I live in the US and am constantly disappointed by the fact that I have to pay extra to add onions to my Taco Bell burrito or lettuce and tomato to a McDouble (

I live in the US and am constantly disappointed by the fact that I have to pay extra to add onions to my Taco Bell burrito or lettuce and tomato to a McDouble (typically when on a road trip with friends). As it turns out this might be attributable to companies optimizing for consumers' dollars instead of flavor preferences [1]: > “They liked flavorful foods like turkey tetrazzini, but only at first; they quickly grew tired of them. On the other hand, mundane foods like white bread would never get them too excited, but they could eat lots and lots of it without feeling they’d had enough.” > This contradiction is known as “sensory-specific satiety.” In lay terms, it is the tendency for big, distinct flavors to overwhelm the brain, which responds by depressing your desire to have more. It probably also has something to do with the fact that people often equate "vegetables" with unseasoned, boiled slop like spinach and broccoli instead of more delicious preparations like grilling, broiling, roasting, or sauteeing with a liberal amount of seasoning. Brussels sprouts, for instance, are incredible when broiled and tossed with olive oil (or, even better, bacon fat!) and carmelized onions but are nigh-inedible if scooped out of a stock pot full of hot tap water. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinar...