EAT BETTER FOREVER
REDUCING my meat intake — which I began to do about a decade ago — was, in hindsight, one of the key steps to where I am today: enjoying a diet full of fruit, veg and good wholefoods.
But let me be clear: you can still eat better forever even if you choose to keep meat on the table. Select meat carefully and make eating it less of an everyday occurrence.
If you’re going to eat red meat, then keeping your consumption to a maximum 70g a day, or 500g a week, is sensible. The simplest way is to have meat-free days.
We do this at home, and soon I aim to have entire weeks that are meat free. Replacing meat with processed products is not ideal. Good fresh veg, along with pulses, nuts and seeds, is far better than veggie nuggets, for example.
When I do eat meat, I take a ‘nose-to-tail’ approach. Offal like liver and kidney is nutritious, and an ethical choice if it comes from organic or free-range animals, because it means a fuller use of the carcass.
So, if you eat meat, include offal from time to time. However, too much can lead to excessive levels of vitamin A.
As for ‘white’ meat, such as chicken and other poultry, it’s often seen as the healthy option. But we still shouldn’t eat piles of it as most of us already eat enough protein.
You’ll notice I recommend organic meat — and that’s because not only does it represent a better life for the animals, it’s better for us, too. Organic livestock rearing often correlates to higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, from being grass-fed.
Fish, too, is fantastic. Those who eat it — particularly oily fish — have less heart disease and strokes, mainly due to its omega-3 content. Also try white fish and shellfish. Mussels are mostly sustainably produced, and bursting with omega-3s.
However, farmed salmon and trout are fed largely on fishmeal made from wild fish, and sourcing this is often unsustainable.
When in doubt, look for fish with the blue MSC eco-label ‘tick’.
EXTRACTED from Eat Better Forever by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Bloomsbury on thursday, £26. ©2020 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. to order a copy for £22.88 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Price valid until January 15, 2021.