Pete Evans angers experts with ketogenic cookbook
Celebrity chef Pete Evans has been slammed by health experts for promoting the heavy use of “the fattiest cuts of meat” in his new cookbook, which raises eyebrows for dismissing certain food groups.
Lifestyle
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Health experts have slammed the new book from celebrity chef Pete Evans for its heavy reliance on meat and animal fats.
Evans’ new book Easy Keto Dinners features recipes with food cooked in beef, pig, cow and duck fats and suggests choosing the “fattiest cuts of meat”.
Carbs and dairy are dismissed as “inflammatory”, fruit is reduced and many of the dishes involve meat and processed meat.
One recipe for a “meatzza” is a pizza with pork and beef mince as its base instead of dough which is then topped with more meat.
VicHealth CEO Sandro Demaio said he was concerned about the “carnivore ketogenic” option which eliminated fruit and vegetables in the recipes. He also does not advocate extreme fasting.
“This is not a sustainable and accessible approach for most of us and can lead to people not getting enough nutrients in their diets,” he said.
“We’re also concerned about the high fat content of some of these recipes with one serving of the meatzza containing 112 per cent of your daily recommended saturated fat intake compared with 30 per cent recommended vegetable intake.
“When it comes to health, it’s recommended people get dietary advice from a reputable source like a health expert — rather than a celebrity chef.”
Cancer Council of Victoria nutritionist Alison McAleese said “most animal fats are saturated and associated with heart disease and Australian nutritional guidelines suggest minimising saturated fats”. “People putting out these cookbooks are not professionals — they are not putting out nutritional advice,” she said.
The Dietitians Association of Australia also warned about eating too much red meat: “When it comes to healthy eating, dietary variety is key,” a spokeswoman said.
Lucinda Hancock, CEO of Nutrition Australia, Victoria, said the diet was “unbalanced and restrictive”.
“The keto diet includes very little carbohydrates, which can cut out many nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and some dairy foods, making it low in dietary fibre and high in saturated fats,” she said.
Alice Pryor, manager Parents’ Voice, said such advice confused parents about what food is healthy.
In the book, Evans thanks readers for “choosing the nourishing recipes and nutritional advice I love to share” and says he is “promoting a very healthy diet of animal fats/protein and vegetables”.
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