a difference in your like or dislike of a food. Imagine how unappetizing a pizza would be with a flabby crust. Picture ice cream hot. Would you still like chocolate if it smelled like flowers?
Be Adventurous
When you try a new food, think like an explorer. Really pay attention to how the food smells, tastes and feels in your mouth. If the experience is unpleasant, identify what aspect of the food bothers you. You can then take steps to improve the taste, texture or smell. For instance, many people say they do not like vegetables, but have only tried them boiled and mushy. Vegetables can also be baked and grilled to provide a better texture without sacrificing your health. Small amounts of oil or sweeteners can help some healthy foods to taste divine.
Think of yourself as a scientist bent on perfecting the food you dislike. How can you improve it? Is it the smell, texture or taste that you do not like? Think about different cooking methods, seasonings and other ingredients that might be added. Fresh herb garnishes can change the taste of foods dramatically, giving them the depth and texture you are looking for. Pizza is so appealing because of the variety of ingredients included. Try adding tomatoes, green peppers and onion to the foods that do not tickle your taste buds. Copy the healthy parts you like and add them to the foods you do not like.
Smell
Smell is a major factor in whether we enjoy a certain food or not. If the smell of asparagus makes you gag, you should cook it with flavors and spices that make your mouth water. Season salt can work wonders on almost any food. Better yet, use fresh ingredients like crushed garlic, basic or parsley. Sometimes all you need is to drizzle a little low fat ranch dressing over your vegetables to make them taste good.
Cooking Methods
You can also think about what makes certain foods unhealthy and turn them into better choices. Foods that you often eat deep-fried will still taste very good when pan-fried with a small amount of olive or vegetable oil. Take your drumsticks and pan fry them to a dark brown, then bake them in the oven with your favorite seasonings sprinkled on top. The improvement in taste over deep-frying will amaze you.
Low Fat
Fat adds moist and tender textures to food. You can usually get the same characteristics by substituting half of the fatty ingredients with water, juice or fat-free sour cream.
If you cannot tolerate low-fat replacements, just use less of the full fat variety. If you slow down and pay attention to the flavor, you will not notice the reduced volume.
Healthy Recipes
While it is easy to find healthier versions of the foods you love, finding recipes to make inherintly healthy foods taste better is not as easy. Here are some recipies that will suprise you with their tastiness while helping to keep you healthy.
Sweet Potato Fries
1 Sweet Potato (peel if desired)1 Tablespoon olive oil1 Tablespoon of your favorite seasoning
Slice the potato into eight wedges. Toss with olive oil and seasonings, being careful to coat each slice thoroughly. Spread the slices evenly on a foil-covered baking sheete and bake them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the wedges and cook an additional 15 minutes until both sides are crisp and brown.
Omega Three Bean Salad
1 can red kidney beans1 can navy beans1 can cut green beans1/2 red onion, chopped finely1/3 c apple cider vinegar9 packets saccharine (or your favorite artificial sweetener)1/4 c olive oil1/4 c flax seed (rich in Omega 3)
This recipe is incredibly easy and very good for you. Just mix everything together in a large bowl, tossing until mixed thoroughly. Allow to chill several hours. This salad is best when made the day before it is eaten.
Grilled Zucchini
2 or 3 zucchini (summer squash)1 Tablespoon seasoning
1 teaspoon olive oil1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
Cut squash in half length-wise. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning. You might like a mix of garlic, rosemary, basil and oregano or an italian preparation. Place cut side down on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes, until the zucchini becomes tender. Sprinkle lightly with parmesan before serving.
Try these recipes and alter them to suit your tastes. In the end, you must be willing to experiment with your food. You may not get it right the first time, but the more things you try, the better you will become at making healthy foods tasty and satisfying.