Do Germans Really Eat Dessert First?
Are desserts healthy? Is eating dessert first better for you? This post looks at the dessert benefits of strategic planning when it comes to sweet food choices.
The European Way
According to Brandi Milloy, a TV host and apparent lifestyle and parenting expert, Germans eat dessert first. This claim refers to a time when her family was living in Germany. Her dad served in the US army and curious to adopt the European way of eating, her family often had dessert first. She means fruit tarts and pastries, of course. Not huge bowls of ice cream and gigantic slices of chocolate cake!
An article on the travel resource, The German Way & More, reminds us of continental breakfasts. A buffet-style approach to breakfast with a variety of options like fruit, muffins, bagels, cereal, bread, sausages, eggs, croissants, pastries, and yogurt. But there’s more to eating dessert first according to research.
The Science Behind “Eat Dessert First”
Shown in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, participants consistently chose healthier meals and consequently consumed less calories when they selected a rich dessert at the beginning of their meal. Martin Reimann, assistant professor and co-author of the study claims the choice steers individuals to make healthier options if a decadent choice has already been made.
Another study in Steroids found that strategically consuming desserts can alter our overall eating habits to combat obesity. They conclude that “…a high carbohydrate and protein breakfast may prevent weight regain by reducing diet-induced compensatory changes in hunger, cravings and ghrelin suppression.” So moderately indulging at certain times can help you avoid binges! Further effects of deprivation of food cravings can be found in The International Journal of Eating Disorders article here.
Gisele Bündchen Enjoys Dessert Everyday
If you ask supermodel, Gisele Bündchen, are desserts healthy? She’ll tell you they can be. In an interview in Vogue magazine she states: “I love, love food and I’m obsessed with desserts. I have dessert every day. Every single day!” Touching on dessert benefits and strategic timing, she adds how “…my thing is I have dessert with lunch. I never go a day without dessert because it makes me happy. Most of my desserts are avocado and coconut-based because those are the best fats for the brain.”
At the time Global News decided to discuss this with registered dietician, Abby Langer. She reads between the lines and delivers further good news. According to Langer, “You can have a couple of cookies, or a small scoop of ice cream, and it really won’t make that big of a difference… The overall dietary pattern of a person really is the deciding factor.” She adds that, “When you see a headline that says, ‘Gisele eats dessert every day,’ make sure you read past the headline, and consider what these celebrities eat on a regular basis aside from that dessert — and what they’re eating for that dessert.”
If you’re still wondering why we traditionally eat dessert after a meal, there’s no straightforward answer. Shaked Ashkenazi posits that dessert may have originated in the attempt to “bribe” children into eating their broccoli. This having led to the habit of ending a meal with something sweet. Are desserts healthy and is eating dessert first better for you? There’s lots of food for thought. We hope to have answered some of your dessert benefits questions today! Here’s where you can find some healthy edible goodies while you think about it all. Feel free to adjust your dietary preference on the left.
