With the seasonal excess, extravagance, sugar and waste firmly in the rear view mirror, our thoughts often turn in January to how to eat more healthily, and how to lower our carbon footprint. So this month I’ve picked two splendid titles that will help us do that – and save some money in the process. Happy New Year! Wayne.
Unprocess Your Life – Rob Hobson
January’s traditionally the time to re-evaluate what we eat. Following on from a year that saw the success of the book ‘Ultra-Processed People’ by Chris van Tulleken, the nutritionist Rob Hobson looks at our intake of food from another angle and examines the way ultra-processed food items can make up at least 50 per cent of the average family’s weekly shop.
The term ‘ultra processed food’ doesn’t only include the obvious candidates like sweets and ready meals – so often a ‘healthy’ cereal or fruit drink falls into the category. So many things we eat have been through a multitude of procedures and places before we see it, even if we assume from clever packaging that it’s fresh.
As our relationship with food convenience and cost evolves, this can be less obvious to spot. Helpfully, this book has an excellent breakdown of the official NOVA system of categorisation from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation.
There are useful FAQs answered and then some really useful information on buying and storing various foods.
The recipes are really well laid out – straightforward, with appealing photographs of what you could be making to eat this year.
The roasted red pepper, pesto and hot sauces are all particularly tempting, along with the spiced aubergine stew, not to mention the sweet potato brownies and the orange, cardamom and honey polenta cake!
The Green Budget Guide: 101 Planet and Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle
Saving money doesn’t have to cost the earth. How can you remove even the toughest stains? How can you make the best use of your microwave but keep meals healthy and tasty? How can you remove mould safely? Sunday Times bestselling author and Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle is here to answer all of these questions and more, featuring 101 thoughtful, cheap and time-saving tips and tricks on how to run a budget and home, all while protecting the environment
