By SAND Member Grace Hawkins It may seem that the taste of food is the most important aspect when it comes to appeal and desirability. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes an overpowering and off-putting aroma from food can override enough of the desirability that the food no longer seems appealing (McWilliams). Even more important though, is the visual appeal of the food. The color variety and other visual aspects of the food can be very important in determining the quality of the food. The color determines what you expect to taste when you take a bite. Therefore, when cooking a meal, it is important to think about what the colors will be like when you finish cooking (McWilliams). Close your eyes and think for a second about a meal of mashed potatoes, dinner roll, grilled chicken, steamed cauliflower, and milk. It will be a bland looking plate, even if each food is well-seasoned. Instead now, imagine a plate with grilled salmon, sautéed carrots, steamed broccoli, brown rice, and milk. This plate would have pink, orange, green, brown, and white… and honestly sounds exponentially more delicious (even though I love mashed potatoes). Now, a challenge for you: make some meals with some color!! Here’s a place to get started: Red Tomatoes Strawberries Apples Red Kidney Beans Watermelon Orange Carrots Sweet potatoes Pumpkin Butternut, acorn and summer squash Orange Peppers Yellow Yellow beets Corn Yellow Peppers Spaghetti Squash Noodles Green Celery Asparagus Avocado Kiwi Peas Blue/Purple Blueberries Blue Corn Purple Potatoes Blue Cheese Eggplant References Experimental Perspectives, McWilliams, 8th Edition On the Psychological Impact of Food Colour, Spence | |