Are Ready Meals Healthier than TV Chefs Recipes?

You may have seen a report in the press today that researchers from Newcastle University have found that recipes by TV chefs are not as healthy as ready meals!  On average, they stated that meals in the chef’s books were less healthy and “more likely to achieve red traffic light labels”. Are things as simple as the research states?

At Great British Chefs we aim to bring you hundreds of delicious recipes from some of the country’s greatest award winning chefs.  Many of our recipes include butter, cream, sugar, cheese, duck fat and other ingredients that if eaten every day would not necessarily do a lot to tackle obesity.  So the claim from the students at Newcastle Uni could easily be levelled against most food website and indeed a number of best selling cookery books.

The research which was published in the BMJ, is not stating that ready meals are the answer to great health either.  Prof Martin White, from the Institute of Health and Society at the university, told the BBC: “Both ready meals and those by TV chefs are not as healthy as they could be.  We’re not bashing TV chefs, among them are chefs that have done a huge amount for healthy eating and tackling obesity.”

Just as well, as one of the chefs in their study was Jamie Oliver who has long been campaigning for healthy eating in schools.  A spokesperson for Jamie quite rightly said the following:  ”We welcome any research which raises debate on these issues.  We would regard the key issue to be food education so that people are aware of which foods are for every day and which are treats to be enjoyed occasionally.”

Isn’t this one of the key issues?  We’ve all heard the phrase “a little of what you fancy does you good”.  One argument is that using good quality ingredients (regardless of the fat content) means that you can potentially use smaller amounts.  Also well sourced food is not laden with preservatives that are found in ready meals.

The researchers also said that most people take it for granted that home-cooked food is better for us than something that comes ready-prepared in a carton.  However, the researchers have not really looked wider than calorie content when making this claim.

How do you measure the joy and satisfaction of preparing a meal from scratch to popping something in a microwave?  Much of the satisfaction of a meal also comes from the look of a dish.  It’s impossible to compare a microwaved lasagne or macaroni cheese with a well baked one that’s come straight from your oven.

Then there is the issue of packaging.  Most would agree that ready meals are over packaged which not only adds to the cost of the meal, but brings along environmental concerns too.

What are your thoughts on the research?  Do you think ready meals are healthier than the recipes from your favourite chefs and their recipe books?  What about nutritional information?  Would you agree with the researchers in that nutritional values that you find on packaged food should be put on websites, TV programmes and in cookery books? What of the argument that some TV chef’s dishes are so unhealthy they ought to be subjected to the 9pm watershed?

Let us know your thoughts over on Great British Chefs Facebook Page.

Survey Reveals Lack of Vegetable Origin Knowledge

Young people think bacon comes from cows

A new study has shown that young people need more education about food & farming.  At Great British Chefs we were shocked to hear that a third of 16-23 year olds surveyed didn’t know that bacon came from pigs, with 3% believing cows produced it. 

Photo by David Griffen from Great British Chefs Bacon Recipe Collection

Food certification body, Linking Environment & Farming (LEAF) also found that  less than half of 16 to 23-year-olds knew where butter came from.

The organisation showed a range of pictures of crops and animals – including one of a dairy cow – to 2,000 young adults and asked them to identify which produced butter. A quarter said they could not even guess, while 8% believed butter came from beef cattle and 7% from wheat.

Air dried ham, egg & parmesan by Dominic Chapman

Even with items such as eggs the youngsters were scratching their heads.  A third could not identify that eggs come from hens, with ten per cent thinking they come from wheat or maize, while 12% believed that steak came from wheat or maize.

They were also fairly clueless on the the time that crops took to grow.  One in 10 young people thought that potatoes, wheat and oats took less than a month to grow.

Photo by David Griffen 

Caroline Drummond chief executive of LEAF said young adults were becoming increasingly removed from where their food comes from.

“We often hear reports that our food knowledge may be declining but this new research shows how bad the situation is,” she said. “Three in 10 adults born in the 1990s haven’t visited a farm in more than 10 years, if at all, which is a real shame as our farmers not only play an important role in food production but are passionate about engaging and reconnecting consumers too.”

LEAF is holding Open Farm Sunday on the 17th June 2012, which encourages the general public to engage with farmers and food production.  For more information on the survey visit this link

What do you think of the survey results? Do you think that young people should visit farms to get an appreciation of where food comes from?  Should the food industry do more to teach them about the importance of farming?  Let us know your thoughts over on Great British Chefs Facebook page. 

Lunchbox makes a comeback - Home made sandwiches on the rise

Would you eat a lab grown burger?

Cheeseburger from Marcus Wareing- definitely NOT made from modified meat

There’s many of you thinking that burgers sold in some of the larger fast food outlets are made from synthetic meat.  Although many taste like it, they’re not.  However, Great British Chefs discovered that Heston Blumenthal has been asked to cook the world’s first hamburger made with a synthetic meat protein derived from bovine stem cells.

