I’m shouting again, but with good reason. When will we realise that real food is a huge part of our overall health? The endless scientific studies on food that are released on an unsuspecting public have created an insecure population that feels it just doesn’t know anything anymore, but we do! Often times the information appears in conflict to a previous study or a previously held belief but sometimes if we drill down into the origin of the report we will find that it has been paid for by some vested interest. This naturally makes us suspicious of all reports and so the mire of misinformation, half truths and utter fiction gets even murkier. All we really need is common sense.
Instead of getting bogged down we just need to know that, ‘Everything labeled as food is not necessarily so and so when in doubt, leave it out’. This should be emblazoned on our brains when it comes to food shopping. Another good rule of thumb is that often the so called ‘foods’ that cause many modern day ailments, disease and negative conditions – are usually the things that are not really ‘food’ at all. Obesity, diabetes and other food related illnesses are largely never caused by anything natural, it is mostly the nutritionally dead (processed) foods that are to blame.
Butter is a good example of how the industry has twisted our thinking. We are in an age where a tub of chemicals that looks a bit similar to butter in colour is hailed as being better for us. Put some real butter and an open tub of fake butter in the garden and see what happens. I can guarantee that animals and insects will eat the butter in no time while apart from a few insects that accidently get trapped in the fake stuff, it will remain in its tub uneaten and it will never rot. Even ‘dumb’ animals know what not to eat.
Our junk food isn’t what it used to be either. Today it has moved from dead to downright dangerous. Take the common crisp as an example. Traditionally it is a very thin slice of deep fried potato. Not the best thing for you perhaps, but a piece of real food nonetheless. There are highly advertised products that boldly sit in the ‘crisp’ section of most shops these days that have never been within a mile of a real potato, let alone actually be one. Many of these ‘snacks’ are just bags and tubes of mulched chemical combinations that have been given a crisp like shape and we are happy to ingest this day after day.
In the world of real food each season brings with it a glut of fresh ingredients that not only taste delicious, but will nourish us appropriately and won’t give us some awful disease. We also labour under the misconception that processed and mass produced food is cheaper. On the cash receipt at the register this may be so, but there is a much bigger cost to pay in the long run and, trust me, no one is getting out of this alive! You will pay at the doctor’s surgery in the end.
So what should we be eating now and what’s in season? Autumn is all about chunky root vegetables and a better choice of Irish apples and pears from local orchards. It’s the time of year that meat displays offer braising and stewing cuts for the colder days. A walk in the country will yield great fruits from the brambles that make excellent jams, preserves and additions to homemade tarts. And if you really know what you are doing, the fields are full of wild mushrooms just crying out to be picked and put in a soup or fried with some good bacon. (A word of caution here, the mushroom picking business is only for those who know what they are doing.)
If you look at what’s in season from a nutritional point of view you will also marvel at nature’s ability to know exactly what we need. The colourful root vegetables are full of nutrients that are fantastic cold and flu fighters. They also work really well when cooked slowly in stews. Meats suitable for braising and stewing are packed with good fats and proteins that demand long slow cooking to extract them. While apples and pears are full of antioxidants they are also essential to stabilise the PH balance of the body which impacts the ability of the immune system to fight invasion. Indeed we need apples, pears and other alkali foods to provide a balance today more than ever, as all overly processed foods fall into the acidic category. I could go on but you just need to know that autumn is all about gearing the body to cope with the harsher months of winter.
The key to all of this is to have enough recipes and menus that incorporate genuine food. Think ahead and plan your meals with real ingredients; food that your grandparents would recognise as such. The health of you and your family depends on it. Okay, I’ve said enough, here’s a great recipe for your arsenal. Enjoy.
This post was written by me, Pat Whelan, owner of James Whelan Butchers and a passionate advocate of local artisan food. My family have been producing quality Irish Angus beef for generations using a traditional dry aging process. This tradition is one that I continue to practice at our abattoir on our family farm in Garrentemple, Clonmel. These posts aim to impart some of the wisdom to readers and help them get the best out of the meat they eat! Our meat is available online here! I welcome your feedback to [email protected]
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
