By Mehdi Kheloufi, Co-founder of FoodMood
Salads- winners or losers?
FoodMood, the new 'Tinder for food' app aiming to help Londoners find dishes they'll love, has mined its data to reveal Brits' new food habits as we move into the New Year. The app has uncovered the meals that have triumphed and suffered as health-conscious restaurant-goers get into the swing of Detox January.
Since Boxing Day, FoodMood has recorded the dishes that have received the most 'YUMs' and 'YUKs' on the app compared to before the festive season. Here are the top 5 winners and losers:
Healthy Soups - WINNER
Healthy soups have been liked 36% more since we packed up the baubles. For those of us who didn't receive a Nutribullet for Christmas, opting for a soup at a restaurant is both light and warming during the wintry months. Soups are great for filling you up and broth-based soups are also low in energy density, meaning they have few calories per gram. Mixed vegetable soups are a great way to get a healthy mix of minerals and antioxidants.
Salads - WINNER
FoodMood found that salads and other vegetable-based dishes have been liked 14% more in January. Salad is an obvious choice for those of us trying to cut down after Christmas, but shouldn't be dismissed as a dreary necessity. London's restaurants play host to a colourful explosion of dishes from Granger and Co's 'Bondi Bowl' (buckwheat, quinoa, golden beetroot, courgette, tamari pepitas, goats' yoghurt, feta and harissa) to Maple & Fitz's gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan 'Sweet Caroline' (roasted sweet potato and celeriac, shredded beets, kale, pecans and maple balsamic dressing).
Red Meat - LOSER
January's biggest loser so far is red meat, with a 32% decrease in YUM swipes. Perhaps many of us are having a break from the heavy dishes we indulged in over Christmas.
Tacos - LOSER
Interestingly, tacos are the next biggest loser, taking a 29% dip in likes. Tacos are typically high in fat and calories whilst not very filling, which makes them easy to over-indulge in. Opting for veggie or light seafood tacos are a fun way to keep your favourite Mexican dish even on a diet.
Prawns, Lobster & Scallops - LOSERS
While burgers and pizzas understandably take a hit (with decreases of 21% and 10% respectively), it's actually prawns, lobsters and scallops that are the third biggest losers. With these being a staple party food, perhaps Brits have had enough after the Christmas holidays. And along with trying to tighten our waistlines, many of us are tightening our purse strings in January, so lobster is probably off the table.
It's clear that Londoners are embracing Detox January, even when treating themselves to a night out. Hopefully, restaurant-goers will take the opportunity this New Year to try new dishes and embrace new foodie haunts, whether sticking to a healthy regime or having a cheeky cheat day.
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