According to a study published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 60% of the foods purchased by Americans contain preservatives. This is a 10% increase since 2001, which proves that, while we care more about our health now than ever before, the food that we’re buying is not in keeping with that.
Luckily, it is now possible to avoid preservatives if you do your research, and that quest is a leading reason why more people are shopping organically, or are making preservative-free food choices like a halal diet. But, why choose halal or bother researching in the first place when most popular foods seem to contain at least some preservatives? Well, as well as being good news from a health perspective, taking these alternative routes can lead to tastier meals with far more harmonious flavor profiles. And, to prove it, we’re going to consider just three of the ways that preservative-heavy foods are harming your flavor profiles right now.
# 1 – Artificial tastes
Preservatives don’t just lengthen the lifespan of your food, they also alter its taste in ways that many people don’t realize. Preservatives like potassium benzoate, for instance, can be bitter, while other preservatives may be used to enhance flavors to an artificial degree. These artificial tastes can be difficult to determine because they’re what many of us are used to, but they can stand in the way of the truly wonderful natural flavor profiles possible with the use of organic veg or halal meats. While it may take some getting used to, playing around with these more natural flavors is likely to result in more wholesome, rich taste sensations across all of your ingredients.
# 2 – Muted flavors
While most additives and preservatives provide an enhanced artificial flavor to foods, they also mute natural tastes in dishes with multiple ingredients. This is why it can be difficult to distinguish things like the individual vegetables used in preservative-heavy ready meals. Even in a home-cooked food like a lasagna that uses a preservative-heavy jar of sauce, everything is likely to end up tasting the same. By comparison, organic and natural foods provide far stronger streaks of flavor, ensuring dishes with depth, distinguishable ingredients, and more joyful eating experiences for everyone.
# 3 – Altered taste preferences
Preservatives can be bitter and are often masked with ingredients like sugar and salt in many artificial and pre-prepared foods. A growing reliance on these flavor profiles over time means that, even with your home-cooked food, you’re more likely to lean on these unhealthy additions to achieve the taste you’re after. This is terrible news for our health and recipes, and it’s something that we can overcome by taking a step back, and instead seeking natural ways to incorporate these flavor notes, including red peppers for sweetness and capers for a salty kick. Over time, a reliance on these natural alternatives will mean that, even though these flavors may be more subtle, you’ll be far better able to pick them out and appreciate them.
Preservatives harm your health and your recipes. Seek alternatives to get your flavor profiles back on track once more!
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