A huge undertaking when you realize that there are up to 100 trillion different types of “good” bacteria that live in and on humans. Our GI tract is home to thousands of strains of bacteria, all of which perform dozens of important functions including:

• Synthesis of vitamins – folate, B12, and K
• Decreasing the instance of toxigenic (i.e., potentially cancerous) reactions
• Lowering serum cholesterol through bile salt deconjugation
• Improving immune function of the gut by creating a protective barrier
• Synthesis of short chain fatty acids (act as fuel for intestinal cells)
• Improved lactose tolerance
• Potential improvement in antibiotic associated diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome
• Balanced intestinal microbiota

As a result of the Human Microbiome Project, scientists are realizing that the specific types of gut bacteria may also play a role in one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, or obesity. Eating the right types of foods can promote a healthier community of bacteria in your gut.

To start, incorporating more foods that are high in probiotics, ie. live beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus and lactobacillus rhamnosis can be helpful. The following is a list of foods naturally high in probiotics:

• Yogurt: Take a look at the label and choose varieties with added lactobacillus bulgaricus or lactobacillus acidophilus. Kefir, which is similar to yogurt, is also high in probiotics.
• Tempeh and Miso: Both of these products are made from fermented soy beans. Tempeh is a patty of pressed fermented soybeans which has a nutty flavor and chewy texture. I love adding it to stir fries or other recipes in place of ground beef. Miso is sold in the refrigerated section as a thick paste that can be stirred into soup for great flavor.
• Cheese: Soft or fermented cheeses such as Gouda, cheddar, or Swiss are the highest in probiotics.
• Kombucha: Growing in popularity of late, kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that offers a healthy dose of probiotics.
• Sauerkraut: If you can handle the intense flavor of this fermented cabbage, which is a traditional Korean food then you will reap the benefits of the probiotics it contains!
• Dill Pickles and Fermented Vegetables: Choose varieties that have been minimally processed and are preserved using salt and water rather than vinegar.

Find ways to add fermented foods in your daily meal plan. Keeping a healthy gut is one of the most important steps to staying healthy.

According to the American Heart Association, women should consume less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day, and men should keep their intake to less than 9 teaspoons per day. However, these limits are easy to surpass in one day when just one 20 oz. regular Coke has 23 teaspoons of added sugar.

Having a game plan for navigating the holidays is important for maintaining your healthy lifestyle. Here are 10 tips for helping you navigate the holidays while not going overboard on sugar.

1. Keep sweets out of the house. This may be tough, but it definitely isn’t impossible. When baking sweet treats, give them away to friends, family, and coworkers rather than keeping an abundance of them around the house to tempt you throughout the day.

2. Don’t drink your sweets. Eggnog, cider, and hot chocolate are delicious, but they also tend to be high in sugar. Limit yourself to 1 serving and then switch to other lower sugar beverages like water, tea, wine or beer. (Wine and beer in moderation, of course.)

3. Keep flavored teas or coffee at home. Feeling tempted to grab another sugar cookie from the counter? Brew yourself a cup of herbal tea or flavored coffee instead.  There are so many great varieties of herbal tea and coffee available that often are flavored like sweet treats without the sugar or calories.

4. Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks. Keep healthy snacks in the front of the fridge or in plain sight on the counter. Meanwhile, keep sweets out of reach in a cabinet or freezer. When the healthy stuff is more convenient than the sweets, you may choose them more often. Out of sight, out of mind right?

Some of my favorite healthy snacks include: fresh cut vegetables and hummus, an apple with peanut butter, trail mix, popcorn, or plain yogurt with berries.

5. Don’t go to parties hungry. When you are starving, you are less likely to make healthy choices. Before heading to a party that is guaranteed to have lots of sweets, try eating a healthy snack at home before you leave so you don’t get to the party feeling starved. Also,  make sure to pick foods with protein and fiber to help fill you up so you don’t crave the sweets.

6. Work out! It may just be me, but when I workout, I feel a less tempted to overindulge. I worked hard in that bootcamp class so I don’t want to undo that!

