Have we lost the Balance?

 

Have we lost the balance?

In spite of being a nation addicted to recipe books, celebrity chefs and TV cooking competitions it is said that a large percentage of us no longer have the necessary skills to put together nutritionally balanced meals on a daily basis.

Is anyone to blame?

Certainly children are not receiving as much ‘food education’ as in the past and we all admit that we don’t allocate enough time for meal preparation. However I also believe that those very recipe books and TV programmes that are supposed to get us cooking are giving us too many confusing options.

Back to Basics

I am always reading recipe books  searching for new ideas and inspiration and when recently looking through a friend’s book collection came across Hamlyn’s ‘Complete Cook’. The recipes for main courses were categorised under their major protein source: Fish & Seafood, Meat, Poultry & Game. Each recipe included a seasoning or sauce for the protein and you were left to chose your own accompaniments which could be chosen from the vegetable dish section and the pasta, noodle and rice section if you wished. The book also included a variety of traditional recipes from around the world to include huevos rancheros, paella, caribbean black-eyed beans & rice, szechuan noodles … There were also plenty of well balanced vegetarian dishes although they did needed to be searched for among the vegetable, pasta, noodle and rice dishes.

Modern Approach

In complete contrast there was also the book ‘Crazy Sexy Kitchen’  of ‘Plant Empowered Recipes’ In this book the dishes were indexed under ‘soups & stews’, ‘sandwiches & wraps’ ‘sensual starters’, ‘sexy sides’, ‘snacks & munchies’.  There were some really great recipe ideas, with entertaining descriptions and a few nutritional facts thrown in. A fun read with fabulous pictures taking you on an adventure, but not a quick guide to creating a balanced meal from the average contents of a fridge.

Basics Explained

When putting together a meal consider firstly what your choice of protein is going be, then your starchy carbohydrates, then your vegetables (at least 3 different veg) and finally the seasoning however simple (tin of tomatoes) or exotic (freshly ground spices, coconut, soy sauce). This simple formula will allow you to create a nutritious meal every time and often this approach can naturally help you get in touch with your appetite and personal calorie needs.

Regain the Balance

We need to view a lot of the TV programmes and recipe books as entertainment, education on world cuisine and as an appetiser. Then armed with enthusiasm and inspiration return to our traditional books to help us create from our dietary desires a sensible health enhancing meal.

So on your book shelf next to Jamie Oliver (who will speed you up) The Hairy Bikers (who will take you on an adventure), Nigella (who will fill you up), the diet books (which will make you feel guilty), the Vegetarian Cookery Books (introducing you to new and mysterious foods) put ‘Hamlyn’s Complete Cook’, ‘Pru Leith Cooking Bible’ and the ‘Good House Keeping Cookery Book’ and get cooking.