5th October 2016

Courgette, carrot and feta fritters with mint

I recently went to Kefalonia for my honeymoon and we ate these delicious fritters with our meal one evening, so I decided to give them a go when we got home.  Vegetable fritters are versatile and a great way to get your 5 a day but the addition of feta and mint gave a real taste zing which makes them fantastic for dinner parties (use the leftover mint for caipirinhas!)   Makes about 8 fritters   You’ll need 1 large courgette, grated 2 carrots, peeled and grated A handful of shredded fresh mint leaves Black pepper 1 egg, beaten 8 slices of feta cheese, about 2cm square and 0.5cm thick 1tbsp rapeseed oil   How to Mix together the courgette, […]
22nd August 2016

What happened to the Childhood Obesity Strategy?

The recently published Government report on Childhood Obesity made for disappointing reading for most health campaigners with criticism being levelled at the reduction of a 50-page document to 10 pages of suggestions and proposals, issued in the parliamentary recess, in the middle of the Olympics, while ministers were away and therefore unable to discuss the content in parliament.   Overall, there were numerous key omissions versus last year’s Public Health England recommendations, notably on supermarket price promotions and marketing but also in the area of early years’ nutrition.  Why is this important?   PHE’s evidence-based report showed that marketing, whether via TV, brand characters, advergames or product placement within the supermarket, can influence children’s food preferences in favour of less […]
25th April 2013

Celebrity Chefs – Mealtime staples or just for treats?

Today’s Telegraph article Celebrity Chefs – Are they making us ill? reveals, from my recipe analysis, that the meals we make after watching our favourite chefs on TV or reading their books may not always be all that healthy.   I analysed a range of recipes, from indulgent desserts like chocolate hazelnut cheesecake to mealtime staples like shepherds’ pie.  While you might expect a Nigella dessert to be loaded with sugar and fat, which is fine once in a while, you may be more surprised to find a fail-safe family favourite like shepherds’ pie to contain over 100% of the guideline daily amount for saturated fat in one serving.   Much as the evidence linking saturated fat to heart health […]