The joys of a buffet

A few weeks ago I was staying in a hotel in Asia which had a magnificent breakfast buffet. The hotel appeared keen to cater to every cultural taste, from the Continental to the English cooked breakfast, from the Korean to the Hawaiian and a lot of other foods I didn't recognise. As with most buffets the guests could eat as much as they desired.

Once I had navigated my way round this sumptuous feast I was able to work out what was healthy and what needed to be left alone. I was able to enjoy an immense variety of healthy food, and was particularly impressed by the chefs whose sole job was to prepare eggs in every way possible for the guests. They had several ingredients they could add to omelettes in addition to cooking your eggs to your personal preference.

There was also a range of food that was less healthy including different styles of pancakes that could be accompanied by the guest's choice of melted chocolates, flavoured syrups and candied fruits. There were sweet breads and a variety of chocolate cakes and muffins.

Over the days I began to take more notice of what people chose. Within a few days I was able to predict what style of food a person would choose based on their body fat percentage, and how much food they would choose. Those guests with a lower body fat percentage would generally choose healthier foods that were more plant based and they would avoid the foods with low fibre and high sugar contents. Those guests with a bigger body percentage tended to choose foods that were higher in fat, salt and sugar, and in addition to starting with a large portion they would go back to refill their plate at least once with more of the same.

The joy of a buffet is the variety that it offers. There may be dishes that you have never eaten or rarely eat, and there are other dishes that are too complicated or expensive to cook at home.

The problem with a buffet is that it can offer foods that tempt the taste buds and it offers unhealthy food in large amounts. There is another problem with a buffet: the price is the same if the guest eats one piece of fruit or plates of foods. People want value for money and it could appear that eating more offers more value.

To keep a buffet a joy (and not an unhealthy feast) start with healthy foods and save the treats for one day a week at the end of a breakfast. Fill you plate with plant-based foods first. Enjoy new tastes and textures and the fact that you didn't have to buy, prepare and cook it.

warm regards
Sarah

Bet you didn't know this!

You may think that the main reason that people eat bigger portions is because they are really enjoying what they are eating. They are savouring the flavour and textures and so continue to eat. Whilst there is some truth in this, there is another reason that people eat more and it will surprise you.

You don't eat just to stop yourself from feeling hungry. That may be one of the reasons that you start to eat but it isn't the only reason that you eat. You also eat to satisfy your senses. If you only ate to stop yourself from feeling hungry you would be quite content to only eat food that was nutritionally good for you, and to stop as soon as you stopped feeling hungry.

You may believe that the foods classed as 'comfort foods' fulfil all the needs of your senses but they fall short. Your senses need wonderful flavours, aromas and textures, and they need to experience new ones as well as ones you know they like.

When you eat 'comfort' foods these are usually foods that are high in fat, salt and/or sugar but lack a real depth and variety of flavours. Before you start to jump up and down about all the varieties of pizza toppings and ice-cream flavours, let me assure you that unless these are fresh, burst-in-the-mouth flavours your brain will not be fully satisfied. These flavours do not come in packaged food (although there are some very rare exceptions that usually cost an appropriately large amount of money to purchase).

When you eat the same foods and 'stodgy' foods you will end up being tempted to eat more because your brain and senses are waiting to be satisfied and it takes more of this type of food for you to feel satisfied.

To satisfy your senses your food should be cooked fresh using fresh ingredients, meals packed with flavours and textures. Experiment with new flavours, try new foods, new aromas and new textures. This way you are more likely to eat less and to eat mindfully and have fun creating a whole new range of dishes to add to your repertoire.

warm regards

Sarah

Are vegetarians slimmer?

Is it true that vegetarians are slender or find it easier to loose weight? There is no easy answer and it depends on what the vegetarian diet comprises. If the vegetarian diet comprises of chips and cola the answer is 'No'. Being vegetarian does not make a difference.

However, if the vegetarian diet comprises of plant-based proteins and healthy foods then the answer is 'Yes'. It is easier to be slender on a vegetarian fare.

The main reasons for this are that the body metabolises plant-based protein differently to animal-based protein.

Animal-based protein that is not used is stored as fat. Plant-based protein that is not used is used as body heat. You would have to eat a lot of it to have it become stored as fat.

There have been some major studies done on the metabolism and effects of an animal-based protein diet (and in this case the term 'diet' is used to describe a person's food and drink consumption) compared to a plant-based protein diet. This does not mean that you need to throw out all your meat, cheese, eggs and milk and stock up on tofu and legumes.

What it does mean is that you might like to consider eating less animal-based protein and have alternative meals several days a week that are plant-based protein. When you do eat animal-based protein you could choose to have a smaller portion and then fill up on colourful vegetables. Potatoes (especially white potatoes) are carbohydrate condensed which means that a little goes a long way.

You can eat more green vegetables because they have less calories and require more energy to metabolise. There is the added benefit of fibre, which helps to keep you feeling satisfied and is very good for your immune system and large intestine health.

Enjoy experimenting with some plant-based protein

warmest wishes
Sarah

Super snack me

Until the 1970s we did not snack between meals. There were official morning tea and afternoon tea breaks that usually consisted of a drink and maybe a plain biscuit or two. Afternoon tea may have involved something a little more exciting like one slice of bread and jam or on special occasions one sweet biscuit or even a slice of cake. Mostly you had to wait for the evening meal by which point you were pretty hungry and ate what you were given.

It was considered poor manners to eat in the street and if it wasn't on a plate whilst sitting at a table you probably didn't eat, unless it was a picnic or a trek through the local woods.

Snacking, as we know it today, did not exist. But that didn't suit the profit margins of certain companies who helped the developed world to feel guilt free and even good about snacking between meals. They didn't suggest fruit or chopped vegetables but instead offered tempting food laden with sugar and fat and salt. Food that our brains and taste buds found irresistible.

There are two main problems with this style of eating: your body doesn't compensate at meal time and want less food because you had a large snack a few hours ago and your body doesn't correctly calculate the amount of calories it has taken in for your fuel and nutritional requirements.

What this means in reality is that you will snack on calorie laden food and still eat the same amount of calories for each meal, which means that you will be eating far more than you need to eat, which of course your body will store for you in the form of fat until you do need it. But you won't need it because there is more excess than you need to get you through your next bought of flu or gastro virus.

And there's more. Your body will quickly learn to expect this new amount of food and you will be able to continue to increase your calorie intake by approximately 400 - 500 cals a day without noticing it when you eat. The only thing you will notice will be your tighter clothes.

To reduce the amount you eat as snacks there are a few simple rules that will help you curb your snacking and could even lead to some weight management:

• Eat mindfully: put the food on a plate (or in a bowl) and sit down to enjoy the food and do not go back for more
• If you have a snack work out how much less you need to eat at your next meal to compensate for your snack
• Choose snacks that have little or no sugar or salt and only a little fat such as whole fruit, unsalted nuts, one slice of toast with a little butter and yeast spread
• To really find out how much of your daily intake is from snacks keep a food diary for a week. This diary must include every mouthful from the chocolate bar you bought whilst shopping to the cube of cheese you ate whilst cooking

Choose one day to enjoy your favourite morning or tea time snacks like a slice of cake or a muffin.

warmest wishes
Sarah