This is a blog post that has been brewing for a while. I detest the idea of counting calories and I’m going to explain…
This year is the year that I finally let myself out; out of the box that I’ve thought I should be in and free to say what I really think. Sometimes you may not agree with what I say, but I feel that I’ve known you long enough that you’ll stick around and hear me out.
This year is the year that I challenge. The year that I no longer fear the repercussions of straight talking.
Our health service is in crisis. Our health as a nation is in decline. It’s time that we all start making small changes to make a big impact, as I explained to ‘Roo’ and ‘Pickle’ at the breakfast table yesterday.
We may not be able to change the world, but by each and every one of us making tiny changes, those changes add up!
I regularly get frustrated by the ‘lines’ that the government feed us about health. They still spout nonsense about following a low fat diet when there is evidence that this is severely detrimental…
They tell us to choose our food using the Eat Well Guide, when everything I have read suggests we should be eating far more vegetables and less carbohydrates…
They educate our children with out of date information pushing low fat and lower sugar rather than pushing ‘real’ foods.
They even talk about counting our childrens’ calories in their latest crazy Change4Life campaign. You can read what I think about that here.
Every week I am asked what the calorie and fat content of my recipes are. This is information that I don’t provide and for very good reason.
I’m not here to endorse that kind of restricted diet.
When I talk about restricted diets I am talking about diets that have to exclude certain ingredients due to allergy or intolerance.
I don’t believe there is a place for counting calories in life. It’s way too short and it’s an inaccurate measure of food. I think it has the potential to make people choose the wrong foods. Clearly it would be better to eat 50g of nuts than a chocolate bar (due to the nutrients in the nuts). However, their calorie count may be the same. And if I were counting calories I know which food I would choose.
Counting calories misses the point!
Food should be enjoyed, not obsessed over. By forever counting calories you fail to see the joy in food. The restrictions are hard to maintain and you feel bad about yourself when you go over your ‘allowance’.
For me it seems much better to eat a bit of everything in moderation. To focus on eating ‘real food’. By that I mean wholegrains, colourful fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses and a little good quality meat and fish. To generally avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars, but of course, to have treats every now and again. The aim should be to feel alive and well, to actively take part in life, rather than to be ‘thin’, unhappy and lethargic.
I strongly believe that kids shouldn’t miss out too. And we all wants treats sometimes, right?
So although we have a focus on eating ‘real’ foods, I still make treats, albeit more wholesome versions. It’s why I developed my wholegrain gluten-free flour blends so that I could bake delicious foods, but ones that contained more of the vital nutrients they need. And most importantly that didn’t contain more rice, something that has arsenic in it and which appears in so many processed gluten-free foods and flour blends.
This year I am re-introducing my body to beans and pulses.
Due to my Irritable Bowel Syndrome I’ve been unable to tolerate them for years. However, I’m determined to have another go; preparing them properly (buying dried ones and then soaking them before cooking them) and introducing them slowly. They contain great sources of fibre and protein, the former being something the gluten-free diet is often lacking in.
I’m far from perfect! I have days when I eat sugary treats and every meal contains refined carbohydrates from products I’ve bought from the shops (there is a place for such things, just not every day!).
I battle with the kids to eat their fruit and veg and reduce their obsession with sugar. But we’re trying…which goes back to making small changes to make a big difference.
In addition to my usual recipes, I’m also going to be sharing my tips around a more natural way of life with everything from natural skincare and alternatives to medicines to cleaning products. The more I read, the more I realise how the chemicals we surround ourselves with could potentially be damaging our health and leading to more allergies.
So you’ll never see my recipes with a calorie count on them, nor the fat content, nor the portion size. I’m not here to help you make your life miserable. I’m here to help make your life wholesome, nutritious and happy which I think is much more important.
Belinda Coney says
Go Girl, I completely agree with you!
Vicki Montague says
Phew!
Natalie Emery says
Me too. It’s about good nutrients and enjoying all food in moderation.
Neal. says
Fantastic post Vicki.
I’m sure you know me well enough by now to know that I’m not one to restrict myself with what I’m eating. It just makes life miserable.
