5 or more a day - Have we all been duped ?

[RoseA]

Interesting article on Carol's blog today about "5 a day" ... makes a lot of sense too.

Recipes, cookery, tips and diet advice for bariatric surgery patients

 

[Grace]

I was just reading this too. It's a bit shocking to find the '5 a day' was originally an advertising campaign!
But my dietician recommends 4 a day (2 fruit, 2 veg) for post-bypass eating.

We do need the fibre found in fresh fruit and veg, don't we?

But I think Carol's right, there are other 'super-foods' which are much-neglected.

I'm going to start eating liver once a week, for a start!

 

[dottychic]

Typical lol....we have been conned by the ad men I believe fruit and vegetables are important but like you ladies I think there are lots of other good foods we should have more of too. I might get some liver to try too Grace, I liked it when my Mum used to make it years ago.....as long as it doesnt go dry it should be ok XX

 

[Grace]

mmmmmmmmm Dotty, I think it was Mel who said she was getting the very thinly sliced stuff from M&S and it cooks really fast and is really lovely. Yum with some onion gravy and cabbage and mash! Non Nom Nom!
I wonder what my boys would make of it, bet they'll really pull a face! I don't think they've ever had it!
I haven't had liver for years, but I really fancy some! It's full of protein is't it and all sorts of other good things too!

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Liver and onions yum.Barely cooked lambs liver is lush if you dont like the stronger pigs liver.Or cut into strips and stir fry with all the usual veggys,make your own pate very easy to dffal is sadly neglected nowadays by younger peeps.So much nutrition in liver,kidneys,heart and Liverpool faves pigs belly,cowheel,sweetbreads,marrow,tongue and tripe!All very tasty and good for you.Also getting popular at posh resturants!

 

[dawny]

i love liver, but tend to prefer the stronger pigs liver, i soak it in milk first, with onion gravy, yummy. i remember when i was younger and we had beef on a sunday, i found out years later that it was heart, you couldnt tell the difference, and i liked kidney too, but you dont see that much of offal nowadays do you, we're all spoiled nowadays. i cant see how after having a bypass we could fit in the 5 a day, cos the portions that make up one of the 5 a day are quite big, i know i could never fit them in. i struggle getting all my protein in, lol

 

[dawny]

i go to a cookery course run by our local authority, its only a short course, today we made healthy chicken nuggets, so easy to make, and they were really nice, great if youve got kids, next week we're making scones, its more of a laugh than anything, but its amazing how you can make family favourites in a more healthy way.

 

[Grace]

Sounds like fun Dawny.
B&B....I like liver, lamb's liver for preference I think...but I think I'll pass on the rest of the offal! Tripe ...oh my word...never had it, but I think I'd retch. The very look of it has me reaching for a sick bucket! and heart.........I was forced to eat that as a child and I've never quite got over it. I'll stick with liver.

 

[dawny]

lol grace. i wouldnt have known the difference between heart and beef, like i said before, i always thought we had beef, but mum was on such a tight budget and money was so tight, she didnt really have a choice, she also used to add protoveg to mince meat to make it go further, again, you wouldnt have known it was added. when i found out about the heart, it was when i was married, and i felt sick then at the thought of it, i couldnt knowlingly eat it now though. but i ha ve added protoveg to mince meat when ive been short of money

 

[dottychic]

I used to like kidney too, my Dad used to make steak and kidney pies and he called them kidleys Never had heart, that I know of....or tripe dont like the look of it! Fancy liver though XX

 

[Grace]

lol grace. i wouldnt have known the difference between heart and beef, like i said before, i always thought we had beef, but mum was on such a tight budget and money was so tight, she didnt really have a choice, she also used to add protoveg to mince meat to make it go further, again, you wouldnt have known it was added. when i found out about the heart, it was when i was married, and i felt sick then at the thought of it, i couldnt knowlingly eat it now though. but i ha ve added protoveg to mince meat when ive been short of money

Maybe the heart would be ok if it was sliced etc. But I had a WHOLE heart on a plate, just sitting looking at me!

There was no disguising the thing, and no attempt to. I just cried and cried and cried and it just sat there until I ate it. I think I was sick afterwards.

 

[dottychic]

I would have cried too....it wasnt beating was it XX

 

[Grace]

I would have cried too....it wasnt beating was it XX

LOL no but it might as well have been ! It was like something out of a horror film! You could even see the blood vessel bits poking out of the corners!

