While experts warn that eating habits play a crucial role in children and adolescents' physical and mental development and the impacts might last until adulthood, many people still struggle with maintaining a healthy relationship with food regardless of their age.

Think of a food you really can’t stand. For me it’s beetroots, their weirdly sweet taste is still something I genuinely struggle to enjoy, to say the least. And since I have no recollection of where this food aversion is coming from, the chances are it’s rooted in my childhood.

But what if it would be possible to make beetroots, or any other ingredient you genuinely cannot stand, tasty again? Well, people on this illuminating thread from the Cooking subreddit are sharing the moment that made them start to like a food they detested for years. Turns out, sometimes it’s all about learning to prepare it properly and being open-minded to new things.

#1

Dam near everything. Parents struggled raising us, so didn’t get much variety and what we did get, was generally bland. Was always told to clean our plate and don’t get something if you’re not going to like it. So I never got to try new things because of the fear of not liking it and being punished severely. My now wife, changed that for me. I used to eat maybe at most a dozen different foods. It all started to change when I took her out for a date at Olive Garden and I was going to order a pizza because of how I was raised. She asked why and after much hesitation, I told her why. So she asked what I wanted to try; I said chicken Alfredo. She said to order it and if I don’t like it, she’ll eat it so it doesn’t go to waste, which satisfied my minds training that my parents put on me growing up. So when I tried it, it was the most dam delicious thing I had ever eaten and I demolished it. Soon after, she started inviting me over to her house where I found out she’s an excellent cook who makes almost everything from scratch. She started making me all sorts of foods to try and asking what I thought about them and what she could change to make it better. She changed me from eating a plain hotdog on a piece of white bread, to eating fajitas with Spanish rice and churros for dessert. She has filled 4 recipe boxes with recipes we both love, over our decade and half together. When we started having kids, I expressed that I didn’t want them to be limited and punished like I was as a kid, she of course had the same view and our kids eat almost all of the same things we do. I love her so much.

Image credits: AltairRulesOnPS4

#2

I never hated broccoli, but I never loved it. Finally roasted it one day and was blown away by the amount of nutty flavor achieved with only salt, pepper, and olive oil. Will never eat steamed broccoli again.

Image credits: terpeenis

#3

Brussel sprouts. When I was a kid the only time I ever saw them knocking about was at Christmas, and my aunties all steam them. I couldn't get my head around why anyone would want to eat one of these disgusting little balls of condensed fart.

Then I tried them again at a restaurant in Boston when I was 29, roasted with a side of malt vinegar aioli. It was one of those truly transformative moments in my life, they're now my favourite vegetable and I eat them more or less on a daily basis.

Image credits: undertwelveparsecs

#4

Asparagus. All I’d had as a kid was the canned mushy weird-tasting kind and when I finally tried it grilled, it was an entirely different experience.

Image credits: resetdials

#5

Tofu. If you do it right, it's the most delightful little flavor sponge. If not, it's a mushy and joyless mess.

Image credits: taywi

#6

Zucchini. My mother (who was a splendid cook in almost every other way) always cooked them to death and into an indistinguishable mash.

Zucchini fried in some oil for a short time are so tasty.

Image credits: redchindi

#7

Cooked cabbage. The idea sounded terrible...until I starting experimenting with searing and roasting it, adding it to stir fries and soups. It's life-changing! Such a cheap and delicious vegetable!

Image credits: 114631

#8

Literally all Indian food. We had one Indian restaurant in the city I grew up in. It was buffet style and it was horrible. Every dish I tried was gross to me. Like “I can’t eat this” gross. Based on that I mistakenly believed all Indian food was bad. The first trip I went on when dating my wife, she took me to an Indian place. My heart sank but I put on a happy face and steeled my nerve because I knew I was going to have to fake enjoying a terrible meal. The things we do for love. I just copied her order because I had no clue what to get. Once I tasted it I was blown away, not only was it not horrible it was actually some of the most delicious food I had ever eaten. She started laughing at me because she said my face lit up when I tasted it. Now Indian food is one of the food loves of my life. I cook the dal makhani and chicken tikka masala for my one true love now, and we’ve been married over ten years. Thank goodness I didn’t let a negative attitude from a bad experience close my mind and poison all the wonderful future opportunities.

