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Scotland’s National Chef: My healthy eating mission

Gary Maclean Scotland's national chef
Scotland's National Chef, Gary Maclean

Winner of BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals, Gary Maclean, gives us an insight into his goal to improve the nation’s diet

The role of Scotland’s National Chef comes with a four-page brief, with about 400 different things that it could encompass.

My priority is to continue getting the message out to the world about Scotland’s amazing larder.

In my role, I also focus on food education.  I’m a firm believer that if children are educated about healthy food, and understand the fundamentals of cookery at an early age, it will solve a lot of diet-related problems further down the line. I do think we have to be realistic, as it’s about working together and offering advice on how people can make sure they’re getting the right amount of healthy food.

I work closely with colleagues across the Scottish Government and industry to try to keep it simple when I talk to people about food. I’m not a nutritionist, but if people are eating a varied, healthy balanced diet that’s mostly home cooked then I think they can’t go far wrong.

My granny used to make mince and tatties. It’s two things on a plate, with some vegetables, but food like that still has a place today. The mince and tatties might change to something else, but if people are going into the cupboard and pulling out a pot and making food with plenty of fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates along with some dairy, meat and fish or alternatives, that’s the key to a maintaining a balanced diet.

Even as a chef, I often find it tough to prepare a home-cooked meal every single night. You’ve got to allow yourself time to chill out, but it’s all about the overall diet and what food you’re providing for the family over the week.

We have a long way to go to improve Scotland’s diet - as research from organisations such as Food Standards Scotland shows. From a chef’s point of view, I think there has been a general seismic change in the way we look at food. It’s really good that people are interested in food and the more knowledge people have, the better.

If this guest blog from Gary Maclean has inspired you to cook healthy balanced meals at home, you may find our Eatwell Everyday tool, with recipes and shopping lists helpful:

You may also find our information on eating well at home helpful, with advice and tips on maintaining a healthy, balanced diet during the coronavirus pandemic:

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