Healthy Food Can Taste Good

We are encouraged to eat a high fiber, low fat diet to supportgood health. But often, high fiber is equated with cardboardcrackers and chalky powders. Experts in the natural foodsarena are often asked if there will ever be a diet consistingof healthy food that actually tastes good! In fact, most of usassume that if it tastes good, it couldn't be good for us. This is often the case for individuals who eat whatnutritionists refer to as, `The Standard American Diet." (Alsoknown as the S.A.D. diet.) Their bodies are accustomed to thehigh fat and high sugar taste of dishes like noodles, cheeseand pie. Fortunately, healthy foods, when prepared correctly,can hit the spot for even the pickiest individuals. Taste is something that goes back to our early days of learningabout food, don't you think? We are familiar with the tastes andmouth feel of our favorite dishes. Think about how a bowl of hotoatmeal with milk reminds you of home, or how chocolate cupcakescall to mind birthday parties with your best friends. Tastes can also have a less than positive memory attached. Iremember being a kid during the 1970s, when my mom would bringhome take out from a local health food store. I used to lovethe vegetarian quiche & mashed potatoes, but one dish inparticular was a sprout salad with seeds and raw cabbage. Thismeal often smelled like sulfur, bitter curry and pepperseasonings. To this day, if someone offers me curry, the smelltakes me back to that dish! I think that is one reason I'venever been a fan of sprout salad, and I still don't LOVE curry,or raw cabbage. But I've learned that I can introduce new flavors andingredients if I take the time to learn how to prepare them ina way that is both attractive and tasty. By reading cookbooks Itaught myself how to lightly steam my cabbage, and apply bits ofcurry to lean chicken and stir-fried mung bean sprouts. This isnow a favorite dish of mine, and it is both low in fat and highin nutrients. It definitely takes time for taste buds to change. Until then,eat the healthy foods that you do like, and that you do enjoy.To get the 25-30 grams of fiber per day recommended by theAmerican Dietetic Association, fill your plate with fresh ripefruits and veggies of bright colors. Learn how to incorporatewhole grains in the form of pasta and bread to your meals.These things will cleanse your palate, and open your taste budswide. In time things will taste all together different.About The Author: Cassandra Cox is a 10-year veteran of thenatural products industry. Having received her credentials asboth a Nutritional Consultant and Digestive Care Specialist,she passionate about nutrition and optimum digestive care.http://www.fiber35diet.com