7. Get enough sleep. This may seem like a strange tip to include but studies show that when someone is sleep deprived they may have less self control, which makes you more likely to overeat sweets. The holidays are a busy time of year, but keep yourself healthy by making adequate sleep a priority.

8. Try chewing gum. Next time you are craving something sweet, try chewing a piece of gum instead. Sometimes the sweetness of the gum is enough to curb your craving for cookies.

9. Overindulge? Start fresh at the next meal or next day. We’ve all done it. You go to a party and drink a couple too many glasses of eggnog and snack on half a dozen cookies. Instead of just throwing in the towel until New Years, get back on track the following day by starting your morning with a healthy breakfast. Going overboard a couple days throughout the season is much better than 30+ days of too many sweets and treats!

10. Be selective about what sweets you do eat and truly savor them. This is the most important tip. You don’t have to give it all up! There are many sweets that are only available this time of year that may be something you look forward to. (Grandma’s cinnamon rolls? Aunt Tina’s sugar cookies?)

When you do have the chance to eat your favorite sweets, take the time to truly savor them. If you haven’t gone overboard on sweets all month, the treats you truly enjoy will be all the more special.

Start practicing these tips today and you’ll be feeling much healthier by the time New Years comes around. Do you have any other favorite tips for eating healthy during the holidays?

According to NHANES data, 65% of Americans ate 2 or more snacks per day in 2007-2008 compared to 1977-1978 when 78% of Americans snacked only once or not at all. Since snacking can be a more significant source of calories, you want to make sure you are getting the most nutrients out of your snacks.

The only problem is that it can be hard to ignore the siren call of the vending machine around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. With a little planning you can be prepared with an arsenal of healthier alternatives.

These snacks all provide a satisfying balance of protein, fiber, and fat to keep your stomach from growling again before dinner time as well as promoting a healthy heart.

1.  Hummus (3-4 tablespoons) and fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables are low calorie and loaded with fiber and antioxidants. Hummus is a better choice than ranch dressing since it is so much higher in protein and heart healthy fiber.

2. One ounce of nuts.  Numerous studies have linked the consumption of nuts with lower risk of heart disease and they’re easy to keep in your car during appointments or in your desk.

3. Apple and 2 tablespoons peanut butter. A classic combination of fiber filled fruit with peanut butter which is a good source of protein and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Make sure to look for peanut butter without any added sugar.

4. Plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese (1/2 cup) and fresh berries. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are both great sources of protein to help keep you feeling full. Limit your intake of added sugars by choosing plain yogurt and adding your own flavor with fresh or dried fruit.

5. Trail mix (1/3-1/2 cup). Dried fruit is a great source of fiber while nuts offer heart healthy unsaturated fats.

6. Nut based granola bar. Granola bars can be loaded with sugar while providing little nutritional benefits so choose wisely! The best bars have less than 5 grams of sugar, more than 3 grams of fiber, and at least 5 grams of protein. Check the labels and find one that works for you.

7. Small latte, skip the syrups.  To flavor, just add a dash or two of cinnamon and nutmeg at the counter where they set the milk. You’ll save yourself a lot of calories and added sugar by skipping any flavored syrups. You could also ask for soy milk. Most places use the sweetened version so it has just enough sweetness to make it easy to skip the flavored syrup.

8. Popcorn. Skip the usual buttered microwave popcorn, which can be loaded with trans fat. Instead, use this easy method of making popcorn in a brown paper bag in your microwave! Then, add your own healthy seasoning like olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Take it to work in a small container or zip lock bag. Yum!

9. Fruit smoothie made with 1/2 cup yogurt or milk and 1/2 cup fruit. Whip up a simple fruit and yogurt smoothie for a satisfying snack with protein, fiber, and carbs to keep you going.

10. Cheese stick and fresh pear. String cheese isn’t just for kids! It’s an easy on-the-go snack that is a good source of protein and calcium. Pair it with some fresh fruit for a no-prep needed snack.

