Oh, those tiny nubs on your tongue. They can create such pleasure. They can be so demanding. They can be so, well, stubborn.

When you’re making switches to healthier foods, sometimes your taste buds just don’t want to get on board. Think of them like stubborn 2-year-olds. “No!” “I don’t wanna!” “You can’t make me!”

A little secret? You’re in charge, not them. Really, you are. So, now that you want to eat healthier, you just have to sneak past them to begin to develop the taste for food that will create wellness, not damage it.

You know how you deal with a 2-year-old who won’t eat his veggies? You sneak them in other foods. You mix a bit up in a smoothie, where it won’t be noticed. You add some to other foods where veggies can hide — dishes where you can’t plainly ID every last item. Grind them up as small as you need.

And that’s the track you want to take when you’re trying to change your bratty taste buds. Sneak in a bit of that food item. Sneak in a bit more. In time, your taste buds will think it’s the most awesome thing in the world. Honestly.

There are so many ways of doing this, I can’t even begin to list them. But, here’s an example from my own life:

When I first tried stevia, I hated it. HATED it. Was mad, frustrated and wanted to throw the whole bottle away. But I couldn’t have any other sweetener (this was my 6-month absolute no sugar or fake sugar period when I was reclaiming my health) so I got mad and then I kept trying. I adore stevia now. Couldn’t live without it. I am so grateful I kept trying because it’s such an awesome sweetener for many items. And I don’t have to worry about it damaging my health, spiking my blood sugar or causing cravings for more sugar that will continue the downward health roll.

Here would be my suggestion to you for this specific item, as an example you can apply where you need. Say, you want to start using stevia to sweeten your tea. Don’t go all stevia. Use a bit of stevia and the rest of whatever else you use. Keep changing the proportions gradually. Bit more stevia, bit less of the other sweetener.

A similar example would be if you add sugar to your coffee. (Unfortunately, stevia doesn’t seem to do a good job in bitter foods like coffee.) Precisely measure what you’re using. Cut a bit out. Then a bit more. You might not ever cut it all out, but you will significantly cut it down. Improvement is improvement.

Step by step, your taste buds adjust. You’ve simply got to get them adapted to the new taste. They need time to learn about the new taste and grow accustomed to something different. Or grow unaddicted to that sweeter taste.

I love the healthy foods I eat. I don’t force them on myself. I’d choose to eat them now no matter what. Even more interesting is the fact that I found I don’t have much desire for foods that don’t create health. They simply don’t taste that great to me any more. Perfect. I’m a happy camper; my taste buds are happy campers. Eating well is easy.

Staying well really should be easier than it’s often made out to be. Life is to be enjoyed and celebrated, and food is part of that for all of us. But healthy food can be a celebration, too — to your taste buds and more — if you start allowing for this adjustment period. And, sure, this doesn’t mean that you will never eat that delicious whatever that calls your name. I enjoy some decadent, not-so-healthy items still. I do find that I’m not as addicted to them as I might have been, and, that, many times, something I think I want doesn’t taste as good as my brain is attempting to tell me. But, if I really want it, I get it. It’s called balance. Tip it toward health with healthier choices over time, and you’ll do fine.