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Help! My food has no taste!
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8/22/2006 5:05:07 PM
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BMOS Dolores
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Before/After
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A 2/1/3
Body Type:
A
Smart Behavior:
Repeat Offender
Start Weight:
237
Current Weight:
145
Posts: 26996
Joined: 5/3/2002
Status:
offline
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Help! My food has no taste!
Just a brief intro to this thread. Our wonderful Recipe Consultant Gail has the position with Provida as recipe consultant for a very good reason...she is an EXCELLENT cook herself! She has a wealth of knowledge about foods and various forms of preparation, which are invaluable to us. We entrust the formatting of all recipe submissions to her. Not only does she do a superb job at that, but she also consults here DAILY with regard to food and eating with our community members. Below are a few of her responses cut and paste together to help members who claim that the food is too bland!! Gail to the rescue!!
An unfortunate reality when removing added salts, sugars and fats
from your diet is that you're probably going to notice the lack. Take heart!
This is only a temporary effect. As your palate adjusts to this new way of
eating, you'll soon begin to appreciate the natural flavors of foods. Truly,
there is life after salt.
Part of what makes the transition period
difficult is our tendency to stick with our old reliable ways of preparing
foods. The obvious trouble here is that suddenly Old Reliable no longer tastes
like the food you've come to know and love. What do you do then? Branch out.
Fool your tastebuds by shifting gear: either try another preparation entirely
(perhaps hashed browns with sautéed onions and peppers instead of a yawning,
empty baked potato?) or try another carb entirely. Your taste buds have no basis
of comparison because you're eating something new or different. Pretty sneaky,
eh?
What else can you do? Kick up the herbs and spices. Just be sure to
check your bottles if you're using dried herbs or spices to make sure it doesn't
contain salt, sugar or MSG. And PLEASE don't overlook fresh herbs! They can do
AMAZING things to your foods: chicken simmered with garlic, broth, tomatoes and
a sprinkling of fresh rosemary, mmmm.... Anything with tomatoes topped right before
serving with strips of fresh basil.... a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
thrown into soups, stews or just about anything.... coarsely chopped fresh
cilantro topping your Indian or Mexican dishes... fresh parsley and chives on
your cooked carrots... these ideas and so many more can take tired old
flavorless dishes into a whole new realm. Add delicate herbs such as parsley,
chives, basil or cilantro just before serving -- or in the final moments of
cooking for maximum flavor; sturdier herbs such as tarragon, rosemary, oregano
or thyme may be added earlier in the cooking process. But wait! There's
more. Cook with fresh garlic, onions, shallots or leeks. Sauté in wine (table
wine, please. Anything labeled cooking wine has additives we don't want.) Use
chiles (dried or fresh-- your choice) and/or tomatillos. Add mushrooms. Cook
with vinegars-- red wine, balsamic, flavored... Experiment with marinades-- not
only do they add flavor to your foods, they also serve as tenderizing agents for
tough cuts of meat. You'll find some recipes for marinades in your binder, more
in the Condiment
Recipes section of the Recipe Exchange. You'll also find
various spice combinations and recipes for on-plan versions of ketchup, mustard,
barbecue sauce and more in that same section. You may also find a squidge of lemon juice on various
foods (even
veggies) seems to satisfy some portion of the tang on the palate that
salt provides.
And remember, your tastes
are in the process of changing. Don't make the mistake of thinking because you
previously hated eggplant you're doomed to hate it for life. Just because we're
adults doesn't mean our tastes are locked in. Different preparations yield
entirely different results-- some of them magical. Allow change to happen. Open
yourself to possibilities.
Lastly, think outside of the box. Just
because you can't fry your foods doesn't mean you can't sauté them. Just use
no-salt-added chicken broth instead of fat. If you're used to baking, try
broiling. Grill. Poach. Stew. Roast. Stir-fry (again, you can use chicken or
veggie broth) Crockpot. Thread foods on skewers. Variations are all around you,
waiting to be discovered.
Have fun with your food-- even though Mom told
you never to play with it!
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