Stray Kitchen is our column all about food written by renowned local produce expert, food writer and chef, Stephanie Moon. Stephanie is a champion of food produced in the UK and particularly in Yorkshire and the Harrogate district.
Never has it been more important to wish someone a Healthy and Happy New Year than at the start of 2021.
A new year and a fresh start and most of us are glad that 2020 has long gone and have an opportunity to make some great plans for the New Year. After a Christmas of too-many-good tidings and lots of socially distanced good cheer, now is the time many of us focus on being happy and healthy in the months to come.
Can you still fit into those pre-lockdown jeans? Or is it that we are all thinking it is time to go on that diet? As a Chef I am surrounded by food and I love food, so it is a constant battle. For me, the key is to get a balance right and not beat yourself up if you fancy eating something you perhaps should not!
How can we get fit? The old adage “never trust a skinny chef” just does not cut it these days; we are watching our weight and being sensible with our fitness – I know some chefs obsessed with fitness and a pastry chef who is now a personal trainer, thinking more about being body-beautiful than he does about his Choux Buns.
I am a far cry from that! But for me, it has always been a balance of dog walking and eating a plate laden with vegetables. Don’t get me wrong, I do fall off the wagon many times.
January is also Veganuary. As a young schoolgirl I once remember saying to my Dad (now retired, but then a busy farmer) that I wanted to became a vegetarian as one of my friends had just done. His curt reply was “over my dead body!”. The truth is I now love vegetarian and vegan food and relish the challenge of cooking this, but I personally enjoy meat too. It is about buying good quality local meat but less of it. Quality and less quantity are, in my opinion, the way forward.
So, I shall stop drinking alcohol this month, eat more vegetarian meals and eat smaller portions of locally sourced meats and fish. Importantly keep exercising and just do what I think most of us did last year too – try our best to get through it!
Happy New Year, much love for 2021 and happy cooking!
Steph x
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