Gino’s war on waste
TV CHEF GINO D’ACAMPO IS ON A MISSION TO STOP HOME COOKS FROM WASTING FOOD, AS PRUDENCE WADE FOUND OUT
AFTER over 30 years in the UK, there’s something Gino D’Acampo can’t get used to – the food waste.
“We are used to going to the supermarket and going to places to buy our food – to touch it, to smell it,” the TV chef says of his hometown in Naples, Italy.
“In the last 30 years that I’ve been here, I’ve always been thinking: why do these people buy everything in a plastic bag? Why do they buy so much stuff they don’t need?”
For Gino – who is a regular face on This Morning and fronts Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip alongside Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix – it’s “crazy” to buy your fruit and vegetables wrapped up in plastic.
“It’s crazy to think that anyone would go and buy a bag of peppers, without touching them, without smelling them – and without even thinking what they’re going to do with these backup peppers.
“The majority of people need one or two peppers, but they go into the supermarket, they go into the corner shop and they pick up a bag where there are seven, eight peppers. They use three and then they throw away six.
“I’m thinking, do you really know what you’re doing here? Do you know how much money you’re wasting?”
Gino, 47, isn’t one to hide his feelings and his outrage about food waste is clear – which is why he teamed up with Love Food Hate Waste for this year’s Food Waste Action Week, encouraging people to buy loose fruit and veg.
According to Love Food Hate Waste, 60% of food waste comes from UK homes, which results in 18 million tonnes of CO2. It suggests that the average household of four is wasting the equivalent of £1,000 per year on food that ends up in the bin.
“And yet, we have people in the world who are dying of starvation... how wrong are we? Sometimes you just need someone like me to slap you in the face and go: Wakey, wakey! Don’t you see what you’re doing?” Gino says.
“It’s insane to throw all this food away – I think it’s a crime to humans, to humanity, to do what we do.”
And according to Gino, the problem is getting “100% worse”.
“In the shops, every single thing that you buy is wrapped in plastic,” he says. “Where is the excitement, the spirit of smelling an apple or an orange?”
For Gino, the issue isn’t just food waste – but home cooks could benefit from paying a bit more attention to the fruit and veg they buy.
“That’s another thing people don’t understand – I always tell them 50% of the job when you cook is about buying, it’s not about cooking. If you buy the right ingredients, you’re 50% there and the food is going to taste much, much better.”
Gino’s strong opinions around food waste stem from his upbringing: “I didn’t have a family with money, I was brought up on a farm,” he says.
“For me, it’s normal... in my house growing up, there was no throwing stuff in the bin. There was no buying things unless you really needed them. So in my mind, it’s always like: Okay, what do I need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen? I want my family, my children, everybody to understand the amount of food the we are wasting.”
So what can you do to minimise waste in the kitchen? Buying loose fruit and veg is a start, so you only have what you need.
Gino adds: “The best thing that anyone who is in the kitchen [can do] is to learn recipes that you can use leftovers [in].
“Let me give you an example from yesterday: We had lunch, a lot of roasted vegetables, roasted chicken. Usually, what do you do with the leftovers? You’re going to throw them in the bin or you’re going to give it to your dogs if you have animals.
“Or, you’re going to come up with something that you can use that with. There are so many recipes, like risotto or a frittata – like a big omelette. That’s what I did yesterday, I got old roast potatoes, vegetables, everything else [and I thought] I’m going to make a lovely frittata. Because the flavours are already in the vegetables, the flavours are already in the potato – it’s only the technique of putting the eggs together and there’ll be Parmesan cheese on top, then the job was done.”
If you think you’re too busy to go to the supermarket or greengrocer to pick out individual veg, Gino has an answer for that too.
“Yes, yes, yes – but you do have the time to go on social media.
“You do have the time to mess around watching a series on Netflix, movies and stuff like that. You do have the time for drinking in the pub, you do have the time to do millions of other things – but yet you don’t have the time to feed yourself properly.”
For Gino, it speaks to a wider issue about the food ethos in this country: “It’s like driving a Ferrari and putting the s******** petrol you can think of in your car. What’s the point? You have your beautiful car, but when it comes to putting petrol in it, you’re going to choose the cheapest petrol you can get. That doesn’t work, does it?”
■ Find out more on how to Choose What You’ll Use via the Love Food Hate Waste website at lovefoodhatewaste.com/fwaw
WHEN it comes to women’s health, energy levels are among the top concerns, beaten only by mental illness, according to a survey from diet and fitness tracking app MyFitnessPal.
But according to experts, making some judicious changes to what you eat can give you back your verve.
Little and often
Nutritionist Naomi Newman-Beinart says when you eat is as important as what you eat. “Rather than eating three big meals a day, I advise my clients to eat smaller meals more often to help keep a supply of energy.
“Skipping meals can cause a drop in blood sugar, leading to reduced energy, so I recommend eating breakfast within two hours of waking up, then eating every three to four hours. A small snack or a smoothie will do between meals.” Want to boost your energy levels? Experts say when to eat is just as important as what.
Food swaps
Things like switching white bread and pasta for wholemeal grains can help with energy production as wholegrains are a better source of fibre and release glucose into the blood more gradually.
“Start your day with nutritious wholegrain bread or a wrap filled with protein like eggs or tofu, and a healthy fat such as avocado to ensure long-lasting energy,” suggests Stephanie Nelson, registered dietitian and MyFitnessPal’s inhouse nutrition expert (myfitnesspal.com).
Pack in the protein
“Despite not being our primary source of energy, protein is vital for avoiding fatigue,” says Stephanie. “This is because protein can slow the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, preventing blood sugar spikes and crashes. Protein serves a variety of purposes in the body, including forming the enzymes necessary for metabolism and repairing tissues, crucial for preserving energy. These processes slow down if you don’t get enough protein.”
Naomi adds: “This is why I suggest adding protein to smoothies. Not only will this keep you fuller longer, but it slows the absorption of sugar from your smoothie, helping to keep energy levels balanced.”
Iron out deficiencies
“Without enough iron in your diet you may struggle with low levels of oxygen in the blood – anaemia – which can lead to lethargy, weakness, tiredness and apathy,” says Cheryl Lythgoe, matron at Benenden Health.
“To reduce the risk of this, it’s good to eat plenty of iron-rich foods such as red meat, poultry and fish, tofu, beans, pulses and fortified cereals. Not many people know that mussels provide more iron, gram for gram, than steak. Tea can stop you from absorbing iron from food, so avoid drinking it with your meals.”
Equally, a lack of vitamin B12 can cause issues. “B vitamins – found in eggs, milk, beans, wholegrains, lean meat, and bananas – play a vital role in turning food into energy,” says Naomi. “Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products, so if you are vegan or don’t eat things like liver, The right diet can help you maintain good energy levels throughout the day beef, sardines, clams and dairy often, take a good quality B complex such as Better You B-complete oral spray (£14.95, hollandandbarrett. com) to ensure you do not become deficient.”
Anaemia can lead to lethargy, weakness, tiredness and apathy
Matron Cheryl Lythgoe
Fuel up with healthy fats
“Due to the recommendation to eat a low-fat diet for health and weight loss, women frequently don’t consume enough fat,” says Stephanie.
“But good sources of fat can really give you energy and be healthy for your heart. Consider adding additional almonds, olive oil or houmous to your diet as healthy fat sources.”