WHEN PLEASURE AND BALANCE GO HAND-IN-HAND
Photo credit : la Boulangerie St-Méthode
Collaboration avec la Boulangerie St-Méthode
November tends to put people in cocooning mode, yearning to spend more time in the coziness of home, where they can do a little more cooking and enjoy some comfort food. But remember, this focus on food and comfort can indeed fit in with a healthy outlook… it’s just a question of striking the right balance!
In fact, you could say that healthy eating involves finding a middle ground between health and pleasure. All foods can be part of a healthy diet. The important thing is to be mindful about eating “pleasure foods” and to enjoy them in moderation, in the context of a healthy and balanced diet.
Having a varied daily diet, mainly composed of minimally processed or unprocessed foods, is beneficial for your physical and mental health. Although the relationship between diet and mental health is complex, studies show that the food we eat can influence our state of mind.
St-Méthode is proud of its newest creation: Le Royal, a loaf that combines deliciousness with good health. While it is a white bread, it stands out thanks to its 10 grams of protein per two-slice serving. Finally, a white bread that provides some added sustenance! A bread that makes a perfect base for your more decadent recipes. Adding more nutritious foods to comforting recipes is a good compromise. Below are four delicious recipes from St-Méthode, to which I’ve added a healthy spin to balance out their more indulgent elements:
- Add some flax or chia seeds to increase fibre and omega-3 content. Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats that contribute to proper brain functioning, and some studies suggest that they may have beneficial effects on depression and anxiety.
- Replace milk with a plant-based soy beverage.
- Replace some of the brown sugar with dried fruits (e.g., raisins, cranberries, etc.).
- Swap out the 35% cream for 15% cream.
Quebec Berry-and-Bread Pudding
- To serve, replace the heavy cream with probiotic yogurt. Some yogurts contain probiotics, good bacteria whose regular and prolonged consumption can be beneficial to your health. The brain-gut axis, the two-way communication line between the brain and the intestines, helps us better understand this link between diet and certain diseases, such as depression and anxiety, which can be influenced by the balance between good and bad intestinal bacteria.
- Reduce the amount of sugar and add some vanilla to enhance flavour.
- Use light cheese with less than 20% milk fat.
- Serve with a green salad. Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins and minerals, micronutrients that are beneficial to mental health. In fact, they help the brain assimilate omega-3s and contribute to converting amino acids into neurotransmitters.
You want to know more about Boulangerie St-Méthode's product line? CLICK HERE
References
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/diet-and-mental-health#:~:text=Include%20more%20whole%20grains%2C%20fruits,to%20help%20regulate%20your%20mood.
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/food-and-mental-health/
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-04/food-for-thought-mental-health-nutrition-briefing-march-2017.pdf
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/diet_wellbeing
- https://cdhf.ca/en/mental-health-and-nutrition/
- Kelaiditis, C. F., Gibson, E. L., & Dyall, S. C. (2023). Effects of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on reducing anxiety and/or depression in adults; A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids, 192, 102572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2023.102572
- FIRTH, J., GANGWISCH, J. E., BORISINI, A., WOOTTON, R. E., & MAYER, E. A., Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing?, BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2020.
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