A consumer’s desire is that food should be highly delicious, heavenly, appetizing, delectable, luscious, savory, scrumptious, tasty and healthy. However, we face a daily reality such that delicious food isn’t always nutritious. With the way of life and food habits that have been instilled in most of us, it is hard to discover nutritious food delicious. Taste versus nutrition is a match that is practically crude, and this is the subject which plagues the minds of all the foodies around the world.
Let us explore what taste and nutrition are? And what is the relation between them?
Taste
Taste is one of the five basic senses.
Taste is the sense by which the chemical qualities of the food in the mouth are distinguished by the brain, based on info provided with the help of the taste buds.
The importance of the taste lies in the fact that it allows a person to select food in accord with desires.
Taste is a special characteristic of the taste buds in the mouth, but it is a common experience that one’s sense of smell also contributes strongly to taste perception.
Basic taste sensations
There are five specific types of taste. The taste receptors in your mouth send these taste sensations to your brain: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour and Savory.
- Sweet is the taste of natural sugars found in many fruits and honey.
- Salty is the taste of sodium and chloride (salt crystals) and the mineral salts – potassium and magnesium.
- Bitter is the taste of 35 exceptional proteins found in plants.
- Sour is the taste of acidic solutions like lemon juice and organic acids.
- Savory is got from protein building blocks (amino acids) found in protein-rich foods like meats and cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition is how food impacts the health of the body. Choosing the right food is extremely important as it provides essential nutrients for survival, and enables the body to function and remain healthy. Food is made from macronutrients together with protein, carbohydrates and fat, which provide calories to fuel the body and give it all the energy it needs. Food also consists of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals that don’t provide energy, but serve in a variety of crucial functions to ensure that the body operates optimally.
Facts on nutrition
The human body requires seven types of nutrients.
Not all nutrients provide energy but are still essential, including water and fiber.
Micronutrients are important but required in smaller amounts.
Vitamins are important organic compounds that perform hundreds of roles in human body.
The above information explains taste and nutrition and its importance. But the actual essential factor is selecting tasty and nutritious food.
Try making small changes in your diet plan and consider healthy food choice such as,
- Identify what your body requires
- Enjoy food but control on your calorie intake
- Swap sugar to a natural sweetener
- Choose fat-free food
- Learn what is in foods and their impact on your heath.
Having mentioned the above factors, we do realize that food is the most important element required by our bodies. It nourishes the body, it provides nourishment for the soul but taste makes food enjoyable. Satiate your palate with healthy, tasty food.
As it’s said, ‘Nutrition is Key, but Taste is King’.
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