Great British food

Don’t sacrifice taste when making a meal healthy. Great British food can by delicious while you’re watching your diet

British food has come a long way since the days of the tragic British Rail sandwich and depressing chain pub carveries, but it still doesn’t exactly have a healthy image. All those trendy gastropub meals of bubble and squeak and roast venison with cranberry jus may be a whole lot better than the home-grown food of the 60s and 70s, but waistline whittling, they are not.

So how do you do British food healthily? To celebrate British Food Fortnight (20^th September – 5th October), here are my tips for tweaking traditional dishes to make them lighter.

Full English breakfast

A cooked breakfast doesn’t have to be a heart attack on a plate. In fact, next to the sugarfest of many packaged cereals, it can actually be a healthy choice. Choose lean back bacon and a good organic sausage, and grill rather than fry. Dump the fried bread and replace it with a slice of grilled sourdough. Add a scrambled egg and you have a great high-protein start to the day.

Roast beef and Yorskshire pudding

Roast beef is a fantastic source of complete protein and iron. The problem with this dish then is not the meat, but the Yorkshire. Your best bet is to ditch it and substitute with oven-roasted veg. Place peeled carrots on a baking tray, drizzle with maple syrup, spinkle with sea salt and roast in the oven until caramelised.

Sausage and mash

Yes, sausages can be fatty, but opting for the higher-quality versions can actually be good for you. Make your own onion gravy, sweating the onions slowly in a non-stick pan so the amount of oil necessary is minimal. Substituting normal white potatoes with sweet potatoes will reduce the glycaemic index, too. Sweet potatoes are also high in disease-fighting antioxidants, making them a healthier choice regardless of GI.

Fish and chips

We Brits do love our batter, don’t we? If you really can’t say no to a crispy coating on your white fish, you’re better off using wholemeal breadcrumbs. Dust your fish with flour, then dip it in beaten eggs. Roll in breadcrumbs then place on a non-stick baking tray and cook in the oven. The fashion for twice-frying chips is also a bit of a nutritional nightmare. If you must have real chips, cut the portion size and only fry once, or better yet, do a baked potato.

Lowri Turner is a nutritionist and clinical hypnotherapist. She sees clients in North London. To make an appointment, please email lowri@lowriturner.com or go to www.lowriturner.com