GB2457957A - Food product formed from strips of food material - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of forming a food product comprises taking a stainless steel mould (Fig 1) formed with a plurality of equally spaced strips and placing it on a sheet of edible material. Each of the strips is then filled with a food material so that adjacent strips contain different food materials, before the mould is lifted away from the edible sheet to leave the strips of food product thereon, held together by the sheet material (Fig 2). The food product strips are then cut into shapes, such as square, triangle, circle or star to produce the finished food product. The mould may have 15 to 20 strips, each about 1cm wide and 1 cm deep and up to 20 cm long. The edible sheet may be a thin pastry sheet or a sheet of rice paper. The food material placed in the strips may include vegetables, fruit, protein such as meat, rice and pasta. The method forms healthy food products in a colourful and attractive shape.

Description

-2457957 Geometric Gastronomy This invention relates to a range of Food products, to help improve levels of healthy eating, also to assist in the reduction of Obesity, when used as part of a weight reduction programme.

The continued increase in clinical obesity, has now reached almost epidemic proportions. A recent report has predicted over 50% of adults could be clinically obese by 2050, if current trends continue.

This could result in a reduced life expectancy, for each over-weight individual of anything up to 13 years. Other effects of being clinically obese would result in strains on the Health services; mainly caused by a dramatic increase in Heart disease, type 2 Diabetes and weight related cancers, the adverse financial effects across the Heath services could be enormous.

The most worrying trend is in the young, children are becoming far less active spending hours watching Television, playing computer games and using computer chat rooms.

Becoming inactive, added to an unhealthy diet consisting of fast foods and snacks high in salt and fat content, all add to the trend of more and more people, including young children becoming obese.

How can people be persuaded to eat a more healthy diet? It is particularly difficult to persuade children, to eat a more balanced diet, containing a wider variety of health giving vegetables and fruit.

This invention proposes a balanced, healthy and economic meal, containing protein and vegetables all in one interesting, colourful portion.

The same production techniques can also be used to provide desserts, using the wide variety of fruits that are available almost all year round.

Production method using a stainless steel mould made of equally spaced strips, around 15 to 20 individual strips, approx Icentimetre wide, between to 20 centimetres in length, with a depth of approx 1 centimetre, the strips are open at top and bottom, to allow filling and easy removal of the finished product. (see diagram No 1) A piece of rice paper or a thin pastry base is placed on a work surface (slightly larger than the mould), the mould is placed over the base. Each strip is then filled with either chopped, diced or shredded vegetables.

If required an outer rim 75% of the moulds depth, made using rice paper or thin pastry, provides a retaining wall for the ingredients.

Ingredients by using the greatest contrast in colour, to determine the position of each ingredient, 75% to 85% of the strips are filled. Using a selection of vegetables of any variety, such as potato, rice, pasta, carrot, broccoli, red cabbage, mushroom, green beans or any other you may wish to use.

The remaining 15% to 25% will be filled with a protein such as, fish, meat, game or poultry. If a vegetarian style portion is being made, all strips could be filled with vegetables. Alternatively cheese or eggs could be used in any vegetarian portion as an added source of protein if required. The reason for a 10% variation in filling, is to allow for individual tastes, or special dietary needs. For example persons with a heart condition or diabetes may require extra dietary considerations. (see diagram No 2) An alternative method of producing interesting and colourful meal portions or desserts, would be to use a larger mould, a mould 50 centimetres long by 30 centimetres wide with strips 1 centimetre wide by 1 centimetre deep, could be used to create a similar effect, to that above.

This larger portion can then be cut up using various shaped cutters (pastry style cutters would be ideal). A wide range (almost infinite) of shapes can be used, geometric shapes such as square, triangle, circle or star etc, are ideal. The possibility of animal shapes, faces, buildings, ships, vehicles etc, in fact any shape/colour combination that will capture the interest of people. These smaller portions would contain in effect, all the parts of a full balanced meal, split over a number of colourful, shaped portions. (see diagram No 2A) Industrial or mass production could follow a similar method to that described, but on a much larger scale. An alternative method of mass production, would be to produce an almost continuous strip of one vegetable at a time, these could be mass produced and later combined with other strips, to produce meal sized portions.

Producing meals in large quantities at an economic price, would encourage people used to buying ready made meals, to purchase healthy food, in an easy to prepare format. Also snack items can be made, using the same process to produce bite sized portions, of various shapes, to provide a quick healthy snack.

By combining all ingredients' in one portion, the practice of people rejecting a vegetable, simply by its appearance would be mostly avoided.

Also by combining a wide variety of vegetables (lower in cost than protein), a high quality, healthy, relatively cheap meal can be produced.

Once the raw portions are arranged, they can be cooked either in a conventional oven or a microwave oven. If pre-cooked ingredients are used they can be, heated ready for use, in a similar manner.