Delicious UK - (02)February 2020

your health.

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PHOTOGRAPHS

AND

ILLUSTRATIONS:

JES

SIE

WHEALEY,

ISTOCK/GETTY

IMAGES

SEASON’S EATINGS

What’s at its best right now – and why it’s so good for you

SWEET POTATOES

Sweet and comforting, filling and versatile: there’s a lot to love

about sweet potatoes. Happily, these radiant root veg are nourishing,

too. Just 80g – about one medium sweet potato – counts as one of

your five-a-day. The orange ones (there are white varieties, too) are

particularly rich in fibre, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant

that converts to vitamin A when eaten.

How to enjoy

Because they’re sweeter and ‘wetter’ than standard potatoes

when cooked, less butter or milk is needed to whip up smooth and

creamy mash. Thanks to the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, they

caramelise beautifully when chopped and roasted: include them

in leaf or grain-based salads, or add to stock and whizz to make soup.

Find the recipe for the warming sweet potato and ginger soup, left, at

deliciousmagazine.co.uk

DID YOU

KNOW?

Fruit and veg, meat,

poultry and fish are

generally in the

outer aisles of the

supermarket. Keep

to the perimeter

and your shop will

be quicker and

based on fresh,

whole foods.

“TWO DIET DRINKS A DAY COULD

INCREASE THE RISK OF EARLY

DEATH BY MORE THAN A QUARTER”

So declared one newspaper report

on research by the World Health

Organisation looking at soft drink

consumption and health problems.

But aren’t soft drink manufacturers

being praised for using artificial

sweeteners instead of sugar?

As it turns out, the headlines

didn’t tell the full story. Researchers

asked more than 450,000 adults

about their soft drink habits over

16 years, but they didn’t specifically

investigate the health effects of

artificially sweetened drinks. What’s

more, the study’s authors pointed

out that early deaths might have

been due to generally unhealthy

lifestyles that included soft drinks,

rather than sweetened beverages

being the actual cause (although this

wasn’t widely reported). Conclusion?

It’s wise to limit your intake of soft

drinks, however they’re sweetened.

WHAT THE

PAPERS SAY

TRENDING ACORNS

Cancel the kale order and head for the forest: acorns are now a superfood.

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry triggered the trend, reporting

acorns might be useful in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. A note of

warning: acorns contain tannins, which can be toxic to humans and animals,

so only eat ripe ones (brown, not green) and soak them in water first. See

the Woodland Trust website (woodlandtrust.org.uk) for more details.

IN:SAVOURY BREAKFAST

Manufacturers of breakfast

cerealhave persuaded us

thatthe first meal of the

daymust be sweet. But

savoury breakfasts can

be just as speedy and

more nutritious.

Although they’re

often fortified

with nutrients,

breakfast cereals

are often highly

processed and

stuffed with sugar.

CONSIDER A SAVOURY

PORRIDGE: just add

leftover cooked veg,

grated cheese and herbs,

and a poached egg. Or top

wholemeal toast with smoked

salmon or tinned sardines.

SWAP

SHOP

BECAUSE SM A LL

CHANGES CAN MAKE

A BIG NUTRITIONAL

DIFFERENCE

OUT: SUGARY

BREAKFASTS