Episode 013: Leafy Green Vegetable Appreciation

Tune in to learn how to appreciate leafy green vegetables and start describing your next salad as deliciously as you describe your favorite glass of red wine!

I created the Food Sommelier podcast because I want to prove that eating healthy can be delicious. I want people to be as excited about leafy green vegetables as they are about wine.  Some of us shudder at the memory of being force fed spinach by our mothers, but we know now that she had good intentions. Leafy green vegetables are the healthiest things we can eat! Rich in Vitamins K, C, and most of the Bs, eating leafy greens every day helps improve brain function, eye sight, and bone strength. So why do some of us still have a hard time eating our greens? If you remember my first interview on the show, Dr. Edgar Chambers talked about his research into creating a lexicon for leafy green flavors. He and his team of students developed a quantifiable list of terms to describe the 32 different flavor attributes of leafy green vegetables. On today’s episode, I am breaking down this lexicon and explaining to you how leafy green vegetables taste great. Tune in to hear the lexicon and start describing your next salad as deliciously as you describe your favorite glass of red wine.

“A lot of healthy foods have some bitter flavors in them.”

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE…

0:44 Leafy Green Veggie Appreciation!

1:23 My Favorite Movie Quote (from the movie Sideways)

2:47 Wouldn’t it be great if we could get jazzed up about veggies like we do about wine?

3:12 My sommelier experience at my liquor store compared to my experience at the grocers

5:26 The consumption of wine has doubled, but the consumption of healthy food is down to 10%

6:30 What are the wine wheel and the beer wheel?

7:00 Official definition of ‘Lexicon’

7:25 Did you know there’s an official lexicon for leafy greens?

8:00 Dr. Edgar Chambers’ paper ‘The Lexicon’ describes fresh and leafy veggies

8:36 My “hoity-toity” description of kale using Chambers’ Lexicon

9:00 How they developed ‘The Lexicon’ with a professional taste panel

12:26 The 32 attributes used to describe the flavor of leafy green vegetables

13:18 Using other veggies to describe leafy green flavors

13:55 My favorite highlights and some real unique veggies

14:11 Guess which veggies have a “petroleum-like” flavor!

14:40 How the panel rates these unique flavors

16:00 Which leafy green vegetables have a “bite”

16:56 The panel’s definition of “tooth itch” and what that means for your eating experience

18:00 Some of the more “bitter” leafy greens on the list

19:03 Another gene that codes for that bitter flavor

19:23 What is a super taster?

20:34 How to utilize this lexicon when you’re eating your leafy greens

21:00 I’m facilitating a leafy green vegetable tasting event this March in Boston!

SOME OF THE RESOURCES DISCUSSED…

A link to the wine flavor wheel: http://winearomawheel.com/

A link to the beer flavor wheel: http://www.beerflavorwheel.com/

A link to the scientific paper “Lexicon to describe the flavor of fresh leafy green vegetables”

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

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Until next time!

PRAISE FOR THE FOOD SOMMELIER PODCAST: 

• Delish
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  Loving the interview about water! Yes, water can taste amazing! Great info!

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  Packed with easy to understand and entertaining nutrition content!

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  I'm so glad I found this podcast as it provides a deeper level of food appreciation than other I've listened too. I'm now more able to eat mindfully and fully enjoy the food I'm eating.

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  The perfect podcast for any food lover looking to rediscover a new type of relationship with food.

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  Helpful, informative, encouraging, honest, reasonable... I just love how she delivers her information.. Not scary, like helping you take baby steps to a better you;-)

• Instant Obsession
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  As a dietetics student, I was Immediately HOOKED on the Food Sommelier. Annette is a true inspiration for me in a fascinating field. The diversity of her guests are all equally as intersting and knowledgable in nutrition and the science surrounding it. I really enjoy the food reviews.They offer insight into the healthier menu options chain restautants offer but most of us overlook.

• Making Food Fun & Simple
  March 9, 2016 by NutritionGenius1 from United States

  Annette has such a good outlook on food and brings on some of the top experts and movers and shakers in the food/nutrition world. There is so much to learn from all of her guests and even her own experience! You will gobble this up and learn new tips and tricks to incorporate into your every day life.

• Great podcast!
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• More than meets the eye
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• Excellent Podcast!
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  Annette's expertise about nutrition and food is awesome. Lots of practical and insightful information about all things food.

• Love it!
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  I LOVE that she reviews normal restaurants instead of the fancy places in New York that I'll never eat at. This information is something I can actually use to help me choose the best place to eat healthy when the hubby and I feel like going out to dinner.

• Great podcast!
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• Awesome niche and great show
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• Good podcast for those who are concerned about what we eat
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  Annette brings practical information to us on what and how we eat. The resturant reviews will save us time and money when eating out - and allow for great food. Eating wholesome and healty food at home or when eating out is so important for all of us. Well done - keep moving forward.

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• Man I’m hungry!!!
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  Warning- don't listen to this show on an empty stomach! Loved the episode about Olive Garden. Brought back fond memories of the classic spaghetti nepolitana that i always used to order! I look forward to more Your browser does not support the audio element.