It’s Not Only Carrots that Help Us See in the Dark

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FIONA KIRK NUTRITION CARROTS

Few of us escape a deterioration in our eyesight as we age, largely because our peepers are exposed to potentially-harmful, high-energy blue wavelengths of light for anywhere between 10 and 16 hours per day. Carrots have long been associated with our quest to retain 20:20 vision because they are a rich source of beta carotene which converts in the body to vitamin A (an essential for eye tissue health), but more recently, dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and cabbage and herbs like parsley are stepping forcefully into the limelight.

They are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that are important for eye health as both are found in high concentrations in the small central part of the retina which is responsible for good central vision. The over-riding message appears to be that carrots just ‘aint enough so let’s look at how we can factor a wealth of green, eye-protective foods into our day without having to force down a plate of boiled cabbage!

  • add baby spinach leaves to juices, smoothies and salads and sling a good handful into soups and stews just before serving so the spinach retains its glorious green colour and doesn't lose its nutritional splendour
  • scatter finely-chopped parsley and other herbs over everything from dips to meat, poultry and fish dishes to curries and soups and make herb pestos which keep in the fridge for days and add an extra dimension to pasta and rice dishes
  • cabbage, kale and other rather chewy dark green vegetables are not to everyone's taste so the secret here is to make sure you always slice them very, very finely (a mandolin or a food processor makes light work of this chore), quickly stir fry them in a little oil with sliced spring onions, peppers or finely-diced chilli and top them with some toasted nuts and/or seeds before using as a deliciously-tasty and nutritionally-splendid base for grilled meat, poultry or fish
  • eggs and greens are a marriage made in heaven - get into the habit of making baked omelettes or fritattas adding in whatever greens you have in stock

here are a few of my favourite dishes that focus on greens (and of course, carrots) for some worthy eye support! Click on the images for the recipes

A Savoury Twist on Pancake Day!

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Fiona Kirk Nutrition Pancake Day alterntive

The English dictionary tells us that a pancake is a thin, flat, round cake made from a mixture of flour, milk and egg, fried on both sides but I’m happy to note that cooks around the world, both professional and amateur have been enthusiastically playing around with this loose definition and creating all manner of ways to take pancakes to greater heights of deliciousness!

I’m going savoury this year and have already tried and tested some great recipes posted by some of my all-time favourite food bloggers and cooks whose passion for pancakes is in no way impeded by their resolve to take a healthier approach whilst still delivering dishes that look and taste seriously-good!

 

Angela Coleby from Divalicious Recipes offers up Spinach and Chia Pancakes using coconut flour which are gluten free, low carb, vegetarian (and very, very moreish!)

 

Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest gives us Rava Dosa (Indian Crepes) with Squash and Tomato Chickpea Masala which involve quite a number of ingredients but the whole prepping and cooking procedure doesn’t take long and trust me, if you are entertaining on Pancake Day/Night, there will be plenty of happy faces around the table!

 

Kimberley Hasselbrink at The Year in Food has come up with some fabulously-delicate Chickpea Pancakes with Smoky Roasted Carrots which (and I am more than happy to quote her here) “are addictively good, deeply savoury and nutty”.


Jamie Oliver rarely disappoints and if you haven’t tried his Healthy Cheese and Corn Pancakes with Smoky Bacon and Caramelised Bananas, don’t waste any more time deliberating - breakfast time, lunchtime or any time - these are pukka pancakes!