Present Feel-Good Food for Diners Craving a Healthy Indulgence

Chasing a ‘feel good’ high leads people to do all sorts of daring things. When it comes to indulging in ‘feel-good’ food, the positive impact is long-lasting, boosting the mind, body, and spirit. Becoming more of a ‘healthy’ pleasure without any guilt, eating out is an opportunity to taste new ingredients, flavour combinations and dishes that leave diners feeling vitalised and energised.

UFS’s Future Menus Report draws on extensive research and food cultures from around the world. Our 250 professional chefs in over 70 countries have collaborated in support of our customers, to identify eight emerging foodservice trends worth bringing into your kitchen in 2023.?

Feel-Good Food

One of the eight trends which are seen as an increased opportunity for more positive nutrition and reducing the environmental impact of the global food chain is Feel-Good Food.

As Ria van der Maas, Global Diet & Health Manager says:

By creating varied choices on the menu which include immunity-boosting ingredients and preparing them so that they retain their nutritional value, diners can enjoy wholesome yet tasty experiences.

Substitute ingredients for health

The Feel-Good Food trend can interpret traditional dishes and old favourites more healthily, substituting ingredients and lightening meals.

In the Future Menus Report, Chef Thais Gimenez creates a vegetarian version of a traditional Latin American dish, Moqueca, by using a variety of nutritious ingredients including turmeric, olive oil, and pickles that are good for the gut. Featured as a feel-good recipe, she describes her dish as “... a healthy meal, colourful and pretty, that makes you feel hugged by the richness of flavours, using ingredients from leaf to root.”

Choosing alternative ingredients that have less saturated fat, leaner cuts of meat, and creating lighter versions of rich sauces are just some of the many ways to approach this.

A restaurant in S?o Paulo has become famous for reinventing classic Brazilian dishes. Their Bai?o de Dois (rice and beans) was recreated with pumpkin purée and kale. Why don’t you take one of South Africa’s less healthy traditional meals and create a fabulous healthy alternative (in time for the Rugby World Cup ??)?

This trend’s top ingredients – ginger, olive oil, honey, nuts, and garlic – are a versatile cinch to include in a variety of dishes.

Eating healthy is all about balance

Chef Carlos Madeira, based in Portugal, says:

He says that with just a few ingredients and the right techniques, you can create both balance and diversity. And he demonstrates this beautifully with his recipe for Octopus, Cod and Grouper with Tomato & Bell Pepper Sauce featured in the Feel-Good Food section of the Future Menus Report.

In South Africa, we are spoilt for ingredients, with our variety of climates, two oceans and developed farming and fishing industries.

Referring to the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) list, it’s easy to find out whether a fish species is rated green, orange or red. By choosing ‘green-rated’ species, chefs and diners can feel good that they’ve made a responsible decision for the future diversity of our oceans.

SASSI provides a list of ‘green’ substitutes for popular ‘orange’ and ‘red’-listed species. You can look up what species are more sustainable, like dorado, black bream, snoek, rainbow trout, oysters and mussels, and use them instead of Cape and Norwegian Salmon, Gamefish and other shellfish.?

As Chef Carlos so creatively demonstrates, a showstopper dish can be created from a few sustainable ingredients.

Keep the flavour and goodness

Feel-good food favours cooking techniques that retain all the foods’ nutritional value. Low-temperature cooking is a passion for Chef Vincent Wattelamne from France who contributes a recipe for Low-Temperature Cooked Sole with Goji Berries & Lentil Risotto to the Future Menus Report. He’s attracted to this cooking technique because it preserves nutrients and flavours.

Steaming or boiling are also preferred cooking techniques. Others are fresh, marinating, and seasoning. Energy-free, these are perfect for loadshed locals. But the preparation techniques leave no place for sub-standard ingredients to hide, and the best are always fresh.

Freshly grown goodness

Like so many others, I got stuck into gardening over the Covid lockdowns. It’s incredibly satisfying to grow your own food and there’s no shorter distance from the farm to the plate than out the back door. I’ve found Durban’s climate to be good for tomatoes, brinjal, beans, different types of lettuce, and herbs such as mint, parsley, rocket and basil.?

I’ve also had great success with edible flowers which add elegance to plated salads and desserts. Nasturtiums and violas grow very easily. Although we’re lucky not to have frost in Durban, the monkeys can be very destructive, and I’ve had to protect my garden with a basic ‘cage’. If you haven’t started one already, I highly recommend planting a small garden.

Sprout if you can’t garden

Although a bit trickier because you need to be very careful not to cultivate ‘bad’ bacteria along with the germinating beans, sprouting is an option if you don’t have garden space.

The sprouting process doubles, and in some cases triples, the nutritional value of the plant. All sprouts grow in similar conditions to bacteria (warm and moist) making them prone to contamination, so follow food safety practices closely. Always wash sprouts thoroughly with cold water and avoid any rotten pieces or parts.?

Sprouts are delicious as a side dish topped with a light dressing or in soups, salads, and sandwiches to add a nice crunchy texture.

Alfalfa sprouts form within one to two days of watering. The little brown seeds germinate, producing white shoots with pale green leaves that are ready to be eaten.?

Kidney beans’ nutritional value skyrockets to three times that of unsprouted kidney beans. Thoroughly cook kidney bean sprouts by boiling them in water or stock for 10 minutes. This will make them taste better and decrease the impact on the digestive system. The slight bitterness pairs well with sweetened sauces or dressings, and they are often used as toppings for soups and salads.

Chickpeas are good for you and sprouted chickpeas are even better. They’re also crunchier and have more flavour. Chickpeas are one of the easiest beans to sprout. Doing so neutralises the phytic acid and allows the body to better absorb the nutrients. The chickpeas should be soaked for eight hours, drained and rinsed. Transfer them to a glass jar or bowl and cover them with a cheesecloth. Repeat the rinse and drain steps a few times until the sprouts have grown to the length you want. This usually takes three to four days. Add them to stews, soups, stir-fries, or simply enjoy them as a side dish. If you make hummus made from sprouted chickpeas, it will have more crunch and a nuttier flavour than unsprouted chickpeas.?

I’ve taken this information on sprouting from Knorr’s Future 50 Foods Report where you can find more detailed information and examples. Visit the Report for inspiration as all 50 of the foods have been selected based on their high nutritional value, relative environmental impact, flavour, accessibility, acceptability and affordability. There are fascinating foods, including nuts and seeds, beans and pulses, cacti, cereals, and more. The Report includes the nutritional value of the foods, how they can be prepared, and examples of dishes.

Eat for life, not for fun

Going a step further than choosing foods that improve health, is to use ingredients that accelerate healing. My colleague, Chef Tebogo, hosted a fascinating webinar with Chef Lerato Mafora, who is a professional chef with a special interest in natural remedies.

Chef Lerato advocates using food to restore your health and to eat for life, not for fun. She says these natural remedies can be an invaluable first line of defence when people don’t have quick and easy access to doctors and need immediate relief. Chef Lerato highlighted five natural remedies from plants that are commonly found around the country. This is just a taste of her presentation:

? The juices of Holy Thistle can be extracted with hot water and used for a variety of ailments, as well as acting as a cardiac tonic.

? Lemon leaves have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties and can be used to help insomnia and relieve nausea.?

? Plantain leaves can relieve coughs and combined with Vaseline to make an ointment to soothe eczema and ease inflammation.

? Ginkgo Biloba can be used as a powerful antioxidant and stimulates circulation.

? Moringa leaves are nutritionally rich and stabilise sugar levels and are good for liver and gut health.

Many of these shrubs and plants grow wild but you can also grow your own for convenience when you need them. Natural remedies do not take the place of modern medical treatments and the healing properties of these plants are regarded as complementary.

Conclusion

When you create dishes that improve your diners’ health, they will feel good, and you will too. Have fun experimenting with wholesome ingredients and techniques that bring out their flavour and retain their nutritional value.?

Chef Mary Worthington?

When Chef Mary’s not nurturing her nasturtiums, you’ll find her cycling in the sugar cane, or walking on the Umhlanga beachfront near her home. Her kitchen is her ‘happy place’ so entertaining and braaing with friends and family is a downtime pleasure.

Follow her @chefworthingtonmary