Friday, February 1, 2008

Are you bitter?

If you are one of the many who know you should eat your vegetables, but you really don't like the taste of many of your choices, I have interesting news for you. 2/3 of Americans have an extra receptor that makes them taste a bitter chemical called phenylthiocarbamide, or PTC. This makes many foods too bitter to enjoy.

The foods you may not enjoy if you have this receptor:
Bok Choy
Broccolli
Brussels Sprouts
Buttermilk
Cabbage
Coffee
Cola Soft Drinks
Collard and Mustard Greens
Cottage Cheese
Grapefruit
Kale
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sauerkraut
Spinach
Strong, Sharp Cheeses
Turnips

Do you have the extra bitter receptor?
Take this quiz! Put a little salt substitute on the tip of your tongue. If it is equally salty and bitter, then you
don't have to feel guilty for not finishing your spinach. You can also try this test with saccharine. If it is bitter, you have the receptor.


*Even if you have the receptor, there is still no excuse to stop eating your greens! Check out my herb and spice post and try new ways to mask the bitter taste. You don't miss out on all the nutritional benefits in the more bitter veggies, especially the dark green vegetables.