Why does everything healthy taste like nothing...share some yummy HEALTHY options!

[CampbellzSoup]

At one time I had a flat stomach you could iron off it! Now it looks like I'm pregnant . Who's to blame?? No one but me! However, I'm taking steps to rectify this!

What do you guys make that's healthy and tastes delicious! Everything healthy is flavorless and tastes like grass or within the grass family...

I'm back going to the gym but still I love to eat as an Italian!

Thanks so much my fellow healthy eaters!

 

[mtemm]

Dh loves tons of spice and rubs to add flavor, I personally think fresh fruit/veg/in season have tons of wonderful flavor on their own, but he definitely loves to add this and that to it.

A couple of his favorite snacks is a piece of Ezekiel bread toasted with some avacado and salsa on it, or an apple dipped in hummus. Both have tons of flavor but healthy. He has gotten into different hot sauces that he will throw on top of grilled meats (I'm fine with a nice herby marinade).

 

[Muushka]

Carbs are the enemy and fat is your friend. Don't believe the hype about grains being good for you and fat being bad.

I've lost 25 lbs ans weigh less now than I did 40 years ago. I don't count calories, just carbs.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I'm learning to pair good carbs and proteins together. Some favorites...

Low-fat string cheese with a bunch of Triscuit Thin Crisps -- LOVE the Parmesean/Garlic flavor.
Hummus in a whole wheat pocket or whole wheat sandwich thin -- lots of great flavors of hummus out there. Add a side of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes.
All natural peanut butter on whole grain toast
Quaker Weight Control oatmeal with some chopped walnuts or pecans thrown in

For treats, frozen Yasso Greek Yogurt bars. Lots of yummy flavors.

 

[ckay87]

This time of year, grill your vegetables. HUGE difference. Toss with a little olive oil and seasoning (I use Adobo) and put in a basket on the grill. Really easy and SO much better. I love vegetables any way they are prepared, but I think you'll find them much less "bla" tasting this way.

 

[Dizlvr]

I'm not sure what you are eating that tastes like grass, but I love salads, and grilled or roasted veggies. There is no candy or baked good that tastes as good as fresh fruit IMO. Not everything that grows out of the ground tastes like grass

What about listing some of you favorite non-healthy recipes and maybe we could help you figure out how to make them healthier and just as flavorful.

 

[mjkacmom]

Gazpacho.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

My new favorite is FAGE plain yogurt with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries...drizzle buckwheat honey - not regular honey which is a totally different flavor. The buckwheat honey has a darker flavor - like comparing dark to regular chocolate. It is oh so good. Also love the mashed avocado on whole grain toast too.

 

[Minnesota!]

I cook up my veg in a skillet with a little EVOO, lots of garlic, and half a lemon. Then, I add in either home made, or store bought low-sodium chicken broth, a little crushed red pepper, some shrimp, and a small dollop of something creamy - plain yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, etc. Toss over quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc., and squeeze more lemon on top. Top with some good cheese. Have a crisp salad on the side. takes about 15 minutes and is SO good. And, very filling!

Grill or roast veggies.

Lots of shrimp...so quick and easy and filling!

 

[Tinkermommy]

Processed/ packaged foods are overloaded with salt and/or sugar. When you cut them out, real food may taste bland for a while but your tastbuds will adjust and fresh vegetables and fruits will taste so goooood.

Then when you do eat processed (especially fast food) all you can taste is salt and grease. It really doesn't taste good at all.

 

[scrapquitler]

At one time I had a flat stomach you could iron off it! Now it looks like I'm pregnant . Who's to blame?? No one but me! However, I'm taking steps to rectify this!

What do you guys make that's healthy and tastes delicious! Everything healthy is flavorless and tastes like grass or within the grass family...

I'm back going to the gym but still I love to eat as an Italian!

Thanks so much my fellow healthy eaters!

If the healthy things you are eating don't taste good, then you probably aren't using the proper spices. I can think of many many healthy foods that taste delicious, even without a lot of spices (think every juicy ripe fruit!, lucious red tomatoes off the vine, perfectly cooked seafood). Salads and other 'grass family' items need a bit of spicing/dressing up with complementary things like onions, peppers, other veggies and some nice vinegrette. Even Kale is delicious when cooked and seasoned properly (my favorite way is as Kale chips -- spritz with a bit of olive oil, add a little seasoning salt, black pepper, garlic powder and grated parmesan cheese then bake at 325 for about 18 minutes -- they are crispy and yummy and very good for you).

