Veggies roasted with maple syrup, herbs and cheese get the sweet-savory balance just right

Did you know some people have certain genes that make them a super taster?

These folks are super sensitive to the bitterness in foods like black coffee and cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. They simply can’t tolerate it.

The good news is that they can learn to like those foods — or disguise their bitterness — when they understand more about taste. And that’s extra good news for super tasters and anyone raising a super taster child.

Our taste buds detect sweet, salt, sour, bitter and the savory flavor called umami. Taste receptors on the tongue send information to the brain. These brain signals are influenced by the number of taste buds we have and whether those taste buds are genetically attuned to detect bitter foods.

Not all aversions are related to being a super taster. How we experience food at an early age — even in utero and through breast feeding — influences food preferences. In addition, hormones can play a role in how we perceive the taste of foods. For example, people who are depressed and anxious have lower serotonin levels and that can diminish the brain's ability to distinguish between bitter, sour and sweet.

We also know that as we age, the number of our taste buds we have decreases so our perception of taste is muted. Thus we tolerate bitter flavors better.

Unfortunately, avoiding healthful foods like cruciferous vegetables can lead to some nutritional gaps. Here are some simple adjustments you can make to improve their taste.

• Add sweet or sour flavors to bitter veggies and experiment with spices. These stimulate other taste buds and overrule the bitter taste bud receptors. But keep hot, spicy flavors away from super tasters. The receptors for pain surround the taste cells, so they have more pain receptors.

• Experiment with different cooking methods. For example, roasted veggies taste quite different from those that have been steamed.

• Increase your exposure. Taste preferences change over time, and we tend to tolerate bitter flavors better as we get older.

We think even people who say they don’t like brussels sprouts will change their tune after trying today’s recipe for Maple Roasted Vegetables. This colorful dish has just the right amounts of sweet and savory flavors.

Tossing your veggies in a little maple syrup helps to bring out their natural sweetness, while a little salt and pepper go a long way to flavor them up as they roast. And if you didn’t think this dish could get any better, it’s topped with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Trust us, these veggies taste (and smell!) as good as they look!

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

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Maple Roasted Vegetables

Serves: 8 / Prep time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

3 cups halved brussels sprouts

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 candy cane beet, peeled and cubed

1 golden beet, peeled and cubed

2 yellow potatoes, cubed

1 medium red onion, cut into chunks

12 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

⅓ cup goat cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, potatoes, red onion and garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and ¼ cup maple syrup. Pour mixture over vegetables and toss to coat.

Spread vegetables evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup and stir vegetables. Return to oven and roast another 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with thyme, parsley and goat cheese.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

182 calories (34% from fat), 7 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat), 28 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 157 mg sodium, 4 mg cholesterol, 91 mg calcium, 4 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 3 vegetable, 1 bread, 2 fat.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Veggies roasted with maple syrup get sweet-savory balance just right