Joanna Blythman, The Economist: You Are What You Eat!!

Joanna Blythman, a British investigative food journalist, wants to dispel the myth that eating well is the preserve of the "neurotic rich". Her new book "What To Eat" is a food reference compendium in which she assesses dozens of common foods and food groups. Not only does she consider the taste and healthiness of different foods, but also its environmental impact, the conditions of producers, the welfare of animals and affordability. In a no nonsense style, Ms Blythman lays out her 20 principles of eating. These are simple, thoughtful and practical tips, such as "base your diet on real, unprocessed food", "be skeptical about nutrition advice from 'experts'" and "save money by shopping outside the supermarket". She convincingly argues that supermarkets are not necessarily cheaper. They might be good for processed foods and staples, but her exhaustive research shows that for fresh and un- processed foods, fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, shoppers are better off at their local butcher, fishmonger, or greengrocer. Ms Blythman spoke to The Economist about nutrition, food fallacies and why we should pay more attention to native food knowledge. Food and nutrition has become somewhat confusing nowadays. Was this book an attempt to demystify and simplify food? Absolutely. We are bombarded with misguided government healthy eating advice, and this has had the effect of making food seem hugely complicated. In fact, eating well is simple when you apply a few fundamental principles. People are demoralized because they are trying to follow this advice, yet they are getting fatter and fatter. For lots of people, food has become a minefield of do's and don'ts, and a relaxed appreciation of the pleasures of eating has got a bit lost along the way.