Simon Morton
The radio and television presenter shares his thoughts on fasting and the much-maligned loaf of bread.
Has your 12 years on RNZ National presenting This
Way Up altered what you eat? The biggest single change has been to my view of bread, specifically sourdough, and the science of fermentation. Wholegrain sourdough is not only super-healthy but also tastes amazing. I eat real bread with no guilt. Food writer Michael Pollan captures it all, really: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” What is New Zealand’s biggest nutrition or food problem? Drinking, and the way we condone and encourage drinking.
Is healthy eating a priority for you? Healthy is hard to define; you have to know what’s good and bad for you personally, which can take years to discover. Making good food choices became a real priority once I was feeding others. Having kids changed the game as we tried to model healthy eating and fill them up with good food.
Do you follow a special diet? Not any more. I did intermittent fasting for a year and lost some weight. Being “hangry” two days a week took its toll on friends and whānau, though. I started eating low-glycaemic foods about 15 years ago and I still choose wholegrain, unprocessed foods and avoid sugar when I can.
What’s your typical breakfast? Today, I had homemade muesli with plain yogurt and feijoas.
How about lunch? Leftover pasta with feta, red capsicum and onions caramelised in balsamic vinegar. What’s your favourite evening meal? Tempeh tacos: soft tacos with fried tempeh, chilli beans, mozzarella, avocado, sour cream and chipotle sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice.
How about snacking? If I snack, it’s a carrot, nuts, cucumber, kiwifruit, or chippies with cheese or hummus on the weekend. I eat a few muesli bars when out and about.
What is your idea of food hell? One of the kids got ill for a while and had to drink gloopy, flavoured nutritional drinks. They were pasty and disgusting.
What nutrition advice have you found most helpful? I no longer eat bacon after looking at the science. Life is injurious and carcinogenic, but I’m not going to increase the risk by eating
processed meats.