Consider these five things.
1. Healthy dishes taste delicious in a much different way than unhealthy dishes. In order to be serious about changing your diet, you have to teach your taste buds to appreciate different flavors. That’s what I mean when I say, #ChangeYourBuds. (Watch my video explanation of #ChangeYourBuds here.)
2. By learning to build flavor in your cooking, you can create delicious meals without a lot of added salt or fat.
- Pay attention to taste at each step of your dish and add flavor along each way.
- Sweat your onions a little longer or add a pinch of salt at each step
- Try new acids in your dish. My cabinet is loaded with vinegars: apple cider, red wine, white wine, rice wine, balsamic, aged balsamic, etc.
- Keep one lemon or lime in your fruit drawer for when you need to freshen up a dish.
- Herbs added at the end of a dish will improve the mouth feel and give your dish an extra freshness that you might have missed by limiting salt and fat.
3. If you are having difficulty adjusting to a healthier taste, focus on how your body feels after eating healthier meals. Although it may take a week or two for your body to get used to less soda and fast food, once you shed the hazy malaise that comes with those flavors and tastes, you will notice how much better your body feels after eating a home cooked, healthful meal. And, then, weeks later when you backslide and stop at the drive through for a burger, fries and coke, you’ll notice how bad you actually feel when eating that type of food.
4. Fresh herbs can transform a canned or frozen dish and make it taste homemade. Start with a low sodium boxed or frozen dish, and then liven them up with fresh basil, parsley, mint or cilantro.
5. There is nothing easy about changing your diet in a way that improves your health. You will need time, energy and commitment. Keep at it. Your health and body will thank you.
