Can you learn to love the foods you hate? - The Food Chain podcast, BBC World Service

Video Description

Most of us have foods we refuse to eat - think coriander, or maybe olives. But where do those strong dislikes come from, and is it possible to change them? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander sets out to find out whether you really can learn to love the foods you hate. From first encounters that go wrong to memories that linger, she explores why food preferences can feel so fixed, and whether anything might help shift them. Ruth speaks to neuroscientist Dr Dana Small, professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair at McGill University, about what’s happening in the brain and body when we eat, and how unconscious reward signals shape what we come to like or avoid. She also hears from psychologist Dr Rachel Herz, an expert on the science of smell and author of Why We Eat What We Eat, about the powerful role odour, memory and emotion play in food dislike, often before we’re even aware of it. And registered dietitian Clare Thornton-Wood shares practical, low-pressure techniques used with both children and adults to build tolerance - and sometimes even enjoyment - for foods they can’t stand. 00:00 Are there any foods our experts dislike? 02:05 Which parts of the brain are involved in food likes and dislikes? 03:23 Are food dislikes learned, or genetic? 04:30 Why does smell have such a powerful effect? 06:38 How much do our encounters with food as children impact our tastes? 08:04 How can we dislike a food when we’ve not even tasted it? 09:22 Listeners on learning to like foods they used to dislike 10:40 Can you wake up one day and decide you want to like a food? 12:16 What techniques that will work if you want to get over a food dislike? 16:30 How hunger and energy perception can rewire taste 22:07 The importance of trust in those around you when trying new foods 22:50 Ruth dares to try the food she hates Check out more episodes of The Food Chain here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4f4kxjsAfebFJku6zL3ZyEY Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Izzy Greenfield Editor: Sara Wadeson ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #food #diet #dietician #neuroscience