Image credits: anon

#9

Salmon and tuna. When I was a kid (SE Georgia US, 70s and 80s,) both were always from a can. And then I visited relatives in the Pacific Northwest, and ate fresh salmon. It was a revelation.

Image credits: 50EffingCabbages

#10

Mustard. I hate American yellow mustard, it’s just gross to me. But one time my German step-grandfather let me try real stone-ground German mustard and I loved it.

Image credits: anon

#11

Hamburgers! I grew up during the low fat craze and my mom would always buy the leanest cuts of meats. I had no idea why anyone liked hamburgers since the ones we had at home were so dry and dense. Later on I had some made with fattier meat and finally understood how delicious a good burger is.

Image credits: moneyticketspassport

#12

ITT: "It turns out that green vegetables are very good if you don't boil them into oblivion and if you cook them with a bit of fat."

Image credits: Mr_Truttle

#13

Scrambled eggs! All my life I never knew I've been eating them overcooked as hell. Met an aspiring chef in uni and he cooked me scrambled eggs on toast the right way, I've never looked back.

Image credits: M808VMainBattleTank

#14

Scallops. I thought all scallops had the texture of rubber bands until I worked in fine dining and had the pleasure of tasting the menu. I tried the prosciutto wrapped scallop with a lemon caper beurre blanc and my life was changed FOREVER

#15

Mushrooms. Slimy cooked can mushrooms

Image credits: Fermatious

#16

Seafood, generally. So much of America, even on the coasts, our idea of “seafood” is just bland slivers of nameless whitefish, often breaded and deep fried. I live in freaking Maryland, and the amount of people I know from here that gag at the thought of eating seafood. And I mean, I would expect to gag too if I thought I was going to have eat some “fishy” tasting piece or not fresh fish.

But when you get introduced to truly FRESH seafood, and just how clean it taste? The sweetness. For me, the best seafood is as fresh as possible and cooked simply.

Image credits: Rtstevie

#17

Beets. The first time I had roasted beets, it blew my mind. I also fell in love with pickled beets shortly afterwards.

#18

Eggplant. I can’t stand it moist and chunky but when you slice it thin and dehydrate it with salt and grill it. Mein gott. So good.

Image credits: dean_c

#19

Tomatoes. I absolutely hated tomatoes until I ha had an actually ripe tomato from a garden instead of the s**t from the grocery store or a lot of restaurants.

I didn't realize for decades that tomatoes are usually sold and served before they are ready to be eaten.

#20

For me it was salad. As a kid, all the salads I was exposed to were iceberg lettuce with a wheel of watery cucumber, and a mealy wedge of tomato. The dressings were either industrially made or non-emulsified vinaigrettes that tasted like straight oil. It was a revelation the first time I had a quality salad! Now they’re almost all I eat. Eating brussels sprouts roasted was a similar experience

#21

Green beans. Canned green beans don’t even taste like food.

#22

This isn’t “prepared” per se, but I really didn’t like raw tomatoes until I went to Italy. My mom ordered this amazing looking caprese salad and the tomatoes looked so good I had to try it. That’s when I learned what real fresh tomatoes are supposed to taste like.

#23

Soups. All soups.

Growing up I only ever had Campbells and whatever it is that public school cafeterias get. Thought I hated soup. Then I got a cold and decided I'd make some chicken noodle from scratch, that's when everything changed.

In fact, I just made some Oxtail soup for the first time and its amazing!

Edit: For those curious I posted a text version of the recipe I used, which I copied from a 1986 cookbook titled "French Family Cooking" written by Francois Bernard. For some reason it wont let me paste in the recipe on this parent comment. As suggested by another user Ill post the full recipe alongside a glamour shot next time I heat up a bowl (lunch) in r/soup

Image credits: Earwigglin

#24

Guacamole.
Absolutely hated it. But now that I'm in my 50's, I have it a couple times a week.

Image credits: kathouse1988

#25

Sushi.
I never experienced any of this growing up (the 90s, more rural area in Canada) until around 16 on a class trip in the city.

Had some s****y sushi and within a few hours I was sweating and vomiting. I couldn't even think about eating it ever again.

Until I was taken to a place on a date and I didn't want to be rude...so I tried it again. Whoa! I couldn't believe how fresh and delicious everything was.

