My taste buds have changed

Artichokes

I seriously doubted that I would ever stop craving cupcakes, Cheetos and sweet tea.  But I promise you I have.  I didn’t know I liked the following tasty items until I started trying them.  I am a crunchy type of girl, so most of the preparations I am drawn to are baked and crispy.  Carrie is working on her own list of healthy sweets, so be sure to come back and read that. 

I am embarrassed to say I had plenty of artificial peach flavored things like snow cones and candy, but never actually bit into a juicy fresh peach.  Wow, completely different taste and experience! 

Here’s some staples that are on my list now that I never would have dreamed of:

·         Avocado-I'm not sure what my aversion to this was, but I now I love them!

Kale

·         Green grapes-They are even sweeter than red or purple grapes, and I love to freeze them and just pop them in the summertime instead of a popsicle 

·         Artichokes-and I’m not talking about spinach dip from Applebee’s!  Normally I eat them chopped up in a salad or on spaghetti squash. 

·         Blueberries-I always found them to be sour, but our local farmer's market sell organic blueberries and they are like candy!

·         Dates-a main ingredient in larabars, which I get by the caseful!

·        Peaches-Oklahoma has an abundance of sweet Southern peaches

·         Butternut Squash-I cut them up like french fries and bake them.  Much healthier for you than white potatoes.

·         Kale-I like to bake this into chip form.

·         Hominy-so good in white chicken chili

·        Squash-I always pictured a mushy ratatouille, but guess what you can slice & bake these up like chips too! 

·         Brussel Sprouts-I liked them shaved on the mandolin in a salad, or I use this recipe and bake like chips  I just use sea salt, and don't bother with the lemon pepper seasoning. 

Oxo Mandoline

If you like crunchy things I would suggest getting a mandoline.  I have this hand held one that was less than $20 and it works great.  It's sharp, so use the blade protector, I have plenty of cuts on my fingers to prove it!  Not only is it a lot easier to slice up something, but you also get even slices, so the cooking time doesn't fluctuate. 

What are some new foods you have found since you started eating healthy?