| I have been preparing my own meals for many | | | | dressing to enjoy the full flavor of the |
| years. Like most people, I suppose, I would | | | | vegetables. The vegetables can be |
| fix only familiar dishes.That has changed. | | | | proportioned to subdue or enhance particular |
| For health benefits, I began eating more | | | | flavors - use less basil to lessen its |
| fruits and vegetables. Trying unfamiliar | | | | pungent flavor, use more carrot to boost its |
| vegetables and fruits made eating interesting | | | | flavor and texture. Other salad ingredients |
| and more enjoyable. Many of those new fruits | | | | can be nuts, peanuts, coconut, cereal, baked |
| and vegetables became favorites. I tried many | | | | beans, and fruit. Some ingredients I like are |
| other foods that were new to me, for example, | | | | raw beets, raw potato and raw sweet |
| whole grains, various types of beans, seeds | | | | potato.Watch out for raw greens and other raw |
| and nuts. Many of those became favorites. | | | | vegetables that cause digestion system upset. |
| Using unfamiliar ways of preparing food also | | | | It only takes small amounts of some raw |
| made eating more of an adventure. A few of my | | | | vegetables to cause a lot of discomfort. Use |
| favorites are pesto (pureed greens and oil), | | | | small quantities of an untested food to begin |
| raw foods that are normally eaten cooked, and | | | | with until you know how well your body deals |
| unusual combinations such as bread with | | | | with it. The body will adapt to some foods |
| peanut butter, covered with pizza sauce.The | | | | over a period of weeks or months but results |
| circumstances of my life encouraged more | | | | vary from food to food and, I suppose, from |
| changes. Making do with a small amount of | | | | individual to individual. Some raw foods I |
| money gave me a liking for oatmeal, beans, | | | | avoid because of previous bad experiences are |
| and other very low-cost foods. Growing up on | | | | green beans, asparagus, and beet leafs. I |
| a farm and having a garden each year provided | | | | don't eat more than a tablespoon of raw |
| new fruits and vegetables to try and enjoy. | | | | parsley pesto in a day. The same for kale. I |
| Having been raised to 'waste not, want not', | | | | don't eat more than the equivalent of 1/4-cup |
| helped me not to pass up unusual foods: gifts | | | | pesto of raw Chinese cabbage.To develop a |
| such as my sister's 'beans 'n' greens', the | | | | liking for a new food, eat it at the |
| landlord's parogies, and my son's homemade | | | | beginning of a meal when you are most hungry. |
| deer jerky. The point is: The changes in my | | | | Being hungry greatly improves the ability to |
| diet gave me more foods to enjoy. I now know | | | | appreciate the taste of a food. Eat only a |
| that I can like a great many unfamiliar | | | | small amount of the new food at each sitting. |
| foods. At first some of those foods may not | | | | For some foods, a tiny bite, just enough to |
| be enjoyed because they are so different and | | | | sense its flavor, is enough to handle at |
| are unrecognized as a | | | | first. Don't give up easily on a food that at |
| | | | first seems too strange to be enjoyed. Some |
| 'goody'. For me, that recognition is | | | | foods will require dozens of 'get acquainted' |
| typically made gradually by many small | | | | trials.Other strategies for liking new |
| trials. Once that recognition is made, the | | | | foods:- Read about nutrition and health to |
| food 'hits the spot' and can be nutritious, | | | | know the benefits of a changed diet.- Be |
| healthy and convenient. Then I have yet | | | | aware of how much time you spend shopping for |
| another food to enjoy.The process of trying | | | | food and other food related tasks. Would you |
| new foods and having them become enjoyed | | | | rather have some of that time available for |
| fare, makes eating an adventure. Eating | | | | other things? Non-traditional foods can use |
| becomes more nteresting and more enjoyed. | | | | preparation methods that take less time.- |
| Meals become more than a time to enjoy what I | | | | Make a choice about the money you spend for |
| have enjoyed before. Awareness is heightened | | | | food. Atypical foods may be less expensive |
| by experiencing the unfamiliar. There is | | | | than traditional and popular food. Getting |
| anticipation of discovery of a new enjoyment. | | | | the most bang for the buck can add to the |
| Meals become pay-off times of previous | | | | pleasure of eating.- Make a decision to |
| experimentation efforts. The food is more | | | | increase the pleasure in your life. Your |
| appreciated for having creative effort | | | | success in developing a fondness for a new |
| invested in it. Perhaps I have gained a | | | | food, will encourage you to try other kinds |
| health benefit, saved some prep time, saved | | | | of new pleasures.Have reasons in mind to try |
| money that can be used for some other | | | | unusual foods:- to be able to enjoy healthy |
| purpose, and have added to my repertoire of | | | | foods.- to enjoy low-prep-time foods.- to use |
| pleasure.A cookbook might help you get ideas | | | | what you can grow in your garden.- for the |
| about what new foods to try. A cookbook about | | | | satisfaction of acquiring new pleasures.- to |
