Dinner is served, with
Nutritionist-led ‘health optimisation parties’ offer antidote to traditional alcohol-fuelled gatherings
A GOOD dinner party once involved glugging back copious amounts of wine, eating too many hors d’oeuvres and struggling to squeeze in a few mouthfuls of pud.
But for those who worry over the effects of unrestrained gluttony, there is a new offering on the menu: having their blood tested while receiving a nutritional breakdown of every morsel that passes their lips.
Rather than competing over their latest holiday adventures or children’s
Hot shots
piano grades, the group of friends then compare notes on who has the highest cholesterol or is not getting enough vitamin D. The “health optimisation party” is the latest salvo in the obsession with achieving peak physical health.
It is expected to become the next big thing for those who are tiring of kale smoothies and quinoa and are already au fait with every high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, spinning class and pilates session on the market but feel the need to pursue further health goals.
The first healthy party launched last week and has attracted considerable attention. Costing from £250 per person, the bespoke package includes a three-course meal and a talk by Toral Shah, a London-based nutritional scientist and Cordon Bleu chef.
Up to eight guests will be invited to gather at the host’s house – but that is where the parallels with a traditional dinner party end.
There will be no wine poured on arrival. Indeed, participants will have been banned from eating for a good couple of hours beforehand.
The party then strays further from the norm when the next person to arrive is a phlebotomist, complete with needles and medical equipment to test everyone’s blood, looking at things such as cholesterol, thyroid function, vitamins and minerals and markers for cardiovascular disease.
So far, so enjoyable. But once the task at hand has been completed, drinks can be poured.
Ms Shah will serve a “banquet style” three-course meal while at the same time giving those gathered around the dinner table a talk about nutrition and