This is a great trick to get kids to eat more bitter vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cabbage. Add some cheese or cheese sauce to their veggies and they won’t notice the bitterness. [2] X Research source
Pairing bitter tastes with sugar or chocolate also makes a unique dessert flavor. Don’t overdo it with the sugar! The American Heart Association recommends having no more than 25-36 g of sugar per day for good health, so watch how much you’re using and don’t exceed that limit. [4] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source
This is an especially good trick if you’re cooking bitter vegetables, like with roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts. Toss them in some olive oil and salt before cooking to introduce new flavors. [6] X Research source Just like with sugar, you have to watch your salt intake to maintain good health. The recommended salt intake per day is 2,300 mg, or just about 1/2 tsp. [7] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
This is a good trick for if you’re cooking and realize that you added too much of a bitter ingredient. Mix in a pinch of baking soda before the dish is done to fix that. Be very careful not to add more than a pinch or two! Any more than that and your food won’t taste very good.
Using acidic or sour dressings is a great way to enhance the taste of bitter vegetables in your salads like kale, radishes, or arugula. If you make a mistake and add too much vinegar or lemon juice to a dish, some baking soda can help fix that flavor too by eliminating the acid. [10] X Research source
Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness. Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.
Mixing fresh herbs into a stir-fry or roasted dish adds a whole new flavor element to your cooking. You can also get dried herbs like basil, ginger, and oregano to sprinkle onto your meals. These last a lot longer than fresh varieties.
This is a good trick for bitter vegetables. Leave them in the fridge for a few hours to cool off before eating them. You could also combine this with other tricks, like adding some salt or fat to the meal.
Some non-bitter foods include beans, carrots, corn, eggplant, lettuce, and potatoes. Try hiding some bitter foods in a dish with these ingredients. [15] X Research source This trick works well with salads. You could mix bitter ingredients like arugula with more neutral tastes like romaine. Top the salad with a lemon vinaigrette to mask the bitterness even more.
This is a good strategy because some other tricks to make bitter food taste better, like adding sugar or fat, aren’t the healthiest. This would help you eat bitter foods without adding other ingredients.
