Why Can't Healthy Food Also Be Tasty?!? (a yummy recipe list)

thisdamselflies

One of my friends watches that show, Fit to Fat to Fit, so I watched an episode so I could talk to her about it, and one thing really stuck out. WHY did everyone on that episode talk about how they have to get used to "bland" food? Why is it that healthy = bland in so many people's minds? I have to admit, even I sometimes think this way, but then I find a meal that's both good for me and delicious, and it sets my mind right again.

I'm not talking about food that's "good even though it's healthy" or "good, for healthy food." I'm talking about food that is mouthwateringly delicious in its own right. Food you could take into any party (even one where no one is health-conscious) and watch disappear in a matter of minutes. Food so good you talk about it months or even years later. Food that you want to make over and over again, not food that you make over and over again because it's easy.

These are a few of mine:

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw
Greens and Ham Breakfast Bowl (this would probably be good for any meal, though!)
Creamy Balsamic Dressing (I use avocado instead of yogurt or sour cream where that's an option, the mayo is unnecessary, and you can change out the sugar for honey, although I just use sugar)
Pulled Chicken Avocado Sliders (thank you, MFP!)
Baked Turkey Meatballs with Spinach (this is my go-to for meatballs now...better than any other meatballs I've ever had)

I'd like this discussion to turn into a go-to list for deliciousness, because I really need more than five! What are your "OMG, that's so good I can't believe it even exists (and also happens to be good for me)" recipes? Post them here!

Lizzy622

Thanks for sharing. I agree healthy does not = bland. I have a cabinet full of spices that liven up any dish. I made chili using TVP (textured vegetable protein) instead of beef and my husband didn't know the difference. He thought it might be turkey because of the color. I also add in celery when I am sauteing the onions and peppers for my chili. My daughter made buffalo cauliflower for the Super Bowl. Basically you just coat the cauliflower in Buffalo wing sauce and bake. So low calorie you don't feel bad using a little blue cheese dressing.

mweckler

I can make healthy food that tastes good. Learn seasonings see what tastes good. Instead of buying the premade seasoning blends for tacos, and chili, and what nots learn to make your own. That way you can control the salt content, and adjust the seasoning to your own liking. Good food does not have to be bland. Take it from a professional Chef.

Lounmoun

People define healthy food differently. I define it as foods that have nutrients and calories that fit my daily goals. I don't follow a special or restrictive diet. I like the food I eat. My meal plan of dinners/lunches (400-700 calories) for the next month or so:
Grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup
Tandoori chicken, naan, vegetables
Chicken parmesan casserole, salad
Spicy eggs, bread
Turkey shepherd's pie
Curry, bread
General Tso's chicken, vegetables
Lentil soup, bread
Cheesy broccoli rice casserole
Greek potatoes, feta, salad
Tortellini, broccoli
Ground beef stir fry
baked chicken thighs, baked potato, corn
Club sandwich, sweet potato
Oyakodon
Chicken cordon bleu casserole, salad
chicken and spinach taquitos
Sesame chicken, vegetables
Ravioli, salad
Mujaddara
Slow cooker chicken Caeser sandwiches, salad
Fassolatha, bread
Chicken yakisoba
Pizza
Parmesan portabella orzo, salad
7 layer dip, tortilla chips
Potato soup
Pizza casserole
Pork carnitas, vegetables
Mediterranean chicken skillet
Chicken adobo, rice, vegetables
Batsaria, eggs
Reuben sandwich
Ham, salad, deviled eggs
Chicken fajitas, Spanish rice
Spaghetti with meatballs
Chicken fried rice
Pan roasted pork chops, baked beans, salad

There are lots of good tasting recipes on the Budget Bytes and Skinnytaste sites.

