According to the journal Pediatrics, vegetables like kale and broccoli tend to taste bitter for the first-timers. Late introduction to these healthy foods could result in being a picky eater. So, if you already feel the need to dip in the greens but aren't sure where to start, this is how you can love healthy foods without forcing yourself.
Block the bitter
There is a scientific answer behind why people love broccoli and cheese. The salty cheese aids to block your receptor to taste that strange flavor from broccolis. It goes the same way with coffee as many people would start drinking it with sweetener added, but eventually, they get familiar with the taste and end up having less sugar. Chemosensory Perception published a theory that sweeteners like sugar, blocks receptors from tasting that bitterness.
To make Brussels sprouts more delicious, try adding a pinch of salt and gradually decrease the amount along the way.
Feel good by pairing your healthy food with high-calorie ingredient
Our body is programmed to like foods that taste good. That explains why people love sweet salty foods and foods that are high in calories. When teaching yourself to swallow broccolis, you can add seasonings like olive oil, butter or cream cheese. This should go for a few days before the trick actually works.
The vegetables on the 21st plate will be tasty
Experts found that once an adult gets to eat a certain meal for a few days- even if they don't like it, their mind eventually says it's 'okay'. This means that when you consume a certain healthy food, let say, kales - in a long period of time, it produces the sense of 'tolerant' towards the bitter taste.
Jane Wardle, a professor at Health Behaviour Research Centre, UCL, London explains how the familiarity due to repeated tasting can increase the liking. Psychology Professor Elizabeth Phillip recommends eating a certain food on a regular basis. The trick has been applied to kids at the age of three that they started to like the food after taking for 20 times in a row.
