Home Fires Burning

The Rake

So much of today’s conspicuous consumption of food is built around the idea of convenience. Is it surprising that obesity is now the scourge of the west? We need to learn from our grandparents and regain the art — and the habit — of home cooking, says the rake’s nutrition expert.

By Sarah Ann Macklin

I grew up in Hampshire, where meal times were always a family matter. I am the youngest of three children. My parents made supper time an essential and social evening routine, when every member of the family would come together to talk about their day over a traditional English meal such as a roast dinner, fish pie or chili con carne. At the time, it felt like neither my parents nor anybody else were especially ‘health conscious’ — unlike today, when it seems to be at the front of everybody’s minds.