A food bias saga

One thing I have learned about serving recipes that are good for you is that people have a bias against them. Here are a few true stories of how I learned not to share with others that what they are getting is good for them.

Memorable Incident 1  
Many years ago, around 1988 or so, I had a party at my house. At the time, I only ate low fat, low Calorie, ovo-lacto, vegetarian food. To meet the desires of my guests, I made two of everything. One item in particular was a chip dip. One was low fat; the other was "normal." I placed a paper with which was which under each dish. I did that with all the dishes that had the option.

During the party, as host, I was too busy to enjoy most of the treats, and as such, I ate little. After the party, during clean up, I noticed that no one had even touched the "good" low fat, low sodium dip. The "normal" high fat, normal sodium dip was empty. Many had spoken how they liked it. I thought that it was fine that I had the "good" dip, because I had something for me left. I sat down to enjoy it, and upon first taste, I instantly recognized that the untouched dip was actually the high fat, high sodium dip. Apparently, I had placed each dip dish on the wrong description. No one but me appeared to have noticed. Of course I was disappointed, as I had no "good" dip left I could enjoy. I only had a dip that I could not eat, as none of the other dip was left.

This incident demonstrated to me how people's biases had operated. No one had any problem with the dish when they thought it was the normal recipe. Only I, who could apparently really notice that the taste was way off, noticed.

Memorable Incident 2
In 1990, I was moving back to my home state from my previous assignment. While I found a place to live, I stayed with some family members. My "meat and potatoes" family members did not have a problem with me making something just for my dietary limits, but often, I would just stop at a local pizza shop that had a great vegetarian pizza and get a large one to go. Then I would bring it for all to enjoy, so they would have to cook less and I would not have to cook special. They loved the pizza. After weeks of this, one of the members said they liked the pizza so much that they would like to pick up one occasionally themselves. Thus, they wanted the name of the pizza place and the pizza to order. I told them. They looked horrified when I said it was the vegetarian pizza. They had me repeat it several times. From that day forward, they never would eat the vegetarian pizza I brought again, and asked for a meat option to be acquired while I bought mine.

Conclusions and recommendations 
I learned from these two incidents, and other less memorable ones, that many people had a strong bias against "good" foods, but only if they knew they were "good" food recipes. From that point on, I stopped making two dishes, and stopped sharing with guests that the recipes were low fat and low sodium. No one complained and all seem just as happy with the meals, dips, and desserts. It took a lot of work off me, as I no longer was making two options- one for them and one for me.

Now people just come and visit, eat, and tell me they like my cooking. Apparently they really do, because they usually have seconds. However, I no longer share with them, outside of posting recipes on the Internet and in magazines, that they are really eating something that is "good" for them.

Now we are both happy with the food, and I don't have to cook two dishes that "look" the same anyway.