Why do we feel that when we eat with friends and family, the food becomes more delicious and we eat more by ourselves than when we are alone? Is it really "rushing to eat is more fragrant"?
Life Times, combined with an experiment of Tokyo University, interviewed experts, interpreted the principle from a scientific point of view and told you how to eat "one's food" healthily and delicately.
Interviewed experts
Song Xin, a nutritionist in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University.
Fan Zhihong, Associate Professor, School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University.
Will eating a meal with others make people eat more?
The experiment conducted by the research team of the University of Tokyo observed some interesting changes behind the two ways of eating (eating with others or eating alone): when there are companions present, our food intake will not change, but we will unconsciously take the small and fast way of eating.
The research results were published in the British academic journal Open Science of the Royal Society.
Under the arrangement of the researchers, the volunteers involved in the experiment only need to complete a seemingly simple and pleasant task: sitting at the table and eating a plate of potato chips. The researchers quietly observed their meals in different situations.
The first situation is that someone is spelling a table, and there is another person eating potato chips sitting opposite, but both of them eat their own dishes; The second situation is to block people at the same table with wooden boards, so that they can't see each other, but they can hear the sound of eating; The last one is eating potato chips alone.
At the same time, the researchers hid an electronic balance under the dining table to keep track of food consumption.
The researchers found that when people see or hear someone eating potato chips together, people will reach for food more frequently and eat "more fragrant"; When a person eats, the speed of reaching out will slow down, but every time he reaches for food, he will get more chips first. The final result showed that the subjects ate the same amount of potato chips whether they ate alone or together with others.
But why does the way of eating change when there are other people around?
The researchers pointed out that when there are companions present, we will unconsciously take the small and fast way of eating, which is probably rooted in evolution and inherited from our ancestors for a long time-our ancestors could eat as much as possible in order to cope with the competition from their companions.
One should also eat well.
Maybe you think it is sweeter to eat with friends and family. When you are alone, you just "fool" it. Often there are not enough vegetables, too few coarse grains, too much salt, and the nutritional structure is too biased towards carbohydrates ... In the long run, it is easy to cause various health problems.
In fact, "one person's dish" has a correct way to open it.
No. 1
Buy and choose small packages
A person, who doesn't spend much at a time, tries to choose small packaged food.
Try to eat leafy vegetables on the same day. Root vegetables can be steamed at one time and then put in the refrigerator.
Boil fresh peas, tender broad beans, etc. , and subcontracted to quick freezing;
Staple food such as rice, steamed bread, flower rolls, bean bags, steamed buns, jiaozi, etc. It can be frozen, and fish such as ribs, meatballs and braised chicken can also be cooked and frozen in portions.
second
Raw material mixing
For example, a bowl of porridge or rice with various raw materials such as miscellaneous grains and beans is much more nutritious than eating rice alone; A bowl of beef noodles, in addition to beef, can also add bean sprouts, diced carrots, shredded cucumbers, kelp and other vegetables, which is helpful for the intake of various vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
third place
Simplify cooking methods
You should learn to simplify your diet on the premise of ensuring nutrition, that is, the cooking method is simpler and the cooking time is shorter. Traditional cooking is more complicated and needs frying, but it is much simpler to change the cooking method into stew, steaming, cold salad, baking and microwave.
fourth
Reasonable storage of ingredients
Chicken, duck, fish and meat are all foods that can be stored and heated, and can be stored in the refrigerator for 1~2 days. Cooking once can meet the needs of two or three days at most, and vegetables are best eaten after meals; Staple foods such as porridge can be stored for 1~2 days, or cooked for more than one meal.
Therefore, as long as you bring the meat in reserve, add the staple food in reserve, make one or two fresh vegetables and prepare a fruit for each meal, you can finish a meal easily and nutritionally.
Don't do seven things while eating.
Hold the bowl with your hands, keep your mouth shut, and don't pick chopsticks on the plate ... Table manners are passed down from generation to generation, but the more important health principles are often ignored by us.
Eat while it's hot.
Long-term overheated diet can induce many digestive tract diseases such as esophageal cancer. The esophageal wall is very fragile and can only tolerate food at 50~60℃. If this temperature is exceeded, the esophageal mucosa will be scalded. If this is repeated, it may cause qualitative change and develop into a tumor.
The most suitable food temperature is neither too hot nor too cold, about 40℃.
Hot and cold alternate mashup
Eating a hot dish and drinking a glass of cold beer or drink gives people a refreshing feeling, but it is easy to cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
One cold and one hot strongly stimulate the stomach, which is easy to cause indigestion, stomach cramp or stomachache, and may induce gastritis or enteritis over time.
Eat it
If you don't chew, the brain hasn't reminded the gastrointestinal tract to be ready to receive food, and the stomach will be stuffed at once, which will easily lead to digestive and metabolic disorders.
It is recommended to eat at least 15 minutes per meal, especially for the elderly, and it is best to chew 15~20 times per meal.
Play mobile phone while eating.
If you keep your eyes on your mobile phone and TV while eating, you will not feel hungry and often eat too much. It is best to stop using electronic products when eating, especially for underage children, and parents should limit their behavior.
Sit hunched over.
Some people are used to eating while squatting, sitting on a low table or sitting on the sofa. Squeezing the abdomen at this time is not conducive to the blood circulation of the digestive tract, and may induce stomach problems over time. It is recommended to straighten your back and give your abdomen enough space when eating.
Talking about work at the dinner table
When people concentrate on thinking, or when mental stress is high, autonomic nerve function is inhibited, blood supply to digestive tract is reduced, and gastrointestinal peristalsis will slow down.
Especially for people with weak digestion and absorption function, eating wholeheartedly, relaxed and happy will help food to be fully digested and absorbed.
Only the dishes you like.
No matter out of courtesy or for health reasons, you can't just put your favorite dishes.
People who don't like vegetables are easy to lose nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, and constipation will follow; People who don't like meat are not only easy to lack high-quality protein and iron needed by human body, but also affect the normal growth and development of the body. ▲