Obesity

[BoldonLad]

But that’s a question of wealth, not the need for gratification.

Wealth is relative, we don’t all have yachts, etc

 

[Fab Foodie]

Wealth is relative, we don’t all have yachts, etc

But we all need some form of gratification. I have a farmer acquaintance who has just made £400k profit for the year, he doesn’t know what to spend it on. If you’re on benefits, anything that’s not essential will hit your budget significantly.

 

[KnittyNorah]

This is true. Watch a TV chef ‘globbing in the Olive oil’ and ‘liberal sprinkling of salt’. But in general the point still stands. You and I may be outliers!

The ubiquity, and the ingredients, of readily-available 'fast', 'processed' or 'pre-prepared' food though, is what has given many people a taste - a yearning, if you like - for a salt, sugar and fat content that used to be unheard of in 'traditional' good home, or restaurant, cooking, of almost whatever nation you care to look at. So the TV chef is pandering to what one might call the perverted, ill-taught or misled taste buds of a population that has become in large part addicted to the 'buzz', mouth-feel, and flavour of these frankly abnormal - and almost always very well-disguised - levels of salt, sugar and/or fat.

 

[Reynard]

This is true. Watch a TV chef ‘globbing in the Olive oil’ and ‘liberal sprinkling of salt’. But in general the point still stands. You and I may be outliers!

Quite possibly

I was a bit naughty tonight, as I did stir fried chicken with onion, broccoli, green beans and ginger, plus egg fried rice. Last night I was considerably less naughty as I had steamed sea bass with tarragon & capers, tabbouleh, spinach and roasted baby san marzano tomatoes.

Swings and roundabouts. Nothing wrong with a little bit naughty every now and again, but too much naughty too often and I don't half feel *bleurgh*

TV cookery progs are more entertainment than anything else - if we were all to cook and eat like that, well, we'd be the expanding Russian frontier (sorry Babylon 5 quote*). Having said that, they *are* a good source of tips and ideas, and I've picked up a fair few good kitchen hacks over the years.

* Season 2, episode 4 "A Distant Star" - which includes a very amusing plot thread about a "food plan"

 

[Reynard]

The ubiquity, and the ingredients, of readily-available 'fast', 'processed' or 'pre-prepared' food though, is what has given many people a taste - a yearning, if you like - for a salt, sugar and fat content that used to be unheard of in 'traditional' good home, or restaurant, cooking, of almost whatever nation you care to look at. So the TV chef is pandering to what one might call the perverted, ill-taught or misled taste buds of a population that has become in large part addicted to the 'buzz', mouth-feel, and flavour of these frankly abnormal - and almost always very well-disguised - levels of salt, sugar and/or fat.

I actually find a lot of prepared foods too sweet or too salty.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The ubiquity, and the ingredients, of readily-available 'fast', 'processed' or 'pre-prepared' food though, is what has given many people a taste - a yearning, if you like - for a salt, sugar and fat content that used to be unheard of in 'traditional' good home, or restaurant, cooking, of almost whatever nation you care to look at. So the TV chef is pandering to what one might call the perverted, ill-taught or misled taste buds of a population that has become in large part addicted to the 'buzz', mouth-feel, and flavour of these frankly abnormal - and almost always very well-disguised - levels of salt, sugar and/or fat.

I mostly disagree.
I travel weekly to different countries on business every week, and I can tell you that salt levels in particular are much higher in food outside the UK. In some, fat is much higher. I would say that UK processed food and restaurant food is among the lowest in salt content in Europe.

 

[BoldonLad]

But we all need some form of gratification. I have a farmer acquaintance who has just made £400k profit for the year, he doesn’t know what to spend it on. If you’re on benefits, anything that’s not essential will hit your budget significantly.

Are all poor people on benefits?

Do all people on benifits live on take-aways?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If i am making Cottage Pie or Spag bol I normally use mice from the butcher
previously I would get it from the supermarket - generally the most expensive version - 5% far rather than than the cheaper 20% fat

using the mince from the butcher there is not enough fat coming out of the meat for my wife to make gravy

using the best supermarket meat she has loads

same with sausages - loads of fat comes out of the premium supermarket version
butcher - naff all

and the stuff from the butcher tastes much better
and is cheaper

but all the advertising tends to point us to the supermarket - and CLEARLY they premium versions just MUST be better

pity we don;t have a greengrocer on the high street - I just feel lucky a butcher has survived

 

[Deleted User]

If i am making Cottage Pie or Spag bol I normally use mice from the butcher

Interesting recipe!

 

[battered]

I mostly disagree.
I travel weekly to different countries on business every week, and I can tell you that salt levels in particular are much higher in food outside the UK. In some, fat is much higher. I would say that UK processed food and restaurant food is among the lowest in salt content in Europe.

This is what I find too. UK manufactured food has had salt levels in particular lowered and lowered again, to the point where many of them are improved by a light sprinkle of salt. I'd be very surprised if significant numbers of home cooks use less salt than you find in most ready meals.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Are all poor people on benefits?

No of course not, it was just an extreme example. The wealthy can afford to pander to their every whim. A small indulgence for the poorest in society can be a big hit. That’s the point.

 

[Reynard]

If i am making Cottage Pie or Spag bol I normally use mice from the butcher

Ah, so *that's* where Madam Lexi has been moonlighting then...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Interesting recipe!

You use the meat you want and I'll use what I want!!!!!



OK - I meant Mince
I went to a good school - I am good at English
it was before computers - so we didn;t do typing
especially semi colons - ...................^^^^

 

[KnittyNorah]

I actually find a lot of prepared foods too sweet or too salty.

Very definitely; so do I - but that I think is because I don't eat them 'normally'. If they were a regular part of my staple diet, I'm sure I'd've become accustomed to the levels of salt or sugar long ago, and would use considerably more salt and sugar in my home cooking. As it is I use minute quantities of salt - I honestly can't remember when I last bought salt - probably when I was doing a lot of dyeing with fibre-reactive dyes! - and frequently cut down on the supposedly-'required' amount of sugar when baking - it depends where the recipe comes from.

 

[BoldonLad]

No of course not, it was just an extreme example. The wealthy can afford to pander to their every whim. A small indulgence for the poorest in society can be a big hit. That’s the point.

Ok, an extreme and thus, unrealistic example.