Are you having a three minute breakfast or deskfast?

We love a good breakfast at Great British Chefs, but know that most people are hurried & rushed (specially on a Monday morning) with little time to spend on what is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.  Research carried out by Weetabix has revealed that over a third of people say they have less time to eat breakfast than they did five years ago, with most people blaming the fact that they now feel under pressure to get into the office earlier.

Porridge with Maple Bananas & Greek Yoghurt by Marcus Wareing on Great British Chefs site

If you’re reading this on Facebook or Twitter you could be one of those people, as the report says people spend just three minutes eating breakfast because they are too busy checking emails, Facebook or Twitter or feel pressured to get to work.

In the survey of 2000 adults, 51% said they spent just three minutes 15 seconds eating in the morning while eight out of 10 people have ‘deskfasts’ three times a week.

Sian Porter, Weetabix’s consultant nutritionist and dietician, said: “It’s a fact that people who miss breakfast don’t make up nutritionally later in the day. We’re all getting busier which means making the time to sit down and eat a healthy breakfast which will help to get us through the day is more important than ever.”

Amazingly one in 20 people admit to eating breakfast in the bathroom (really) because they are so squeezed for time and a fifth of parents say their children eat breakfast in the car on the way to school.

And depending on where you live, you may not have breakfast at all. 

“In Birmingham, 59% said they were too busy on the internet or watching TV in the morning to eat breakfast. 57% of Londoners, 52% of people from Bristol and 51% of Mancunians said the same.” said the Press Associaton

In spite of all this, three quarters of Britons believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Grilled Black Pudding with Eggs from Shaun Rankin’s Seasoned Islands Book

What do you think?  How often do you skip breakfast or have a rushed breakfast?  Have you ever eaten breakfast in the bathroom?  Is the internet to blame for us skipping breakfast?  How often do you “breakfast like a king”?  We’ll be discussing this over on Great British Chefs Facebook Page.

Younger people ‘doing more cooking from scratch’ thanks to TV Cooks

Photo by Cinderellasg

In the news you may have heard that, overall, people in the UK are doing less cooking from scratch than we did in the 1980’s.  However, at Great British Chefs, we found more positive insights from the latest IGD ShopperTrack research, those under 35 are doing much more cooking from scratch compared to those over 35. 

In the survey, 51% of younger consumers claimed to be cooking more from scratch now, compared to 35% of the over-35s - which the ShopperTrack research company puts down partly to TV cooks. 

Said chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch: “The last 20 years have seen a foodie revolution as people have grown up watching celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay.” 

Younger shoppers are also more inventive with 43% of younger shoppers cooking more with leftovers, compared to 30% of over-35s.  Good news for high end food suppliers is that 30% of the under-35s are prepared to pay extra for premium quality food while only 16% of people over 35 are prepared to do this. 

This news applies for independant shops too. Twice as many younger shoppers expect to buy more organic food over the next 12 months, also 19% say they will use more specialist stores like bakers, fishmongers and butchers, compared to just 8% of the over-35s. 

”The under-35s have travelled abroad more than their parents and grandparents,” Denney-Finch went on. “They are more aware than ever of the challenges facing our global climate. And the internet has brought recipes from around the world direct to people’s kitchens.” 

She added “Our food industry continues to provide shoppers with a wide range of great quality, tasty food from around the world. They are well placed to please younger shoppers who are more concerned with ethics, the environment and animal welfare and who select their supermarket based partly on its commitment to environmental sustainability”. 

What do you think?  How much cooking from scratch do you do each week?  Is it just younger people who are more experimental & more likely shop in independent stores?  Are you influenced by celebrity cooks & chefs on TV?  We’re discussing this over on the Great British Chefs Facebook page.

What your favourite Sandwich says about you

Cheese Burger with Caramelised Onions - Marcus Wareing - Great British Chefs

We love a good sandwich at Great British Chefs, but who would have thought that your choice of sandwich can tell a lot about your personality?

Researchers identified eight “key sandwich personalities” after interviewing thousands of women. 

Food Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Jones, of Mindlab, who conducted the correlation analysis study for Warburtons said: “Personality traits tend to go hand-in-hand with personal habits and routines, which allows us to match the type of bread and filling a woman chooses to have at lunch with a personality group.  

“Down to earth women go for White bread, foodies prefer Wraps and females who think realistically pick Wholemeal.”

The Daily Express said of the research: “Women who were fans of the BLT on seeded bread were ‘opportunists’ who lived for the moment. These BLT women demonstrated common sense and had a good sense of humour, according to the research. 

Ladies who picked the humble ham salad on white bread were ‘forward thinkers’, constantly seeking inspiration and were inventive and original. 

