Food is undoubtedly one of the best remedies for any situation. At a loss for energy? Eat a quick snack! Want to make a new friend? Invite them out to lunch. Need to apologize to your teacher for neglecting to do your class work? Bring them a platter of their favorite food, and any sense of disappointment will wash away. Food is not only fuel, but a universal way of bonding and understanding. The real dilemma, however, comes down to what type or flavors of food are the best.
In this article, we discuss the following question:
Are sweet, salty, or spicy foods the best?
| Sweet | Salty | Spicy |
| 1. Instant Gratification After a long, exhausting school day that absolutely drained every bit of energy from your body, leaving you irritated and completely burnt out, you need to recharge. But with what? Something spicy that’ll leave you crying out the tears you already spent on your chemistry test? A salty snack that’ll leave you more dehydrated than how you felt after running around the Turf during PE in the scorching sun? No, you need something sweet and delightful. Whether it be a beautiful red, crispy apple, or a perfectly sweet and soft chocolate cookie, or a scoop of your favorite flavor of ice cream, one bite is sure to instantly bring you back to real life and make any sort of distress completely disappear. All in all, any sweet food is guaranteed to remove any negative energy acquired from your school day, and suddenly you’ll realize your day wasn’t so bad after all, you just need a sweet treat. | 1. An Inclusive Universal Taste Some people have to cut down on sweets due to glucose level, some people physically can’t handle the feeling of the capsaicin in spicy food, but salty foods can be enjoyed by everyone. Even if you’re on a low sodium diet, low sodium doesn’t mean no sodium, and as long as you have just a bit, the flavor will be there. Imagine the agony of craving something, anything, but you can’t have a sweet treat or two because you have to watch your blood sugar level, and you can’t have anything spicy because you enjoy not being in excruciating pain. What is your solution? A salty snack. It can be low sodium, too, if you prefer. In times when sugar and spice elude you, salt is your eternal friend. | 1. Adds a Kick Ever take a bite out of food and feel like it’s just missing something? You’ll never experience that with spicy foods! The spice adds that extra something that you felt like it was missing and elevates the meal with just a few peppers! The taste is addicting, and once you start eating spicy food, you won’t be able to imagine a world without it. Spice has been found to enhance other flavors of a dish, allowing you to enjoy food to its fullest potential. Additionally, it helps balance out the other flavors, making sure one doesn’t overpower another. Ever had a dish that was way too sweet and not salty enough or vice versa? Adding just a bit of spice can help alleviate those struggles! |
| 2. Quick Energy The very first thing you’ll learn from your biology class is that sugar is a carbohydrate and, therefore, a source of quick energy. In some ways, you can take this as a sign of your own education encouraging you to consume sugary foods (in a healthy manner, of course). As high school students, there are many instances when we just need a boost of adrenaline to fill us up. Glycogen stored in your muscles and liver relies on glucose, so you can exercise and be active for extended periods of time without feeling fatigued. It’s important to adequately replenish our glucose supply with a quick sweet snack before practice, rehearsal, and more so we can perform to the best of our abilities. | 2. Keeps you alive Our body essentially functions off a bunch of salts or elements found in salt. Our bodies thrive off electrolytes, and what are electrolytes but essentially salts? The sodium is used in our body’s sodium potassium pumps, the chloride is used in the stomach acid that digests our food, and the iodine is used to keep your thyroid gland healthy. You can get the glucose from sugary foods from other sources (like maybe bread with your salty food), and you can live without spice in your life, but salt and salty foods are what power every essential function that keeps your body alive. From the beating of your heart to the reading you’re doing right now, it’s all powered by the salty foods you eat on the daily, so appreciate it and enjoy a salty snack or two instead of reaching for something sweet or spicy. | 2. Health Benefits It has been proven that eating spicy foods can help one’s metabolism, cardiovascular health, and digestive health. By eating spicy foods, the body starts to use more energy which leads to an increased metabolism and can also reduce one’s appetite in order to manage one’s calorie intake. Furthermore, research has proven that regular consumption of spicy foods may be associated with lower mortality rates and reduced risks of obesity and diabetes. Spicy foods have also proven to have anti-inflammatory benefits and can help promote natural pain relief by targeting certain receptors. |
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