Image credits: Feralcrumpetart

#26

Definitely porkchops. My parents always brutally overcooked them cause they thought you'd get sick if you didn't. Tasted like hard pieces of ash. Then one time I attended a local pork producer benefit, with plenty of pork to go around.

The chops were actually amazing, and it completely changed my outlook on them. Juicy and full of flavor. I'd honestly take a good porkchop over steak any day now.

Image credits: Tigerphobia

#27

Meat in general. My parents never ate a steak, pork chop or chicken breast that wasn't cooked to about 200°. I can still see the panic in my mother's face when she bit into a hamburger that was the vaguest shade of pink in the very center.

I just assumed meats were always dry and tough, but you had to suffer through it for your protein.

#28

Salmon. It put me off all fish actually. I just remember it being really dry and full of bones. Turns out I like a salmon filet better than a steak and if you cook it until it’s only just cooked it’s amazing.

#29

Eggs. My mom would have to hide eggs in my food when I was a kid so I would eat them. Then I left home and tried eggs cooked by someone else. Life changing.

(I still love you, Mom)

#30

All legumes. Turns out beans don't HAVE to be a semi-crunchy, mealy nugget of death in otherwise delicious things. I'm still wary of the bigger varieties, but I have an ongoing love affair with lentils, chickpeas and cannelini beans now.

#31

Chicken. My mum never marinated it or put any seasonings so it was always very dry . I messed around with some marinades and have grilled chicken usually 2 times a week now

Image credits: whyyallsodamnloud

#32

Not quite prepared, but I have a friend who is a farmer and has explained so much to me about how temperature, growing season, and variety affects the flavor of radishes. Once I was able to try some from him that he guaranteed would be delicious and not inedibly spicy, I couldn’t believe I had been missing out all these years!!

#33

Cauliflower. Always had it boiled or steamed and just couldn't even fathom enjoying it. It was like punishment to eat. A few years ago, tried pan roasting it with garlic and red pepper flakes. Now, it's literally one of my favorite foods. Cauliflower tacos, Zuni Cafe spicy broccoli and cauliflower pasta sauce, roasted with romesco, just about any Indian gobi dish. Roast your brassicas people! Except brussel sprouts, nothing can save those bastards.

#34

Mashed potatoes! My mom made dry, lumpy mashed potatoes when I was young, thick enough and bland enough to make me gag! HELLO BUTTER!

#35

Coffee.

Instant is garbage. Honestly most American drip coffee is as well. A good solid cappuccino in Italy showed me my misgivings.

#36

Cole slaw and sloppy joes.

Being from the Midwest, any kind of loose meat sandwich with or without cole slaw is pretty common. It's usually store bought and tastes pretty awful.

I started making sloppy joes from scratch using ground turkey, along with cole slaw with fresh cut red and green cabbage and apple cider vinegar instead of mayo (yuck). I serve them together on a brioche bun. It's such a good, easy weeknight dinner and feels (and tastes) so much more grown up and healthy.

#37

Lasagna

my mother, bless her heart, is a terrible cook, and every time I had it the pasta was so overcooked the top layer dried out until it was back to the texture of dry pasta.

one day I we had supper with some family friends and they served lasagna, and IU was dreading it. then I tried it and exclaimed 'its not hard!'

I cant imagine how mortified my mother was but it was the beginning of a lovely relationship with the almighty comfort food

#38

Mac and cheese. Grew up on kraft dinner which always seemed to have a random noodle or two in it that refused to cook and they made me gag every time I hit one. I assumed this was what the mac and cheese experience was until I had a nice home made one with fresh pasta, real cheese and a nice layer of buttery, crusty bread crumbs on top.

#39

Parsnips. I only ever had them mashed, and parsnips have this astringent, lemony note that I just did not vibe with at all. Roasting them until caramelized and crispy on the edges is a game changer! So sweet and flavorful.

#40

Most Hispanic foods. I had just had the American iced versions, which I hate. When I moved to El Paso, a buddy of mine from Mexico drove me to some of the most out of the way obscure places to eat. The food was absolutely amazing!

When we both got stationed in Germany, we grilled every weekend, alternating. He had never had proper southern style food before, so we shared a bunch of different recipes with each other.

