By Christine Salins.
Given the terrible summer that Australians are currently experiencing – drought, bushfires and floods – Scott Gooding’s book, The Sustainable Diet (Hachette, $29.99) couldn’t be timelier.
A note on the cover says the book includes “over 100 delicious recipes that are good for you AND the planet”, but the recipes account for only about half of this eminently readable volume.
The first half of the book is dedicated to a thoughtful commentary on how our modern agricultural and nutritional models are fundamentally flawed. Gooding’s biggest bugbear with contemporary farming is that it relies on monocropping ie. growing a single crop on one piece of land year after year – and on such a scale that a single species can occupy fields for kilometres at a stretch.
Eliminating the natural checks and balances that a diverse ecosystem provides, leads to disease, pests and soil depleted of nutrients, which in turn leads to the use of pesticides and fertilisers, says Gooding.
Drawing on numerous references, documented in the endnotes, Gooding says the Western lifestyle, complete with intensive food systems, has ravaged human and ecological health.
“The industrialised world has fallen victim to being undernourished while simultaneously being overfed.
“The global staple foods in the industrialised world are corn, sugar, wheat, rice, soy, maize, and ground beef from feedlot livestocks – it’s a recipe for poor health. These commodities are shoulder-charging fresh, nutrient-rich produce out of the way.”
Gooding provides a number of case studies of farmers who have transformed their land using sustainable agricultural systems, including one of the highest profile proponents of sustainable farming, American Joel Salatin.
He also addresses the question of whether veganism is the answer to saving the planet. Gooding provides evidence to show that there are “deaths and harm to sentinent beings no matter which food philosophy you uphold”.
He chooses to eat meat but acknowledges that “we in the industrialised world consume too much animal protein”. “Although I personally eat meat, I prize the veggies on my plate. Protein, to my mind, should be the condiment, and when you make veggies the hero you’re truly giving your body the right inputs.”
Having previously authored The Keto Diet and The Clean Living series, Gooding says a sustainable diet is naturally low in carbohydrates and high in nutrient-dense foods that are farmed in a way that has a low impact on the planet.
Easy Moroccan Chicken
Serves 4
1 cup unsweetened coconut yoghurt
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons Moroccan spice or ras el hanout
1 whole organic chicken, butterflied
2 to 3 tablespoons oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut yoghurt, lime juice and Moroccan spice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken and coat entirely, then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and heat a chargrill plate to high.
Place the chicken on the chargrill plate, breast side down, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
Remove from the heat, season and serve.
From: The Sustainable Diet, by Scott Gooding. Published by Hachette, $29.99.