11. Whole grain toast topped with mashed avocado (1/2), dash of salt and ground black pepper. Avocado toast is super popular right now for good reason. Avocado is a great source of heart healthy monounsaturated fats. If you have a toaster at work this makes a great mid-morning or afternoon snack.

12. Hard boiled egg and a fresh peach (or other fruit). Hard boil a few eggs on the weekend and you’ll have them as a handy snack all week. They are a great source of protein and healthy fats. Paired with a piece of fresh fruit you have the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fat for a satisfying snack.

13. Handful of whole grain tortilla chips and 1/3 cup salsa. Look for tortilla chips that offer at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and pack them with your favorite salsa for a healthy snack.

14. Kale chips. These are a surprisingly tasty way to enjoy the health benefits of kale! It is so easy to make your own at home too.

15. Roasted soy nuts or endamame. Soy nuts are packed with fiber and protein and when roasted make for a tasty snack with a bit of crunch.

Keep a stash of these heart healthy snack options in your desk or work refrigerator for any midday munchies.  Are any of your favorite snacks included in this list? What other favorites do you have?

Does stress make you want to eat and eat? That’s because of cortisol, a stress hormone that increases your appetite specifically for sweets, hence, wanting to raid the vending machine when you experience a particularly stressful day at work.

On the other hand, stress alters the acid concentration in the stomach leaving you with an uncomfortable feeling like your stomach is ‘tied up in knots’. For many this sensation can lead you to losing your appetite and forgetting to eat meals.

The continued onslaught from stress hormones resulting in eating too much or not enough, can impact your health, waistline and immunity in negative ways. Here’s what you can do to help decrease the effects of stress.

• Go for a brisk walk. Aerobic activity helps boost endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones. Walking also gives you a chance to step away from a stressful event to re-calibrate, find solutions and get grounded. This is an activity that can quickly reduce your stress hormones.
• Deep breathing. The best stress buster? Deep abdominal breathing. You can do this regularly by practicing meditation or in the moment you’re feeling stressed. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of calmness. This deep abdominal breathing helps to decrease worrying thoughts and quiets your mind.
• Eat Omega 3 Fatty acids– regularly. Foods like salmon are particularly high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are shown to decrease anxiety and boost mood. Omega 3’s can’t be made by the body so must come from your diet. This isn’t a quick fix, you want to eat foods rich in omega 3’s regularly to help protect you against the harmful effects of the stress response. Other good sources include flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts.
• Grab an orange. Foods high in Vitamin C, like oranges, create a boost to your immune system and may help lower the levels of cortisol and lower your blood pressure during stressful events. Recent studies found individuals with higher levels of Vitamin C in their blood were able to handle stressful situations better. An orange also takes a moment to peel and eat helping you to come down from a stressful situation.
• Eat whole grains. Whole grains like quinoa or oats trigger the brain to produce serotonin, which can lower blood pressure during the stress response. Choosing whole grains vs. their refined counterparts (think processed foods like white bread) keeps blood sugar stable which in return keeps your mood more stable.
• Drink a cup of green tea. Green tea contains high levels of L-Theanine, an amino acid that is shown to provide a calming affect without making you feel tired. This is a quick fix so keep some stashed in your desk drawer or opt for a cup of green tea during your Starbucks run in lieu of coffee.

Good nutritious choices every day will help keep your stress hormones from wreaking havoc on your body. Eat more plants and seafood and decrease the sugar and processed foods. Finding the right balance means you feel your best and can avoid the extremes of overeating and under eating when stress comes knocking at your door.

Aside from actually going to the doctor a little more often, focusing on preventative medicine (good sleep, stress reduction, and healthy eating) is a great way to try and close the health disparity gender gap. In honour, we are answering some of our male reader’s most pressing health and nutrition questions.

What’s healthier, a shot and a half of whiskey or a bottle of beer? -Luis P, 30 years

Well Luis, calorically speaking, whiskey is the winner. However, this does NOT give you the green light to down several shots of whiskey every weekend. One and a half ounces of whiskey has 105 calories, one Beer is about 150 calories (but varies widely depending on the type). If you go for light beer, the calories are nearly equivalent. Interestingly, moderate drinkers have longer life expectancy than both those that abstain from alcohol and those that are heavy drinkers.  Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks or less per day for men, and one drink per day for women.