Beef roll devotees were ‘impulsives’, being able to work to tight deadlines and enjoy the thrill of spectator sports. 

Lovers of Cheese and pickle were the ‘brainiacs’, full of ideas, logical and enjoy crosswords.”

The full Eight Sandwich “Personalities” are below and you can see the full sized infograpic here 

The Beef Roll: “Impulsives”  The beef roll lover acts first and then thinks later (we class the burger pictured above in this). They love to solve problems and are great at multi-tasking. They often have an unwillingness to commit to anything that will interfere with their freedom. In a partner they seek someone who is attractive and they enjoy the thrill of spectator sports.

The Egg Mayo on Wholemeal Bread: “Home Bodies” Those women who prefer an egg mayo on wholemeal are reflective, quiet people, they like to spend time alone and are motivated by private, internal goals. They find social situations draining and instead prefer to spend time at home. In a partner they seek someone with similar interests and values to themselves. 

The BLT on Seeded Bread: “Opportunists” The BLT on seeded bread eater lives in the now, believing that experience speaks louder than words. Women that pick this sandwich are often self-indulgent and materialistic. They love eating out, films and live music. A good sense of humour in friends and partners is a must. 

The Prawn on Brown Bread: “Sensitive Souls”  Women who pick a prawn sandwich on brown bread are friendly and tactful in any situation. They are sensitive and tend to be very unsettled by conflict. The need to agree with others can make them easily led. They love fashion and shopping and seek friends with a good sense of humour. 

The Ham Salad on White Bread: “Forward Thinkers” The ham salad on white bread lover often spends time thinking about their future. They are inventive and original. A real love of physical activity and the outdoors, they gain inspiration from their surroundings at the expense of observing and experiencing them. 

The Chicken Salad Wrap: “Extroverts” Ladies who pick a chicken salad wrap are sociable and talkative and thrive on interaction with the outside world. They do tend to act without thinking things through. They enjoy spending time watching sports and seek a partner with a strong career success. 

The Cheese and Pickle as it comes: “Brainiacs” Those who go for the classic cheese and pickle are logical planners who like to surround themselves with successful people. They tend to be good at tasks and will always tell the truth no matter how tactless it may seem.  They love solving things and are a fan of games and puzzles. 

The Tuna and Sweetcorn on White Bread: “High Flyers” Women that pick tuna and sweetcorn on white bread love order, routine and targets. They can often find it hard to relax, work ahead of deadlines, can be high achievers and have a tendency to believe they are always right. They enjoy a range of hobbies and seek friends who share the same drive and beliefs as them. 

What’s your favourite sandwich of the above types?  Does it match your personality?  We’re discussing this over on the Great British Chefs Facebook Page.

Are Cupcakes & Fatty Foods as addictive as cocaine?

Chocolate Cheesecake from Bryan Webb - Great British Chefs

We all know that loading up with tons of fat & sugar isn’t really great for you, but we were pretty shocked to hear the latest claims by scientists in the US.  In a report from Bloomberg,  Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse says: ‘We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”   

In the past year there have been 28 studies, into food addiction.  Scientists say the volume of research indicating the addictive quality of high-sugar foods is so overwhelming that it can no longer be dismissed.

Volkow’s study found that when binge eaters and compulsive eaters are shown pictures of food the decision-making part of their brain experiences a surge of dopamine in the same way as if a drug addict is shown a bag of white powder.

In April, Ashley Gearhardt, devised a 25-question survey to help researchers spot people with eating habits that resemble addictive behaviour which was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

She and her colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity of women scoring high on the survey. When shown pictures of milkshakes the imaging lit up the same brain regions that become hyperactive in alcoholics anticipating a drink.

Those changes look a lot like addiction to some experts. David Ludwig, a Harvard researcher admits that addiction “is a loaded term.  However, there are some ways that  the modern diet that can elicit behavior that resembles addiction,” Highly processed foods may cause rapid spikes and declines in blood sugar, increasing cravings, his research has found.

Kelly Brownell, from Yale University said, ’People knew for a long time cigarettes were killing people, but it was only later they learned about nicotine and the intentional manipulation of it’.

To counter this Richard Adamson, a pharmacologist and consultant for the American Beverage Association ridiculed the idea that junk food is as addictive as drugs.

He said:  ’I have never heard of anyone robbing a bank to get money to buy a candy bar or ice cream,’ 

Bloomberg conclude: “Little wonder that the food industry is pushing hard on the idea that the best way to get a handle on obesity is through voluntary measures and by offering healthier choices. The same tactic worked for awhile, decades ago, for the tobacco industry, which deflected attention from the health risks and addictive nature of cigarettes with “low tar and nicotine” marketing.”

What do you think?  At Great British Chefs we love showing pictures of amazing food.  We know that seeing pictures of lovely food can make you hungry, but is it really a craving that’s addictive?  How responsible should the food industry be here?  Or is it case of personal self restraint?  We’re discussing this over on the Great British Chefs’ Facebook page and would love to have your thoughts.