LKArgh

I consider everything I cook both healthy and tasty. I would not eat something I believe to be dangerous for my health (at least not at amounts that would really make a difference) and definitely would not serve it to my kids, but I can really not think of many recipes that are based on un-healthy ingredients. As for taste, I would not cook something that does not taste good on purpose. If it cannot be made to be tasty, I would not bother cooking it. So I cannot really give a list, because the answer would include pretty much everything?

kommodevaran

I agree so much with Lounmoun and aggelikik. I too used to think healthy = bland, and that I did something wrong, because I couldn't continue eating what I believed I had to eat. Now I just eat normal foods in normal amounts, made from scratch and with care, and enjoy the hell out of it. Oh, I'm maintaining a healthy weight, too

rybo

I think one of the biggest misconceptions out there is that healthy eating I'd bland & tasteless. There are many foods with great tastes, not to mention an endless amount of seasoning & spices available

drachfit

thisdamselflies wrote: »

Why is it that healthy = bland in so many people's minds?

Because in the Standard American Diet (aptly, the acronym for this is SAD) the way to add "flavor" is by slathering everything in butter and a sugary sauce. People's palates then become adjusted to the extremely over-sweetened, over-fattened food, and then normal food tastes "bland" by comparison.

Think of the quintessential american food: french fries. Potatoes are healthy and tasty, but they are deep fried, coated in salt, and then we cover them in ketchup, which is basically all sugar. This provides an extremely intense blast of "flavor" and the survival-oriented brain interprets this as "wow this food is very rich in nutrients, therefore it is good."

Most foods from most cultures, all over the world, can be considered both "healthy" and "flavorful" and are made from basic, common ingredients and spices.

The_Ugly_One

I wonder how much of this is from people not understanding the calorie content and the volume of food they eat everyday.

For example, the shrimp tacos or chicken sliders in the original post (which both look awesome, by the way).
One person can look at the serving size and say "I can fit 2 sliders into my calorie allotment for the day", and eat that and be fine.
Another person may say "I can't just eat 2 sliders" and proceed to eat 6 or 8 of them for 4000+ calories, view that as unhealthy, which it is in the long run, and come to the conclusion that if they want to continue eating that same VOLUME of food, they'll have to switch to nothing but steamed vegetables and plain rice cakes.

I think maybe when people make the bland food argument, they just can't find a balance between a moderate amount of a calorie-dense food and a mountain of not so calorie-dense food.

jenovatrix

Tonight I'm having Thai peanut chicken wraps! Grill up some chicken, stir-fry some broccoli slaw, make a sauce (natural peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic), throw some peanuts and the sauce in there with the slaw, chop up a bell pepper, then wrap it all in a tortilla. Super super easy and yummy.

stealthq

drachfit wrote: »

thisdamselflies wrote: »

Why is it that healthy = bland in so many people's minds?

Because in the Standard American Diet (aptly, the acronym for this is SAD) the way to add "flavor" is by slathering everything in butter and a sugary sauce. People's palates then become adjusted to the extremely over-sweetened, over-fattened food, and then normal food tastes "bland" by comparison.

Think of the quintessential american food: french fries. Potatoes are healthy and tasty, but they are deep fried, coated in salt, and then we cover them in ketchup, which is basically all sugar. This provides an extremely intense blast of "flavor" and the survival-oriented brain interprets this as "wow this food is very rich in nutrients, therefore it is good."

Most foods from most cultures, all over the world, can be considered both "healthy" and "flavorful" and are made from basic, common ingredients and spices.

French fries are the quintessential food of Belgium where they eat them deep fried, coated in salt and then dipped in mayonnaise or aioli.

We are hardly unique in our use of additional sugar or spices or fats to make food very flavorful and tasty. Of course, we move less than those in most other countries, and tend to eat more.

My opinion for why 'healthy' food = bland to so many people is that there is a subconscious connection of healthy/good with asceticism and unhealthy/bad with hedonism. Plus, the low-fat craze from the 80's and 90's didn't help. There's a lot better flavor when you cook with fats - you don't need all that much to make a huge taste difference.

quiltlovinlisa

My homemade stews, soups and chilies are extremely high in protein, loaded with tons of veggies and extremely flavorful.

Healthy=bland? Not in my house!