Will I start to like the healthy options?

And also, I still would rather have McDonald's than a salad. But the knowing that I will feel so much better and more accomplished if I eat a salad makes me help make better choices! Most of the time

It's almost always how they are cooked. Experiment with different recipes.

I always disliked Brussels sprouts...until I had them roasted with sausage. Now they are a favorite!

Some veggies you'll find that you don't like alone but you do like them incorporated into a dish.

As for salads, experiment with differet greens and dressings, too.

I pretty much have a salad everyday, I love them. There are so many different foods you can mix into them to taste amazing. You just have to find what works for you. I used to hate beetroot (ones in jars) but I love it raw shredded into my salad. Same with nuts, I thought I hated all nuts, but once I tried different types I started to love them. It's a learning curve when you first start out wanting to eat healthier foods, so just keep trying different foods and start making up meal plans including them, you'll soon start to love them.

I've tried a million different way of eating -- I went raw for a while; I've tried eating low fat vegan; I've done paleo. And no, I never lost my taste for cheese, bacon, chocolate, pizza or the less nutritious food items that I love. What finally worked for me was doing the things others have mentioned in their replies to you -- finding different ways of cooking vegetables and sometimes eating a salad so I can have room for a heartier meal later. I can eat a ton of veggies if I roast them in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and some salt and garlic (broccoli is really good that way). Curries are a good way to sneak vegetable in. Of course, there are some vegetables I will never eat because I despise them. Don't feel bad just because pizza tastes better to you than an apple. I suspect most of us feel the same way.

I've definitely experienced the shift in taste you're asking about, OP. Growing up we didn't eat a ton of variety in terms of fruits and veggies so there are a lot of new things I've tried for the first time as an adult. As I started trying to incorporate more nutrient-dense foods into my diet (focus on fruits and veggies) I've discovered new foods I really like and methods of preparing them that work for me. And I've started craving fresh fruits and veggies more.

I would recommend that you try out different spices and different cooking methods for veggies! Roasting is my go-to, most veggies will be delicious if you add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, your favorite seasoning, and roast them on a baking sheet at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Start with the foods that fit your goals that you know you already like, and go from there. And don't be afraid to try new things! If you don't like kale, try swiss chard. If you don't like kiwis, try mangoes. If you don't like one variety of mushrooms try another one, etc. And I've heard that it can take trying the same thing several times before we acquire a taste for it, so keep giving new things a chance!

I have a few thoughts.

Hubby and I went on a fat and salt restriction for an entire month. I learned a few things. What I was loving in the food was the fat and salt! Salt also hides substandard foods. I found I could not tolerate unsalted vegetables unless they were very fresh. So I now indulge new tastes getting the freshest produce I can find. I also eat it soon after I get it so it doesn't molder in to something unappetizing in my refrigerator.

When produce is not drowned in fat, salt, or sugar, new tastes emerge and yes, you can learn to love them.

I also learned I was doing my salads no favours by cutting all fat and salt from them. I have a theory that we prefer foods with that little bit of fat as it helps with satiety. I judiciously measure out my full fat dressing, but I don't eliminate it. The salad tastes amazing, and it keeps me full longer. The same goes for adding a little feta, maybe some olives.....the people of the Mediterranean might be on to something.

Hummus is so much tastier when fat is added. I realized that adding the fat gives hummus about the same macro breakdown as nuts. This might not be accidental. That little extra fat makes hummus so much more satiating.

I hear you when you say you aren't very good at including a little "junk food" in your diet, but seriously, pizza has a whole bunch of good things going for it. It's got all the macros, and it's finger food. What if you started loading your plate with a dark leafy salad, with one slice of pizza to the side? I find this meal to be so satisfying and filling.

The fried/oily stuff doesn't appeal to me anymore, so yes!

csj522 wrote: »

I am going to be honest, I have been eating so much garbage for so long that those things appeal to me. In my mind though, I am attracted to the healthy, vibrantly colored fruits and veggies I should be eating, but my taste buds tell me that those things are not as good as a good ole pizza.

Does anyone have experience with their appetite slowly changing toward the more healthy choices? Is there hope for me? I am not really a person that feels I can have something every once in a while (or a cheat day) because having something bad every once in a while leads back to all the time. I would prefer to find a tasty satisfying similar item.

For me, I like pairing healthy things with "bad" things. I love pizza, so one of my go-to dinners are a small mini pizza (260 cals) paired with a cup of cherry tomatoes and some other fresh veggies. I like salads, occasionally, but get sick of them fast, whereas I've focused on the veggies I do love and eat those.

Think of the healthy options you DO like, and add them to your plate with other things. Have a burger, but pair it with a salad or veggies. Make it appetizing though- add a favourite dressing or something that makes you want to eat it too. Over time, it gets so much easier. Think of what you CAN add to your plate and not what you CAN'T eat- I find challenging myself to 3-5 servings of veggies a day helps and as I mentioned, I add the ones that I do like (cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, celery, etc).

And success comes in the kitchen too and from trying new recipes. And oh, Hungry Girl has some cool recipes which are in line with making "bad" food not-so-bad.

csj522 wrote: »

I am going to be honest, I have been eating so much garbage for so long that those things appeal to me. In my mind though, I am attracted to the healthy, vibrantly colored fruits and veggies I should be eating, but my taste buds tell me that those things are not as good as a good ole pizza.

Nope. Nothing is going to taste as good as pizza. You'll grow to love other things a lot however.

Secondly, there are no "bad foods" unless you have a health disorder. Just foods that are really calorie dense.

Sometimes you have to try food a couple of times, prepared in different ways to decide what you like to eat. Never rule out a food. And sometimes foods that taste disgusting the first time, taste better when you try them later on. I remember eating my first black olive and spitting it out.Then when I ate some pizza with black olives and mushroom, I really enjoyed the flavor of those food pairings. Foods that I couldn't eat and didn't like as a kid are now some of my favorites....black olives, beets, pumpkin, and coconut....who knew that I would ever like those things? Keep experimenting...there is a wonderful world of fabulous food out there just waiting for you to discover it.

I think you definitely need to experiment with different food combinations for your own tastes and see what you like, there's honestly no point in eating foods that you don't enjoy! Though, I do think your tastebuds adjust to new flavours. I have definitely got used to a few changes such as not salting my food, adding less milk to my tea, not drowning my food in condiments/dressings. But the biggest one for me is fizzy drinks, I have been drinking only water (still and fizzy but always plain) or tea for a couple of years now and on the very odd occasion I have something else, Coke for example, I find the sweetness incredibly overbearing and can only have a few sips! Having said all that, I'm not convinced I'll ever replace the taste of a freshly baked pizza!