Record-breaking ski mountaineer, adventurer and Suunto ambassador Greg Hill has always been a foodie. Eating well is about enjoyment, which also serves his nutritional needs. He approaches it in that order, not vice versa.
“Nutrition has always been important but more so because I really enjoy eating great food,” he explains. “Yet I also understand that the fuel we put in our bodies determines how well it runs. Much like an engine, if you put bad gas into it, it will run poorly.”
Photo by Angela Percival/ Arcteryx
Fresh colors
Greg tries to eat fresh vegetables with a variety of colors, which he says indicates nutritional richness. Whenever possible, he also cooks with food from local sources. “I do grow a small garden every year, with tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, carrots, broccoli, beets, just your basics,” he says. “It’s so nice to go and grab them directly from my yard.”
Week day diet
Greg and his family are following the “week day vegetarian diet”, meaning they only meat on the weekends. This contributes to personal health and reduces their impact on the planet. “The personal health side is pretty clear, there are so many articles about reducing red meat in your diet and the benefits involved, from a reduced potential for cancer to lower cholesterol, to living longer,” he says.
“One of the simplest way to decrease my family’s carbon footprint was to decrease our meat intake; livestock farming is responsible for 20-50 per cent of the greenhouse gases, so this was an easy way to become better earth dwellers. If you ever look into livestock it is amazing the deforestation involved, the extreme water usage and over un-sustainability of it.
Photo by Angela Percival/ Arcteryx
Healthy balance
While the Hills like to keep it fresh, they also allow themselves to indulge in a fast food meal once a week, like ordering a pizza on Friday movie night. Perfection is not the goal, Greg says, just as long as the the bulk of their diet is fresh, healthy food.
“Like every family we have certain meals that are staples, enchiladas, lasagna, salad rolls, pad thai, pizza on friday nights, and my favourite – the glory bowl,” he says.
Tofu glory bowl
In the bowl
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup grated beetroot
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cups almonds, toasted
1/2 cups spinach leaves
1 cup tofu, cubed
Dressing
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 gloves garlic
3 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
Instructions
Prepare the brown rice and set aside.
Fry tofu cubes in a pan.
Add dressing ingredients into a blender to prepare the dressing. Add oil in a steady stream. Taste, and thin with water if required.
Assemble the bowls by placing cooked brown rice into two bowls, top with beets, carrots, spinach leaves, almonds and fried tofu cubes.
Drizzle bowls with dressing.
Lead image: Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash.
Click below to read articles in our Fuelling the Engine series:
- Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Lucy Bartholomew
- Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Emelie Forsberg
- Fuelling the engine: a commonsense approach to nutrition
- Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Ryan Sandes
- Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Ultracycling Man
- Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Mel Hauschildt
- D.I.E.T (disaster imminent every time), and three unchanging principles of nutrition for athletes