Laura is the nutritionist for Gosh!- a new range of convenience foods free of all the common allergens and best of all they are suitable for vegans! We caught up with Laura to ask her about the importance of vegan options within the convenience food market and what we should stay away from when it comes to so easy meals.
Laura Southern
Why are convenience foods generally so unhealthy for us?
Traditional 'convenience foods' are usually ready meals - their purpose is to replace cooking, but still provide a tasty meal.
The trouble is, in order to provide taste and shelf life, whilst also being ready in a microwave 'ping', they are often filled with salt, sugar, and other additives.
Convenience foods are often low in vegetables, so the nutrients and fibre content tend to be negligible, and high in simple carbohydrates. They often provide 'quick release' energy, meaning hunger is not fully satiated and an hour or so later you find yourself reaching for the biscuit tin.
Why has there been a rise in people who suffer from allergies and intolerances- or have people always had them but the conditions have gone undiagnosed?
The million-dollar question! It is true that there has been a huge growth in food allergies and intolerances, with 1 in 4 people in the UK suffering from a food allergy or intolerance, and the reasons are multifaceted.
Some cite the 'hygiene hypothesis' whereby we are so 'clean', using so many antibacterial products, that we have lost the protective bacteria which should be living in and on us. By eliminating this type of bacteria, we increase our susceptibility to allergic diseases as our immune systems struggle to identify which foods are safe.
Food intolerances often begin due to digestive issues, stress, the Western diet and the lack of protective bacteria. Frequent use of antibiotics is thought to play a part in allergies and intolerances.
Chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides in our food and environment is also thought to contribute to the food allergy/intolerance rise.
What should you look for on the packaging if you want to make your convenience foods as healthy as possible?
Some convenience foods do provide nutritious meals and to find out which are best, always start with the back of the packet - the ingredients list.
Firstly, discount convenience foods with any ingredients you don't recognise - or as I always tell my patients - that your grandma wouldn't recognise. Second, be wary of how much (if any) sugar and salt is added. The higher up the ingredients list, the more the food contains.
Lastly look for ingredients which contain health-giving properties - vegetables, beans, pulses and legumes are all great. White pasta, cream, cheese, rice - not so good!
You suffered from eczema for years before realising you could cure it with nutrition- so what other common complaints can be helped with food?
Yes, I became fascinated with the power of nutrition due to my own health journey, and I now have a thriving nutritional therapy clinic in London where I help lots of patients.
Food plays a huge role in both health and disease. The most common reasons people seek my help - and some of my biggest success stories - are helping people with digestive complaints, especially IBS. Skin conditions, diabetes, lack of energy, stress, weight management and arthritis also respond well to dietary changes.
Why do other treatments fail to work? Why is food such a powerful tool for healing?
I don't think it's so much that other treatments fail to work; I have a lot of respect for other kinds of treatments, and work closely with private GPs and consultants. However, no one wants to feel as if they're reliant on medication, and there are lots of side effects with many meds. Focusing on food empowers the patient - suddenly they can be in control of what goes into their body, and that feeling of empowerment is huge. Also, if you're eating a diet high in sugar and processed foods, you'll be low in vital, healing nutrients, and probably high in inflammation, which can lay the foundations for chronic disease. Never underestimate our body's potential for self-healing. Providing your body with the optimum range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats from nutrient-dense foods is often the best medicine you can give.
Why is it important for convenient food companies to cater for vegans?
Vegan diets can be extremely nutritious, flavourful and exciting, but vegan meals can take quite a bit of planning.
Although supermarkets cater well for vegetarians, all too often the convenience food on offer is full of dairy, or bound with eggs.
There is a huge rise in people adopting a vegan diet for both health and ethical reasons. The Vegan Society estimate there are over half a million vegans in the UK now, a whopping 260% rise from 10 years ago, and many of these people are time poor. It is a relief to many vegans that there is now a nutrient dense, tasty, convenient range of products in the supermarket, and this has been shown by Gosh!'s early sales, which have been fantastic.
Please tell us how you came on board at Gosh!
I've been running my own Nutritional Therapy company called London Food Therapy for 7 years now. Mainly I see private clients to help with health conditions, but I also run corporate workshops, have appeared on TV and in print, and consult for food manufacturers.
The team at Gosh! heard about me, and after meeting to discuss our shared beliefs about nutrition and convenience food, they asked me if I'd like to come on board as their nutritionist. I jumped at the chance, and am delighted I did! I'm totally passionate about Gosh! and think there's a real need for it. Plus, being part of the Gosh! story is so varied; advising on the range, filming the Gosh! videos, writing content, being part of new product development and meeting with supermarket buyers. It's a dream job!
Are foods better for us when they are oven cooked rather than microwaved?
That's a really interesting question, and the answer is not always clear cut. For years I was always very anti-microwave, and indeed I still use mine quite rarely, however recent studies have shown that many nutrients are preserved in fresh food which is microwaved due to the quick cooking time.
Oven cooking always tastes better though, and actually causes minimal vitamin loss. The exception being B vitamins, which reduce with prolonged cooking. Minerals (such as iron, calcium and magnesium) are stable at high temperatures, so are not affected by the oven.
What is next for you?
My role as a Nutritional Therapist, helping patients, will continue into the future. As well as my busy practice, I've just started working with a gynaecology practice based at the Portland Hospital in London, which is very exciting.
In terms of Gosh! We have had an amazing launch, and are now looking to increase our reach into other supermarkets (Gosh! is currently available in Tesco nationwide). Although it's mid-summer, I've already worked on some exciting Christmas recipes, which will be refreshing for both vegans and sufferers of food allergies. Gosh! has received really positive feedback, and there's a huge demand for further new products which we are looking into right now - so watch this space!
Tagged in Vegan