How can I eat healthy and exercise while traveling for business? – Adam H, 33 years

Great question Adam, this is something that many people struggle with. First things first, make sure you don’t hop into vacation eating mode just because you are traveling. This is not a vacation, it’s work, and you should try to stick to your normal healthy eating habits as much as possible. With that said, you are going to be faced with more restaurant options, and less fridge space while traveling. If possible, seek out healthy restaurants before you go. I like www.healthydiningfinder.com as an easy resource for finding nutritious meals near by. For a quick lunch, sandwich shops are not a bad option as long as you go for the smaller size and pile on the veggies. Salad and soup is also a great lunch or dinner option. For breakfast, avoid the continental breakfast (muffins, pastries) and seek out something higher in protein like eggs, Greek Yogurt, or cottage cheese with fruit. Eating a high protein breakfast can keep you more satisfied for the rest of the day. I also recommend packing fruit for a snack, or hitting the grocery store in the town you are working in.

In terms of exercise, many hotels have a gym. If you can sneak in a pre or post work, work-out that is a good start. If you are not going to hit the gym, at least find the stairs (You might have to ask for them, you might have to get dirty looks from the hotel workers, but they have to let you use the stairs) Climbing 5 flights of stairs to your hotel room is a pretty good workout if you do it a couple times a day. Bonus is you can carry your luggage up and down the stairs for a total body workout! Lastly, if your work team is up for it, try a walking meeting instead of sitting. The energy will flow better and everyone can be happy and get some exercise

I’m lazy and don’t eat my veggies and fruits, but I take vitamins and supplements. Is this good, or should I really try harder to eat right? – Richard D, 45 years

The short answer is that you really should try harder to eat right. A multivitamin is not a replacement for a healthy diet, it should only supplement it. Recent meta-analysis studies have concluded that a multivitamin won’t boost overall health at all and is largely a waste of money. The studies analyzed heart disease, cancer, and cognitive impairment and found no improvement in those taking a multivitamin. However, several studies have shown long term health improvements in those eating a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. If you are aware of a certain vitamin deficiency you have, for example vitamin D deficiency, it is most definitely worth it to supplement. Fish oil has also shown promising results for heart health.

 Are men allowed to drink soy milk or eat soy products? I heard soy contains estrogen. -Evan M, 30 years

Although its a commonly believed myth, soy does not contain estrogen. It does contain isoflavones which are capable of exerting  a weak estrogen-like effect. It will not make you grow breasts or other woman parts. Soy foods are high in protein and a great alternative to dairy. In clinical trials even high levels of soy intake have not shown to have any “feminizing” affects and may have positive health benefits.

How can I boost my testosterone naturally? Are there any supplements that work? – Jordan M, 55 years

Getting enough sleep, losing weight if you are obese, daily exercise, and managing your stress level have all been shown to help improve low testosterone levels. Supplements are largely unregulated and should not be taken without first consulting a doctor as they may interact with medications. Horny goat weed is showing promising results for low libido and erectile dysfunction, but there is no established dose and it is not currently recommended. The active ingredient is epimedium, which appears to act as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, similar to some drugs used for erectile dysfunction.

I eat fruit as a side, but I don’t ever really eat veggies that way. Is that very unhealthy, or do I get enough veggies from eating hamburgers and occasionally salads? Matt M, 25 years

You are not getting enough veggies from that one leaf of lettuce and two tomatoes on your burger Matt. If you eat a main course salad daily, that is likely sufficient. Men need about 3 cups of vegetables per day. Every day. If you aren’t currently close to the recommended amount, try adding them in little by little. Baby carrots are a good snack, but you could also branch out and try peppers, cauliflower, and asparagus. During the summer, grilled veggies are a delicious treat!

Most people who want to lose weight have been on at least five to ten diets, if not more, in their lifetime. They are dieting professionals. The thought of “This time it will work, this time it will be different” is in their mind every time they start a new diet.

