Staying as healthy as possible
Everyone needs to think about what they eat and drink so they stay as healthy as possible. However as hospitality and restaurant operators, you can positively influence your customers’ health and well-being through the food and drinks you serve. By providing balanced and nutritious options, you can promote healthier eating habits.
What does our Nutritionist suggest?
We asked Kate Law, Founder and Director of The Food Boss, a nutrition consultancy to make some suggestions that we can all follow.
Optimise the intake of vitamins and minerals
As the evenings draw in and the temperature starts to drop it’s time to start thinking about food throughout winter to optimise vitamins and mineral intake. One of the best ways to do this is by eating a large variety of seasonal plant-based foods.
Try to eat red meat just once a week
Beef has the biggest environmental footprint out of all meat products so eating less can make a big difference. Whilst it is a great source of iron, red and processed meat in large amounts is not great for our overall health. It has positive associations with colon cancer and also contains a high level of saturated fat. Processed red meat products are also often high in salt. Try to consume red meat (beef, lamb, pork, ham, bacon) just once a week. If you are making a bolognaise, stew or chilli, replace half the meat content with red lentils to increase the fibre content of the meal and reduce the environmental impact at the same time.
Make the most of seasonal vegetables
Over the autumn and winter months the vegetables below are in season in the UK. The majority of the UK population don’t consume enough fruit and vegetables or achieve the daily recommendation for fibre of 20 grams so here are some great ways to enhance these.
Pumpkin
Contains beta carotene which is important for eye health. Roast the flesh and use in a blended soup, then toast the seeds in the oven to use a soup topper and minimise food waste.
Spinach
A great source of plant-based iron and fibre. By adding vegetables into a breakfast dish it makes it easier to achieve a higher intake of daily fibre by “getting ahead first thing”. Spinach is a great addition to omelettes or sautéed in a pan and served with poached eggs and mushrooms.
Cabbage & Kale
Both are packed with vitamin C which is vital for healthy skin. Sauté in a pan with a knob of butter and some fresh garlic and chilli as a simple and effective side dish.
Peppers
Contain antioxidants which help to protect the skin and eyes from damaging free radicals. Also, a great source of beta carotene and vitamin C. Another great breakfast veggie, perfect for omelettes or roasted with tomatoes to have as a side with eggs.
Top tips for eating more fruit and veg
- Each week try to eat one fruit or vegetable that you have never tried before, then make a list of the ones you like.
- Varying your plant food sources also encourages a variety of good bacteria to thrive in your gut/tummy.
Set a target of eating 30 different plant-based foods each week
This isn’t just fruit and veg but anything from plants and is a great activity to do with children. Make a wall or fridge chart and get them to keep track of the new foods and the ones they like.
Tea and coffee count towards staying hydrated
In the colder months it can seem more challenging to focus on hydration. Staying hydrated plays a big role in our overall wellbeing, aids digestion and helps mental clarity. It’s not JUST about water though. Tea, coffee, sparkling water, herbal teas, flavoured waters, hot lemon water all count. And increasing fruit and veg consumption will also help hydration status.
Discover more?
Arrange a time with Stuart Moore. An experienced restauranteur and entrepreneurial professional, passionate about gaining a deep understanding of what you need, before building a partnership that creates long-term value. Then proactively delivering powerful and innovative solutions to drive business performance. He is an inquisitive thinker, problem solver and solutions provider. Indicater.com is a modular, cloud-based platform that simplifies your multi-unit hospitality or restaurant operations, controls your costs and ingredient compliance – in real-time. Providing clear financial visibility and powerful insights into your business data, combined with excellent support from our UK team of ex-hospitality professionals and technologists. The company was founded in 2000, and operates independently with the support and resources of the Volaris Group, a buy-and-hold acquirer of software businesses, who focus on the long term success of their companies.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.