Trick the Eye and Please the Tummy

You know you’re supposed to eat your fruits and vegetables and 100% whole grains but you just can’t get your taste buds to hunger for these foreign foods.

You’re not alone.

For years, our taste buds have been conditioned to: refined sugars; processed and chemically additive foods. Therefore, naturally, it will take some time to reverse our bad habits and have our palate not only get used to natural foods but begin to crave it.

Researches in children diet change have shown it takes at least 12 times at trying a new food before the child even begins to consider having it incorporated in their diet.

Keeping that in mind, there are little tricks to making healthy food more appealing.

The Colors of the Rainbow

We are naturally visual creatures. We eat with our eyes first, then our stomach and it’s incredibly important for food to be visually appealing. The more visually appealing they are, the more enticed we are to eat it.

Your plate should represent the colors of the rainbow – greens, reds, yellows, etc.

Take a moment to actually look at what’s on your plate. If your meal consists of different shades of browns and grays then that is not a healthy, well balanced meal.

Think of the healthiest diets – the Mediterranean and Japanese. These two diets always consist of bright, colorful foods as part of the meal.

Dippy-Dips

Kids go crazy for dipping sauces. Coincidentally, adults go crazy for dipping sauces.

There’s just something about playing with your food that makes eating more fun.

Instead of using fatty dipping sauces, opt for healthier versions. Try a yogurt sauce with garlic, lime juice and dill. Or for a sweeter option, try mango chutney. As long as they’re natural and not coming from a can or a powdered form, then it’s all part of a good diet.

Mix It Up!

Not a big fan of whole wheat – What about 100% whole wheat MULTI-GRAIN or darker breads like pumpernickel.

Try gluten-free brown rice pasta or delicious quinoa pastas. Instead of refined, white flour based pancakes, have whole wheat or a chewier version, buckwheat pancakes. Give aromatic jasmine rice a chance.

Just because you don’t like one version that doesn’t mean there are tons of other options for you to eat another version of a whole grain.

No need to be hard on yourself. It will take time to adjust your diet. Don’t over-do it either. You might be excited and anxious but look at this lifestyle change as a marathon and not a quick race. You want to be able to incorporate it daily for the rest of your life. Being too eager could set a relapse and a binge.

Lastly, stay creative with your food. Experiment and find your inner Food Guru.