Food Palatability…what is it and why is it a problem?
September 14, 2020
Is food palatability stalling your progress?
What is easier to eat, 200 grams of skinless chicken breast or 200 grams of pringles?
The answer is pretty straight forward…You will most likely struggle to eat the chicken breast, while the 200 grams of pringles will likely not be enough.
Why is this though?
Let me introduce to you ‘food palatability’ and ‘palate fatigue’.
Simply put, palatability refers to how tasty your food or fluids are… And the palatability of food is playing a major role in the current obesity epidemic we are facing.
If we look back at the chicken and the pringles it is quite obvious that the chicken would be not that tasty; it is a low-palatability item. Pringles though, are extremely palatable, a hyperpalatable food.
Is it no coincidence that over recent times we are shifting away from largely traditional home-cooked meals to grab-n-go options, as well as an avalanche of processed, hyperpalatable foods. With this also comes the upward trend of obesity and lifestyle disease.
The lifestyle many of us find ourselves in is one besieged by hyperpalatable foods, poor sleep and too much stress… And the problem with hyperpalatable foods is that they are the highly processed, sweetened foods that have a low level of palate fatigue.
What is palate fatigue? It means to get tired of the taste. Most natural foods have a high level of palate fatigue; you get tired of the taste reasonably quick and they are very hard to overeat; while foods with low palate fatigue are usually filled with sugar, artificial flavours and can be eaten for a long period before we get tired of the taste resulting in overeating. Think things like the pringles, chocolate bars, chips, McDonalds, etc. You could eat that shit all day as they are hyperpalatable foods.
My point to the above is that hyperpalatable foods are destroying our health. There is little to no nutrient content in these calorie bombs. I use the word ‘bomb’ for a reason too. Think of the purpose of a bomb — it is to cause destruction and chaos, just as the highly processed foods are destroying your mind and body.
The palatability of food is a major obstacle in eating well. Low palatable foods like our proteins and vegies are this way for a reason… It is nature’s way to prevent overeating.
It doesn’t mean we need our foods to be tasteless and boring though. Using natural aromatics and garnishes can add some wonderful flavours to our foods.
And the best way to avoid the hyperpalatable foods is your environment…Keep them out of the cupboards and out of your shopping cart. If you need a few tips on shopping for food, check out our recent blog post https://hybridfit1.wpenginepowered.com/5-simple-rules-to-help-with-food-shopping/
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Food Palatability…what is it and why is it a problem?
September 14, 2020
Is food palatability stalling your progress?
What is easier to eat, 200 grams of skinless chicken breast or 200 grams of pringles?
The answer is pretty straight forward…You will most likely struggle to eat the chicken breast, while the 200 grams of pringles will likely not be enough.
Why is this though?
Let me introduce to you ‘food palatability’ and ‘palate fatigue’.
Simply put, palatability refers to how tasty your food or fluids are… And the palatability of food is playing a major role in the current obesity epidemic we are facing.
If we look back at the chicken and the pringles it is quite obvious that the chicken would be not that tasty; it is a low-palatability item. Pringles though, are extremely palatable, a hyperpalatable food.
Is it no coincidence that over recent times we are shifting away from largely traditional home-cooked meals to grab-n-go options, as well as an avalanche of processed, hyperpalatable foods. With this also comes the upward trend of obesity and lifestyle disease.
The lifestyle many of us find ourselves in is one besieged by hyperpalatable foods, poor sleep and too much stress… And the problem with hyperpalatable foods is that they are the highly processed, sweetened foods that have a low level of palate fatigue.
What is palate fatigue? It means to get tired of the taste. Most natural foods have a high level of palate fatigue; you get tired of the taste reasonably quick and they are very hard to overeat; while foods with low palate fatigue are usually filled with sugar, artificial flavours and can be eaten for a long period before we get tired of the taste resulting in overeating. Think things like the pringles, chocolate bars, chips, McDonalds, etc. You could eat that shit all day as they are hyperpalatable foods.
My point to the above is that hyperpalatable foods are destroying our health. There is little to no nutrient content in these calorie bombs. I use the word ‘bomb’ for a reason too. Think of the purpose of a bomb — it is to cause destruction and chaos, just as the highly processed foods are destroying your mind and body.
The palatability of food is a major obstacle in eating well. Low palatable foods like our proteins and vegies are this way for a reason… It is nature’s way to prevent overeating.
It doesn’t mean we need our foods to be tasteless and boring though. Using natural aromatics and garnishes can add some wonderful flavours to our foods.
And the best way to avoid the hyperpalatable foods is your environment…Keep them out of the cupboards and out of your shopping cart. If you need a few tips on shopping for food, check out our recent blog post https://hybridfit1.wpenginepowered.com/5-simple-rules-to-help-with-food-shopping/
