live | plant-based power

The government have announced that we all need to be eating 7-10 portions of fruit and veggies every day.  This doesn't really come as news.  We all know that greens are good for us! I wasn't really aware just how good they are, though.  

I was watching the news whilst eating my bowl of oats the other morning, and a lady on the news was being interviewed about the new recommendation.  Her study had revealed that whilst those who ate between 7 - 10 portions of fruit and vegetables reported massive increases in several health areas, these benefits were also felt by those who regularly ate just 1 portion a day, and had increased it to 2 or 3.  

We all hear 'eat 7 - 10 portions of fruit and veg per day' and wonder - is it so bad if one day I had 6? Or 4? Or conversely, what happens if I have 11?  How it be that each individual out there (I stress individual), eating 7 - 10 portions of plants is the way to be at optimum health?  

What the interviewee made me aware of, is that really, the recommendation should not be phrased in such a numeric form.  It ought to have been: 'whatever you're currently eating, eat more'.  And with this sentiment, I sympathise.  

Green goddesses 

(and Gods of course!) 

The World Cancer Research Fund has said that eating at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day can help reduce our risk of cancer, and keep a healthy weight.  Bowel cancer, in particular, is affected by the quality of our diets, and if we ate more fibre in the form of wholefoods about an eighth of cases could be prevented!  Wholegrains can also help to cut risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.  

So, we try to go for, as a general benchmark, around two thirds of the food on our plates as plant-based, and one third as animal-based.  Plant-based can include your fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, beans, etc.  Animal-based foods, on the other hand, are things like meats, fish and poultry (obviously), but also eggs and dairy (don't forget them!) 

Of course, we are not saying that animal-based foods are unhealthy! Of course not! Just as an example, an egg is really one of the best superfoods out there.  So we're not suggesting you steer clear of them.  It's more that we've had a bit of a sudden realisation that we've got to be careful about how much animal-based produce we eat, not just for our health but for the environment too.  

Not just for your health... 

If we are to carry on eating animals with a clean conscience, we've got to stop doing it so frequently.  Another recent news story was that as projected populations increase, we're going to start running out of food for the planet.  How can we produce enough to feed everyone healthily?  

What about the money? 

It's not as expensive as you might think to use more plants in your cooking.  If you replace some of the meat with plants, you'll make a significant saving! Think about the cost of lentils, compared to chicken breasts.  So we'll try to choose smaller amounts of higher quality meat, and then substitute some of the meat in a dish with beans or lentils.  If you like a shepherd's pie, for example, you could use half the amount of mince you normally do, and then use some lentils to bulk it out.  

There's also the option of trying tofu, or Quorn.  You can make a Quorn spaghetti taste just like a normal spaghetti - when Mum tried it at home with us, we couldn't tell the difference! 

Don't neglect fish, though.  Often, the oily fish that's so good for us is actually cheapest - things like mackerel and sardines aren't prohibitively expensive and taste great too.  They say to get about 2 portions a week for that hit of Omega-3.  

As for calcium,  there's actually more in almond milk than cow's milk, especially when you buy the fortified versions. However, while almond milk has a greater nutritional value, cow's milk beats it big time on protein, with eight grams compared with one gram per serving respectively. Iron is more difficult, so do make sure you've got a bit of red meat in there - try a lean steak, and plant-sources include things like kale, peas, broccoli (our favourite!), chickpeas and cashew nuts.  

What are we going to do? 

Well, we're not going to stop eating animal-products.  To be honest, we didn't eat that much meat and animal-products to start with.  If you eat lots, we'd say to cut down, but if you're like us, we're just going to be more mindful of the volume we buy and eat in the future.  If you are vegetarian or vegan, that's great!  I know these diets can be super health-giving.  What I would suggest is to listen to what your body wants.  If your body responds well to a vegetarian or vegan diet, that's really good.  Just get out there and get the information you need to eat well without animal-products.  I know that I am just fine eating some animal-products, and I also know that I love fish and seafood, so for that reason alone I would be upset to see it go!  But, in light of the environmental and health reasons, I know it's best to limit how much animal-products we're consuming.  Just so that they remain sustainable, and people in the future can carry on benefiting from them.

At the end of the day, it's all about getting that balance. Your preferences are your own, so switch it up accordingly. Your  body will thank you if you tune into it. I see health as highly individual. It's not about sticking religiously to dogmas, but it is responding to your own individual needs that will bring rewards.

What do you think? 

Enjoy today!!

rosinaviolets    x