Now your flour is a big part of my life for exactly the reason you developed it .
Vicki Montague says
I’m so glad Neal.
Charlotte Marsh says
Yes yes and yes!!
I detest the “eat well” guide and can only feel it is tainted by hidden corporate sponsorship and conflicts of interest. (Diet drink, margarine)
Also presuming the public is ignorant about dietary information and providing advice in a patronising way eg: swap a Coke for a Diet Coke, err NO! Just because some families may not choose to ditch fizzy drinks, don’t make that the government approved standard advice
Vicki Montague says
Oh yes. I can only imagine that all of this ‘health’ advice is sponsored by big corporates. It makes me sick. Hey ho. It is the job of us to spread the word!!
Sophie Chalk says
Well said Vicki! Being a child of the 70’s/80’s I remember my mum and older sisters constantly calorie counting, we had little books with calorie info in them. This had an effect on me and through my teenage years I pretty much lived of Lean Cuisines ? I was livid with the info that the government has given out about 100 calorie snacks for our children. My kids know that a calorie is not a calorie, calories are not equal. They know how important it is to have a diverse diet and they know that Sports drinks wreck your body. So in a very round about way, i’m saying hear hear! I love what you’re saying and doing!!
Vicki Montague says
Thanks so much Sophie. Little steps eh? We can all make a difference if we do our little bit to educate…even if it’s just our children, who then tell other children!
Trish says
I’m on board with not counting calories, but what about the carb count? Sorry, my attempt at humour. I’m often gobsmacked by how little people know about basic nutrition. I had a conversation with someone yesterday who couldn’t understand why a bacon sandwich on doughy white bread wasn’t an adequate dinner. Looking forward to your natural way of life blogs. Bring it on!
Vicki Montague says
It is quite unbelievable isn’t it?? I always think that because I surround myself with people like me, that everyone knows this stuff…but that just simply isn’t the case. Sooo, it’s time I spoke out in the hopes of reaching some of those people!
Hilary says
Hi Vicki
Brilliant blog especially the bit about the Healthy Plate. All this low calorie, low fat rubbish!
Do check out the Food4Health Plate from The Alliance for Natural Health–this is what many nutritional therapists use-so much more balanced.
Looking forward to more plain speaking blogs in 2018 🙂
Vicki Montague says
Oooo thanks for the recommendation. I will check that out. I think it’s really simple isn’t it? You don’t need a diagram to tell you what real food is…the stuff that doesn’t have any ingredients ;)!
MichelleinScotland says
I absolutely agree. I get really quite cross when people say ‘I hope that’s the low-fat version’ or ‘I hope that’s the sugar-free version’. A little of everything in moderation.
Hannah says
Hi Vicki what a great blog I absolutely agree. Everything in moderation. By the way love your flour?.
Your recipe for gluten free Yorkshire’s is brilliant fluffy every time. I bought tapioca starch from Doves farm but they only do it in small pots so I bought Tianas organic cassava flour off Amazon, big mistake!! Totally different to tapioca even though it’s from the cassava root I’m confused?. Are you able to tell me why it doesn’t make Yorkshire’s please?Thanks.
Vicki Montague says
Hi Hannah! Sorry for the delay in responding! Cassava flour is, as you say completely different from tapioca. Tapioca is a pure starch that is refined…it’s made when the starch is squeezed out of the yucca root after processing! Cassava flour is as you say, from the same plant but is the whole root, dried and ground. It’s far more dense and therefore won’t give you the same result with Yorkshire puddings 🙁
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Yep! Absolutely agree.
I had a fascinating discussion with Miss GF the other day after she asked why the government are suggesting children should eat less calories than they actually need?’ We ended up talking about obesity and food choices. She interestingly commented on her observation that there are very few obese children at her grammar school, yet the non-grammar up the road has lots of overweight kids who (she noted) are often queuing outside the local chippie after school. So we considered why that might be in terms of equality/parent employment status/parents education and understanding of nutrition/willingness to make family meals from scratch, etc etc etc. It speaks for itself! x
Vicki Montague says
Interesting!