Often associated with sugar and fat, comfort foods – or alimente reconfortante – are known to be caloric. But, according to Jordan LeBel of Cornell University in the United States, foods lower in calories could also be desirable, pleasant and comforting.

Într-un studiu recent² conducted among 277 people, more than 35% of respondents said that the most comforting foods were, in fact, low-calorie foods, mainly fruits and vegetables.

“A comfort food has a physical dimension, its taste, texture, allure, and an emotional dimension,” says Jordan LeBel. And emotion can determine the comfort food you seek. “

The study presented by Jordan LeBel shows that healthy foods are generally preceded by positive emotions, that is to say that we consume more when we are already in good emotional disposition. “Conversely, when we are stressed, we are more inclined towards foods high in fat or sugar,” he notes.

Even more, the consumption of low calorie foods generates positive emotions. “In addition to being good for health, these foods also serve to stay in a positive psychological state,” he continues.

According to him, it would be appropriate to bet on emotions to encourage consumers to turn more to good food, from a public health point of view. “When you’re grocery shopping and you’re hungry, you’re more grumpy and you tend to make questionable choices,” says Jordan LeBel. Hence the importance of knowing each other well. “

He believes that chefs and food service managers should also place more emphasis on consumer psychology. “In restaurants, especially in fast food restaurants, everything is done to preserve our daily stress, such as being online and making a quick decision,” he says. Rather, you have to create an atmosphere that invites you to relax and eat slowly, because you eat less when you eat slowly. “

From 1970 to 2030, global demand for meat will have almost doubled, from 27 kg to 46 kg per person. To alleviate the increasing pressure exerted by livestock on the environment, a change is needed, according to Dutch researcher Johan Vereijke. “We need to switch from meat to legumes. We could thus meet the demand for proteins without mortgaging our planet, ”he argues.

Such an approach could make it possible to reduce by three to four times the surface of the land used as well as the quantity of pesticides and antibiotics that animal cultivation requires, according to this expert in food technologies. “And to reduce from 30% to 40% of the water requirements that it implies”, he adds.

But Johan Vereijke knows that the taste of beans, peas and lentils suffers when compared to that of the meat increasingly popular with Brazilians, Mexicans and Chinese. “Especially in terms of texture: we must manage to reproduce the effect of fibers in the mouth if we want to convince consumers to eat less meat and more legumes,” he says.

He nevertheless submits another potentially promising path: to create products that combine the proteins of meat with that of pulses.

Joyce Boye, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher, agrees: “Mixing legume proteins with other products is a promising avenue for the processing industry.” It is important, she says, to develop new techniques “to reproduce familiar foods that people love, and also to create new distinct foods.”

On this point, Susan Arnfield, of the University of Manitoba, welcomes the arrival on the market of products based on roasted or puffed legumes. “Not only are legumes an alternative to animal protein, they’re high in dietary fiber – and Canadians are sorely lacking in this fiber! She exclaims.

A spokesperson for Pulses Canada³, which represents the Canadian pulse industry, goes even further. Julianne Kawa believes that these legumes should be part of the strategy to fight against obesity: “Eating 14 g of legumes per day reduces energy requirements by 10%”.

Canada is the third largest producer of pulses in the world, after China and India. But it exports the majority of its production.

Trans fats are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders. Their consumption is also linked to the appearance of developmental disorders in young children.

This is what Hélène Jacques, specialist in human nutrition at the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF) said.⁴ of Laval University, by reviewing scientific studies dealing with the risks of these fats on human health.

And the harms of trans fats can affect children even before they are born. “Canadian women are heavy consumers of trans fats and they are transferred from the placenta to the fetus. This can affect the development of the child’s brain and vision, ”she explains.

Domestically, infants are at increased risk for developmental disabilities, a study showing that mothers’ milk can contain up to 7% trans fat.

The Canadians, sad champions

Canadians are among the largest consumers of trans fats in the world, even ahead of Americans. No less than 4,5% of their daily energy intake comes from this type of fat. This is four times more than what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, or 1%.

“No less than 90% of trans fats consumed in the country come from foods processed by the agri-food industry. The rest comes from ruminant meats and hydrogenated oils, ”explains Hélène Jacques.

Citing an American study, she insists that a 2% increase in trans fat in the diet translates in the long term into a 25% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Martin LaSalle - PasseportSanté.net

Text created on: June 5, 2006

1. This meeting, which takes place every two years, allows professionals in the agrifood industry, scientists, teachers and government representatives in the field to stay up to date on knowledge and innovations in the agrifood industry, thanks to the presence dozens of Canadian and foreign speakers.

2. Dubé L, LeBel JL, Lu J, Affect asymmetry and comfort food consumption, Fiziologie și comportament, 15 November 2005, Vol. 86, No 4, 559-67.

3. Pulses Canada is an association representing the Canadian pulse industry. Its website is www.pulsecanada.com [accessed 1^er June 2006].

4. To find out more about INAF: www.inaf.ulaval.ca [consulted on 1^er June 2006].