Think that you’ve got this whole eating thing down? Little do you know what you’ve been missing! Here’s a list of the foods that most of us eat every day—the wrong way.
Apples
How do you eat an apple? Generally, you chomp or cut around the core and throw the rest away. Guess what? Experts say that the core is a myth! The proper way to eat an entire apple is to start from the bottom and make your way up—eating everything in your path, including the seeds (just make sure you wash the entire apple well to get rid of nasty pesticides first).
Boiled Eggs
When you peel your eggs do you find that half of the egg gets stuck to the shell and you end up throwing it away? Check out how to avoid the hassle when it comes to peeling hard boiled eggs, plus some other easy peeling hacks!
Save yourself frustration and money by adding one teaspoon of baking soda to the water that you boil the eggs in. The shells will come right off!
Hot Dogs
This American staple never seems to cook thoroughly or evenly, often leaving you with a charred outside and a cool inside. Next time try slicing it in a spiral for a perfectly done dog.
Bananas
Peel a banana and eat it, right? Actually, the proper way to consume one is to flip it stem-side down and squeeze it from the bottom. It’ll open right up.
Oranges
Hate the white strings that are attached to the fruit of oranges? Try this trick for nice, clean fruit:
Chinese Takeout
Most people are surprised to learn that you’re not supposed to dig and search for you food in a to-go Chinese food container. The proper way to eat Chinese takeout is to break down the box around the food, creating a paper plate.
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Most of us just heap the peanut butter and jelly on bread in a big, globby mess. Try putting the peanut butter around the perimeter of both slices of bread then put a generous serving of jelly in the center of the first slice. Squish the two slices together and enjoy the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
Mangoes
There’s nothing easy about peeling and slicing a mango—most of the fruit gets stuck to the pit and thrown away. Next time you’re craving one, cut the fruit in half and slide each side down an 8 oz. glass. The inside of the fruit will easily peel off, leaving a clean easy piece of fruit to slice or dice.
Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes can take forever to cook and often end up being too dry. The next time you cook this American favorite, make ¼-inch vertical (scallop) slices down the potato. Add slices of butter and/or cheese in between the slices and bake it for an extra tasty meal!
Cupcakes
Tired of getting a whole lot of frosting with no cake, then a bunch of cake and no frosting? Balance out your sweet treat by twisting off the bottom half of the cake part of a cupcake and placing it on top of the frosting to make a cupcake sandwich.
Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruits tend to get mushy and hairy when you try to peel or slice them. Check out an easy way to peel them, plus a few of your other favorite fruits!
The best way to eat this super healthy fruit is to cut it in half, then eat each half with a spoon, like a built-in bowl.
Pomegranates
Do you find that whenever you eat this antioxidant-rich fruit you question whether it’s worth the bright red dyed fingers you end up with after digging out the seeds? This trick will help! Cut the fruit in half and twist it. Then gently tap each half with a wooden spoon or other hard utensil, and watch the seeds just pop out.
Cheese
Soft foods like cheese and cakes are hard to cut through cleanly. They can get squishy and end up stuck to the knife. You can make neat, easy cuts by using regular unflavored dental floss. It easily passes through the food and creates perfect slices every time.
Hash Browns
Hash browns can quickly become too oily or overdone when you prepare them in a frying pan. Brown them to perfection by cooking them in a waffle iron.
Shallots
Do you love using shallots but hate trying to peel the skins off them? Try steeping them in boiling water for five to 10 minutes and watch the skins slide right off.
Pasta
In America, we often use spoons and knives to help us eat our favorite pasta dinners. But this would offend the most judgmental culinary connoisseurs in Italy! That’s considered a serious faux pas. They believe the only utensil that should be used in the consumption of pasta is a fork.
Asparagus
Asparagus can be super tricky to cook: Leave it in for 30 seconds too long and you’ve got mushy, limp stalks. Always steam or stir fry asparagus very quickly (don’t boil it) so that it stays firm and crispy.
Lobster or Crab
It may be fun to smash your crustaceans with a hammer, but it often leaves you with little to no meat. The best way to enjoy your delicacy to its fullest is to use old fashioned kitchen shears. They do a better job of cutting through tails, claws, legs, and knuckles.
Chicken Wings
It can be messy and frustrating to eat chicken wings. The foolproof way to get all of the meat off the bone easily is to pull the (protruding) cartilage off by gently twisting and removing it. This loosens the other bones, making it easier to remove them and enjoy your wing bone free!
Bacon Sandwich
Bacon sandwiches are yummy, but not when you take a bite and end up only with a mouthful of bread. The best way to ensure that you get a perfect tasting meal is to weave the strips of bacon together in the shape and size of your bread and bake them. No part of the sandwich will end up without bacon.
Peas
This runaway vegetable can be handled so much more easily when it’s in a group. Simply use your fork to mash your peas together and enjoy!
Lettuce Taco
How many times have you been in this situation? You take a bite of your taco, the hard shell breaks, and everything falls out. Lettuce normally goes inside of the taco (and you can keep it there too), but try wrapping a larger piece of lettuce around the shell of the taco to keep it from breaking. It’ll also catch all of the extra stuff that falls out!
Candy Apples
How can something so delicious be such a pain to eat? Take the stress out of snacking on candy apples by adding an extra stick to the other end of the apple. Turn it on its side and eat it like corn on the cob.
Watermelon
Eating watermelon in a half moon shape is messy. Get perfect chunks by cutting a seedless watermelon in half. Then take each half and make three horizontal cuts on either side by cutting through the rind. Cut around the perimeter of each half, then grid-cut the fruit on each side. Watch the little pieces fall out perfectly!
Ketchup
Ketchup packets are the absolute worst part of eating on the go. They’re messy and end up squirting and getting everywhere. But that’s only because they’re not used in the way they were intended! Instead of squirting your ketchup all over the place, tear off the corner of the package and make it into a miniature bowl to dip your fries in.
