By Jennifer Howze, alphamummy.com
Deep-fried Mars bars, blood sausage, kidney pudding...the full extent of the weird and unpalatable nuances of English food only fully reveal themselves once you relocate to the United Kingdom . Yet living here for seven years has also attuned me to the benefits of the British way of eating. UK dining habits can teach Americans a thing or two about healthy eating practices. Dig in:
- Take time for tea - The British do drink loads of tea - several times a day Polly really does put the kettle on. In the home guests are automatically offered a "cuppa." Workers do a "tea run" with their colleagues twice a day. Workmen take a break with a cup of "builders"--normal breakfast tea, brewed strong and drunk with milk and sugar. A regular tea break--beyond giving you a stretch and a short mental respite from work --serves up a cup of polyphenols, which have antioxidants and cholesterol-reducing properties. Drink up.
- Enjoy a "pub" lifestyle - For Brits, the local pub isn't just a place to throw back the booze. It's a community meeting point, where people in the neighbourhood drop in for an after-work drink, a Sunday lunch or even organized game nights. People bring their children or their dogs, and there's no pressure to drink alcohol. You're just as likely to find regulars ordering a mix of OJ and "lemonade" (what us Yanks call 7-Up or Sprite), or sparkling water flavored with lime as a mixed drink. Pub-goers also drink beer by the half-pint or order "lager top"--beer topped off with their style of lemonade for a refreshing alternative. The philosophy: You don't have to pound cocktails to hang out with your friends. Enjoy your favorite restaurants and still lose weight with our insider's guide to dining out.
- Eat Sunday lunch - The traditional Sunday lunch sounds indulgent: a big sit-down meal in the middle of the afternoon. But the reality tends to be a filling, balanced meal: a roast piece of meat accompanied by two or three vegetables. And what vegetables! Forget boring old corn. Traditional veggies run the color spectrum: stewed red cabbage (with phytochemicals), cauliflower (full of vitamin C, folate and glucosinolates which help stamp out carcinogens), parsnips (B and C vitamins), carrots (beta-carotene and antioxideants), swede (it's from the pumpkin family) and peas. Go easy on the gravy and you've got a satisfying, diverse plate providing a rainbow of vitamins and minerals. (Plus, home-cooked meat joint provides fodder for great sandwiches all week, meaning no processed preservative-filled cold cuts.)
- Take a hike - Or more aptly, a walk. After Sunday lunch, the British love to tie on their boots and go for a ramble. In the country, that means heading off across fields to take in the scenery. In the city, it means walking to a local park or doing some window shopping on the main street (aka the High Street). On holidays, this can translate into an entire afternoon outing or a jaunt en masse down to the local pub. Young and old go along for fresh air and exercise, instead of flopping on the sofa to watch TV. Walking workout: Walk your way slim
- Make time for "elevenses" - What high tea is to the afternoon, elevenses is to the morning. When their energy is flagging but lunch still hours away, Brits shore themselves up with a cup of tea and a cookie or a small slice of cake. This isn't the calorie-orgy of a double mocha latte and a giant muffin. Instead, it's a small treat that keeps you from becoming too hungry and overeating at lunchtime. Eating small meals throughout the day curbs hunger, increases metabolism and avoids the ravenous dash for the cookie jar or bag of chips. Winnie the Pooh has elevenses, Paddington Bear does, and so should you.
- Forget the doggy bag - Taking home leftovers from restaurants sounds good in theory. But in practice it promotes the idea of ordering mountains of food because "you can always take it home." But once it's on your plate, you're that much more likely to overeat. A typical restaurant meal has 60% more calories than the average home-cooked version, which is bad news for waistlines. In the UK , the doggy bag is a scarce beast. Rather, restaurants serve smaller portions and diners regard uneaten portions as wasteful --something that just ends up in the kitchen trash can. Resist restaurant super size portions and ask for half portions or order starters as your main dish so your meal matches your appetite.
7. Tuck in to seasonal desserts - Like people across the world, more and more Brits are eating locally and seasonally. But their classic desserts have always featured fresh British fruit: summer pudding (made with raspberries, blackcurrants, and blackberries); rhubarb crumble; the Wimbledon staple of strawberries and cream. These dishes end up being real "treats" because of their seasonality, and all that fruit isn't bad for you either.
OK, ladies what can WE teach the Brits? What good old-fashioned U.S. of A. habits can we export to our tea-drinking sisters across the Atlantic?
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