People have a specific look on their faces when you say something is “healthy.” A hint of doubt. A polite nod. Sometimes a quiet, resigned sigh. For many people, healthy food means one thing above all else.
Bland.
Dry chicken. Vegetables that have no flavor when steamed. Sauces have become whispers. Meals that are good for the body but not so good for the soul.
This connection didn’t just happen. For years, the wellness culture has told people that pleasure is bad. That taste is rich. That fat should be scary. That spice isn’t necessary at all.
But most people already know this. The meals they remember, the ones that kept them grounded, made them feel better, and brought them together, were never dull.
So why did we believe that happiness and health had to be separate?
How “good” became “bland.”
At some point, being restrained became a sign of virtue. The more a dish looked like it wanted something rich, deep, and warm, the more disciplined it seemed.
They took out the calories. There was less fat. Salt was made to look bad. Spice became an afterthought. Food was made to be correct instead of tasty.
People said this method was good for their health, but it often made them feel disconnected. People ate meals that followed the rules but didn’t fill them up. Hunger stayed. The cravings got worse. At some point, something broke.
People thought it was their fault. They thought the problem was willpower. They seldom questioned the premise itself.
What if the problem wasn’t that the food was too tasty, but that it wasn’t flavorful enough?
The taste of food is how it talks.
Taste is not the only thing that makes food taste good. It’s the smell, the feel, the temperature, and the memory. That’s how food talks to the body.
Something important happens when a meal is full of flavor. You need to slow down. You pay attention. You feel full faster. The body more clearly registers food.
On the other hand, bland food makes you eat without thinking. You keep going, hoping that satisfaction will come. A lot of the time, it doesn’t.
This is one of the quiet truths on which The Balanced Plate: Healthy Recipes With Keto Alternatives is based. Flavor is seen as essential, not just a nice-to-have.
Chef Monika Jensen does not approach health by eliminating what makes food pleasurable. She builds it by knowing how taste really works.
Spices are not for show.
Spices are often used as a garnish in healthy recipes. A little bit. A suggestion. Something was added at the end to make the dish look good.
In The Balanced Plate, spices are structural.
Za’atar. Vadouvan. Sumac. Miso. Black garlic. These aren’t just for show. They add depth. They make things rich. They make food taste better.
Jensen explains ingredients clearly and helpfully, so home cooks don’t feel intimidated to use them. The goal is not to be new. It is self-assurance.
This is important because people stop being afraid of food when they are sure of the flavor. They no longer feel like being healthy means giving up something.
How fat affects satisfaction
Fat has a bad name. For a long time, it was seen as the bad guy in healthy cooking. It was made to be gone as much as possible in recipes.
What was lost in that search was happiness.
Fat has flavor. It gives you a feeling in your mouth. It makes the body feel full. Without it, meals often taste bland, even when they have a lot of vegetables.
The Balanced Plate doesn’t shy away from fat. It uses it on purpose. Not too much. With care.
This method aligns with how traditional foods have always worked. Fat was never the bad guy. It was a tool. Used with acid, spice, and texture to make things even.
Food becomes more stable when fat is allowed back into the conversation. Hunger levels out. Cravings go away.
This is health in action, not just in theory.
Joy is a part of food.
People who follow diet culture often say that health and happiness are two different things. You earn that pleasure as a reward for being disciplined.
Joy is a part of nourishment in real life.
People are more likely to cook at home when they like the food. More likely to eat regularly. More likely to care about quality.
People get tired of food when it feels like punishment. They go back and forth between being strict and giving in. The cycle starts over.
People who read The Balanced Plate often talk about this difference. They say that the recipes are generous, so they don’t feel like they’re missing anything. How meals really fill you up.
Those reactions are not random. They are the result of putting flavor first.
Not going along with the wellness look.
Wellness food has a distinct look. Light in color. Very little. Very carefully held back.
The Balanced Plate doesn’t go for that look. The food looks like it has been eaten. Wealthy. In layers. For real.
This visual honesty shows a deeper way of thinking. Health doesn’t have to look strict to be real. Food doesn’t have to prove anything.
Jensen’s recipes seem like they were made in real kitchens, not studios. You should cook them, eat them, and then repeat.
That you can do it over and over again shows trust. People don’t go back to food that feels like punishment.
Why flavor helps with flexibility
One reason flavor is so important is that it helps things change. Small changes don’t ruin a dish when it has depth.
This is very important for families who eat a wide variety of foods. A keto alternative might change one part, but the meal still works because the flavors work together.
The Balanced Plate was made with this in mind. Recipes are strong. They can bend but not break.
That strength helps lower stress. It makes cooking seem effortless. It lets one meal meet more than one need without losing quality.
Health that isn’t fun doesn’t last.
People can handle bland food for a short time. In the long run, they give up on it.
Pleasure is what makes things last.
This is why so many extreme methods don’t work. They ignore how eating makes them feel or how it tastes. Instead of seeing food as an experience to honor, they see it as a problem to solve.
The Balanced Plate knows that health has to feel good to last.
It doesn’t give a lecture. It shows. By adding spices. Through balance. By holding back in a way that doesn’t feel punishing.
Taking back flavor as part of care
When you cook, you show that you care. You are saying something important when you cook food that tastes good. This is important. You are important.
Taking away flavor in the name of health often sends the wrong message. That care is not guaranteed. That pleasure is up for discussion.
Jensen’s method restores that balance. It says you can take care of your body and still enjoy life.
That message works because it seems true.
Bringing happiness back into the kitchen
If eating healthy has become a chore, it may be because it doesn’t taste good.
Not too much. Not giving in to temptation just because. But depth. Purpose. Happiness.
The Balanced Plate shows you the way back, not by following rules, but by taste.
If you’ve ever been told, directly or indirectly, that tasty food is bad for your health, this book tells a different story, one where spices are friends. People respect fat. You can be happy.
The Balanced Plate: Healthy Recipes With Keto Alternatives by Chef Monika Jensen is now available on Amazon. It invites readers who are ready to stop choosing between health and happiness to bring flavor back where it belongs on the plate.
