Health News
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Let?s talk about taste buds. You might know there are four ?basic? tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But did you know there?s another? It?s time to discover the ?fifth taste bud,? called umami (oo-mommy)! Umami is the taste that is described as savory, or meaty ? and there are loads of foods that stimulate this tasty bud. If you?re looking for easy ways to boost the flavor of your foods, read on!
No chemistry lesson here, but when you eat, certain flavors within food stimulate taste bud sensors (called receptors) on your tongue, and send a message to your brain that you?ve tasted something. There are thousands of these all over your tongue, just waiting for flavorful foods. And highly flavored foods have been suggested to help support fullness with fewer calories eaten ? a huge potential help to dieters.
Here are some top foods to make those umami taste buds jump! And you can eat them alone, or use them as flavor enhancers.
- Tomatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mushrooms
- Soy Sauce
- Anchovies
Try a grating of parmesan cheese (with about 10 calories per teaspoon) on fresh or frozen veggies for a flavorful treat. Add some mushrooms to any soup, or salad. While soy sauce is a high sodium choice, try the reduced sodium variety in salad dressings and marinades, as well as for sushi. And anchovies don?t have to be fishy; put one or two in a marinara sauce, and they melt in, to enhance flavor, with no fishy taste or smell. Tomatoes are a major umami-rich food ? but stick with canned varieties, except in the summer months, when the flavor is most developed.
I hope you give it a try! Let me know your experiences with the fifth taste bud!!
- The Verdict On Sugar
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Americans have a complex relationship with sugar. The USDA estimates that the average intake per person is 70-100 pounds of added sugars each year. Added sugars are those not naturally present in food. That means you may...
- My Five Favorite Summer Foods
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom You know that I?m a big fan of ?seasonal? eating ? choosing the fruits and vegetables that are locally grown ? not flown in partially ripe, from thousands of miles away. For me, summer is loaded with some of my favorite foods....
- Healthy Eating In Black And White ? Part One
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While consuming a variety of colorful foods is a direct connection to healthy eating, nutritious eating can be as easy as ?black and white.? This week, I?m going to look at these two interesting contrasts for healthy eating. ...
- Herbs And Spice Support Healthy Eating
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Herbs and spices can provide extra taste to make your taste buds dance and ?doll up? everyday eating. Whether fresh or dried, herbs and spices are a quick and economical way to enhance the flavor of your favorite foods ? or a...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...
Health News
The Fifth Taste Bud
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Let?s talk about taste buds. You might know there are four ?basic? tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But did you know there?s another? It?s time to discover the ?fifth taste bud,? called umami (oo-mommy)! Umami is the taste that is described as savory, or meaty ? and there are loads of foods that stimulate this tasty bud. If you?re looking for easy ways to boost the flavor of your foods, read on!
No chemistry lesson here, but when you eat, certain flavors within food stimulate taste bud sensors (called receptors) on your tongue, and send a message to your brain that you?ve tasted something. There are thousands of these all over your tongue, just waiting for flavorful foods. And highly flavored foods have been suggested to help support fullness with fewer calories eaten ? a huge potential help to dieters.
Here are some top foods to make those umami taste buds jump! And you can eat them alone, or use them as flavor enhancers.
- Tomatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mushrooms
- Soy Sauce
- Anchovies
Try a grating of parmesan cheese (with about 10 calories per teaspoon) on fresh or frozen veggies for a flavorful treat. Add some mushrooms to any soup, or salad. While soy sauce is a high sodium choice, try the reduced sodium variety in salad dressings and marinades, as well as for sushi. And anchovies don?t have to be fishy; put one or two in a marinara sauce, and they melt in, to enhance flavor, with no fishy taste or smell. Tomatoes are a major umami-rich food ? but stick with canned varieties, except in the summer months, when the flavor is most developed.
I hope you give it a try! Let me know your experiences with the fifth taste bud!!
- The Verdict On Sugar
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Americans have a complex relationship with sugar. The USDA estimates that the average intake per person is 70-100 pounds of added sugars each year. Added sugars are those not naturally present in food. That means you may...
- My Five Favorite Summer Foods
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom You know that I?m a big fan of ?seasonal? eating ? choosing the fruits and vegetables that are locally grown ? not flown in partially ripe, from thousands of miles away. For me, summer is loaded with some of my favorite foods....
- Healthy Eating In Black And White ? Part One
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom While consuming a variety of colorful foods is a direct connection to healthy eating, nutritious eating can be as easy as ?black and white.? This week, I?m going to look at these two interesting contrasts for healthy eating. ...
- Herbs And Spice Support Healthy Eating
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Herbs and spices can provide extra taste to make your taste buds dance and ?doll up? everyday eating. Whether fresh or dried, herbs and spices are a quick and economical way to enhance the flavor of your favorite foods ? or a...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...