The Palate of Low Carb

Today we went through the drive-thru at McDonalds. As much as we low carb and focus on whole foods, we are still part of a larger culture that I grew up with. I've been nutritionally warped by my carby childhood. While I contain it as best I can, it's impossible, if not impractical, to dodge all the carb loaded bullets our culture shoots at people.

Sugar happens. So does junk food. I try not to be obsessive about it.

Also, I subscribe to the belief that if I deny my child every little thing, it'll cause problems later. So every once in a while, she gets a happy meal (fruit instead of fries) and I get a salad or have a bunless burger. Then my toddler goes and runs until she's sweaty in the play area.

However, today, I had no interest in ordering any food for myself. It just didn't appeal to me when I knew I could make a much better meal at home.

And that's what I did.

My palate, it is a-changing.

It has been a slow process, one that has taken years, but I can now taste how sweet red peppers are. In fact, I don't like them as much as green peppers. A few years ago, I wouldn't have tasted the difference.

I recently had a run-in with mass produced icing and you know what it tasted like to me?

Chemicals.

All too often now when I have a processed and refined carby treat, it just doesn't taste good. I like my low carb food better.

Last year we went on a quickie weekend vacation to a rural area. No restaurants except for fast food. I did the low carb fast food thing for a while, but found nothing tasted good. Even when I indulged in fries or pizza, it tasted bad. It was a miserable weekend because the food sucked and my body felt yucky trying to process all the junk.

Is there anything worse than eating food from your carb heyday and finding out how truly awful it is? Especially if you've built it up in your head as something that is going to be amazing because it tasted so so so good in the past?

The food hasn't changed, I have.

Is your palate different now too?