Our likes and dislikes are so deeply ingrained that self-denial is doomed to fail. Just as with my two-year-old daughter, telling us that we can’t have the cake is likely to make us want it all the more. The approach they point to instead is a happier one. The foods we crave – fats, sugars and salt – are all essential for our bodies, so we ought not feel guilty for consuming them, nor condemn others who do so. But, of course, they must be eaten in moderation, which our evolutionary history does not make easy in this time of plenty. The answer, at least in part, is a food culture that values the subtle pleasures of dining, both social and sensual, and teaches us to take the time to savour them properly. This is a delicious solution to the problems of both over-consumption and under-appreciation that bedevil modern mealtimes.
more from Stephen Cave at the FT here.