 

[dottychic]

Urrrggghhh stop! Ive got visions of a bloody beating heart with all the blood vessels sticking out on a plate......its like a horror movie! XX

 

[hsmel]

Liver is lovely and has been one of my 'staples' since bypass although I cant eat much as it is quite filling. I either cook very thinly sliced lambs liver (get a butcher to do it for you) and literally only dip it in a hot pan one side for 30 seconds, then the other side the same. Calves liver is even nicer as it is milder and really tender but it is expensive. I make it go further by chopping some good quality non fatty bacon into pieces and flash cooking them first then adding the bacon to the onion gravy when serving with the liver. I think schools have a lot to answer for because so many of them served overcooked rubbery pigs liver it put many off for life!!


Kidney is also really nice and a good source of protein. Use best lambs kidneys and chop into small pieces (about 1/2" or so) removing the white core completely. I serve them 'devilled' the recipe is below and they are lovely. Be a devil and try them!! Traditionally they were served on a square of toast for breakfast but I like them on a tablespoon of creamy mash. Very cheap too!!

• 1 tbs low fat spread
• 4 lambs' kidneys, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 1 tsp worcester sauce
• 2 tsp tomato puree (or use low sugar tomato ketchup if you prefer less sweet option)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp mustard powder (or half a teaspoon of whole grain ready made mustard)
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a frying pan until hot, then add the low fat spread and kidneys and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden-brown all over.
2. Place the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, lemon juice, mustard powder and cayenne powder into a bowl and whisk together well.
3. Pour the dressing onto the kidneys and stir well to combine. Cook for a further minute or two, until the kidneys are completely cooked through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

It really is nice . . give it a whirl!

 

[dawny]

lol grace, my mum sliced it up and put it on our plates like pieces of beef, i dont think id have eaten it if id have seen it in one piece either, lol yuk.
that sounds nice mel, you have such lovely recipes and make such lovely meals.

 

[Grace]

Liver is lovely and has been one of my 'staples' since bypass although I cant eat much as it is quite filling. I either cook very thinly sliced lambs liver (get a butcher to do it for you) and literally only dip it in a hot pan one side for 30 seconds, then the other side the same. Calves liver is even nicer as it is milder and really tender but it is expensive. I make it go further by chopping some good quality non fatty bacon into pieces and flash cooking them first then adding the bacon to the onion gravy when serving with the liver. I think schools have a lot to answer for because so many of them served overcooked rubbery pigs liver it put many off for life!!


Kidney is also really nice and a good source of protein. Use best lambs kidneys and chop into small pieces (about 1/2" or so) removing the white core completely. I serve them 'devilled' the recipe is below and they are lovely. Be a devil and try them!! Traditionally they were served on a square of toast for breakfast but I like them on a tablespoon of creamy mash. Very cheap too!!

• 1 tbs low fat spread
• 4 lambs' kidneys, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 1 tsp worcester sauce
• 2 tsp tomato puree (or use low sugar tomato ketchup if you prefer less sweet option)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp mustard powder (or half a teaspoon of whole grain ready made mustard)
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a frying pan until hot, then add the low fat spread and kidneys and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden-brown all over.
2. Place the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, lemon juice, mustard powder and cayenne powder into a bowl and whisk together well.
3. Pour the dressing onto the kidneys and stir well to combine. Cook for a further minute or two, until the kidneys are completely cooked through. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

It really is nice . . give it a whirl!

Yum YUm I am literally salivating reading that recipe!

 

[dottychic]

Me too lol.....Ill deffo be trying some of that thankyou very much XX

 

[angie790]

To steer you away from this offal talk, lol....I read an article in a journal the other week that was saying something similar...they calculated a percentage on the benefits of eating your 5 a day (10%+), and then a percentage on the increased risks of being overweight, obese or morbidly obese (50%-), so essentially if you are fat, it doesn't make any difference how 'healthily' you eat...obviously there would be many additional factors coming into play but it was based on healthy control patients vs a healthy but fat group that followed a nutritionally sound diet with 5 a day incorporated into it.

 

[DaisyMaesy]

As you were writing this post I was eating, liver, bacon and onions. I was imagining it pureed, definitely going to be on my puree stage menu