Banning Junk Food Adverts.

So, the proposed 20 per cent 'sugar tax' has been shelved by the government and now Cameron has triggered a new cabinet row by drawing up plans to ban junk food adverts during popular programmes such as The X Factor.

The government is grasping at all kinds of straws trying to address the childhood obesity epidemic which has swept the UK. According to projections, three out of four British adults will be obese by 2035 unless there is a real long term commitment to turn around the way we eat and drink.

Cameron has proposed to stop food giants advertising junk food during peak television slots, for example, ITV's The X Factor reaches an audience of more than 1.2 million children aged 4 to 15. A single episode of the show was surrounded by no less than 13 adverts for unhealthy foods.

Unfortunately, the government (whoever they are) are in the pockets of huge corporations. Already, the culture secretary has stated he will back commercial channels because huge amounts of money are at stake! Industry sources say the BBC's rivals could lose up to £200 million a year if Cameron goes ahead with his plan (given his record of back peddling I doubt he will) but this serves as a prime example of government ministers priorities, public health or huge corporations making money!

The elite aren't affected by these adverts, I doubt Whittingdale and his ilk are slumped in front of the box on a Saturday evening watching The X Factor and drooling through adverts of Domino's pizza. However, I have to say, the time has come for us to take responsibility for ourselves and our children's welfare and stop passing the buck. It's perfectly clear that food corporations, advertisers and successive governments don't have our interests at heart (although they all pay lip service to fact that they do.)

I have visited so many friends recently who endlessly pass their children 'snacks' from the cupboard, a bag of crisps here, a yoghurt there....the old fashioned concept of not eating between meals doesn't even apply because quite often children are drip fed snacks all day without a real meal in sight.

I'm not suggesting we don't indulge in the odd treat, but nutritious homemade meals should be our mainstay. This next recipe is adaptable, you could replace the black beans for kidney beans or even baked beans (especially if that's what your children prefer.) It's also a good meal for using various vegetables, the more colourful the better (children love lots of colour.)

Sweet potato pie

Recipe
8 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper/1 orange pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips
6 cherry tomatoes
Half a bag of red lentils, rinsed
1 tin of black beans
1 small tin of sweet corn
Spices of your choice (optional) I like to add cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick
A glug of olive oil
A knob of butter
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven 180c/gas mark 4
Boil potatoes until soft, mash with butter

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add onions and sweat gently

Add tomatoes

Add peppers, beans, sweetcorn and season

Transfer to ovenproof dish and cover with mashed potatoes

Bake for 40 minutes
Serve in warm bowls

'We have these weapons of mass destruction on every street corner, they are called cheeseburgers, donuts, french fries, ice creams.,,..junk food. Our children are living on a diet of junk food.'
- Joel Fuhrman

Love donna xxxxxxx