| a particular ethnic food or some other | | | | increase your enjoyment of eating.Know why |
| unfamiliar category of food would be | | | | liking new foods is difficult. This is the |
| particularly helpful. Buy one or get one from | | | | know-your-enemy principle. It seems to help |
| the library. Some ethnic categories are | | | | me. People have an instinctive protection |
| Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, African, | | | | against eating toxic foods. Nature has |
| soul food, Southern, and Mexican. Other | | | | provided you with a mistrust for new, |
| categories are health food, | | | | unfamiliar food. If the food is enough |
| | | | different from what you are used to, it will |
| quick and easy recipes, weight loss diets, | | | | not be immediately liked. This is a necessary |
| vegetarian recipes, and using food from the | | | | instinct that keeps you from poisoning |
| garden. You might even enjoy some obscure | | | | yourself by eating the wrong mushroom, for |
| categories such as pioneer food, early | | | | example. Evolution along with chemistry |
| American/Native American food, wild food, | | | | eliminated the gulp-down-anything individuals |
| early European food, food from storage, and | | | | from our gene pool. The little-by-little |
| low cost food. I particularly like quick and | | | | taste-developers survived.If it's the sugar, |
| easy cookbooks.If you need help becoming | | | | salt and spices you depend upon to enjoy |
| comfortable with trying new foods, try small | | | | food, other flavors will go unappreciated. To |
| changes:- Eat breakfast foods at lunch or | | | | help your fondness for new foods come easier, |
| supper. | | | | ease up on spices, salt, and sugar. That |
| | | | encourages your taste to appreciate a greater |
| Or try a vegetable at breakfast. If you | | | | variety of flavors. You then can more |
| normally have a sandwich at bedtime, have a | | | | appreciate the sweetness of cherry tomatoes, |
| salad instead.- Try different brands from the | | | | the sweetness of raw pumpkin, and the |
| ones you normally use.- Leave out one or more | | | | sweetness of sweet potatoes, for example. You |
| ingredients from your standard recipes. Or | | | | can enjoy the mild flavor of raw chestnuts, |
| change the proportions - a little more of | | | | the richness of nuts, and the subtle |
| this or a little less of that.- Substitute a | | | | starchiness of cereal grains. Your palate |
| similar ingredient for a usual ingredient, | | | | will be more adept at experiencing the |
| for instance, orange juice concentrate or | | | | pleasures of subtle flavors. A great many |
| lemon juice instead of vinegar on a salad.- | | | | foods that previously seemed mostly |
| It may help to eat smaller portions but | | | | tasteless, can then be enjoyed for their |
| include a greater number of foods at each | | | | unique flavors.Your enjoyment of stronger |
| meal. | | | | tasting food will be helped by reducing sugar |
| | | | and salt use. You will be switching from |
| That may help you develop a liking for | | | | depending on saltiness and sweetness to |
| variety.- Try unusual combinations such as | | | | getting pleasure from other flavors.Finding |
| cooked chicken and raw fruit cut in small | | | | new foods:- Browse at a health food store, a |
| pieces and mixed together...or pizza sauce on | | | | farmers market or an ethnic food festival.- |
| a peanut butter open-face sandwich...or a | | | | Take the time to look at all the items at a |
| teaspoon of honey or pancake syrup on a dark | | | | local supermarket.- Browse at local ethnic |
| green, leafy salad.Salads are great to | | | | food markets: Middle Eastern or Greek, for |
| experiment with. Many vegetables can be | | | | example.- Try raw foods and whole grains.- |
| enjoyed in a salad. Try various amounts and | | | | Use native plants and foraged plants. Know |
| combinations of carrot, tomato, cabbage, | | | | what you are doing, there are poisonous |
| broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, or other | | | | plants that resemble edible ones. A few |
| vegetables you enjoy. Use other types of | | | | plants are toxic even when eaten in small |
| greens: romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce, | | | | quantities.- Do your own cooking and |
| collards, mache and basil. Dressing can be | | | | gardening, if you have the time and space.A |
| just oil, pesto, syrup, tomato sauce, | | | | few unusual recipes can be found at |
| ketchup, fruit juices, | | | | |
| | | | recipes unusual recipes.htmAlan Detwiler |
| mayonnaise, peanut butter softened with oil, | | | | started the web site Leisureideas. Visitors |
| and even jam or jelly. | | | | to the site are encouraged to use imagination |
| | | | and whatever happens to be available to |
| Dressing can be used to soften the strong | | | | discover new ways to enjoy themselves.Alan |
| flavor of raw cabbage, basil, or dark green | | | | writes books on how to pursue playfulness and |
| lettuce.The subtle flavors of many vegetables | | | | a sense of wonder. His books are available in |
| are easily hidden with anything more than | | | | digital format and can be purchased and |
| tiny amounts of vinegar, lemon juice and | | | | downloaded on the eBookMall web site. Go to |
| tomato sauce. Try a salad without any | | | | Then do a search for Detwiler. |