It’s hard to ignore at the moment, across social media, in magazines and bestselling books – step forward “eating clean”, brought to you in a thousand Instagram and Pinterest images by a tribe of glamorous young women, notably Ella Woodward, Amelia Freer and the Hemsley sisters. “Clean” foodies have a passion for all things kale and courgetti, “spiralising” veg into noodles, blasting fruit into smoothies, all served simply with a scattering of pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts, preferably blitzed – chia seeds optional.
“It’s about eating healthily, not counting calories,” says nutritional therapist Amelia Freer, author of bestseller Eat Nourish Glow. Her philosophy is: take control of your health and, above all, keep foods as close to their natural state as possible. No deprivation and dieting, we should think about food as “something that can nourish and protect”, she says. Which some may say amounts to pretty much the same thing as the usual rules: no pasta, no sugar, no fat. Freer disagrees, however, and believes that our bad habits can be replaced with something that tastes as good and makes you feel better. So if pizza is a weakness, switch it for this homemade version, with a cauliflower base, herby pesto and roasted veg topping.
The cornerstone of Freer’s approach is to detox your kitchen. If the foundations are good, she says, it’s easier to eat more healthily. It’s all about starting out with the right equipment and ingredients close at hand. We meet in my kitchen for a consultation, and Freer is quick to suggest a new tool which could transform my cooking habits. I should switch the pasta maker for a spiraliser, she says, which can be used to make courgetti – thinly sliced courgettes used in place of spaghetti. Freer suggests sauteeing the courgetti in a little olive oil and garlic, then stirring in some pureed avocado, chilli flakes and a little fresh crab meat.
Freer is glowing, charming and relaxed in person, although slightly less so when she peeks in a drawer of my freezer and spots ice-cream and chips (“I don’t want to sound judgemental but why would we give children food we wouldn’t eat ourselves?”) Somehow I avoid telling her I eat them too. Never mind. She’s forgiving when she spots my son’s fizzy drinks (“They’re liquid sugar!”), and suggests sparkling water with fresh fruit instead.
Eating clean is all about basic food assembly rather than fancy recipes. Assembly is even easier if you group your foods in the right place. “It’s really simple if you can go to a section or shelf in your fridge – one for protein (prawns, eggs, chicken and tofu), one for veg, one for fruit.” And one drawer in your freezer for frozen fruit. “Refined sugar in all its forms is best avoided,” she advises, suggesting I switch my tub of ice cream for frozen smoothies instead.
Freer’s approach is to not give up everything you love and focus instead on what you can include. My “thing” is bread. That’s fine, says Freer, but I should swap unnatural margarine for a pure product like organic virgin coconut oil, or even just plain old butter – both are better for you, in moderation.
It’s easy to get lazy at home and snack on sandwiches, cheese and biscuits. Freer’s advice? Keep appetising ingredients in the fridge to mix and match in salads: prawns, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chick peas. I’m not a big fruit fan so Freer suggests combining it with savouries; mango and halloumi, or pomegranate seeds and feta are favourites. Freer is also strict about the benefits of packed lunches – “If you leave the house without food, there are very few healthy options.” Swap sandwiches for fish or leftovers. Freer suggests cooking more than you can eat the night before; grilled salmon or steamed veg are both ideal. Poached chicken retains moisture, so keep some in the fridge along with a couple of big salads to pick and mix.
Freer is not happy to spot sugary treats in my cupboard. “Just don’t got there, or the cascade of sugar cravings and hunger will kick in.” The good news is I can make a switch that is easy to get behind: good quality dark chocolate with over 70% cocoa is given the thumbs up.
Like many Nutribullet converts, I’m still not optimising my five a day. “I often see people making smoothies with five portions of fruit, which is a mismatch. Go for three to four veg to one fruit: try avocado, fennel or celery.” Almonds are good too. I should also ditch the packaged veg. “They lose their nutrients very quickly,” says Freer. I can’t help agreeing. Is life really too short to slice a carrot?
After Freer is finished, my bad habits have been transformed. I’ve learned to spiralise, blitz, and scatter my pomegranate seeds liberally. My detoxed fridge is a temple – albeit a temple with ice cream and chips, but nobody’s perfect.
