We’re in the dark about what we eat

Sep 28 2007 by Jane Hall, The Journal

James Miller, former chef and nutritionist of Healthy Food Solutions, dissects the British diet and evaluates the pros and cons of local food.

THE Modern British Diet: how many of us can define what it is now? What are our new national dishes? Are they made up of home-grown ingredients or do their origins lie outside the UK?

The current British diet is arguably the most diverse it has ever been. We have hundreds of ingredients, from all over the world. Our population is growing and becoming more ethnically varied, and with this cultural change come many external influences to our diet. What we eat, where we buy it and even where we can eat have all changed over the past couple of decades.

It sounds exciting. With so much choice we certainly can’t say our diet is boring. However, with such new, diverse and changing tastes, where do we source our food? How many of us know where our food comes from? Do you check the food label? Do you buy local food? Do you know which foods are in season when, or for that matter, what a season is?

Not only has our diet expanded by variety and cuisine, in the UK we have become accustomed to having most of what we eat all year round. This presents a logistical paradox: we can’t grow many foods in this country all year round because of our climate, so we need to import them, but in doing so their quality is compromised.

Certain foods will only grow at certain times of the year and in certain conditions. Furthermore, nature intended them to take a certain amount of time to grow and reach their optimum. However, by importing foods we can have foods available to us when they would not normally be available; by growing food in artificial conditions we can produce them out of season too, and by using fertilisers, pesticides and other chemicals the quality can be preserved.

But did you know that eating foods out of season affects their quality? Since most fruit and vegetables have a short shelf life, they are harvested and imported before they are ready and artificially ripened. This not only means they haven’t reached their best state naturally, but they may lack nutrients. In addition, as food may travel a long way to the UK, further nutrients may be destroyed – not to mention the environmental pollution.

Another factor is flavour – if nutrients are lacking and the food hasn’t reached its potential, this can affect the flavour. Out-of-season produce generally has a watered-down taste compared with fresh, local, ripe food in season. Perhaps one reason we add too much salt and seasonings to our food is that it just doesn’t taste as good as it should.

Is local food better, though? Well, food is only as good as the conditions in which it was grown. Soil plays a major part in the quality – and nutrition – of crops, since this is where they get their “food” from.

Also, the weather influences quality. So while it sounds attractive, do we have the capacity to grow an abundance of wholesome food to meet demand?

British Food Fortnight is a time for celebrating British food. It runs until October 7.

The key message has got to be to buy food in season, as far as possible. This means you’re eating food at its best. Buying locally will support local farmers and manufacturers. However, some foods need to be brought in and we should do everything possible to maintain freshness and quality.

• James Miller is a nutritionist who runs Healthy Food Solutions, a consultancy providing education and training. For details see: www.healthyfoodsolutions.co.uk

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Roast Leg of Chicken, Mustard Crushed Potatoes and Steamed Seasonal Vegetables (serves two)

THIS humble autumnal dish uses British ingredients cooked simply. So where possible, try to get local, organic ingredients as they taste much better.

You’ll find the vegetables are just coming into season, so they’ll be at their best. The recipe is high in monounsaturated fats, which are better for you. The chicken should be crispy yet moist. Enjoy!

½ tbsp olive oil

2 chicken legs, with skin on (preferably organic, free-range)

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

¼ tsp fresh black pepper

½ onion

80g “open” mushrooms (washed)

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic (unpeeled)

150mls water

350g new potatoes

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

½ tsp black pepper

3-5 baby leeks

2 medium carrots

2-3 savoy cabbage leaves

Pre-heat the oven to 220C. Place the chicken on a plate and sprinkle with the thyme and pepper and rub all over.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and heat for two-three minutes on each side until it starts to brown.

Meanwhile, slice the onion and mushrooms. Place them in a medium-sized casserole dish with bay leaves, garlic and other thyme. When the chicken has slightly browned place it on top of the onions and mushrooms.

Heat the pan and add the water to de-glaze, bring to the boil and stir and pour this over the onions and mushrooms. Place the chicken in the oven (uncovered) for 12-15 mins until the skin is golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear.

Half the new potatoes, place in a pan and just cover with boiling water. Boil until just soft.

While the chicken is cooking, cut the leeks and carrots diagonally, place in a pan with a small amount of boiling water and heat until just soft, drain.

Finely slice the cabbage leaves. Add the pepper and mustards to the potatoes and partly mash. When the chicken is ready, scald the cabbage with boiling water in a colander and drain.

To serve, place a spoonful of the potatoes on a plate, with the chicken on the side, and the vegetables around. Spoon over stock and veg.

(Per person) *Calories: 394Kcal; fat: 19g; protein: 23g; cost: £2.94

* Figures are estimates