So the cycle continues of starting a new diet, losing some weight, then, the eventual rebound of weight gain, often to a point higher than pre-diet levels.

Another common downside to dieting is the attention given to food. Dieters are often instructed to focus on and even study their food with tactics like counting calories or carbs, or to eat a certain type of food and no others.

This process can actually sabotage their success, because the diet makes the dieter more preoccupied with food.

Dieting makes food the enemy, especially when one eats a non-diet food. Dieting slows metabolism! And, lastly, dieting is usually a stepping-stone to eating disorders.

A Different Approach: Mindful Eating

Mindful or intuitive eating means the person is aware and deliberate while eating.

First, the mindful eater responds less to external cues — like the sight or smell of food, restaurant signs, television ads or large bowls and plates. Instead, the mindful eater tunes into their body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness, so they stop eating when full and don’t start eating unless they are truly hungry.

Second, the mindful eater limits distractions — like a television — which might prevent them from hearing their body’s signals.

Anyone can become a Mindful Eater with practice. Stay tuned for tips on putting mindful eating into practice!

A large Kaiser Permanente study (1,700 participants) published in August 2008 found that those participants who kept food journals daily lost twice as much weight as those who did not keep any record of their food intake.

Let’s broaden this to include those who are not only looking to lose weight, but those who are looking to maintain weight or eat more healthfully regardless of weight. Just the process of reflecting on what we eat helps to increase our awareness and leads to opportunity for better choices.

I know you might be cringing at the thought of keeping a food journal, but don’t let it intimidate you! It doesn’t have to be a formal record or take a lot of time.

Here are some simple ways to keep a journal:

• Keep a journal or notebook handy (at your desk or in your kitchen) – consider making it fun with a colored pen and attractive notebook.
• Write down what you eat on a sticky note (as you are eating or just afterward is ideal).
• Send yourself a text message or e-mail of what you ate.

Important note: Please use curiosity instead of criticism when reviewing your journals or logs! Being critical of yourself will only set you up for feeling ashamed or guilty – you don’t usually make positive self-care choices when you feel badly about yourself.

Instead, being curious about your food choices will allow you to understand what you were feeling or thinking in the moment, and this arms you with the awareness to make a more positive choice the next time you eat!

I challenge you to experiment by keeping a food journal in any format over the next 3 days! See what new insights you gain.

Take inventory now… What’s putting you at risk?

• Following a quick-fix diet or unrealistically low-calorie goal this past summer.

• Shorter days and cooler weather limiting your outdoor activities and exercise.

• Holiday candy at the office.

• Tailgate parties and holiday gatherings – rich foods and alcoholic beverages.

• Baking more often in the spirit of the season.

• Comforting winter-time beverages like eggnog, lattes, and hot chocolate.

• Exhaustion from running around town buying gifts and preparing for the holidays.

• Climbing stress levels from all there is to be done before the New Year.

• Dwindling sleep as your mind spins with overwhelming thoughts of…

• Depressed mood with the change of the seasons.

If you’re not aware of where you might fumble, the odds are stacked against you! All of these can influence you to make poor choices. For example, the more time you spend after work or on the weekends trying to cram in your holiday shopping, the less time you’ll spend planning and preparing a healthy meal.

For many individuals, this means a quick stop at the nearest fast food restaurant or shopping mall eatery.

Try these solutions:

• Be sure to get plenty of sleep (most ideal is 7 – 8 hours per night).

• Start your holiday gift shopping early rather than putting it off until the last minute.

• Sit down once or twice per week to plan out your dinner meals.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Eat a snack before you go to a party so you’re not famished when you get there.

• Set aside some time to relax and de-stress (try just 15 minutes per day).

• Have fun baking your holiday goodies – freeze a few for yourself, then wrap the rest up as gifts for neighbors and coworkers.

• Limit specialty beverages that are loaded with sugar.

Take a minute to reflect on where you’re most likely to fumble. Now, set one or two goals to make sure you bounce back and protect yourself against those unwanted pounds!

