Revelations from the British Medical Journal show that, in terms of fat fibre and calories, we might be better off with a bog standard ready meal, rather than a celebrity chef recipe.
The researchers at Newcastle University have examined 100 meals from some of the UK’s best selling cookbooks.
These included 30 Minute Meals and Ministry of Food by Jamie Oliver, Kitchen by Nigella Lawson, River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale.
These were pitted against readymade meals from Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. The reaserchers have claimed that neither met the proper guidelines for a balanced diet.
“The recipes seemed to be less healthy than the ready meals on several metrics,” explained Martin White, professor of public health at Newcastle University, to The Guardian.
In eight years, it’s estimated that 70 per cent of adults in the UK will be overweight, leading to increased counts of other diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
A watershed for unhealthy food has been proposed, meaning we won’t be able to see unhealthy recipes until after 9am on TV.
A spokesperson for chef Pascal said to The Guardian: “Some of the recipes in Lorraine’s book are healthy, some not quite so much so. There are plenty of salads, soups and light meals as well as the richer dishes.”
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