Chefs unite to encourage healthier eating

Irish diners have begun to eat more healthily, despite one in five adults now being considered obese, some of the country’s leading chefs said today.

Chefs from Dublin’s Westbury Hotel and the well-known Bang Café said the healthy food options for people dining out had improved drastically with the influx of foreign cuisine.

At the Irish Heart Foundation's launch of ‘Happy Heart Eat Out’, the group said people should opt for more fruit and vegetables as two out of five adults are overweight.

“We have seen an enormous increase in the number of people eating out,” said Aidan McManus, chef and president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

“People eat out more regularly so they want to be able to choose healthy food.

“We felt it was our gastronomical right. We didn’t want to be restrictive but over the years this has changed dramatically. It has been a slow evolution.”

Mr McManus said when the healthy eating month first kicked off, 13 years ago, people did not understand the options and chefs did not want to cut back on using fat-packed butter to cook.

“The majority of them are conscious of the fact customers want the healthy options now.

“Some areas still need looking at, like pulverised potato chips, burgers and baps, and fat like fried takeaway food,” he added.

More than 600 restaurants, cafés, canteens and hotels are taking part in the campaign to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables for the month of June.

The foundation produced a booklet packed with recipes from some of the top chefs and restaurants around the country to encourage both cooks and customers to look after their health.

“They would encourage customers to ask for healthy options,” said Janis Morrissey, a dietician with the foundation.

“Statistics show people have a busy lifestyle, grabbing something and dashing, eating on the go.

“People have less control over what they are eating.”

Ms Morrissey said the campaign aims to encourage people to cut back on eating dishes packed with salt or fried foods, affecting blood pressure and causing heart disease.

Statistics from the foundation show around 40% of deaths each year (11,500 people) have been from cardiovascular diseases.

Chef Cathal Kavanagh from the Westbury Hotel said this is an ideal time to promote healthy eating as we are coming into the season where more exotic fruits are available for a reasonable price.

He added that the influence of foreign cuisine, including Mediterranean dishes, has had a good effect, as has Thai food.

Lorcan Cribbin, a chef in Dublin’s Bang Café, said cooks are now going for the healthier option in using olive oil rather than butter, and lighter dressings.

Mr Cribbin said: “Younger people especially are conscious about their health and weight, and what they eat.

“To be successful you have to give it to them.”

The recipe booklet, backed by the Department of Health, is available for free from the foundation on 01 6685001 or on the website at www.irishheart.ie.