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By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

When it comes to eating, are you the adventurous type that will try anything? Or are you more of the picky type that only likes eating a certain selection of foods? When I was growing up, I was more of a picky eater, as I never wanted to try fish because it looked gross, nor would I eat mushrooms, brussels sprouts, or feta cheese. Now that I’m older, I absolutely LOVE all of those foods. Once I made myself get over my fear of new or weird-looking foods, I have gotten to try so many different foods I otherwise wouldn’t have tried. It turns out, that expanding the range of foods you eat and diversifying your diet actually is great for your health.

According to registered dietician Annamaria Louloudis, “Eating a variety of foods, especially plant-based foods, helps us consume a variety of micronutrients and antioxidants that support everything from eye, heart, bone and skin health to immune system function.” Who knew that deviating from our usual pantry and fridge staples could do more than just expand our palate. The following are foods that many of us either have never tried or don’t regularly eat that dieticians suggest for diversifying our diets.

• Breadfruit
• Culantro
• Eddo leaf bhaji
• Plantains
• Chapulines (Grasshoppers…Ewww)
• Dandelion greens
• Huitlacoche (Corn mushrooms)
• Acerola cherries

Interestingly, each of these foods are ones that are staples in other cultures’ cuisines. To be honest, I would be willing to try all of these, except for the grasshoppers! While this is just a small list, there are plenty of other unique foods that you can try! Not to mention, there are so many recipes on the internet that finding out how to use these ingredients can be easy!

For more food-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!