Daniel Green, television celebrity chef and healthy eating expert was in Dubai recently to launch the ‘Eat Well, Feel Well' campaign for Dusit hotels. Friday caught up with the chef to talk about his cooking style and food philosophy.
How do you define healthy eating?
To me it means fresh and delicious meals with minimum amount of fat or no fat. There should be no restriction on how much fresh fruit and vegetables you eat, but cut down on sugars and fats.
Fine dining means good food but we don't need the extra fat that often goes into it. More often than not the fat is superfluous and can easily be substituted by healthier alternatives without compromising on taste.
What are the key factors of a healthy diet?
Fresh produce is crucial. Fruits and vegetables should be your only source of sugar, so eat plenty of these. Restrict your fat intake to under 20g a day and use herbs and condiments instead of oils and fats to enhance the flavour of a dish. For instance, give your simple grilled fish an extra zing by adding a dash of wasabi or soy sauce. Similarly, cook tuna steak ina non-stick pan, without oil, flavoured with lemongrass and coriander. Avoid cream and butter in curries for a healthier version.
From modelling to cooking - how did the transition happen?
I am a self-taught chef as I never went to a culinary school. My foray into the culinary world happenedas a necessity and that's whenI discovered my passion for cooking.
I was pretty miserable as a teenager because I was extremely fat. I started reading a lot of books and magazines to learn more about food and how it worked. This led to me making recipes and experimenting with healthier ways of cooking.
After I lost the extra kilos I was hired by agencies to model, which came with a bonus of travelling the world. I modelled for almost four years but it was never a long-term career option. My interest in cookery, however, kept growing. The transition never happened as I was always cooking, it just so happened thatI developed my interest in the field and progressed gradually to being more knowledgeable about food.
I developed my own recipes and began to be asked to help friends and family and colleagues at work. I really worked at learning all about nutrition because the key to all this was to be healthy. I began hosting television cookery shows as it provided me a platform to share my recipes witha larger audience.
I enjoy what I do, be it writing cookbooks or hosting television shows and travelling with food shows, or designing menus for restaurants. It has been a fulfilling journey on the whole.
What's your favourite food/cuisine?
I love Japanese and Thai food. Both have great flavours and plenty of healthy options. Fresh seafood is the mainstay of these cuisines and there's a lot of emphasis on fresh vegetables and fruits. I feel these are immensely creative cuisines.
What are your top tips to make daily meals healthy and appetising?
- Go to the supermarket for fresh food often.
- Use plenty of spices and herbs.
- Don't deep-fry.
- Avoid cream, cheese and butter.
- Invest in a good non-stick pan.
- Undercook your food to retain its flavour and goodness.
How do parents ensure their children enjoy eating healthily?
Don't eliminate things for children. Involve them in cooking when you introduce new food items to them.
Get them to experience as many different foods and flavours as possible. A lot of people complain that their kids don't eat vegetables. To counter this keep trying to feed your kids healthy foods and don't give up. If you eat what they are supposed to eat, they will eat that too. Of course, it goes without saying make it tasty and attractive for them and keep it healthy and simple.
At home don't keep fast food as an option but don't be overcautious outside either, let them indulge and enjoy once in a while. Let the kids learn from an early age that it's all about moderation.
Can a healthy eating plan be fun?
Eat fresh and introduce as much variety as possible in terms of the vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, bread, etc that constitute your daily meals.
To add zing to your meals, use herbs and condiments. Tossing a salad with loads of greens and a splash of your favourite dressing should easily replace a bulky burgerif your mind is conditioned to it.
Eating healthy starts in the mind first, therefore, planning your meals in advance is key.
You can have comfort food once a week, but the rest of the time go for healthy, low-fat or no-fat options. Eating healthy can be fun too if you plan intelligently.
How would you describe your style of cooking?
I've adapted my favourite foods to low-fat healthy versions.
I particularly enjoy giving people exciting ideas from Thai, Japanese, Indian and Chinese cooking.
I want to create food that people want to eat, which also happens tobe healthy.