 

[scrapquitler]

Oh, and most any vegetables are delicious when you roast them. Just put a mix of chopped up veggies (I like broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, green beans, peppers) in a pan, spritz with a bit of olive oil, add some spices (garlic, a bit of seasoning salt, italian spices, black pepper) and roast at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir them up every once in a while and keep cooking them until they get browned and carmelized. there's nothing better and I could eat a whole huge plate of them and be very happy.

 

[wdwmom2]

I too do low carb. Works well for me.

If I want a sweet treat, I do a couple scoops of Breyers Carb Smart Ice Cream topped off with diet Root Beer. Serve in a tall glass. Delicious!!!!

 

[klo1335]

Ezekiel bread toasted

My husband loves this bread. I, unfortunately, can't eat it because I am very prone to cold sores. I learned the hard way after a very nasty breakout that this bread has a high concentration of Arginine, which is the amino acid that cold sores love!!! Even with taking Lysine, it gets bad for me within 2 days after eating this bread.

One of my favorite healthy snacks is carrots and guac, kettle corn popcorn (Jolly Time brand), Special K chips and fresh salsa, and I recently switched to a charcoal grill. The flavor of using lump charcoal is amazing!!!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I usually marinate this beforehand in Lowry's Mesquite Marinade, but for a healthier version (that's nearly as good), try this without the marinade:

Boneless, skinless chicken tenders
Fresh lime juice
Fajita seasoning
Cholula hot sauce
Tequila

Dump a few dashes of hot sauce, shot of tequila, and a BUNCH of fajita seasoning in the lime juice & use this to baste the chicken as you grill over charcoal & mesquite chips. Save a few wedges of lime to squeeze over the chicken when you serve it.

Not quite as healthy, but we often top the chicken with a "4-cheese Mexican blend" and picante sauce shortly before it comes off the grill. Still squeeze fresh lime on top just before eating.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Here's some inspiration for you. I like him and his recipes. Mario Batali, he lost a lot of weight.

http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20458562_20336520,00.html

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think healthy things taste like nothing. Just expand your repertoire from leafy greens.

Get local tomatoes. Real tomatoes grown and ripened in your area (not the weird crap from thousands of miles away) are amazing.

Grill or roast your vegetables.

Fruits are amazing. Especially in salad or on your morning cereal.

Stir fry is one of my favorites, especially with fresh vegetables.

 

[LilyWDW]

What do you OP mean by healthy? One thing I have learned over the years is that healthy can have a very different definition from person to person. Yes, there are basics like more fresh fruit and vegetables, but when it comes to Macros and the like, each person can be very different. For example, high protein for me is not healthy due to medical reasons. So I eat high fat and moderate carbs and protein.

BTW, Carbs are NOT evil. Neither is fat or protein. Don't follow fad diets. All they do is force you to cut things out to force a calorie deficit. You can't "count your carbs" and still eat at a calorie surplus and still lose weight. A calorie surplus = weight gain. A calorie deficit = weight loss. It's called biology and physics. The food you eat will not change the equation when it comes to weight loss alone.

 

[eliza61]

At one time I had a flat stomach you could iron off it! Now it looks like I'm pregnant . Who's to blame?? No one but me! However, I'm taking steps to rectify this!

What do you guys make that's healthy and tastes delicious! Everything healthy is flavorless and tastes like grass or within the grass family...

I'm back going to the gym but still I love to eat as an Italian!

Thanks so much my fellow healthy eaters!

LOL. I know, I hate a supposedly "healthier" alternative to chocolate cake, it tasted like mud. No thank you, I'll exercise and watch my portion control but low fat chocolate cake is nasty.

 

[smiths02]

LOL. I know, I hate a supposedly "healthier" alternative to chocolate cake, it tasted like mud. No thank you, I'll exercise and watch my portion control but low fat chocolate cake is nasty.

LOL I did Nutri-System once with my DH, we still laugh about Nutri-chocolates (I was ill from eating that stuff).

I agree with others that most meat, fruit, and vegetables if spiced right and maybe cooked with a little healthy fat (or healthy fat used as salad dressing) are good.
As far as other foods...I find low fat cheese a good alternative in recipes, but fat free is just nasty. I also don't mind just using egg whites vs. eggs. I'm fine with fat free milk and low fat greek yogurt
"diet" foods often contain sugar or sugar substitutes to make up and those can have nasty tastes (and health effects)
For pasta, I like Barilla Plus the best so far. I mean you still have to watch the portions, but you get a little extra fiber and protein. Whole wheat pasta is fine for me IF I eat it right away (I don't like leftover whole wheat pasta).