Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2021: Food to fuel busy farmers

Think of yourself as a vehicle – you need to be putting good-quality fuel into that machine to perform optimally, both physically and mentally.

That’s advice from Tom Kemp, farmer and fitness guru, who’ll be one of the judges at Farmers Weekly’s Britain’s Fittest Farmer 2021 competition.

“It can be really hard, especially during demanding times of year such as harvest, to think ahead and plan your diet, but a good habit to get into is to prepare meals ahead to take with you in the combine or tractor.”

Tom recommends they’re made up of lean proteins such as fish and chicken; vegetables; carbohydrates such as oats, rice, potatoes or fruit; and include healthy fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, oily fish, avocados, nuts or eggs.

“Try to stick to nutrient-dense, wholesome, basic foods and avoid high-fat and processed foods, trans fats, artificial ingredients and additives.

It’s easily done when you’re on the go, but try to avoid grazing on poor-quality or high-sugar and salt items. These tend to give you energy spikes and crashes, affecting your sleeping pattern.”

Farmers sometimes assume they must be fit and getting lot of exercise because of the job they do, but that’s not always the case, explains Tom.

“Farming is mentally demanding, with your brain stimulated for hours on end, which can give you the impression you’ve been active in the physical sense, too.

But with long hours sitting in the cab, some aspects can be surprisingly sedentary and it is during these periods when your calorie intake can outweigh your total daily energy expenditure.” 

Tracking the number of steps you take in a day – via a health app on your smartphone or devices like a Fitbit or smartwatch – is a simple way of getting a basic insight into your calorie balance.

“It will give you a good baseline on how physically active you are. The free MyFitnessPal app is useful, too. You can keep it super-simple and just track your calorie intake, or fine tune it to chart areas such as protein, carbohydrates and fats.”

Mental wellbeing

According to Tom, as well as reducing your susceptibility to a range of physical problems, focusing on nutrition can improve your mental wellbeing.

“If we think of our bodies as vehicles, then if you’re consuming poor-quality foods (essentially, putting in the wrong fuel), your basic cognitive functions will not be performing optimally, perhaps leading to a lack of thought clarity, higher stress levels and reduced energy, which in turn can have a negative effect on your general wellbeing.

“I would never say you can’t have a treat, I just advise clients to factor these foods into their calorie intake, ensuring that high-calorie meals don’t take them beyond their target

calorie threshold. Personally, I love a good burger and chips from time to time!”

The oft-heard “five-a-day” adage when it comes to fruit and veg is still a good basic concept to work from, he advises.

Eating healthily can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you like – but farmers may have access to home-produced meat, veg or eggs, so creating balanced meals can save money.

One really simple tip is just to drink plenty of water. “Hydration is crucial and you should be aiming for a minimum of 2-3 litres a day. Remember to take a refillable water bottle with you on the tractor rather than fizzy drinks or processed high-sugar juices.

“The occasional coffee or tea is absolutely fine, but you don’t want to be relying on caffeine to get you through the day and replacing your water consumption with this fluid. There’s no harm in dipping into the flask when you’ve got a late night ahead or a very early morning start, though.

“Farmers know a lot about food production and cooking, but perhaps less about the intricacies of nutrition and diet, and it’s easy to slip into bad habits.

“As a judge in the BFF competition, I’ll certainly be looking for people who have a holistic approach to mental and physical health and understand that nutrition plays a key part in determining your overall health and phyiscal performance.

“Farming is a notoriously isolating line of work and it is important to understand the link between what you’re eating and how you’re feeling and performing on the job. The stronger the foundations, the better the building.

“Eating healthily doesn’t mean eating less – often it’s quite the opposite. If you’re working long hours, you can’t survive on low calories, so it’s important to take time to stop and refuel. At this time of year, when people are tired, it can be a challenge to think ahead,

but even small changes in habits can make a big difference.”

Breakfast is important

Breakfast is a crucial meal and affects how you perform throughout the day, says Ginny Woolhouse, founder of Ginger Health Foods.

“It should fuel your body with the right food to prepare you for the day.  Busy people should eat something that is going to get their metabolism going and sustain them throughout the day.”

The ideal time for breakfast depends on the individual, says Ginny, who grew up on a farm and launched her business last year, having worked in the food industry for nearly a decade.

“Some people like to eat at 6am and can’t function without doing so; others can’t face food at that time. What’s important is that you don’t let yourself get too hungry, because that’s when you’ll be tempted to reach for items that might immediately satisfy your hunger, but won’t fuel you and give you energy through the morning.

“Try to stay clear of anything heavily processed. Whole foods are good – oats, seeds, fruit, nuts and yoghurt, for example. Toast isn’t bad, either – although wholemeal bread is better than a processed white.

“Bacon and sausages are fine, but it’s sometimes what people eat with them that is bad – such as fried bread in lots of oil. Scrambled egg and bacon would be a good breakfast.”

Ginny’s advice is to keep breakfast simple, so it’s quick to prepare and easier to stick to. “Aim to keep a balance of fats, proteins and carbs, and avoid too much sugar and processed items.

“Farming families have traditionally been breakfast eaters, but it is important that as lifestyles become increasingly busy – and the demands on their time increase – that breakfast still remains an important part of the day.

“Farmers with livestock are incredibly attentive to animal nutrition and, similarly, arable farmers are hugely careful about how they “feed” their crops – so I always encourage people to think about what they eat in the same way.

“A good breakfast will fuel your body and your mind, which will set you up for the day ahead.”