I’ve been living in Sheffield for the last three years by myself. Before I arrived here, I ate foods that were quite processed, and very sweet. My diet also wasn't very varied.. I could tell I was getting more addicted to sweet stuff and developing an overly sweet tooth! The occasional treat is fine, but not multiple everyday.
Since then, I’ve focused on cooking more meals from scratch. Shopping at the market, and making my own healthier bread and pastries. The process is fun, creative, and rewarding at the same time. I love experimenting with a variety of different foods. I come from a completely different food culture, so I try to think of alternative ingredients and combinations when cooking my own food.
I now eat three meals a day. I’m mostly vegetarian just because, as a student, I was on a limited budget. But I’m such a big fan of seafood so I sometimes buy tinned mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and tuna to satisfy my cravings.
“Cooking from scratch where possible can help you stay healthy”
It’s important to note that added sugar and natural sugar aren’t the same. That’s why I pay attention to ready meals or flavoured food products. As long as you cook, most likely you can keep your sugar intake within the recommended range. Sheffield is Sweet Enough really encourages people to cook at home by sharing lots of simple and affordable low-sugar recipes.
For me, treats are not about sweets. It’s all about eating good food. Maybe because I don’t like chocolate or anything too sugary in general. As a treat for myself, I’d go grocery shopping at stores or markets to look for ingredients or condiments that aren’t on my daily shopping list. My recent purchase was satay sauce, which I used for noodles the other day!
When I really crave sweet stuff, I go for fruits like oranges, grapes, berries or bake something for myself. You can get those fruits at quite reasonable prices at Moor market. Banana muffins are one of the easiest things to make, but tasty and filling at the same time.
“Try to do food prep with your family”
You don’t need to completely change overnight. It might be that you’ve seen some healthy recipes online you want to try out. That’s an amazing intention to start with!
Looking back on my childhood, one thing I genuinely believe is that doing food prep with your family is such a bonus. There is one tradition that my mom did back home. Before having dinner, she asked us to count how many vegetables are in the dishes every single day. I remember she said more than five is a good achievement. Me and my brother always competed for suggesting more vegetables that can be added when we cook together.
Regardless of your cooking experience, just give it a try. I think this is a shortcut for reducing sugar intake or even eating healthier on the whole. If you want to cook, you need to go buy food first. So, you will gradually realise what kind of food that we are all exposed to, what’s available and how much all that costs. Why would you spend your money on something that is not even fulfilling your stomach and mind?
If you’re studying away from home, I think this is an important factor to consider. As a first step, you can bring some fruit with you as a snack to university. Then, batch cook dinner (this could be just two portions instead of one) and save some for lunch on the following day. Just because you are an adult, mother, or grown-up living on your own, do you need to be perfect in every way? Absolutely not! My cooking is sometimes just an experiment and sort of a mess, but I enjoy it anyway!
If you want to make a change, I recommend you do it with someone else. You will have more fun on the interesting food journey ahead of you. Above all, love eating!