WITH her trim figure, long blonde hair and blue eyes, Calgary Avansino looks the epitome of a healthy Californian. But she has lived on this side of the Atlantic for16 years and, as part of the burgeoning clean-eating brigade, is transforming daily diets in the UK.
New cookbook Keep It Real is packed full of wholesome advice from the mum-of-three, who moved to Britain in the winter of 2000, to discover coconut water and quinoa were unheard of, let alone available in local supermarkets.
Now, of course, they're ubiquitous, but we're still making bad decisions about what we put in the trolley.
"I think we've lost a reality check about what real food is, because we're so used to going down the grocery store aisles and seeing 50 cereals and 20 salad dressings and actually, none of that is real food," says the journalist, who, unsurprisingly, looks much younger than her 40 years.
"So, what you're used to doing – you have to stop that habit. Think about food in terms of where it comes from, what it's made from, what goes into it, and start caring about what we put in our bodies in a different way."
Avansino, who started her career in journalism as the assistant to British Vogue's editor-in-chief and is now a contributing editor, has a simple set of rules for how to 'keep it real', which include: ditching diets, embracing plants, and eliminating sugar.
"When I talk about a plant-based diet, it doesn't mean you have to be a vegan or veggie at all; if you want to eat lean, good cuts of meat, that's fine. You just have to look at what else you're eating," she says. "I'm not saying make three-starred Michelin meals, I'm just saying chop some spinach."
It was really important for Avansino that her book be published post-January, so it wouldn't be part of the "detox, diet mentality".
"This is forever. You have to decide if you want to change how you think about cooking and the food you put in your kitchen. It should be a great thing – not a deprivation thing."
Diets are off the menu completely.
"Diet is such a negative concept. It causes this cycle of, 'I'm not good enough, I'm a failure and I can't do this – and now I weigh more than I did before'. Because that's what happens – every time."
You can indulge in your favourite food, be that pizza or brownies, but she says: "You just can't have it all the time".
Exercise is also really important – a self-confessed yoga bunny, when she started at Vogue, she would arrive fresh-faced from a morning workout to find her colleagues nursing coffees and giving her odd looks. In her book, she says we must make an effort to move our bodies every day.
"I don't find exercise a burden – it just makes me feel more levelled, calm and less stressed. I have really good ideas when I'm working out."
Try some of Calgary's healthy and nutritious dishes for yourself.
:: CALGARY'S CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS
(Serves 4 as a main or 6-8 as a side)
1 large cauliflower (about 750g after trimming)
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2tsp ground turmeric
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
15 mint leaves, roughly chopped
60g pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
100g goats' cheese, crumbled
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Core and cut the cauliflower into medium florets. Blitz the florets in a food processor until they resemble couscous. Do it in two batches if the food processor is more than three-quarters full. Don't over-blend, otherwise it will become pureed.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil and fluff with a fork, then season with the salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then add all the remaining ingredients except the lime juice and toss together. Add additional olive oil, salt and pepper if necessary. Pour the lime juice over the top.
:: BROCCOLI 'MEATBALLS'
(Makes 12, serves 3-4)
275g broccoli florets (about one large head)
125g plain almonds (not roasted, salted or sweetened)
1 large egg
10g basil leaves, finely chopped
10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
5g coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)
10g finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/8tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place your broccoli florets in a steamer and steam for approximately 10 minutes, until tender and still bright green, rather than mushy and going grey; keep checking them with a knife to ensure they don't overcook. Once steamed, refresh in cold water to stop the cooking and leave in a colander to drain.
In a food processor or high-powered blender, grind the almonds into a fine powder and place in a mixing bowl. Then pulse the steamed broccoli in the food processor or blender until finely chopped (not pureed) and place in the bowl with the almonds.
Whisk the egg in a separate small bowl, then add to the mixing bowl along with the basil, parsley, coriander – if using, Parmesan, garlic and cayenne pepper, and season with salt and pepper.
Mix everything well, until thoroughly combined, then using your hands, make approximately 12 'meatballs', pressing them firmly together to be sure they retain their shape.
Place the balls on the baking sheet, making sure they are not touching. Pop in the oven for 25 minutes or until they are just turning golden brown.
:: Keep It Real by Calgary Avansino is published in hardback by Yellow Kite, priced £25.
