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Polenta is an 'adventurous' food which, US researchers say, can improve micronutrient intake and make eating more interesting. [Photo: Bigstock]

It’s good to be a foodie

Natural Health News — A more adventurous diet could help you lose weight, according to a new US study.

Adventurous eaters, known as “foodies,” are often associated with indulgence and excess. But, say researchers at Cornell Food and Brand Lab adventurous eaters actually tend to weigh less and may be healthier than their less-adventurous counterparts.

The nationwide US survey of 502 non-vegetarian, ethnically diverse women showed that those who had eaten the widest variety of uncommon foods also rated themselves as healthier eaters, more physically active, and more concerned with the healthfulness of their food when compared with non-adventurous eaters.

Choosing ‘exotic’ foods

The subjects completed a questionnaire on their perceived healthiness, lifestyle and psychology and then the women selected which foods they had tried from a list of 16 uncommon or exotic items, including seitan, beef tongue, Kimchi, rabbit and polenta. If a subject had tried nine or more of the exotic foods she was considered to be an adventurous eater.

Being an adventurous eater correlated strongly with having a low BMI – but these women were not necessarily more satisfied with their weight.

When it came to processed food, packaging had more of an impact on the food choices of non-adventurous eaters

“Non-adventurous eaters cared more that a food was nicely packaged than did adventurous eaters. With this in mind, one way to encourage adventurousness may be to use packaging that is eye-catching and nicely designed and that provides relevant information about how to prepare an exotic food,” the researchers wrote.

The evolutionary need for variety

Writing in the journal Obesity, the researchers suggest that there is an evolutionary reason driving our hunger for variety – before food became a ubiquitous feature of daily life, humans needed to seek out a variety of foods to ensure macronutrient requirements were being met.

“It is possible that by eating adventurously one better imitates the type of foods and food environment our genes naturally encourage us to consume and prepared us for,” they said.

Today however, this drive for variety may be fueling the obesity crisis because so many of the ‘varieties’ of foods available in the supermarket are pre-packaged, nutrient-poor and energy-dense. But by boosting variety while favouring certain food groups – fruit, vegetables and wholegrains – people could increase both variety and healthiness.

The authors are hoping to repeat the study with men and according to lead author said coauthor Brian Wansink, (author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life):

“These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people – especially women – to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet. Instead of sticking with the same boring salad, start by adding something new. It could kick start a more novel, fun and healthy life of food adventure.”