Is it possible to train your taste buds to enjoy foods you didn’t eat before? Photo/Getty Images
You’re out to dinner with a bunch of friends and one of them orders an anchovy and olive pizza to share, but you hate olives and anchovies. Do you want to have fun with your favorite Hawaiian food or stay quiet?
This scene plays out every day around the world. Some people fiercely defend their personal preferences. But many people want to expand their taste buds without getting too upset the next time someone in their group of friends orders pizza.
Is it possible to train your taste buds to enjoy foods you previously couldn’t eat, just like you train your muscles at the gym?
What determines “taste”?
Taste is a complex system that has evolved to help us navigate our environment. This will help you choose nutritious foods and reject potentially harmful ones.
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Food is made up of a variety of compounds, including nutrients (proteins, sugars, fats, etc.) and aromas that are detected by sensors in your mouth and nose. These sensors create the taste of food. Taste is detected by the taste buds on your tongue, while flavor is a combination of smell and taste. Together with texture, appearance, and sound, these senses collectively influence food preferences.
Many factors influence food preferences, including age, genetics, and environment. We each live in our own sensory world, and no two people have the same experience while eating.
Food preferences also change with age. Research shows that young children naturally tend to like sweet and salty flavors and dislike bitter flavors. As they grow, their ability to prefer bitter foods increases.
New evidence shows that bacteria in saliva can also produce enzymes that affect the taste of food. For example, in cauliflower, saliva has been shown to cause the release of a sulfur aroma. The more sulfur produced, the less likely your child will enjoy the taste of cauliflower.
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nature and nurture
Both genetics and environment play important roles in determining food preferences. Twin studies estimate that genetics have a moderate influence (32 percent to 54 percent, depending on food type) on food preferences in children, adolescents, and adults.
However, these preferences are learned to a large extent, as our cultural environment and the foods we are exposed to also shape our preferences.
Much of this learning takes place during childhood, at home and other eating places. This is not something you learn in a textbook. It is learning by experience (eating) and this usually leads to liking the food. Or it can be learned by observing the behavior of others (modeling), leading to positive or negative associations.
Research has shown how environmental influences on food preferences change from childhood to adulthood. For children, the main factor is the home environment, which makes sense since children are more likely to be influenced by the food that is prepared and eaten at home. Environmental factors affecting adults and adolescents are even more diverse.
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The process of “acquiring” taste
Coffee and beer are good examples of bitter foods that “acquire” taste as they grow. Overcoming your aversion to them is mainly due to the following reasons:
- the social context in which they are consumed; For example, in many countries they may be associated with the transition to adulthood.
- The physiological effects of the compounds they contain, such as the caffeine in coffee and the alcohol in beer. Many people find these effects desirable.
But what about developing a taste for foods that don’t give you the same desired feelings but are good for you, such as kale or fatty fish? Is it possible to get consent for these?
Here are some strategies to help you learn to enjoy foods you don’t currently eat.
- Eat and keep eating. Only small amounts are needed to build up a preference for certain flavors over time. It may take more than 10 to 15 tries before you can say you like the food.
- Mask the bitter taste by eating it with other foods and ingredients that contain salt and sugar. For example, you can combine bitter rocket with sweet salad dressing.
- Repeat it in a positive context. That might mean eating it after playing your favorite sport or with your favorite person. Alternatively, you can eat it with foods you already enjoy. For certain vegetables, try pairing them with your favorite protein.
- Eat when you’re hungry. When you’re hungry, you’ll be more willing to accept tastes that you can’t taste when you’re full.
- Remember why you want to enjoy this food. You might change your diet for health reasons or because you’ve moved across the country and are struggling with local cuisine. Your why will help motivate you.
- Start young (if possible). It is easy for children to develop a liking for new foods because their taste buds are not yet established.
- Please remember. The more foods you like, the easier it will be to like others.
A balanced and varied diet is essential for good health. A poor diet can be a problem if it leads to vitamin or mineral deficiencies, especially if you avoid whole food groups such as vegetables. At the same time, eating too many delicious but energy-rich foods can increase your risk of chronic diseases such as obesity.
Understanding how your food preferences are formed and how they change is the first step on the path to healthier eating.
Nicholas Archer is a Research Fellow in Sensory, Flavor and Consumer Sciences at CSIRO. Astrid Pohlmann is a Principal Scientist in the CSIRO Public Health and Welfare Group.
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This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.
