How to make healthy food taste good.

Want to learn how to make healthy food taste good?

There are a million different diets, programs, fads, supplements and experts ready to tell you exactly how to lose weight and change your life.

Most of them have one key thing in common, and it’s also the one key item scaring us all away.

Eating healthy food. So what are some healthy foods that actually taste good? Or how do we stick to a life change and actually enjoy eating healthy foods?

Surprisingly it doesn’t start with a diet or sacrifice but rather a change in mindset.

Have you heard about noom?

Noom is a great new app/weight loss program that helps people lose weight based on an understanding of food and how it affects our body.

Many of us have been through diets, counting calories or points, omitting certain foods, having premade meals delivered, and so much more.

The problem with all of these methods is that it doesn’t last. This is why I LOVE the concept of noom. When we understand why we eat the way we do or how food will impact our body it makes eating healthy so much easier.

Before we get into how to make healthy food taste good, there is a question I want you to ask yourself.

Why does healthy food taste bad?

Why are so many people immediately turned off when it comes to eating healthy. Why does the brain almost set off a red alert, healthy food is gross?

We cite two reasons.

One: The spices, sugar, and salt in unhealthy foods are so strong that they dull the taste buds to the point where healthy foods become unpalatable. 

Manufactured foods are not there to improve health. Manufacturers hire scientists and engineers and give them the task of making their products taste better and stronger. 

The artificial flavoring they add to these products is highly addictive and dulls the taste buds. 

Thus, the more junk food people eat, the less sensitive they become to the subtle flavors of healthy foods.

Two: Healthy foods do not have a marketing budget, or there is less advertising for them. Marketers of these products do the job of turning nasty modified food items into things people crave. 

They make multi-party hamburgers seem manly and tell people we love McDonald’s. Food product ads have successfully convinced many that healthy foods are gross while junk foods are cheap and delicious. Unfortunately, in terms of advertising dollars, marketers spend $0 on healthy foods. 

So it’s easy to fall into the assumption that healthy food automatically equals a less desirable flavor, texture and meal.

Why junk food tastes good?

Junk food tastes good because of its fat content and fat concentrates flavors in these foods. Add to that the right mix of sugar, salt, and sugar that many of us enjoy.

Also, fats give us more energy than carbohydrates and proteins. This ability of fat makes it the best performer in terms of making people feel full faster. When you feel full, your brain releases a hormone. That hormone can make you feel satisfied.

So, there is a high effect that junk food gives, and that high effect is what makes you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally satisfied.Still, we need this reminder: Unhealthy food is unhealthy, and the same applies to the ones that we know to be healthy.

How to Make Healthy Food Taste Good

How to make healthy food taste good? Why do healthy foods feel better but taste worse? Let’s face it: It is a matter of taste, and it usually depends on a person’s upbringing.

The saddening reality is: Illness is quick, while health is slow. Concerning foods that make people feel better, they are generally unhealthy, and they are fast in terms of presenting dangers to health. 

Nonetheless, a person can learn to like foods that they believe to be healthy and there are ways on how to make healthy food taste good. Read on.

Spices that make food taste good

Can we get beyond salt and pepper to make healthy foods tastier? Yes, we can because there is a whole other world of spices that can turn bland foods into something spicy and flavorsome.

Using these common spices you will be able to start enjoying dinners every night that are healthy but good. Healthy foods that taste good usually involve spices, fresh herbs and/or citrus to bring together all the fresh flavors.

Cinnamon

Distinctly spicy and fragrant, cinnamon brings a flavor twist to beverages, side dishes, and roasted vegetables.

Healthy cinnamon recipes that also happen to be popular are cinnamon honey sweet potatoes and maple cinnamon granola. Add your creativity to these recipes by including dried fruits, seeds, and nuts of your choice.

Ginger

The source of this spice is the root of a flowering plant. Ginger provides that spicy kick we get from ginger ale and is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisines.

