Author Archives: suzanneanderegg

The unstoppable rise of cabbage

As I dashed into my local supermarket to buy some last minute items, I found myself unintentionally following the latest food trend. While I queued up with my basket alongside the other hurried shoppers, my attention was drawn to the conversation ahead. Very on-trend, they agreed, while eyeballing another shopper scanning in front. But as I went to take a nosy peek, I was surprised by what I saw. It wasn’t a new protein powder, plant milk or some rogue magnesium elixir. It wasn’t a super-grain, a novel fake meat or anything remotely matcha. All I could see was a bright green pointed cabbage being swiftly bagged up. I looked down at my own wrinkly savoy and thought I must have misheard. But I soon learned that cabbage is having its moment.

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Gingerbread has gone rogue this Christmas

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As we begin December and the lead up to Christmas, my attention keeps returning to food. Not about what I’m eating at any given moment or what I’m going to eat for my next meal. But I am stuck in a brain loop of sorts about the prospect of cooking and baking everything in time for Christmas. Every year, it is a logistical nightmare to find the time to bake Christmas cookies, pies and cakes, amongst work, family and holiday commitments. And the timing is pretty crucial. If you bake too early, you risk either running out of everything or being completely bored by it by the time Christmas rolls around. But if you do it too late, you will find yourself facing towers of leftover mince pies until Valentine’s Day. Then there is the big question of what to cook on Christmas day itself. Do you make the same traditional meal yet again or make the bold choice to mix it up with some new flavours and sides? It’s always a risky move to ‘go big or go home’ when you can’t hide in your own kitchen.

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Why not all ultra-processed foods are Killers

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Like many people, I watched the latest documentary from Channel 4 with much interest. But Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill did not turn out to be a fly-on-the-wall series about training the nation’s lockdown PE teacher to become a member of the Secret Service. Instead, he joined Dr Chris van Tulleken on a quest to expose the dangers of ultra-processed foods, where they pitted themselves against the super-heavyweights of snacking, protein bars. These chewy monstrosities were once something that only those seeking marginal gains would scoff at the gym but they now permeate every newsagent, supermarket checkout and office countertop. Since protein bars are commonly sold under the innocent guise of being a healthy snack, the daring duo set out to show how lax regulations were allowing them to be anything but.

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Healthy hacks to meet your budget

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There’s a sure sign, which I can’t help but notice, that marks the start of another academic year. It is suddenly much easier to get through the maze of supermarket aisles. Not that I am complaining about being rammed by child-sized mini-trollies. Or about one occasion, where I was almost ploughed down by a child bombing down the cereal aisle on a bike. After all, even though my children have grown up, I am still a parent. But all parents, if they’re honest, will readily admit that doing a weekly shop is far easier, less stressful and more efficient sans sprogs. Primarily because you can choose your purchases freely and without the prospect of facing any further negotiations or arguments. Not to mention, because you also have a bit more control over exactly what you spend. Although, with the cost of living crisis hitting most families’ budgets, it is getting more difficult to make any savings when it comes to buying healthy food.

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Does ‘5-a-day’ still keep the doctor away?

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With the constant stream of world events vying for attention in the media, it takes a lot to make it into the headlines these days. Nonetheless, the latest results from the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) did just that recently with some depressing news about our dietary habits. It won’t come as any surprise to learn that too many of us are still eating an unhealthy diet and are contributing to the rise in obesity in adults and children. The numbers are even worse for those living in deprivation amidst the rising double burdens of high food and energy costs. However, as someone who likes to take a deep dive into the nutrition numbers, I still found some of the figures startling. Especially when it comes to getting our basic ‘5-a-day’.