Acquired Tastes

Recently I spent a day with my in-laws doing a little early Christmas shopping. When dinnertime rolled around we needed to find a place to eat and there weren’t many choices. We ended up at a steak house (of all places), but the restaurant had an excellent selection of side dishes so I was happy. As I sat there looking at the plates surrounding me, mostly covered with enormous slabs of prime rib, I realized I had absolutely no interest in even the smallest bite of meat.

Thinking about it later, I reflected on the years it took for me to develop my preferences in food. Yet, here I am, a vegan for five months and the change in my tastes are significant. How this transformation was accomplished I don’t know, but with little effort I have learned to appreciate vegetables, beans and grains in an entirely new light.

Now, that’s not to say I don’t still crave foods that I shouldn’t be eating. In all honesty, I do (there’s something about fried chicken… can’t get it out of my head), but I’ve a newfound appreciation for the foods I eat and the tastes I taste. I enjoy dreaming up new ways to use a vegetable. I get excited about tasting the unfamiliar and I’ve learned to enjoy foods that before I may not have appreciated.

My conclusion? I think intentionally making changes in diet can be hard to accomplish. It certainly requires deliberate effort, sometimes with disappointing results. Still, it's not as hard as you might think, and the longer you demonstrate the willingness to keep at it, the healthier you will become.

I feel better already, and in addition to feeling better I’ve developed a sense of pride and accomplishment in how I’m living. I have a healthier perspective on my life and the lives of the people I love. So if you’re like me, new to this lifestyle, it is worth sticking with. Your tastes will change, the temptations won’t be as challenging, and you will feel better in SO MANY ways… trust me.