Do you usually find yourself eating the same food or dishes repeatedly or buying the same few ingredients at the supermarket? Well, you might be a picky eater! Just like kids, adults too can have nutrient deficiencies especially when we have a mental list of what not to eat. In this article, we will tackle how you can expand your food preferences, so you get all the nutrients you need to get better and get healthier.
One at a time
Teaching yourself to eat one particular food is already an achievement because it shows your determination to change your unhealthy eating habits. Research shows it may take 11 to 20 times or even more before you get used to eating a particular food, so cut yourself some slack and take it easy! Don't overwhelm yourself by trying different food all at once. Focus on just one food you'd like to learn to love and take small steps to make positive changes.
Embark on a food experiment
Feel like steamed veggies are boring and sad? Try them roasted or grilled, you can even coat them with different herbs and spices! Experimenting with different cooking methods notches up your food game. You can also try pairing the food you are learning to like with familiar, well-loved food or dishes. The key really is regular and repeated exposure to that food.
Don't beat yourself up
If you feel like you've done everything in your power to learn to like a particular food but still cannot bring yourself to like it, move on! There might be some foods that we could grow to love overtime, and there are other foods we might never want to go near them even with multiple attempts and that is okay! We don't want to associate food with unpleasant memories, right?
This article is contributed by Holmusk.
References:
- Picky eating in adults - Your choice nutrition. Retrieved April 19,
- 5 Tips to deal with picky eaters (Both kids & adults) (2015). Retrieved April 19, 2021.