Wanting "bland" Foods/Tastes Changing

SandyCoils

Hi everyone. Since starting on this journey to eat better I have noticed my taste preferences changing. Some days I really want nothing to eat because the tastes, spices, etc just seem to be overwhelming. The down-side of that, is if I'm craving something "bland", that usually means no taste - which are mostly carbs and I am trying to eat less of that.

Have any of you experienced this? If so, how have you coped with it? I'm a newbie and I'm needing some advice from people who have been doing this thing for a while. Thanks in advance.

TheVirgoddess

My tastes preferences have definitely changed over the past 9 months. I can't handle large amounts of sodium anymore - it makes me feel really icky. Generally this is only an issue when I eat out though - the salt makes everything taste overwhelming.

The only recommendation I have is to cook your food yourself - giving you total control over the seasonings. So I'm not much help I guess

SandyCoils

Oh no, on the contrary. I want suggestions and advice and want to know how people who are experiencing the same thing are dealing with this. One example is, I would eat banana peppers on my sandwiches, now the vinegary taste on the sandwich is nauseating to me. This is HUGE, because that was part of what helped me to eat a nice sandwich instead of a burger. I got used to the change, and now I have to change again.

TheVirgoddess

Maybe use less banana peppers on your sandwich, so the flavor isn't so overwhelming?

Teneko

Try cauliflower. It's a low carb staple.
I found a recipe for awesome mashed cauliflower that truly gave my high carb precious mashed potatoes a run for their money. An immersion blender is SUPER helpful for the "mashing" part, btw.
Here's the recipe I used:
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/better-than-potatoes-cheesy-cauliflower.html

My taste preferences have changed since being on this diet, too. I didn't eat meat (except for seafood) for 26 years. Now I want some BACON. But some days, that's too much for me and so I'll make a shake with some protein powder and macadamia nut oil.
I also hardly salted my food (except for white foods like egg whites, potatoes, rice). Now I salt everything to help keep my electrolytes in balance. Man, THAT was almost as huge a dietary shift as incorporating pork and chicken back into my diet!

-T.

spoonyspork

I've had the opposite. I've always liked just the most subtle of flavors in my food. I've never liked ANY kind of 'hot' spice.

Now I love to make everything burst with all of the flavors. Chili powder is my new best friend. I gobble down pepper bisque. I ordered a pizza from pizza hut with sriracha as the pizza sauce and the hot pepper crust. I don't even know what I've become XD

The only things that have lessened: almost everything pre-packaged now tastes WAY too salty and/or WAY too sweet.

But, if I were in your situation... maybe plain popcorn, or rice cakes? Light and bland in just about every way.

lemurcat12

My taste really hasn't changed that much, except having fewer calories makes me somewhat pickier or less tolerant of mediocre food, I think. I stopped (mostly) eating fast food years ago, and I do agree that it tastes really salty when I occasionally do now, and similarly I stopped drinking regular soda in high school and after adjusting to that I found the real stuff syrupy and unpleasant (although I like the fake stuff fine, so am not claiming any kind of evolved palate, heh). So I think getting unused to something often does affect taste.

I don't think eating healthy or lower calorie should affect tolerance for spice, though. At least for me I use spices (and peppers) just as much--they are often low calorie ways to make food more tasty.

OP, I'm wondering if what you are experiencing really is more of a desire for more starchy carbs. Did you cut your amounts down significantly?

SuggaD

My tastes have changed a lot. I can no longer eat lots of sodium or sweets. Unless I make it myself, it tastes too sweet or too salty. As a result, I focus on cooking at home or spending a little more to go to non-chain restaurants that use fresh ingredients and spices to flavor their food rather than salt.

dubird

My taste hasn't changed really either. Have you tried rice cakes? I don't know how they are with carbs, but I never cared for them because they had no flavor to me, so that might be an option. You could also do plain popcorn. Not the microwave popcorn, but stuff you pop yourself.

Teneko

Rice cakes and popcorn are pretty much pure carbs and would probably not work for the OP. Not sure how restrictive her carbs are, but I know they're off the menu for me on a keto diet (18g net carbs or less a day).

