[header] How to dull your taste buds [title] Plug your nostrils. [step] Your taste buds only recognize five tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory (" umami "). The rest is in the nose. 
If you can avoid smelling the food, you'll avoid a large part of the flavor. Pinch your nose as you eat or drink anything to neutralize a significant portion of the taste involved.