Toast: Britains Feel Good Food

London / UK. (fob) Toast has been scientifically proven to be the United Kingdom´s feel good food and Britain´s most loved food smell. Professor Tim Jacob, School of Biosciences at Cardiff University has found that the smell of toast triggers memories of happiness.

With over two million students heading off to university this autumn on tight budgets and armed with minimum culinary skills, toast will become a food staple for many, but will also evoke feelings of great comfort with over 42 percent of students being reminded of home when they smell toast. A recent survey by the Flour Advisory Bureau found that the UK is a nation of toast lovers with over 99 percent of them claiming they simply love toast. Known as the «Proust Effect» where odour unlocks memories, the smell of toast is linked firmly with a number of pleasant memories that include family life, comforting weekends and time spent with family.

Jacob: «Most families eat toast for breakfast and the distinctive smell of toast delivers a feel-good factor by evoking comforting childhood memories. It is entirely conceivable that students can sniff their way back to happy childhoods with the aroma of toast – delivering a warm, feel- good factor across countless breakfast tables and student hall of residences throughout the nation».

Nutritionist Fiona Hunter: «Students on a budget will be pleased to hear that many of the foods that nutritionist´s recommend as part of a healthy balanced diet, like bread are nutritious and are excellent value for money. As well as being a source of comfort, toast/bread is also one of the UK´s main sources of fibre: four medium slices of wholemeal bread provides 42 percent of the daily recommended amount of fibre. Also, white bread is fortified with vitamins and minerals and only four medium slices of white bread (140 grams) provides 248 milligrams of calcium, which is 31 percent of the EU Recommended Daily Amount (800 grams), as well as calcium white bread also provides good amounts of other key nutrients including B vitamins and protein Adding a little spice and being creative means students can create a menu of quick, easy, nutritious meals with one loaf of bread».

Toasty Toppings

Baked beans with curry paste; bacon and peanut butter; cheese and banana; jam and egg: these are just some of the British´s favourite, and bizarre, toast toppings according to those questioned by the Flour Advisory Bureau.

If a Brit is more partial to a slice of delicious piping hot toast with just butter or margarine, he or she is in good company though as nearly two thirds of the British enjoy their toast this way. The most popular toast toppings in the UK: just butter or margarine (64 percent); cheese (58,9 percent); egg (41,4 percent); jam (any flavour) (41,1 percent); marmalade (38,5 percent); baked beans (37,8 percent); Marmite, a spicy bread spread made of yeast extract (30,5 percent); bacon (26,1 percent); peanut butter (21,4 percent); honey (20,5 percent).

Professor Jacobs concludes, «It is clear that toast reminds us of family. Breakfast, the meal where most toast is consumed, is a family meal and this association stays with us. Toast is used as a treat and to cheer us up, so when we leave home toast recalls family breakfasts and is therefore comforting. Psychologically, a process of conditioned association occurs to link toast and the smell and flavour of toast with key moments in our lives – family moments» (source).