The Pepsi Challenge Diet

Several years ago Pepsi conducted the now famous Pepsi Challenge taste test.  The taste test was supposed to be a blind tasting of Pepsi and Coke.  Pepsi found that “most people” preferred Pepsi.  Although the original Pepsi Challenge was fatally flawed for scientific reasons it inspired subsequent tastes tests which revealed interesting results.  In a true blind taste test most people do in fact prefer the flavor of Pepsi.  However, when people know what they are tasting most people prefer Coke.  How can people’s taste preference change by knowing what they are tasting?

The outcome of a situation is strongly influenced based on the expected outcome.  In social psychology researchers study this in the context of social expectations.  The power of expectation is most dramatically illustrated by the so-called pygmalion effect.  In a now famous study researchers administered an intelligence test to elementary school children.  The results of the IQ test were then randomized and returned to students’ teachers.  The teachers were told the randomized scores were the true scores and that the highest scores indicated high potential students.  At the end of the year when the intelligence test was re-administered, the children who were randomly labeled as “high potential” actually improved more and scored higher than the other children.  Despite the high potential labels being randomly assigned these children in fact came to realize even a deceptive label.  In this case the teachers expectation that the children were “high potential” students shaped the interactions in such a way that those children ended up learning more than other students.

The discrepancy between the blind and unblind tastes test results occurs when people expect to prefer Coke over Pepsi.  Your attitudes, beliefs and expectations about the taste and pleasantness of foods have a direct influence over the taste and pleasantness of the foods you eat.  One of the major obstacles to eating healthy is overcoming the belief that so-called health foods are bland, have an unpleasing taste, or do not taste as good.  Similarly, other foods that are high in saturated fats and refined grains are more pleasing, flavorful and taste better.  Dairy seems to have a magical spell cast on Americans that leads us to think that adding dairy fats to food makes them rich, luxurious and instantly delicious.  I’ve overheard home cooks boast about how much cream and butter they added to a dish as if they were scooping spoonfuls of flavor from a cow’s utter to your mouth.  The reverse attitude about health food is so powerful that people think foods taste healthier when they are served in packaging with a dull, flat packaging and darker earth colored ink.  Think about the Lay’s Classic potato chip.  It is packaged in a shiny, bright yellow and red bag.  The new so-called Natural Lay’s chips are in a matte colored bag with brown, mustard yellow and tan.  This is no accident; it is marketing manipulating your beliefs and expectations

Diet is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle and the only route to obtaining a nutritional advantage for competitive athletes..  Without eating a well-balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and the so-called healthy fats it is very difficult to reach good health, makes weight loss much more difficult, and inhibits maximum physical performance.  Those fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods may not taste as bad as you think when you try them with an open mind.  Expecting buckwheat pancakes to be worse than your old favorite Krustees mix will make them taste worse than if you expect them to be delicious.  Mrs. Butterworth’s magical transformation of corn syrup into a concoction that is reminiscent of maple syrup is not as spectacular as you think when you put it to the test against that syrupy stuff that oozes out of a Maple tree.  You may not like every new, healthy food you taste, but when you taste with an open mind and mouth you will likely find many healthy, whole foods and recipes to be delicious.

To get you started here my favorite pancake recipe that I’ve been making in the mornings.  Fast, easy, and full of protein packed buckwheat.  Enjoy.

Better than Bisquick Buckwheat Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup buttermilk, skim milk & yogurt, soymilk, almond milk or any other creamy liquid
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine and mix flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt,
1.5 In a separate bowl mix liquid, vanilla, oil and egg until smooth.  Add to flour mixture and gently mix.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using    approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.