I actually miss that dude.

#41

Something here in Norway we call Lutefisk. Usually a Christmas food. It's basically dried fish(cod usually) that's left in water for a while, then put into water that's like, salty or something idk. Then watered out again. After all that you put it into the oven and if made correctly is delicious, but my dad tried making it once when I was a kid and it came out of the oven looking like a bunch of half melted jelly on a plate

#42

Basically any vegetable. We only ate canned veggies growing up because they are cheap, last forever, and easy to cook up. The only veggies I ate were corn, hominy, and green beans.

I still rely on frozen veggies for some dinners, but these days I buy a lot more fresh produce.

#43

Pimento Cheese. I wanted to like it, and tried it every few years from childhood until my 40's. Then while at a restaurant at the Biltmore Estate I noticed they had pimento cheese. I commented to the waitress that I always thought it looked good, but had never liked it. She insisted I try it, and it was fabulous! Apparently, I'm just a pimento cheese snob.

#44

Yams!!!! The only time I saw sweet potatoes was in that thanksgiving dish topped with a layer of marshmallow. Sweets are not my favorite, so I avoided it every year. Then I got a job in a fancy food place where we made roasted them with fresh garlic and herbs and it was the best thing ever!!

#45

Truffles. Up until my late 20's I'd tried various truffle oils and some preserved black truffles, and it was all "meh, this tastes kinda bad, I don't get the big deal about truffles". Then I went to the fanciest restaurant I've ever been to for my grandpa's 80th and had fresh black truffle grated over my side salad. I totally get the big deal now - fresh truffle is indescribably good - pure umami but with a real freshness too, none of the mustiness that the preserved/infused stuff gets.

#46

Cooked carrots. Apparently the only time I ate them cooked and not raw was when my parents would take the canned carrots and peas combination and heat that up instead of cooking fresh carrots. I just did not like them canned, but fresh they are great when cooked.

#47

Thai Food - especially Pad Thai and coconut curries.
There was a big trend of generic Thai joints in the 90s and it turned me off to Thai food in general. Tried a more authentic place about 8 years ago and was blown away. So many flavors and textures that were completely absent from what I'd had in the past.

#48

Beef brisket.

Moved to Texas and people were bragging about beef brisket. Went to several locales and it was either dry or shoe leather. Or both. Until I went to Black's in Austin, Texas. Then I understood.

#49

Onions. Here in the UK people put onions in *f*****g everything*. And they're always these huge chunks of practically raw onion.

I've recently started using shallots in my cooking, finely diced, and fried off so they become soft and brown and amount of depth of flavour it gives and no noticeable texture? It's divine

#50

Eel. Good eel is so damn tasty. Bad eel is bleh.

#51

Boba Tea! I had only had the cheap kind, and I never liked the texture of the boba. Recently I went to a place that handmakes their boba and they’re stored in brown sugar syrup. The texture is amazing and it’s now my absolute favorite drink.

#52

Pork loin. My dad would always come home with some huge monstrosity of a pork loin, slap the plastic packaging and go "I got us a little porker!" while my mom and I sighed. He was so damn excited to dry that thing out to tough, bland, off-white chunks every time. They're pretty good, really.

#53

Shrimp. My step dad is a great cook so now that I've had nicely done shrimp I don't understand why he only ate the frozen shrimp, thawed & cold, dipped in cocktail sauce. My mind was blown when we went to a nicer restaurant in town & my husband ordered us fried shrimp with a side of chopped veggies & a sweet/hot dipping sauce. We love shrimp & make it so many different ways now! I feel like Forrest Gump ?

#54

Hummus - Finally had it at a lebanese restaurant in edgeware road and never looked back since. It’s incredible. Only took 20+years to realise how awesome it is.

#55

Lobster. As a kid we spent two weeks every year on an Island where our family were lobster fisherman. It was always boiled or pickled so I never took a liking for it, we had fresh fish as an alternative so I chose that.

I had it as a Tempura years later and cooked other ways and now love it. Obviously many people like it boiled but it's not to my liking, the same with prawns.

#56

Kale. A friend would make kale chips and burn those suckers into oblivion to the point where they were just char. No seasoning, nothing. I have now had properly prepared kale chips and other uses of kale in salads and such. It is very delicious when done right.