Superfood - March-April 2017

16 SUPERFOOD

PROPER HEALTHY FOOD

NICK KNOWLES

Find out what made DIY SOS TV presenter Nick Knowles

turn his hand to writing a vegetarian cookbook.

You’re best known for

presenting the television show

DIY SOS, so what inspired you to

a write a cookbook?

A trip to Thailand changed my

headspace, lifestyle and way of

eating. I have a healthier body and

mind. I also have years of cooking

and a vast experience of travelling

and eating local cuisine worldwide.

Tell us about your new book,

Proper Healthy Food...

It’s for anyone who would like to

increase their intake of veggies,

start towards a veggie lifestyle or

even take a fi rst step towards being

vegan if they like. I found there just

weren’t the hearty fl avoursome

dishes out there for someone

like me – so I started feeding the

builders I work with, then friends

and found so many wanted to

give it a try, but were put off by

the cultish nature of some of the

followers of that lifestyle. And all

the people talking about it didn’t

seem to be my shape, size or even

sex – so the book is out there to

help people, everyone I hope, no

matter what shape, size or gender.

From a man’s point of view, how

do you talk to other guys about

the journey you have taken?

What kind of response do you

normally get?

I think there’s a real misconception

about men in general in this

country – as if while women have

been revolutionising how they see

the world, men have continued

dragging their knuckles along the

ground, wearing strong vests and

insisting on sausage and chips.

Wine has overtaken beer sales,

supermarkets are full of worldwide

spices and fruit and veg and when

I ask on a building site of 100

blokes and ten women ‘who wants

tea or coff ee’, there’ll be a lot of

questions about Redbush, green

tea, chamomile, fruit teas and a

host of other options. Everyone

knows fruit and veg are better for

you; red meat should be limited,

bleached any kind of food isn’t

good, preservatives, fl avour

enhancers etc. are not natural and

sugar can only do you harm. Dairy

isn’t great either, but I love cheese

and let’s be honest – vegan cheese

just isn’t there yet! I wish it was, but

it’s not. The men I work with have

turned out to be more open to

change than I expected and many

are actively interested as they know

they’ll live longer and be healthier.

Have you managed to get your

DIY SOS guys to try some of your

healthy meals?

See above – I cook for them all!

What three food swaps would

you encourage the most?

Vegan ice-cream for dairy – it’s

actually better in some cases.

Maple syrup for sugar – it’s more

natural, I think. And coconut milk

for dairy milk.

What is currently your favourite

recipe from your cookbook?

I’m loving so many, but the potato

dish Batata Harra is a favourite

of mine.

Do you have tips and tricks on

how to eat healthily everyday?

Take an interest in cooking and

enjoy the process – I will happily

spend the time because it’s so

diff erent from work.

And fi nally if you could take only

three things to a desert island,

what would they be?

Food things? Chocolate-covered

candied orange peel. Harissa

paste – you could eat a leather

shoe if it was cooked in Harissa

and Thai spice along with the

coconuts and pineapples on the

island already. If it’s things – then

my family, satellite TV for rugby

matches and a large boat!

Recipes from Proper Healthy

Food – Hearty vegan & vegetarian

recipes for meat lovers

by Nick Knowles,

published by BBC Books,

£14.99 RRP

Meet

SF9_P16-19_Nick Knowles SHSD.indd 16 27/01/2017 16: