Graehm Gray: Are Two Appetizers the New Main Course?
I wonder if many of you feel like I do when I go out to a restaurant for dinner that having a large main course is not exactly what I really am in the mood for ? I guess this started recently for me. I look at the menu and can’t quite find the right choice. Then I look back at the appetizers and say-hey how about if I order two appetizers. They look much more appetizing anyway-maybe a salad and soup or a shrimp cocktail. But then the guilt hits-I say to myself-how will everyone react when I don’t order a main course? Will they be upset that I went against the grain? Will the waiter be upset? I just don’t want a big, bulky main course-I don’t! So there! So I wait until the person taking my order gets to me and I lower my voice to a whisper and say,” I’ll have the salad and the vegetable soup.” Then I hear the response in a booming loud voice so all at the table can hear,” is that all you want?” “ Yes, that’s it.” I realize that this becomes a complicated order for the staff. What do they bring first? Do they bring one of the appetizers for the main course or both at the same time? I try to make it easy and tell them exactly what I want first and second. And you know-I am very happy with my choices. It’s a lighter fare for one, which means less calories. It’s less expensive sometimes and I think secretly everyone at the table wishes they did the same. I just think that ordering a main course has become routine. But why? When we go out-it should be what we want to eat-not be forced into eating a five course meal when all we want is soup and salad.
OMG! I actually love breakfast so much more than any meal. I eat lots of salads for breakfast, whether I am home or out, on business or pleasure. If you haven’t tried salad in the morning-you are missing so much. Of course the salad dressing is very important as well, but there are so many flavors in fresh lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, radishes, and spinach. Add a hardboiled egg and or a small piece of grilled salmon, and it just makes the day start off with a fantastic feeling! Salads are light and filling. I guess it’s an unconventional breakfast. But it tastes delicious, is very healthy and nourishing.
So, like I always do, I did some research. I looked into the eating habits of mankind over the years as we progressed in evolution from our earliest ancestors until present day human beings. And I found out the following:
- Our Neanderthal ancestors (Homo neanderthalensis) lived off proteins from the meats of animals (mammoth, deer, horse, bear, wild boar, ibex, rabbit). (http://evolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/neanderthal_diet_or_cavemen_eating_habits)
- Some Neanderthal ancestors lived by the sea and ate shellfish like mussels as well as seal, and dolphin. (http://evolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/neanderthal_diet_or_cavemen_eating_habits)
- Hunter-gatherers-hunted and collected plant foods and ate small to medium sized meals at variable times throughout the day (http://archaeology.about.com/od/hterms/g/hunter_gather.htm).
- The One-Meal/Two-Meal period existed for many years in ancient Greece and lasted into Europe until the 18 century (one meal at 11AM and the next or only one at 5-6PM). In the 19th century-the three meals a day-started with a large breakfast around 9-10 AM. (http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq7.html).
So my friends, eating three big meals of the day is a mostly recent habit. And if you track the rates of obesity, both adult and childhood, it follows the same pattern as our meal times. It is my feeling that the “three large meals a day” behavior has contributed to the epidemic rates of obesity. Of course our population as a whole has become more sedentary as well so there has been a decrease in the amount of calories being burned off which also contributes to the weight gain. We don’t walk as much. Food is closer to us. But eating three large meals is not good for us!!!
This brings us back to my initial thesis: appetizers are the new main course. Maybe if we can learn to eat less at every meal-but increase the meal frequency. This will help. Eating less will help in general. Do you need to overeat for any meal? No!
Let me hear from you about eating two appetizers in place of a main course here at talk@nerdel.com
My friends stay fit and healthy The New Nerdel Way!
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