Food is Fuel
Pedantic preaching vs reality!
I was smiling to myself; delighted as I added Irish wholegrain spelt flour to the dark chocolate brownies and stoneground wheat flour into the sponge cake ahead of our 9-year-olds birthday party. Having to sneak nutritiously beneficial ingredients into our food seems a bizarre, I wonder why I felt so ‘undercover’ doing it. This got me thinking about a conversation with a friend this week on the state of the diets of our children and, having just finished Ultra Processed People, a chat about society’s food in general.
When I think about food or talk about it with others in a diet sense, the main thought in my head is FUEL, before the pleasure. Simply put, we only have one body and what we fuel it with dictates how it will function, at a very simple base level. So why feed your body such poor-quality fuel? Would you run your car on low grade diesel? Is it a lack of knowledge, convenience, cost or apathy?
I want to give my children the best food so they have the best fuel for their bodies and minds to grow and develop but despite our efforts they still aren’t eating as wide and as varied a diet as I would like; it’s a constant conversation (battle!) in our house; to encourage them to try new things. We grow some of our own food, I get them involved in cooking and I explain to them why certain foods are better than others to try and arm them with an informed point of view, a food education. For example, they know about palm oil plantations and the importance of limiting sugar intake (they know but don’t always care).
But are we lacking this kind of knowledge exchange amongst the wider population? Why is it that many don’t care where food/drink comes from or more importantly HOW it’s made? Why do products like Prime muster such demand? What are we missing here? My frustration runs deep; even amongst family there’s the little wink ‘a wee treat once in a while,’ the primary school has a healthy eating policy but hands out Haribo at the end of term and the local secondary school teach children in home economics how to make an Oreo cheesecake if they’ve all been well behaved.
Surely we can do better for the next generation? It has to start with the children, a soil to soul education. We are a farming island, if there was more of an understanding on how farms grow food, with a focus on soil health and biodiversity, through to the agricultural processes involved and then on to nutrition then maybe more heed would be paid. It seems like something fairly simple has become more complicated and disjointed from current affairs; more sickness and disease in society correlates to poor quality food intake but is this widely understood? I’d personally like it to go further into how a nutritionally dense food paired with time in the outdoors has a positive effect on mental wellbeing too.*
When delving deeply into anything at all it’s easy to get yourself tied in knots or worse, obsessed. Going down roads of conspiracy theory or fanaticism of any sort can be divisive, reclusive and effect your ability to interact with others with empathy or understanding. I’ve read lots of food books recently and the scary facts and evidence cannot be ignored but I feel there is a flipside.
The very nature of human beings is social; we are part of a community which enjoys interaction, being able to do so without fear of being reprimanded or indeed excluded is important. A few years ago, I remember feeling uncomfortable at a family get together at a local well-known restaurant; not only did I know that the quality of ingredients were poor but also that there were no ethical considerations or integrity; however being there with the family was perhaps the more important thing to do.
Whilst I could go on about what’s best in a dictatorial and preachy way I certainly don’t stick to a strict code and flexibility comes into play. Being social and people pleasing are definitely two of my traits, so I am prepared to bend my principles slightly if I feel it necessary or for the greater good. Going back to the birthday party; I may have made sure the sweet bakes were better quality but because of time and inclination we cooked frozen pizza and oven chips to feed the masses. Balance. I’m not on a high horse, maybe more a small pony; I love Tayto crisps with my pint and will treat myself to chip shop chips.
I wonder if I will become more stalwart as time goes on; sticking to my ideals, noticing the eye roll from friends when we’re trying to choose somewhere for dinner. I’m happy to see where it takes me. What I really hope is that we, the general public, will become more discerning and enlightened and in a mass food uprising we’ll demand better for both our families and our producers.
*Personal experience, I haven’t any official qualifications in nutrition!
Birthday sponge
This is based on the magnificent Lily Vanilli Vanilla Sponge cake, I use it all the time for a quick and reliable cake. I personally love it sandwiched with a fruit compote and whipped cream.
330g Quality plain flour
300g caster sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
Salt
180g cold unsalted butter, chopped
3 free range eggs
Pinch salt
190ml whole milk
Vanilla essence
Preheat oven to 170 degrees, line 2 7 inch cake tines with greaseproof.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the eggs and briefly mix until combined, on the slowest speed add the milk and vanilla in a steady stream. Once mixed in, scrape down the sides and turn the mixer up to full speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy, pour into your tins and bake for 25 minutes.
Just for balance, lets look at the ingredients of a bug shaped cake from the supermarket and consider the necessity of including these weird things…
This cake costs £7.50, I did a quick calculation and the cake above is comparable if you add a buttercream icing. Though for taste and goodness it is way better!
Hi Ciara, I say keep up your high standards. You just want better for you and your family and your homeland so what’s wrong with that?
Brilliant piece, that balance of compromise Vs progress!