Along my journey to eat healthier, there are a number of foods I tried to incorporate into my diet that did not get added, for whatever reason. Below, I have listed some of those foods, along with a note about why I don’t plan on using them in my kitchen anytime soon.

Puffed rice (homemade)

Made with parboiled rice, this is a food that is often seen in the health food section. It is heated in something like hot sand or salt to pop. I wouldn’t use it again because it doesn’t always get popped so there are some hard pieces. Also, it didn’t sit right in my stomach. I have also tried the store-bought version but haven’t completely ruled that kind out yet. The rice turned quite soft after a while, but there may be potential for me to try that version again.

Chickpea flour

I tried chickpea flour to make soccia. I made it and it turned out fine, I just don’t think it’s a food for me. Other than that, I have no use for chickpea flour.

Cassava flour

I tried to incorporate cassava flour into my gluten-free baking flour mix. However, the texture was too gummy to me. The other flours I use (mainly sorghum and millet) work just fine, so there is really no need for me to experiment with this any further.

Wheat/spelt berries

These may be useful if I had a grain grinder, but I do not. Also, the cooked version of these is not something I enjoy eating and have no use for.

Buckwheat

To me, buckwheat flour tastes like sand. And, like spelt and wheat berries, I don’t care for the whole grain version.

Sorghum grains

I use sorghum flour quite a bit, but the whole grains aren’t really my thing. Like wheat and spelt berries, I am just not fond of the cooked version of this particular grain.

Fonio

I never learned how to prepare fonio properly, and I have no reason to keep trying since it is expensive to get and I have other options for grains.

Hemp seeds

I wanted to use these in my baked goods for the health benefits, but they are too strongly flavored. They don’t go well in sweet things, and make savory things taste too much like hemp seeds.

Cod liver oil

I bought cod liver oil in attempts to take it frequently to improve my health. However, that stuff is not tasty, and it’s too challenging for me to swallow a teaspoon of oil every day.

Psyllium husk powder

I bought this for its binding properties in gluten-free baked goods. However, no one mentions how strong the flavor of psyllium husk is. It is way too strong and overpowers whatever it is I’m baking, even if it does hold it together better. Also, putting it in a glass of water and drinking it is impossible to me. It coagulates and becomes gel-like, which I can’t get on board with.

Celery seeds

These are fine for things like making pickles or for flavoring other fermented items, but I don’t really use them and can live without them.

Celery root

I’m not sure what to do with it and it tasted weird to me.

Teff flour

Like cassava flour, I bought this as a gluten-free flour potential. However, it is strongly flavored and has a grainy texture that doesn’t work well with what I was aiming for. I’m sure it is good in injera, but I didn’t grow up on that, so it is not really a flavor I enjoy.

Polenta

I’ve learned how to make polenta, but I don’t really care for it. I would rather have potatoes or something else, it just isn’t for me.

Almond meal

I thought this would be the gluten-free substitute of my dreams, but it didn’t turn out that way. I like sorghum and millet better, and I like to soak my nuts before eating them which pre-ground almond flour doesn’t really allow for.

Pumpkin seeds

Like hemp seeds, I tried to like these and add them to my diet for their health benefits. I just can’t seem to like them, as their flavor is too specific, and they don’t sit right in my stomach.

Dried apricots

I just don’t like the way they taste. The texture and flavor just don’t do it for me.

Tahini

I don’t have many uses for it. I used to put it in my hummus but I don’t really make hummus anymore.

Canned foods

Something about canned foods, I just don’t eat them. The execption is canned tomatoes and tomato paste that I use in cooking.

Vital wheat gluten

I used to use this for making bread before my (mostly) gluten-free diet. It does really enhance a loaf of bread, I just don’t make bread like that anymore.

Chia seeds

I tried to like these, but they aren’t really for me. They are too gelatinous and not really necessary in any food item I make.

Poppy seeds

There is nothing wrong with poppy seeds, and I quite like a good lemon poppyseed muffin. However, I don’t really bake lemon poppyseed muffins myself, so there’s really no use for these in my pantry.

Shredded coconut

I can find uses for it but it’s not my favorite flavor. I find when I try to incorporate dried coconut in my baking, I always end up regretting it.

Mung beans

I bought these and never found a use for them.

Tamarind

Tamarind is honestly not my favorite flavor. It is too sour on it’s own, and the tamarind with the shells is way too much work especially since I don’t particularly care for it. I could see myself making a summer drink with sugar and tamarind possibly one day, but it would have to be the one that comes pre-shucked and packaged.

Red popcorn

I’m not a big popcorn eater to begin with, but red popcorn especially is not for me. The kernels don’t pop very big, so the texture is quite firm. Also, the flavor is more powerful, and I don’t really care for it.