A third of men kick their partners out of the kitchen when cooking

Are You King of the Kitchen?

A man’s place is in the kitchen, according to one in ten men, as they increasingly take charge of the cooking – and the dinner parties.

The research, commissioned by new lifestyle app Great British Chefs www.greatbritishchefs.com/the-app, reveals that while an equal number of men and women (70 per cent) said they enjoy cooking, a difference in culinary styles is causing tension in the kitchen with more than a third of men admitting they regularly kick their partner out of the kitchen when cooking a meal.

One in ten men state that the kitchen is now the room in which they spend most of their spare time and 50 per cent admit that they offer to host dinner parties and gatherings because it gives them a chance to use their fancy kitchen gadgets – while one in ten do it for the glory.

Men are increasingly trying their hand at new dishes with 47 per cent turning to the Internet for recipes and tips or purchasing interactive cooking apps to help them create impressive meals – while 50 per cent of women prefer to stick to more traditional cookbooks. Men are also succumbing to gadgets to ease the cooking process; almost three quarters (74 per cent) own either a handheld blender or milk frother – while three per cent of men surveyed even have an egg peeler.

Great British Chefs’ CEO, Ollie Lloyd, comments: “Men are making their presence felt in the kitchen and putting their culinary skills to the test with the help of a few fancy cooking gadgets. The art of cooking has entered new competitive realms in recent years and that feeling you get when you present your very impressive dish to a – sometimes rather shocked – audience is priceless.”

Young cooks between 16 and 24 years old are the age group most likely to enjoy hosting a dinner party, however less than 25 per cent use traditional cookbooks to create their menus – instead opting for a mix of Internet and iPhone app recipes.

One in ten men spend over £500 a year on cooking gadgets while results also reveal that Londoners are likely to splash the most cash on their kitchen with 18 per cent spending up to £1,000 a year.

Northern Ireland is the least accepting region of modern advances in the kitchen with 56 per cent claiming they prefer to stick to old fashioned cookbooks, while 45 per cent of Welsh cooks opt for good old elbow grease over kitchen gadgets. 

Is this true of your household?  Are you King of the Kitchen?  We’re discussing this over on Facebook.

The way to a woman’s heart … is through her stomach

Passion fruit creme with elderflower strawberries -  by  Simon Hulstone

Forget money, fame, and success, all women really want is someone who can cook. One in six British women would prefer to marry a chef than a footballer, with 27 per cent claiming that the most attractive quality in a man was the ability to cook.

We commissioned some research, commissioned by new lifestyle app Great British Chefs - revealing that cooking a high quality meal impressed women more than flowers or compliments. In fact, 44 per cent of women said that kitchen skills were more important to them than skills in the bedroom (8 per cent).

Women are tough judges though and want to be impressed, 92 per cent of women would be disappointed if they were served up a simple Spaghetti Bolognaise, whilst a steak cooked to perfection would wow 34 per cent of women.

Great British Chefs’ CEO, Ollie Lloyd, comments: “We always knew that a way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, now this research shows it’s the recipe for success with women too.  If your cooking repertoire is limited, the Great British Chefs app is packed full of brilliant recipes from Michelin starred chefs and tips that will get you points with your partner.”

The top five things a man can do to impress a woman:

 1.    Cook an impressive meal (44 per cent)

 2.    Give compliments (17 per cent)

 3.    Buy flowers (16 per cent)

 4.    Hold the door open (13 per cent)

 5.    Pick her up in a nice car (3 per cent)

With over half of women (52 per cent) wanting someone to do their share of the cleaning, men had better get ready to do the washing up after cooking, if they really want to impress.

Although some men may love it, sporting skills were the least important quality for a woman looking for a partner with only five per cent of women claiming it is something they look for.

With 51 per cent of women claiming that they love to entertain, one in five (22 per cent) find cooking more enjoyable with someone else, with a further 10 per cent admitting that cooking with someone is an excellent way of getting to know them while also getting useful input.

Scottish women are the biggest foodies with 28 per cent wanting to marry a chef. They were the most likely to be impressed by cooking skills with 52 per cent wanting to be cooked for, whilst London ladies place equal importance on kitchen skills (33 per cent) and bedroom skills (24 percent) .

The younger generations prove that modern men need to be able to cook, clean and look after the house as 49 per cent of 16 – 34 year olds think cooking skills are a vital quality in a man, whereas 45 – 64 year olds would prefer that a man’s DIY skills were up to scratch.

So what do you think? Ladies is this true for you? Is the best way to woo you through your stomach. Gents, do you think cooking a fantastic meal is better than taking a woman out to a restaurant?

For more information on the research please contact our media centre or email info@greatbritishchefs.com