You don't eat brussel sprouts?

I was in line at a local food truck to purchase lunch earlier this week. I overheard two men discussing the items on the chalk board menu. "I don't like brussel sprouts," one man said. I couldn't stop myself. Before I even realized it, I had turned around and said, "Oh, but you should! They're so good for you." Both men looked straight at me, surprised. Then we all smiled and I turned back to face the front of the line.

I think this illustrates something (well, probably many things....about me) about how I view likes and dislikes. I'll provide an example. I "never liked" spinach, mushrooms, avocados, raw fish/ceviche, squid (or anything with the same texture as squid), or mustard. In reality, though, I had tried these a maximum of one time and some not at all. For some of these, the idea of the food just turned me off.

Fast forward to the most recent 10 years. I started to want to like many of these foods because I learned things that started to make the case for adding them to my diet. Avocados, for example, are soooo good for you. I wanted those benefits. So, every chance I could, I tried them again. As it turned out, I love avocados. What I don't like is guacamole that isn't fresh!

Preparation methods, different cooks, so many other variables contribute to our experience of a food. And, our sincere motivation for WANTING to like it matters. And it matters more than I think most people acknowledge.

I ended up ordering "Go Paleo" from the menu (pictured above). Roasted brussel sprouts with a sliced chicken breast on top and a light sauce drizzled atop to pull it all together. Complete delish! And I felt so good while eating it and for hours after. Healthy food actually agrees with the body in ways that junk never can rival.

So, what is it that you don't like YET?