My take on food and health:

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Food plays a major role in my life. Food preparation is part of my essence. I believe that nutritious food is a wonderful tool to support our body and minds. My food preparation is guided by happiness and healthfullness.

The information below and my own personal opinions have been shaped by years of reading up about food, whether from culinary, nutritive or biochemical perspectives. Despite never having learnt or trained as a nutritionist, my biochemical studies (BSc) and in biological sciences (MSc and PhD) provide a sturdy platform for me to understand nutritional principles which I read independently. I create healthy foods which may be suitable for specific needs and dietary restrictions. Since there is no single doctrine dictating my food, I am writing a summary of the raw materials I like and choose to include in my cooking.

In essence, I aspire to use raw materials which support our physical needs, as well as our emotional needs. Using 'clean' and unprocessed products (or minimally processed products) is that which guides my cooking ethic.

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Sweets and sweetners:

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I love (like, really love!) sweets! However, processed white sugar (and brown sugar too) are not so healthy for us, they are devoid of nutritional value and have a high glycemic value.

Instead of white / brown sugar I make use of the following sweeteners:

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Flours:

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Fats:

 

Our body likes fat, it needs fats and fats are healthy for us (in the correct amounts that is), however, not all fats were made equal.... and often those that were originally superior in their qualities are processed  to improve their chemical properties for cooking and baking purposes leaving them less beneficial and even harmful.

The fats I stick to in my kitchen are:

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Allergies and sensitivities:

Nuts and peanuts: I am not equipped to cater for people with nut allergies unfortunately.

Coeliacs and gluten intolerances: The majority of my food contains not glutinous grains and is 'naturally gluten free' technically. However, with that, I cannot promise its suitability for people with coeliac or with severe gluten sensitivities as all my pulses, oats, nuts and spices are purchased from production lines that have not been certified gluten free.

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Do you have a specific diet you are following?

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Pantry anomalies:

Although I aspire to use the cleanest and least processed raw materials, I still have some processed products in my pantry which contain less-than-optimal ingredients. Since I believe that delicious food and taking joy in your food are part of being happy and healthy, I prefer not to compromise on the flavour of a dish, with regards of course to health profile of what I am adding and the quantity required. Feel free to press think link to see the ingredients that fall into this category.

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How expensive is it to eat great food that is healthy?

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