The (Foody) Pursuit of Happiness

Christmas is long gone (but the festive weight is not). Summer still seems a million miles away, and you have exams and essay deadlines looming. It’s easy to see why this time of year can be depressing. But rather than grin and bear it there’s only one thing to do… eat your way to happiness. And let’s face it, we all agree, that sounds like a top-notch plan. But where to start? Well, we’ve all seen the articles telling us of the foods scientifically proven to boost our mood, and don’t get me wrong, I love having a scientific excuse to eat chocolate as much as the next person. However, there are some foods that make you feel better not because they contain endorphins or the protein ‘tryptophan’ (whatever that may be), but just because they do. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s pure gluttony or maybe it’s the only thing that soothes your hangover Whatever it is, it works and so as far as I’m concerned these foods deserve to be acknowledged just as much as those that come government recommended.

• BBQ’d meat = Now, I’m aware that I’m stereotyping (and excuse the mild sexism), but I have never seen a man happier than when he is barbequing meat (vegetarians obviously excluded). Not only does it give them an excuse to avoid anything healthy, the closest your gonna get to a vegetable at a BBQ being a greasy fried onion afterall, but something about the alpha malesness of cooking a big slab of animal on an open fire seems to regress them to the caveman days. And I must say, they seem perfectly content there.
• Jelly = Not only does it remind us of children’s parties, it can be moulded into novelty shapes, and there’s just something about the way it wobbles…
• Gravy = Whether it’s over your mum’s roast dinner or cheesy chips when you’re a bit worse for wear, somehow it makes everything alright. That is unless there’s not enough of it, in which case it feels like your world is falling apart. Nothing worst than a dry roast, after all.
• Sunny D = The name’s happy and so were we as we were drinking it by the gallon when we were young. Little did we know that it was because it was pumped full of E-numbers (with the delightful side-effect of giving you a healthy orange glow that fake-tan addicts would kill for).
• Cuppa Soup = Because sometimes we all need a hug in a mug.
• Worthers originals = Maybe your grandad didn’t actually feed these to you at poignant moments throughout your childhood, maybe you don’t even have a grandad but somewhere along the line that advertising campaign connected Worthery goodness with the happiness receptor in your brain and voila.
• Space dust = How can you not like a food that literally makes it feel like there’s a party in your mouth?
• Egg and Soldiers = The novelty of the egg-cup, the expert cracking of the egg, the ceremony of dipping the soldiers and the need to refer to the bread as soldiers and not just bread. It all makes for a cracking good time (you knew it was coming).
• Porridge = On a cold morning is there anything better than a hot-steaming bowl of porridge to warm your cockles? Add a big dollop of golden syrup and the answer is probably no.
• Potato Smileys = Because you can’t not be happy when you’re eating a food that is smiling back at you…

Ok, so they might not contain your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and they probably won’t boost those all important serotonin levels, but these foods are guaranteed to put a smile on your face whatever the weather. So take a break from that essay, put those revision books down and get started on your own personal foody pursuit of happiness.

How Basic Is Too Basic?

*This is the uncensored version of my first ever published piece of work, published in The University of Birmingham's student newspaper Redbrick. You can also find it, minus mildy offencive jokes (Sorry rah's), at http://www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/2011/03/how-basic-is-too-basic/ Enjoy!*

How Basic is too Basic?

As students we aren’t the richest of social groups, (except those of us who have access to Daddy’s credit card, perhaps). Therefore we are forced to make decisions on when to splurge and when to save and with necessities such as course books (ok, I lie… clothes and alcohol), eating up our budget, our diet is often the first thing to suffer.

For example, I had a housemate last year who survived solely on a diet of sausage sandwiches, though whether this was due to an over-whelming love of pig products, or an attempt to live frugally I was never sure. For those of us that wish to shop cheaply, but still desire a slightly higher level of variety than pork and more pork (and to be fair, I don’t think this is unreasonable!) then buying a supermarket’s own brands might be the way to go. Despite the substantial savings however, I have noticed that there is sometimes a stigma attached to these products. A friend of mine once looked at me with absolute horror as I picked up a Tesco value item, almost shaming me into putting it back on the shelf. So, I have to ask- is this just the result of food snobbery, or are we compromising our food standards by buying cheaper, and if so, how much?

Now, I’m not actually ashamed to admit I do, at times, buy value foods. For example, I just can’t bring myself to spend a whopping £1.95 on a bottle of Heinz Ketchup when I can get a bottle of Tesco value ketchup, exactly the same size, for 25p. That’s a whopping 8 times cheaper! (And by my calculations, almost enough to buy a pint of snakebite at Fab). Ok, so the packaging isn’t quite as nice to look at but unlike Andy Warhol I can’t say I’m too fussed about that. I checked the ingredients for nasty surprises but found nothing and after a little bit of research I found the nutritional value to be practically the same, and sometimes even slightly better. Tomato ketchup enthusiasts may argue that there is a slight taste difference, but not enough in my opinion to warrant the difference in price.

This said, I am aware that standards differ from product to product. My encounter with Tesco value sausages for example, was one of a less positive nature- appear as they did to contain more breadcrumbs than meat, to the point where I started to wonder if they could be marketed as suitable for vegetarians. And of course, any of you used to shopping at Harrods or eating only Tesco Finest may be in for a shock but we are after all, lowly students and on the whole, I have found my experience of own brand products to be happy enough. It may be a matter of trial and error but if it ultimately leaves my bank account looking happier, then it does me. The trick, I would argue, is to be vigilant in your shopping, check the nutrition of what you are buying and if it’s 10p cheaper but has got 10 times the fat then maybe it‘s time to go more middle of the road than bargain basement. If there’s little difference nutritionally or taste wise, or you think the difference isn’t worth getting in the red for, then buy basic and be proud of your thrifty ways! There is after all, enough pressure to buy designer labels. without being forced to buy designer food and buying cheap (when it doesn‘t leave you fat or mal-nourished) may be worth it if it allows you to spend more of your money on the things that matter… like those new shoes you saw in Top Shop…