Believe it or not, you have to eat to manage weight and lead a healthy life! While there are some foods that should be limited, and others that should be added to the diet, there are no foods that should be completely banned. This is a matter of food preference and balance. For me, “banning” bacon for the rest of my like would not be difficult, but “banning” desserts? That would be another story. You may feel the opposite: Maybe you want to enjoy two strips of bacon every Sunday morning, but can live without the sweets or only limit them to special occasions.

We all have a unique relationship with food. Our goal at Real Living Nutrition is to help you establish a healthy relationship with food that fits your lifestyle and health goals.

So enjoy what you eat, every day. Have positive thoughts about food, not negative ones.

There are those who love diving into that quinoa and kale salad and others who just will not touch it. As dietitians we spend time trying to inspire healthy eating through articles and recipes but often that’s not enough to break someone’s food bubble. We have to go a bit deeper.

There are five main categories that help create your food bubble over time.

1. Cultural food influences. Does your family come from a culture of people who have strong food practices? As an Italian American I certainly relate to this. My family prepared foods with a strong Italian flavor profile, lots of oregano, tomatoes, garlic and peppers, making those foods some of my favorites. Those cultural flavors and traditions become your comfort zone. Even American traditions like Thanksgiving influence what you enjoy. Did your family make a classic green been casserole or prepare a different type of vegetable? These traditions weigh heavily on your food preferences.

2. Childhood experiences. Food conditioning from your childhood follows you through life. Did your parents make you eat peas when you hated them? Does that same hate follow you into adulthood? Sometimes good intentions like making a child clean their plate can backfire. Instead of that same child trying peas in a variety of ways as they grow up and actually finding they enjoy them, they may end up with a lifetime aversion because they had to gag them down.

Childhood is also a time where you may be influenced by what your parents like. I’ll never forget while working for the Ventura Healthy Schools Program I was tasked to make a fruit and yogurt smoothie demo in the classroom. Up marched a young girl who proudly said, “my mom hates fruits and vegetables and I do too…yuck!” I smiled and told her she didn’t have to take one if she didn’t want to but maybe she’d like to just try it out. She came up to me later and declared how much she loved it.

There’s a whole lot of conditioning that takes place in childhood from exposure to adult influences. Take a minute and look back, do you have any influences lingering?

3. Exposure to foods. The amount of exposure you have begins in childhood. Did you know you should expose a child at least 10 times to a new food before they’ll start eating it? That’s a lot. Kids do have the potential to like healthy foods. I read a blog post from Elena Paravantes that mentioned lentils was one of Greek kids favorite school lunches. Do kids in Greece have special taste buds? Of course not. When kids are highly exposed to chicken nuggets and french fries that’s what their palate will want. Kids in Greece are highly exposed to lentils and vegetables and they love those foods.

As you move into adulthood have you challenged yourself to try new foods or have you stayed secure in your food bubble? We all fall somewhere on a scale of 1 to 10 with our adult food exposure. Those who travel and love exploring different cuisines are likely to be more at a 10 while those who are fearful of new foods may stay around a 2. We’re not all going to become 10’s. I’m likely never going to try bone marrow no matter how trendy it is. However, if you’re around a 2 working your way up to a say a 6 or a place where you’re enjoying more plant based foods is a win.

4. Taste Preferences. Of course some of your taste preferences simply have to do to with your genetics. Supertasters are individuals who taste things with strong intensity. Being a supertaster means the bitter flavor of vegetables like asparagus may taste incredibly strong. This doesn’t mean it automatically creates a hatred of vegetables but it certainly can limit some of the foods you may enjoy.

5. Food/Life Experiences. Food preferences are often connected to fun experiences like say, funnel cake at the Fair. If I had to choose a dessert to have in my kitchen funnel cake wouldn’t make the list, but at a fair…it tastes so much better at the fair! Fun experiences don’t always revolve around sweets. Holiday meals, brunch with friends, the smell of Saturday grill night in the summer time. Everyone’s experiences differ.