-T.

cwolfman13

I eat very healthfully...but I don't eat "bland". Healthy food doesn't have to be bland. Bland food sucks *kitten*. I don't know why everyone things "healthy" means eating some plain grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli or something...I love flavor and variety...it's the spice of life.

spoonyspork

Also, I love using these to carry stuff (cause it's a plate... I can eat!) and are apparently only 1 carb each (I can't find them online to order -- the place I link to in that thread has them in stock again -- , but they're at both my local Asian markets): http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10053759/korean-puffed-cereal-cookies

Anyway, they're pretty good on their own, though very bland. Taste like an ice cream cone. In the second pic it's sitting on a dinner plate, to give you an idea of the size.

Ladiebug710

I think it really sounds like it is what you think it is, you are craving carbs. There are a lot of bland calorie dense carb laden foods. Just do your best with portion control and you really can eat anything. Cooking for yourself puts you in control of spice levels. But I also agree with other posters that it may be the salt. When you start cutting down on eating out and processed foods you realize how much sodium is in them. One bite of something I haven't had in a while is often disappointing because it doesn't taste like I remembered, it is just kind of gross. These are good changes. Your spicy peppers are loaded with sodium so maybe it isn't the heat from the pepper or the tangy vinegar but the salt in it. Try some fresh jalapeño slices instead

SandyCoils

spoonyspork wrote: »

But, if I were in your situation... maybe plain popcorn, or rice cakes? Light and bland in just about every way.

Good suggestion! Thank you.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

OP, I'm wondering if what you are experiencing really is more of a desire for more starchy carbs. Did you cut your amounts down significantly?

Well, before coming onto this site about 2 weeks ago I wasn't logging ANYTHING!!! I was just willy-nilly eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. This is all totally new to me, so I am sure that I have cut significantly because I lost 3 pounds the first week here. Hindsight really is 20/20.

VeryKatie

Plain chicken and turkey don't have much flavour.

Pirate_chick

No, I enjoy flavor. I use a variety of spices while cooking.

SandyCoils

Ladiebug710 wrote: »

I think it really sounds like it is what you think it is, you are craving carbs. There are a lot of bland calorie dense carb laden foods. Just do your best with portion control and you really can eat anything. Cooking for yourself puts you in control of spice levels. But I also agree with other posters that it may be the salt. When you start cutting down on eating out and processed foods you realize how much sodium is in them. One bite of something I haven't had in a while is often disappointing because it doesn't taste like I remembered, it is just kind of gross. These are good changes. Your spicy peppers are loaded with sodium so maybe it isn't the heat from the pepper or the tangy vinegar but the salt in it. Try some fresh jalapeño slices instead

This makes sooooo much sense. I even had a sandwich with oil & vinegar, and the vinegar was soooo gross, but if I eat greens, I'm loving vinegar on them. I've even started eating something that tasted oh so good at first, and the more I ate it, the more disgusting it became. Maybe I'm just a nutcase. LOL

Ladiebug710

SandyCoils wrote: »

Ladiebug710 wrote: »

I think it really sounds like it is what you think it is, you are craving carbs. There are a lot of bland calorie dense carb laden foods. Just do your best with portion control and you really can eat anything. Cooking for yourself puts you in control of spice levels. But I also agree with other posters that it may be the salt. When you start cutting down on eating out and processed foods you realize how much sodium is in them. One bite of something I haven't had in a while is often disappointing because it doesn't taste like I remembered, it is just kind of gross. These are good changes. Your spicy peppers are loaded with sodium so maybe it isn't the heat from the pepper or the tangy vinegar but the salt in it. Try some fresh jalapeño slices instead

This makes sooooo much sense. I even had a sandwich with oil & vinegar, and the vinegar was soooo gross, but if I eat greens, I'm loving vinegar on them. I've even started eating something that tasted oh so good at first, and the more I ate it, the more disgusting it became. Maybe I'm just a nutcase. LOL

Definitely not a nutcase! It is sad but at least for me I forgot what "real food" tastes like. It's delicious! But it takes giving up a lot of the crap to "reset" your taste buds