And Now For Something Completely Different...
Finally, out of the UK comes a welcome breath of fresh air. The November 13 issue of the Telegraph carries an excellent story by Paul Eastham is on the casualties of the British Government's aggressive new policy to reduce salt in foods. Fueled by the, Sid the Slug advertising campaign, the Secretary of Education has abandoned salt shakers from school lunch rooms.
Exactly why the UK government Food Standards Agency (FSA), chose a slug as the spokesman for their campaign to reduce salt in foods remains obscure, unless their intention was to highlight the one living creature harmed by salt. That notwithstanding, in common with other outspoken anti-salt advocates, this spineless, slimy invertebrate warns that, too much salt will lead to heart attacks, coppletely oblivious to all the scientific evidence to the contrary.
While the role of salt and health remains a issue of much debate, there is a subject that everyone agrees upon. A diet high in fruits and vegetables brings significant health benefits to everyone (including those suffering from hypertension). Low in fat and cholesterol, and packed with vitamins, and antioxidants, essential micronutrients and fiber, an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables contributes both short and long-term benefits to health and vitality. It is the reason why the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health and the FDA recommends we eat a minimum of five servings a day.
Since the school saltshaker ban, however, Eastham complains that his 14-year-old daughter has stopped eating vegetables, because they are so bland. All the goodness they promise to deliver remains untouched on the plate - a complete waste of nutrients, health potential and money - all because they remain unpalatable.
But all is not lost. Eastham states,
My daughter might not touch the bland vegetables at school, but at home - where she is allowed salt - she clears her plate.
While the salt required to make vegetables palatable has been banned from the school lunch rooms no such restrictions have been placed upon the following British specialties:
Spotted Dick - a butter and syrup-laden baked dessert studded with raisins - 600 calories per serving
Steak & Kidney Pie - beef kidney, stewing beef and bacon in a flaky lard pie crust - 750 calories per serving
Toad in the Hole - pork sausages cooked in Yorkshire puudding - 550 calories per serving
Bubble and Squeak - a light vegetable side dish of cabbage, potatoes, carrots & lard - 400 calories per serving
Bravo Paul, you're a beacon of clarity in London's perennial fog.
