It’s a pizza cake as Brits combat tough times with comfort eating, says BBC Good Food

Shedding the pounds with the traditional January detox might prove harder than normal this year for some as new evidence reveals Brits have been comfort eating in record numbers in the face of a worsening economic climate. Results from the UK’s largest recipe website, bbcgoodfood.com, the website from Good Food Magazine, reveal that cake has overtaken chicken as the most searched-for food term on the website in 2011. In addition, pizza has rocketed up the list of popular searches, from 10th in 2010 to 4th.  That other Italian comfort food staple, pasta, has also entered the top ten list of most-searched recipes for the first time.

Other search trends reveal: 

  • Consumers are seeking out more adventurous ingredients and combinations with Chicken and chorizo jambalaya the highest rated recipe of 2011.
  • Mackerel shot up 10 places from 21 to 10 as users search for different fish to try.  Salmon and sea bass also made it into the top 10 searched-for list.
  • Couscous and courgette (the latter a favourite in 2010) have dropped out of the top ten.
  • Canapés have also fallen out of the top ten, suggesting we’re entertaining less often or prefer more relaxed party food.

February’s Good Food Magazine £3.60 is a healthy cooking special, on sale tomorrow, 6th January. It includes quick, feel-good family meals, easy ways to reach your 5-a-day target, energy-boosting snacks and a recipe for dairy-free pizza. 

According to Gillian Carter, editor Good Food Magazine:

‘It’s not surprising that in tough times we reach for comforting food. One of the ways we keep calm and carry on is with cake and a cuppa – or our imported national favourites – pasta and pizza. However, with a New Year comes a fresh start, so many of us will want to shed a few pounds and this month’s healthy issue is packed with inspiring, achievable recipes to help you do this.’

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For more information please contact Toby.hicks@immediatemedia.co.uk or call 020-8433-3807  


 Notes to editors

i)              Good Food Magazine is the the country’s leading food title with 294,720 monthly readers, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). Each issue is packed with over 100 recipes for everyday meals, easy entertaining and dishes from celebrity chefs. Every recipe is tested by the Good Food cookery team.        

ii)              bbcgoodfood.com is the official site of BBC Good Food Magazine, home to nearly 8,000 tried and tested recipes. The site had 5.2 million unique visitors in December.