Growing up we had a garden and one of the vegetables we grew were English peas. We’d play in the yard all day and we loved taking a “snack” break to shell the peas and eat them right there in the sunshine. I associate those peas with the nostalgic memories of playing in the yard on a hot summer day. I love the fresh crispness of those little peas. My husband? He dislikes all peas because he thinks of canned peas you got in the hot lunch line at school. All of these events shape your love and acceptance of different foods.

How to Move Outside your Food Bubble

While a food bubble includes all foods, for this article we’re going to narrow in on vegetables. The problem with having a limited palate is if you simply don’t like fruits and vegetables it is highly unlikely you will feel good, manage your weight and live a life free of chronic diseases. They’re just not food groups you can live without and should instead be what you eat most often on your plate. Finding ways to broaden your palate is important and it can be done. Here are some tactics that may help you to add more foods in your bubble.

– Try different cooking techniques. If you’re ok with steamed asparagus, try roasting or grilling it. What this does is introduce you to a new way of cooking that provides a completely different flavor profile. If you like it, then you can try the same cooking technique on a vegetable you haven’t been fond of in the past. For example, my husband used to absolutely, stubbornly hate zucchini because he associated it with soggy, over cooked rounds. One day I sliced a zucchini lengthwise in half, brushed it with oil, salt and pepper and threw the halves on the grill. This way the zucchini stays firm and is just fork tender. He now eats zucchini regularly simply because he tried eating it cooked differently. If you’ve never roasted or grilled vegetables before try it out. There’s something special about browning those veggies that may open up the door for you to enjoy a whole new variety of veggies.

Different cooking techniques can change the entire flavor of a vegetable so this one step can be a game changer. Personally I’m not a huge fan of raw sliced mushrooms on a salad but saute them in some wine and olive oil and they’re magical.

– Ease into it with food items that are familiar. If you’re not a big fan of vegetables I’ll be hard pressed to get you to try a kale and sweet potato salad no matter how good I think it is. It’s just too far off your radar. That’s ok. Stick with things that are more familiar like chicken tacos with tomatoes and peppers or something like tomato soup. If you only love iceberg lettuce, by all means eat it. I’d rather someone eat iceberg than nothing at all. You’re still getting some nutrients.

– Add fruit, especially for supertasters. If you love fruit but you’re not a fan of vegetables try combining the two for a better flavor profile. I like adding fruit like apples, pears or even berries to salad greens. Adding sweet fruits like ripe pears or peaches to bitter grains like quinoa completely changes the flavor and mellows out the bitter taste. Most people truly dislike beets but if you add something sweet like an orange glaze it can lessen the “dirt” flavor people associate with beets. You may find you enjoy the combination of flavors rather than just one strong isolated flavor.

– Dress them up. Liven up your vegetables by pairing them with fresh herbs, vinaigrette dressing, goat or feta cheese or spices. If plain steamed cauliflower sounds ho hum, try adding a little oil, sprinkle it with salt and curry powder and roast them. Yum! If curry is too over the top for you try sprinkling your veggies with a little garlic salt. This brings out a whole new flavor. A little bit of strong cheese like goat or feta cheese can really liven up your vegetables. Add it to salads or to roasted veggies like asparagus. By adding an orange glaze and goat cheese to my roasted beets I actually got my beet hating husband to eat them. He said, “they’re not something I’d want all the time but far better than regular beets”. I’ll take it!

– Give it another chance. I’ve found many people haven’t retried foods they don’t like since childhood. You never know if your tastes have changed over time and you may enjoy something you hated in your youth. My mother absolutely hates avocados, yet she has only tried it once when she was younger. While camping a few years back my sister and I whipped up some guacamole which on first pass my mother said, “I don’t know how you guys eat that stuff”. With much prompting, she was tried it with a tortilla chip and you know what? She loved it. She’d never had avocados made into guacamole and had no idea it had that sort of flavor. Give things a try again. You don’t have to eat a huge plateful, just a small tasting.

If you struggle with finding vegetables you enjoy I hope some of these tips can help you broaden your food bubble. Eating 5 to 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is the cornerstone to good nutrition and health. Keep finding solutions that work for you.