Three guidelines to help you expand your food palate

Trying new foods is a low-risk, high-reward situation. If you hate it, you move on, and if you love it, you eat it again. 

 But even with this simple breakdown, trying new foods can still feel daunting. If you want to expand your food palate but do not know where to start, follow along for three simple guidelines.   

Try “Gateway Foods” 

One way to develop your taste in food is by utilizing “gateway foods,” — dishes that introduce you to new types of cuisine. 

For example, I dislike fish, so I never used to eat sushi. However, with all my friends and family indulging in sushi, I developed FOMO, or fear of missing out, around the meal. I didn’t quite crave the dish, but I longed to try it.  

This unfulfilled craving led me to finding my gateway food. I was eating dinner with my family at Asian Café in Dunwoody, Georgia where I found the courage to try something new. Instead of requesting my typical order –– chicken fried rice –– I tried the chicken tempura sushi roll.  

And to my surprise, I loved it. While I still haven’t ordered sushi with fish in it, I know I am one step closer to trying it.  

This is a small but effective step in the food journey. If you are not ready to dive all the way in, I dare you to at least put your toe in the water.

Take advantage of rough food situations  

As a child, I spent every summer at a sleep-away camp in the northern mountains of Georgia. While the experience and memories were unmatched, the food was usually lacking. However, it was during this time spent away from home that my palate grew phenomenally.   

With camp meals being less than desirable, I would do anything to try and find another option. When the main dish was not to my liking, I typically explored the salad bar in search of something to eat. It was at camp I learned I liked hummus, green apples, chickpeas, thousand island dressing and falafel.  

For students who primarily eat at the dining halls, I challenge you to do the same. If you shift your mindset and begin looking for items that could surpass the offered meal, you will gradually enhance your potential meal choices.  

By scavenging for tastier or new items, your food palate will naturally grow.  

Avoid adjusting your meal at restaurants  

I promise there is no one who likes to adjust their meal at a restaurant more than me. I am teased by my family because I infamously order a burger, then request to remove every topping from the meal until it is just meat and bread.  

So, while I understand the temptation to adjust your meal, I also see the value in avoiding it. By keeping the tomato, aioli or mushroom on your meal, you are not only allowing yourself to try new things, but you are enjoying the meal in its intended form.  

I will never forget the time I ordered a sandwich and asked for it without the pickled vegetables and special sauce. The man at the register gave me a strange look and told me the sandwich would be no good without those items.  

I realized he was right. Who am I to judge this sandwich if I don’t even eat it the correct way?  

In hopes to expand my own palate, I vow to trust the cook. There’s a reason they put those ingredients in the meal and by swapping them out, I won’t be able to enjoy a dish’s full potential. I implore everyone to do the same (and make waiters’ jobs easier all around the world).  

I hope you implement these guidelines and find endless joy in the new foods you try!