When Cynthia Sass, co-author of the bestselling "Flat Belly Diet" (Rodale, 2009), married her husband, Jack, there was one area where they vastly differed - their taste buds. Texas-bred Jack was a Dr. Pepper-drinking, meat-loving man with a penchant for fried foods. Cynthia was a vegetarian and registered dietitian from upstate New York. For a while, dinners were prepared separately, but eaten together. Restaurants were chosen that offered foods they both could enjoy. Cynthia would politely offer Jack tastes of her food, including soy burgers. First, Jack took a bite. Then he had one for himself.
The next thing Cynthia knew, Jack was trying tofu, switching from whole milk to soy milk and feeling great.
"His observations of my healthy eating were always positive. I never complained about having to eat veggies or whole grains, I just ate them and loved it," Sass recalls. "Him seeing me enjoy things and feel great helped open the door to giving these new foods a try."
The door opened so much that Jack lost 55 pounds - entirely by switching to eating healthier foods.
Developing the desire for the flavors of healthier eating can occur at any age. While scientists and food companies continuously research new ways to improve the flavor of everything from nonfat yogurt to fish, nutritionists and dietitians say that flavors we enjoy are already present in many healthy foods if we just give them a try.
The key is trying them in a way that works for each of us.
"Healthy eating is often forced on people when they're not ready or willing and that creates negativity and resistance," says Sass, author of "Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches" (HarperOne, 2010).
Elisa Zied, registered dietitian and author of "Nutrition At Your Fingertips" (Alpha, 2009), says exposure is the key for both parents and adults.
"Parents need to offer foods in a palatable way repeatedly to children and use gentle encouragement instead of force feeding," Zied says. "Parents also need to eat the foods in front of their children, which over time can have a positive impact on their kids who want to emulate their parents."
Zied suggests parents try different foods from the same food group and prepare it differently. For example, raw tomatoes (grape or cherry) with dip, or cooked and sliced and sauteed with onion, garlic and olive oil over pasta, chicken or fish. Kids also love dips, so consider mixing healthy foods with dips like oil-based salad dressings or low fat yogurt, which can be fun and increase acceptance of new flavors.
To help kids fixated on sugary cereals, Zied suggests combining it with a healthier cereal at first, and then gradually reducing the amount of sugary cereal. According to recent research, Zied says "kids may need between 8 and 20 exposures to a particular food before they try it or accept it."
"For adults, I suggest trying new foods as a replacement for others slowly and gradually," Zied says. "If you usually eat white rice, mix brown rice or wild rice with white." You can even mix whole wheat pasta with regular pasta.
"But it's important for adults to change their food intake slowly and gradually to reduce the risk of them giving up altogether. Perhaps work on breakfast first, then dinner," Zied says.
Sometimes dips can work for adults, too, but in a different way.
"I remember one client who was nervous to try hummus after hearing several times about how healthy it was," Sass says. "It didn't look appetizing but she stuck a baby carrot into it, popped it in her mouth and was amazed at how delicious it was."
Trying new foods on your own will probably be hit or miss, Sass explains.
"You may get hooked on fresh, ripe mango, but have to spit out kale - that's OK, it's just great to keep trying," Sass says.
One of the key reasons many people may fail to eat more healthfully, Sass says, is that they end up trying bland diet food rather than the many flavorful, delicious options out there. "Even if you feel better, you won't embrace healthy eating if the food doesn't satisfy," Sass says.