It’s easy to fall into a rut with what we eat, but the New Year is naturally a time to restart and renew. This year, it seems even more important as the global pandemic has changed habits in the way we shop and eat, with more cooking from scratch and a greater awareness of the connection between us, our diet, and the well-being of our planet.
There is a seemingly endless variety in the supermarket, but most of the food products on the shelves are made with identical ingredients. Seventy-five percent of the calories we consume come from just 12 crops and five animal species, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors was actually 20 times more diverse; We only eat 0.06 percent of edible plant species, and only about a quarter of people on a Western diet consume even the recommended basic minimum of “five a day” vegetables.
We can create a better food system by making some changes to our choices, while fueling our bodies at the same time. Here are some simple and enjoyable ways to refresh mealtime and bring something new to the table:
Try to eat a more diverse variety of fruits and vegetables
Better for our health and the environment, and great for your gut microbiome, which plays a key role in immunity. Eating with the seasons increases variety, marks the turn of the year, and adds excitement to your plate. Look for unusual heirloom vegetables, small-scale growers, slow-growing organic foods. Tip: Weekly changing vegetable box schemes are great for this.
Set the scene
Renew the way you eat: ditch TV dinners and make time for good meals, taking a little more time to eat and digest. Creative table setting is an emerging trend and a lost art that is being re-established as an opportunity to create a beautiful and peaceful dining space. This is especially useful if your dining table is also your workspace during the day.
The art of ‘slow food’
With more time at home, many have reconnected with the art of ‘slow food’. There has been a great increase in preserving, pickling, baking and fermentation. Knowing exactly what’s in your food is enriching, plus it eliminates unnecessary packaging and food additives. Cooking from scratch is a great opportunity to expand your repertoire of recipes, exploring new textures and flavors.
Embrace flexibility
Having the confidence to experiment and swap or adapt recipes to suit what we have in the store closet provides much more flexibility, with fresh seasonal produce providing variety. Think of recipes as a guide to learning new techniques and flavor combinations, rather than following the ingredients as an exact list. Did you run out of pumpkin? If you are grating it, replace it with carrots. Spring greens, kale, spinach, and chard will wilt similarly, while carrots, squash, parsnips, and sweet potato will roast with similar results.
Look for simple and healthy ingredients and save money
We think takeaway meals are cheaper, but the cost of fish and chips for four is around £ 30 – more than a week’s worth of organic veggies! It’s easy and inexpensive to make healthier homemade versions of your favorite take-out food at home, containing a lot less fat, salt and sugar and more of the good stuff. Cook in batches and freeze in portions for healthy ready meals on busy days.
Seasonal stars for January
January and February may seem gloomy after the glare and excess of the holiday season, but the key to enjoying more of this season’s food is enjoying the calm and exploring new ways to cook winter veggies. Try these recipes to get the most out of the winter season stars:
Cauliflower and coconut laksa with kale and rice noodles
With aromatic lemongrass, fiery ginger, and creamy coconut milk, this turns humble and sometimes neglected cauli into a vibrant winter dish. The leaves and stems are edible too, so save them and use them to make vegetable broth. Find the complete recipe here.
Harissa falafels with spiced beets, kefir dressing and pittas
Instead of the usual summer side dishes of cucumber and tomatoes, here’s a sweet and earthy beet dressing. The dressing is made with kefir that tastes similar to yogurt, and is fermented, so it contains many beneficial bacteria. To see the full recipe, click here.
Kale Caesar Salad
A twist on this classic salad recipe with a hint of mineral-rich leaf goodness, created by James Dodd, Head Chef at The Field Kitchen. Letting the salad sit for 15 minutes before serving allows the acidity to wash out the raw flavor and texture of the kale. This makes a wonderful seasonal salad with UK winter vegetables when there are no summer leaves. Find the complete recipe here.
This article was originally published in the latest print edition of Wicked Leeks. You can read the full magazine online and for free through Issuu.