Clean Eating 2024 Version 2

MrsStepford

B&M

John West Wild Pacific Red Salmon 213g reduced from 3.89 to 3.70
Ocean Fresh Wild Pacific Red Salmon 213g 2.79
Princes Wild Pacific Medium Red Salmon 213g 2.49
Princes Wild Pacific Pink Salmon 213g 2.69
Parsons Pickled Mussels 155g reduced from 1.09 to 95p

Borges Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml 4.49
Borges Classic Olive Oil 500ml 4.29

The Spice Emporium Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt 750g 1.09
World of Spice Himalayan Salt Spice Grinder 390g 1.99
Saxa Ground White Pepper 25g  89p
Dr Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda 200g 1.39
Napolina Grated Cheese 50g £1

? Mezita Roasted Red Peppers 480g 1.39
? Mezita Green Jalapeño Peppers 480g 1.19

 ? Aytac Tunisian Deglet Nour Pitted Dates 200g 79p 

POUNDLAND

John West Wild Pacific Pink Salmon 213g £2

Whitworths nuts & seeds all 1.25:
Walnuts 95g 
Ground Almonds 100g
Nutty Mix 130g
Pumpkin Seeds 140g
Seed Mix 225g
? Snacking Dates 300g

Generic no-name  nuts all £1:
Sea Salt & Black Pepper Cashews 90g
Salted Pistachios 85g
Mixed Salted Nuts 125g

Loyd 40 Pure Green Tea Bags £1 

MrsStepford

Fix8 strawberry and basil kombucha 250ml can, new to Iceland and currently 2 for 2.60. Delicious strawberry flavour, not overwhelmingly sweet, non-alcoholic, 25% of daily vitamin C, 6.3g carbs per can, live cultures for gut health. 

Also on offer, for 1.75 while stocks last, is River Cottage Organic Hedge kombucha, at Milk & More. No minimum order, free delivery. I like it and Husband really really likes it but I couldn't describe the taste. 

MrsStepford

While I'm thinking about gut-friendly stuff..

Pure Nature Organic Whole Milk Yogurt 150g 4 for £3, Milk & More. No added sugar (which kills the good bacteria). Creamy, fairly thick yogurt from Belgium, has a tang to it but not overpowering. We like it so much that we have one each every morning. 

I'm not a real big fan of sauerkraut, though I used to scoff it alongside frankfurters in France, as a teenager. Biona organic ruby red organic sauerkraut with beetroot is my favourite. I prefer Biona kimchi, to me it has a milder flavour. Sauerkraut in the middle aisles is often very cheap. If it has been pasteurized, then the live cultures will have been killed off. Sauerkraut taste but nothing gut- friendly. 

Ryvita crispbreads made with rye, not wheat. Ryvita has been made in Britain since the 1920s IIRC. Certainly has been made in Poole, Dorset for many years.

 Husband has NCGS and can't eat bread or pasta. Gluten-free bread has horrible chemicals. I watched a podcast with Professor Robert Lustig. When I wanted to go low carb about 11 years ago now, I reached out to him by email and be was super helpful.

He has NCGS and said it isn't just the gluten in wheat, that there are many more substances in wheat which people can be sensitive to. He also said that many people aren't sensitive to gluten in non-wheat crops and products. Husband decided to give Ryvita a whirl and no adverse effects. He did inform his GP. No appreciable benefits re: fibre, but the Ryvita provide a vehicle for pâtés and other spreadable things. Not Mediterranean but a compromise, because no nasty chemicals.ASDA and Morrisons have them on offer at £1 per pack, quite often. 

Husband is making the Fish Provençal and it smells great. Valfrutta organic chopped tomatoes 12 x 400g 9.49 from Costco, Wholegood organic fennel from Milk & More, olive oil, garlic, a can of organic white beans, and lots of varieties of fish out of the freezer, using up odd fillets. Husband found a frozen seafood selection from Lidl in the freezer and chucked that in. Prawns, calamari, mussels.

MrsStepford

We did an interesting simple experiment when Husband came home. Sheet of A4 each, headed The Mediterranean Diet. Then we had to note down the food and recipe names for everything we could think of in five mins.

We both put down Feta, tzatziki, houmous, taramasalata, olives, olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, meze, aubergines and Pecorino Romano. I had a lot of fish, seafood and herbs on my list. Husband had a lot of pasta and cheeses on his list.  It showed that overall, we are on the same page. 

Husband called into Morrisons and picked up a box of Bannisters Farm 4 cheese and jalapeño potato skins 1.85.  Only available at Morrisons. 14.1g carbs per 100g but divide that by half for two people and it becomes more reasonable. They will be accompanied by a pile of organic mushrooms and a couple of organic free range eggs, all fried in Extra Virgin olive oil. Simple quick supper. No nasties or seed oils in the potato skins. 

Morrisons didn't have any of the Taleggio DOP or Caprice Des Dieux offers. Husband did get some Highland Game diced venison on offer, though. That might get used in the slow cooker on Friday for some sort of meaty, ragoût with paprika.

MrsStepford

Just tried the Fix8 ginger and turmeric kombucha from Iceland. I think I prefer the strawberry and basil one, as it is rather gingery.

MrsStepford

Husband picked up some organic chicken thighs from Sainsbury's tonight. We had a jar of Spanish style Chicken Tonight hanging about, to which he added snacking walnuts from Iceland (unopened at Christmas) and some organic chestnut mushrooms. Husband topped the serving bowls with organic fresh green beans from Sainsbury's, which were lovely, with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. The chicken turned out more like pulled pork. Very flavourful though. Very slightly salted. Walnuts were great 👍 

Husband is #WFH Friday so hopefully he will put Highland Game diced venison (Morrisons offer) in the slow cooker, for a venison Bolognese with organic konjac pasta. 

MrsStepford

Today I have been watching YouTube videos about the Mediterranean Diet. Good ones from Professor Tim Spector OBE of Kings College London and Professor Christopher Gardner of Stanford University. Hilarious ones from misinformed dieticians and members of the public.

People were proudly showing off their grocery hauls from Whole Foods, Sam's Club and Walmart. They didn't know that added sugar kills off the beneficial bacteria in their Greek yogurt. One dietician claimed that peanut butter is part of the Mediterranean diet 😂 But most got 75% of the food right. 

I've started copying down Mediterranean recipes from magazines on my Kindles. Good Housekeeping, Men's Fitness, Women's Fitness, Closer, Top Santé, Lose It, The Field, Country Life, Slimming World, Country Living, Hello! etc

JIL

If a jar of Spanish chicken tonight can fit into a Mediterranean diet plan then I'm not convinced there isnt room for peanut butter. 

tooldle

MrsStepford said:

 They didn't know that added sugar kills off the beneficial bacteria in their Greek yogurt. 

Wow, how high is the added sugar in their yogurts? It would need to be extremely high would it not?

pumpkin89

tooldle said:

Wow, how high is the added sugar in their yogurts? It would need to be extremely high would it not?

It is extremely high!  To take an example - "The Greek Gods" brand Greek yogurt from Walmart - the black cherry & honey flavour contains 80g added sugar per 32oz (900g) tub.  That's 20 teaspoons.