Women would rather indulge in comfort foods like a beef casserole or lasagne than cuddle up to a partner during the cooler months, new research shows.
The study, conducted by Galaxy Research on behalf of Meat & Livestock Australia, found the opposite situation when it comes to men.
No less than 41% of those men surveyed said their favourite thing about winter is cuddling up to their loved one versus just 31% who cited indulging in a loved meal such as roast beef.
So while men and women differ in their approach to what kind of spooning comes first to ward off the winter chill, they are united when it comes to their favourite winter indulgence. A good old-fashioned sleep-in came up trumps as Australia’s number one winter joy.
The reason many Australian men may be getting the cold shoulder from their female folk during winter could be due to our primitive instincts, says psychologist Jacqui Manning.
“Craving comfort food such as casseroles and curries in winter comes from a biological urge. Our ancestors consumed more protein in winter because they needed extra calories to keep their bodies warm. Add to that the extra stress and change in routine that winter brings and it’s little wonder women are yearning for comfort foods when the cooler months set in!”
“We also eat to keep warm. The very process of digesting the food that you eat, absorbing the nutrients and processing those nutrients generates heat. The effect known as food-induced thermogenesis is greatest after eating a high protein meal – suggesting that a hearty casserole or roast is perfect for winter warming,”
High protein meals like lasagne and chicken soup were named in the survey as the nation’s favourites when it comes to warming up. This was closely followed by hearty winter classics such as beef casserole and roast beef.
80% of Australians admitted to suffering from the winter blues, with the key symptoms being lack of motivation (55%) and energy (50%).
It also showed that with age comes less tolerance of the cooler weather with 65% of Baby Boomers saying they feel the cold more now than when they were a child.
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