Changing your palate
As we changed our menus and recipes (we hate to call it “diet” because we’re not dieting – it’s just the food we eat) to healthier versions, based on whole foods instead of processed foods, we noticed that food tasted kind of bland at first.
It’s not the food that’s bland, though.
It’s our palate – the way we taste – that had adapted to the overly-salted, overly-sweetened processed foods. If whole foods taste “flat” or bland or odd to you, maybe your taste buds have just been numbed beyond usefulness.
Eat an apple. Can you tell the difference in taste (not just texture) between the flesh and the skin of the apple? If you try different kinds of apples, for example, a Granny Smith and a Braeburn, can you taste the difference between them?
As you reduce the number of processed foods on your table, you can also remove the salt shaker and the sugar bowl (and other sweeteners) from the table. Use less when you cook with it, and use less when you add it.
Bring your palate back to life. Enjoy the natural taste of real food.