Star Anise

Star anise is a favorite spice in savory recipes, specifically with meats. You can add it in stews, soups, and braising broths.

Turmeric

This yellow-colored spice belongs to the ginger family and has a poignant smell and a strong flavor. The flavor is a little bitter, earth, and hot, and it works well with root vegetables, potatoes, and cauliflower. 

Mace

This one has a sweet, warm, and woody flavor, which is very much like nutmeg. Add mace to a dry-spice mix or sprinkle it on top of porridges in the similar way you use nutmeg.

Saffron

Saffron’s sweet and luxurious taste is tricky to describe. However, when you add it to a dish, its flavor is instantly recognizable. Mix saffron thread to a pinch of coarse salt and grind the mixture into a powder. This vibrant elixir is what you can do to paella and buttery saffron rice.

Vanilla

Vanilla is the edible member of the orchid family and is a favorite ice cream flavor in the US. Known to soften tomato acidity, a hint of vanilla can bring all flavors together in tomato-based dishes such as baked beans and corn chilly toast.

If you have ever tried a recipe from My Family Dinner you may notice my absolute obsession with spices.

I LOVE seasonings and spices because I love adding flavor to my recipes. It makes eating healthy easy and even more flavorful than eating out. Learn more about spices and what type to buy here.

Learning about what spices you love and incorporating that into roasted veggies or dinners more often will have you craving healthier dinners.

Things that add flavor to our food

There are things you can add to make healthier and more flavorful meals.

Sea Salt

Unrefined sea salt not only brings out the flavors of your dishes but also puts trace minerals into the mix. With sea salt, you need to add less to achieve the right level of saltiness.

Lemon and Lime

These ingredients are a great way to boost acidity, which is also an easy way to brighten and balance the flavor of any dish.

Fresh Herbs

Help your healthy dishes shine by incorporating greens. Fresh oregano, tarragon, dill, thyme, sage, basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint are great options to add flavor and boost the brain-enhancing benefits of your meals.

Boring Food

Boring food is not at all boring. So many people feel like healthy food is boring food. Part of the reason why we say we get bored of certain foods is that our tongue demands a different taste every time.

If you keep eating vegetables with the same recipe every time, you will get bored with it. Likewise, if you eat McDonald’s fried chicken 24/7, you will also get bored.

Thus, the issue is not about the food. It is about the tongue that craves a different taste each time.

Perhaps a little creativity on how to make healthy food taste good can go a long way. Delicious healthy food doesn’t have to be over complicated.

There are so many different ways on how to make fruits taste great, how to make vegetables taste great and how to make fish, poultry or tofu taste great.

Try looking up new recipes, and don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and try something new.

How about trying the following?

Chickpeas

• Soak chickpeas overnight and boil them the next day.
• Per your requirement, add vegetables (sweet corn, tomato, onion, cucumber, etc.).
• Add lemon and salt (perhaps, pepper too).

Beetroot

In the same way:

• Wash beetroots and cut them into pieces.
• Add veggies.
• Add lemon.
• Sprinkle salt on top.
• Have it with a meal or before a meal.

Its easy to talk about eating healthier but actually doing it is a whole other monster. Is healthy food easy to cook? Doesn’t always feel that way.

As a stay at home mom of four kids the struggle is real to get anything on the table most nights. So how to cook healthy without spending hours in the kitchen?

That’s where make ahead freezer meals have completely changed things for our family. I am able to prep meals 1x per week (NO COOKING INVOLVED) and spend less then 60 minutes in the kitchen.

My recipes are focues on clean healthy eating with loads of seasonings to keep things fresh and flavorful.

We eat more family dinners together and spend less money out. Give some of my favorite 5 minute freezer meals a try and see if this is the answer you have been searching for to make healthy home cooked meals the easy way.

You will love these healthy dinner ideas that taste good, even kids and picky eaters will love them!

Top 10 Healthy Meals that Taste Good