![\"Typical](\"https:\/\/www.jameswhelanbutchers.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/blog_salad.jpg\" "\\"Typical")
I got the evil eye from one or two customers this week accompanied by a sharp tongued reprimand. Patrons of James Whelan Butchers are no shrinking violets. I committed the heinous crime in this very column of recently referring to dieters as \u2018fat fighters\u2019. One woman went so far as to suggest I could do with a bit of fat fighting myself; that cut deep.<\/p>\n
First of all, in my defense, a friend is currently attending a weight loss class and constantly refers to it in jest as fat fighters. I hate diets because I always feel, no matter how good the regime or what it promises, they always get a little boring and repetitive. I always assume a diet mentality; \u201cI\u2019m on a diet so therefore I couldn\u2019t possibly enjoy my food\u201d. I also think, \u201cI can\u2019t wait until I\u2019m off this diet so I can have something really nice to eat\u201d, and therein lies the problem. It\u2019s this thinking that causes the inevitable failure. The reality is that many people of normal body weight eat great food and enjoy it so why can\u2019t we all do that?<\/p>\n
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Firstly we have to sort a few things out in our minds. 1) Great tasting food need not make you fat and 2) any food in moderation, be that size or frequency, won\u2019t cause you any harm. It\u2019s not what you do occasionally that creates the problem it\u2019s what you do every day or at least regularly.<\/p>\n
This fat fighting friend of mine has approached the whole thing quite differently this time and I\u2019m happy to report it is working. Instead of sticking to traditional diet foods, she has trawled the internet and her own cook books, adapted recipes and found ways of eating like a normal human being \u2013 for nourishment and taste \u2013 while still losing weight. She is attending Weightwatchers where all foods are given a points measurement and you have a certain amount of \u2018points\u2019 to eat every day. To be fair it sounds pretty flexible as long as you spend your \u2018points\u2019 budget\u2019 wisely.<\/p>\n
This time round instead of cardboard tasting crisp breads and bland grilled chicken fillets, which would have been staples on any previous regimes, she has filled her fridge with wonderful, tasty health giving foods. The main reason for this approach is that she didn\u2019t want to have to cook one dish for the family and create special meals for herself. They have all been moved to this healthier way of eating and surprisingly, no one has complained or noticed and even desserts are still in evidence.<\/p>\n
I called over for lunch the other day and watched the shopping being unloaded. A punet of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, some deli pancetta and parmesan cheese, fresh basil and chives, a full chicken, a pack of smoked salmon, a tub of cr\u00e8me fraiche, yoghurts, bananas, apples, grapes, blueberries, carrots, an aubergine, a butternut squash, leeks, spinach, rocket, onions \u2013 red, white, spring and garlic, stewing steak, paprika, Italian bread and duck breasts. It was a riot of colour and freshness; real food, exciting food and you could almost smell the nutrients it was so alive. I was inspired and amazed. \u201cI thought you said you\u2019re on a diet\u201d I teased as I picked up the smoked salmon and the pancetta. \u201cI am and it\u2019s going really well,\u201d was the quick reply.<\/p>\n
I was slowly coming around to the idea that there could be such a combination as eating well, enjoying your food and losing weight. If this was a panto some of you would be screaming \u201cOh no there isn\u2019t\u201d but I can tell you, “Oh Yes there is!”<\/p>\n
We had a diet lunch; a puff pastry circle (approx side plate size) rolled quite thinly and baked in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Two to three large handfuls of fresh spinach thrown on a dry hot frying pan until wilted down. The spinach was put on top of the cooked pastry base. Some cr\u00e8me fraiche and an egg were mixed together and a good tablespoon was drizzled over the spinach and then some smoked salmon was popped on the top. It was returned to the oven for a few minutes and when the salmon had been warmed through, it was plated up with a mound of rocket leaves on the top and garnished with some pesto. It was delicious. Dinner that night was Hungarian Goulash, hence the diced beef and paprika, and there was an interesting adaptation of the classic Eton Mess for dessert using yoghurt and a vanilla pod. At this rate even I could take to this dieting lark.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is that diets can be utterly dull and boring if you just live on pre made \u2018diet\u2019 foods or they can be very exciting if you cook and experiment with real food. I\u2019ve certainly seen the light and so to fat fighters everywhere, yes you can enjoy your food, stay healthy and even loose a few pounds into the bargain!<\/p>\n
Drop into James Whelan Butchers in Oakville this week and pick up a copy of our low fat, healthy option recipe sheet. We are starting to develop a range of food products that are carrying points: Real Food Real Taste Low Calorie!<\/p>\n
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 \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I committed the heinous crime recently of referring to dieters as \u2018fat fighters\u2019, and was rewarded with the comment that I could do with a bit of fat fighting myself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n