Eating less of a greater variety of dishes is the recipe for culinary satisfaction.
Elbrich Fennema | July/August 2012 Issue
Research into the eating habits that make us fat shows that low-calorie products do little to combat obesity. It turns out we stuff 50 percent more low-sugar M&Ms in our mouths ­than we do regular ones. Low-calorie products and other products that claim to be good for us may have a positive effect on our conscience—and on profits for the M&Ms company—but they don’t make us healthier.
A perhaps more regrettable side effect is that we experience less net enjoyment. After all, the first bite is always the best one; after that, the law of diminishing returns kicks in. This means: each subsequent bite provides less satisfaction.
A good recipe for ­greater enjoyment is to eat less rather than more—by eating small, varied dishes, for example. Such as tapas: a few olives, then a little toasted bread topped with tomato, olive oil and arugula. A cube of cheese. A slice of omelet. A few roasted potatoes.
A ready batch of rice salad is the ultimate convenience. You don’t have to eat it all at once because it’s just as delicious tomorrow. Mix cooked rice with minced capers, lemon zest, diced cucumber, finely chopped parsley and/or cilantro and/or arugula, walnuts and/or pine nuts and sliced leek or scallion. Take your cue from the things in your refrigerator and pantry, or your children’s preferences, to vary the basic recipe.
And if you’re just crazy about M&Ms, make sure you leave room for one of the little devils as dessert. An old-fashioned one, of course.