I’ve been having a look at a few food blogs, Instagram posts, tweets and recipes lately. Okay, yes, all the time if I’m honest. There seems to be a common thread which I’m starting to wonder about. A lot of these meals/recipes/shakes and “potions” seem to often have a “superfood” ingredient.
Mmm, let’s make a maca powder chia protein shake or a “green- powder” bowl with acai berries. Or maybe I could go for some coconut powder mixed with a scoop of protein in a high energy ball.
Jeez, for goodness sakes people, keep it real. It’s getting a bit crazy out there.
Now I’m all in favour of trying new or not so new foods that might be in the spotlight, like kale, quinoa or things that you may not usually use when it fits into real food meals but I think we need to think about what we are doing with all these “additives”. Surely we need to address the basic issue of Real Food First. My motto will always be “food first”.
How many of us are in the position to go out and buy expensive products which may not even have very good evidence for effectiveness before we even address the basics?
I think before we try this stuff, we need to think long and hard about whether or not we are managing to eat a nutritious and balanced diet with the everyday foods we prepare and enjoy.
Cooking skills are being lost, processed foods are being purchased, meals being skipped and compensated for by quick fix impulse buys in the local shop. How many of us can say that we cook “from scratch” from baseline good quality, nutrient dense ingredients?
Will making a super smoothie in the morning fix all our ills? Why are some health professionals pushing packaged “super” products when people can often improve their diets by eating good quality fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and meats (and alternatives) they can find in every day stores ?
Shouldn’t we start with the old favourites first? Even the humble apple was in the good books this month in a study from the University of Oxford. According to the results of their study, prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over in Britain would prevent around 8,500 deaths from heart attacks and strokes every year.
Think about it, it’s an apple.
So let’s keep it real. Get out there
