bittersweet reality
What we’re eating now
J
UGLY VEG
ust like humans, our favourite veggies come in all shapes and sizes – and it seems we’re accepting perfect doesn’t matter when eating our five-a-day. Yes, we’re extending our #Keepingitreal campaign to vegetables. Most recently promoted by Jamie Oliver, the movement for ‘ugly’ or wonky veg actually began with Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall’s campaign last year. But, after a bit of a false start, the recent supermarket offers have been a sell-out success, with the nation going mad for cut-price boxes that would otherwise have been thrown away. ‘It’s brilliant,’ says nutritional therapist Eleanor Strang. ‘People are becoming more interested in what’s in their food rather than how it looks – it doesn’t taste any different.’ The appeal is clear: it encourages sustainable eating by ensuring produce isn’t wasted, and challenges us to cook with lesser-known veggies – which sees us eating a wider range of nutrients. Want to give knobbly spuds another chance? Think thinly sliced sweet potato chips, grated courgette fritters with chilli dip, or a naturally sweet carrot and parsnip mash – don’t forget to tweet us your creations @healthymag.
Words Francesca Specter. Photographs Getty, Istock, Shutterstock
BITTERSWEET REALITY Here’s a truth that might be hard to swallow: it looks like sweetener is a poor substitute for sugar, at least where the brain is concerned. An animal study at Yale University has discovered that the striatum, the part of the brain that processes tastes and nutrients, is hardwired to prioritise the energy in food over its flavour. So what we think of as a ‘sweet craving’ is actually a mental desire for calories. Proof that, if you’re flagging mid-morning, that zero calorie diet cola just won’t cut it – try an energy-packed banana, instead.
Twist your tongue round this
GOT MILK?
Fan of the white stuff? Go organic. New studies further indicate the benefits of organic dairy products. They were shown to contain 41 per cent conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – which research suggests possibly reduces the risk of obesity – and 56 per cent more omega-3 than their non-organic equivalents. All thanks to organic farmers, who are dedicated to caring for their animals better. Now that’s what you call value for money.
Grub’s up
Caterpillars: not too tempting to eat. But the UN has backed insectgobbling as a way to cater for the 8.2 billion people estimated to be on Earth by 2025. Visit crunchycritters.com to buy yours – and see Eat Grub: The Ultimate Insect Cookbook by Shami Radia and Neil Whippey (Frances Lincoln, £20) for cooking ideas.
healthy-magazine.co.uk 19
J
UGLY VEG
ust like humans, our favourite veggies come in all shapes and sizes – and it seems we’re accepting perfect doesn’t matter when eating our five-a-day. Yes, we’re extending our #Keepingitreal campaign to vegetables. Most recently promoted by Jamie Oliver, the movement for ‘ugly’ or wonky veg actually began with Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall’s campaign last year. But, after a bit of a false start, the recent supermarket offers have been a sell-out success, with the nation going mad for cut-price boxes that would otherwise have been thrown away. ‘It’s brilliant,’ says nutritional therapist Eleanor Strang. ‘People are becoming more interested in what’s in their food rather than how it looks – it doesn’t taste any different.’ The appeal is clear: it encourages sustainable eating by ensuring produce isn’t wasted, and challenges us to cook with lesser-known veggies – which sees us eating a wider range of nutrients. Want to give knobbly spuds another chance? Think thinly sliced sweet potato chips, grated courgette fritters with chilli dip, or a naturally sweet carrot and parsnip mash – don’t forget to tweet us your creations @healthymag.
Words Francesca Specter. Photographs Getty, Istock, Shutterstock
BITTERSWEET REALITY Here’s a truth that might be hard to swallow: it looks like sweetener is a poor substitute for sugar, at least where the brain is concerned. An animal study at Yale University has discovered that the striatum, the part of the brain that processes tastes and nutrients, is hardwired to prioritise the energy in food over its flavour. So what we think of as a ‘sweet craving’ is actually a mental desire for calories. Proof that, if you’re flagging mid-morning, that zero calorie diet cola just won’t cut it – try an energy-packed banana, instead.
Twist your tongue round this
GOT MILK?
Fan of the white stuff? Go organic. New studies further indicate the benefits of organic dairy products. They were shown to contain 41 per cent conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – which research suggests possibly reduces the risk of obesity – and 56 per cent more omega-3 than their non-organic equivalents. All thanks to organic farmers, who are dedicated to caring for their animals better. Now that’s what you call value for money.
Grub’s up
Caterpillars: not too tempting to eat. But the UN has backed insectgobbling as a way to cater for the 8.2 billion people estimated to be on Earth by 2025. Visit crunchycritters.com to buy yours – and see Eat Grub: The Ultimate Insect Cookbook by Shami Radia and Neil Whippey (Frances Lincoln, £20) for cooking ideas.
healthy-magazine.co.uk 19
