The ‘health’ foods that aren’t all that…

An article on the BBC Good Food website, Top 10 health foods to avoid, caught my attention this week. Under this slightly paradoxical banner nutritionist Fiona Hunter lays into ten ‘so called health foods’ that might not be living up to the hype and costing us big at the checkout.

Any PT will tell you that a good diet is as important as exercise in achieving results, but trying to define exactly what ‘a good diet’ is can be hard to nail down. Let’s be honest, much of the dietary advice we read in magazines and floating around online is contemporary in nature and rooted more in opinion and dubious science than scientific fact. Fads come and go and the superfood du jour may well not end up being de rigueur in a month or two. Perhaps these fads should come with best-before dates, to make it easier for those of us trying to stay atop of all this to know when it’s safe to dispose of and move onto next new best thing.

So it was a relief to stumble upon an article that dares to challenge the status quo, a breath of fresh air in the stifling circus tent of latest nutrition orthodoxy. Finally, someone is willing to stand up and say "Hang on a minute... these health-foods aren't all that!" and expose them for what they are - unnecessary and overhyped.

I read with a sense of vindication. My decision to buck the trend and stick with ordinary home-brand runny honey rather than purse-battering Manuka honey was validated. It gets better - I don't have to force myself to try and like almond or oat milk in my tea. I don't have to pipeline a million and one blueberries or beetroots to get my antioxidants and I don't have to feed my long-suffering kids fruit leathers because a beautiful crunchy apple is much better for them.

All this is not to say that I can’t see a place for these foods, and there is patently a market for them. For some, they are a necessity due to intolerance’s and allergies. However, in these times of rising prices and shrinking budgets, let's ease the pressure on ourselves, take a step back, push the marketing hype to one side and simply see things for what they really are.

Don't feel pressured into buying random expensive items just because you've read that they're good for you - they may well not deliver. And there’s the chance they’ll end up gathering dust in the back of the cupboard like my tin of green lentils and chickpeas. Aim to include a variety of fruit and veg, healthy fats and wholegrain carbs and do the best you can with your time and finances.

For me, the best I can do to achieve the 'healthiest' diet I can is to try and always cook from first principles using a variety of normal simple ingredients. No frills. That way, I know exactly what's in my dinner and avoid the pitfalls of UPF, hidden sugars and silly amounts of salt.

Bravo Fiona, more please, and let’s hope this this article is still in date by next month!