Action on Junk Food Cravings at Event Buffets; Our Unique Way of helping!

Millions of people every day enjoy a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps, a slice of cake or another form of indulgent dessert. Many of them say that they simply crave these foods – their body tells them they need the injection of sweetness, or perhaps they’re simply dying to enjoy the delicious taste of their favorite food. In fact, as part of our daily routines of meeting event catering requirements of majority of our clients, we’re faced with this constant demand for something sweet or snacky as part of any buffet spread proposal. Yet amidst all this caving is a constant barrage of weight loss and dieting news. Worst of all, each comes with a first scare then follows a supposed solution such as 11 best ways to lose weight, unique ways to lose weight and the like. Sadly, the pressure isn’t about to stop for those of us that really indeed have that genuine craving. The writers and bloggers are hard at it and before too long, their intention is to wean us off any and all of those slight indulgences we might have for a reason or another. Genuinely, am one of these though on another side, reality has to be borne upon us.

In this regard, we sat and wondered; what if we could transform these cravings, so that we nudged guests that they no longer desired sugar-laden desserts and snacks filled with saturated fat? What if we could help them crave green juice, salad, quinoa, fruit and vegetables? Did our guests have to really necessarily sit out a meal just so they could tame our cravings and therefore avert the looming crisis in our lives of Multiple cancers, Cardiovascular disease, Neurodegenerative disorders and Diabetes? How realistic is it that in any single day one could eat their full 3 meals and still end up anywhere near 500 calories or less each day like some dieticians have us believe; more especially when the festive times come around and buffets are all abound everywhere we turn? Some say that It’s not always what you eat but rather when you eat that makes a huge difference. How many event buffets do run on time?

The idea of a different craving altogether is something that we want to highlight in this article. It sounds like a far-off fantasy, but it might not actually be so unrealistic. A study conducted by Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow found that taking what’s known as an inulin-proportionate ester (IPE) supplement could actually reduce or remove those pesky cravings for high-sugar, high-fat, high-calorie foods.

By analysing MRI scans of the study participants, researchers were able to establish a connection between the brain’s ‘reward trigger’ and foods that taste great but are bad for your health. One of the professors in charge of the research said, “IPE can decrease activity in brain areas associated with food reward, at the same time as reducing the amount of food they eat.” Though the study was a fairly small one, with just twenty people taking part, another study in 2013 has also backed up these claims, lending real credibility to the idea that there could be a scientific way to reduce junk food cravings.

Until the day arrives when IPE is readily available for those who feel they may struggle with a junk food addiction, there are a number of options we like to employ to help curb those cravings besides the very an ideal approach many tend to go for; – L-glutamine supplements that are said to have a similar effect, preventing people from reaching for their biscuit stash or wolfing down some cake when they get a craving.

An activity to fit in with the event is another way to quietly nudge guests into that conscious though of healthy wellbeing. The choices are wide from a yoga class to a bowling, swimming or jogging break up activity to build in with the theme of the event. It could also be a small informal discussion of how well or not so well the buffet went. This is so guests can help build more awareness around issues of their health and wellbeing. All this is obviously in context.

We nudge people so they consider food swaps, so that when they give into them, they won’t necessarily feel like they have to diet and detox in the aftermath. Great food swaps include:

·         Switch crisps for pita chips, with a rich hummus dip. Hummus is packed with protein, and the pita won’t be packed with saturated fat and salt like the regular crisps

·         Instead of chips or fries, try sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are actually a distant relation of the carrot, so they have an entirely different make-up to regular potatoes. Bake them in a healthy oil (olive oil is great) for a delicious alternative.

·         Ditch chocolate bars for chocolate-themed trail mix. Nobody’s saying you have to ditch the chocolate entirely, but if you combine small chocolate chips or buttons with nuts (almonds, macadamias, walnuts) and dried fruit, you’ll have a much healthier snack on your hands.

We have a lot of ideas at Benons Catering that we’re happy to explore and share but we would love to hear from you. Particularly, what have you considered or considering to help nudge your guests at your next/upcoming event buffet?

Send Us an email at info@benonscatering.co.uk

www.benonscatering.co.uk