The palatability factor refers to how good foods taste. Taste is intimately related to health. The better something tastes, the more likely a person is to eat it again. In an ideal world, the healthiest foods would taste as wonderful as a gourmet meal in a five star restaurant. Often, this is not the case. People find themselves believing and acting as if being healthy is synonymous with sacrificing taste on some level.
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, six different tastes exist. They are: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Each flavor presents healthy alternatives, which can be used to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy sugar substitutes for maintaining health include organic stevia, Lo Han Guo, and pure glucose. According to Dr. Mercola, however, “if you have insulin issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, you’d be best to avoid all sweeteners, including Stevia, Lo Han and dextrose, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.”
Satisfying the sour taste in a healthy manner can involve use of organic apple cider vinegar, organic lemon, and organic limes.
To satisfy the savory flavor of salt, Himalayan sea salt can be used.
Satisfying the pungent taste profile in a health conscious way could involve use of organic ginger, organic cayenne, and organic garlic.
Instead of processed salt, Himalayan sea salt can be used
Foods which are bitter and astringent might not seem palatable at first glance but this problem is often easily solved by adding savory flavors. Healthy bitter foods include kale, swiss chard, and spinach. Examples of astringent foods include beans, lentils, and cauliflower. Options for making astringent and bitter foods taste better when cooking them might include adding some Himalayan sea salt, organic onions, and organic garlic.
Many of the bitter foods mentioned lend themselves well to juicing as well. The idea of drinking kale juice or any juice involving greens alone presents another challenge in terms of taste as well. This probably can be solved by adding cranberries, coconut water, lemons, limes, and/or ginger.
Sources:
http://www.chopra.com/the-six-tastes
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/07/sugar-substitutes.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/13/benefits-of-juicing.aspx
