Nigella Lawson urges people to stop feeling guilty about the food they enjoy as she launches indulgent cookbook

Nigella Lawson has always championed guilt-free eating. Anyone who’s ever opened up one of her recipe books knows that most of the dishes don’t come close to anything you could call diet-friendly.

However, as the famous TV cook gears up for another new release, the signs are that she’s really upping the ante in her efforts to stop people from feeling bad about what they eat.

Needless to say, the results are seriously exciting for anyone who considers themselves a food fan.

Nigella Lawson is an advocate for guilt-free eating (Credit: Alamy/Jeff Gilbert)

Nigella Lawson – “guilt should play no part in pleasure.”

In her new book, which acts as a follow-up to her hugely successful Cook, Eat, Repeat series, Nigella Lawson dedicates a whole chapter to guilt-free eating.

In a section dubbed “Death to the Guilty Pleasure,” she enthusiastically argues against the idea that we should feel bad about enjoying our food.

READ MORE: Is Nigella Lawson a trained chef? Everything you need to know about the cooking queen’s career

As she writes in the book, “guilt should play no part in pleasure,” especially when it comes to eating.

Lawson elaborated on this theory in a recent interview with CBC Radio. As she revealed, she believes that there are two main reasons why people feel bad about their food.

Lawson explained: “For one, it’s because women have been told they should be on a diet forever. Therefore, any food that doesn’t look like it’s diet food makes them feel guilty.

“I think the other reason is because people think the food is low status. But you can’t pretend to like food you don’t like… sometimes a slice of plastic bread with one of those triangles of processed cheese can be just what you need.”

With this new book, Lawson is determined to celebrate food rather than worry about it.

The new Nigella Lawson book follows in the footsteps of her recent TV series (Credit: Alamy/Martin Tompkins)

Cook, Eat, Repeat

Nigella Lawson’s new book picks up from where her latest series left off.

In addition to her strong words on the subject of guilt-free eating, Cook, Eat, Repeat contains several other essays and recipes, all focused on the joyful aspects of food.

READ MORE: Does Nigella Lawson have a restaurant and does the TV chef have any Michelin stars?

Exciting recipes include Nigella Lawson’s notorious fish finger bhorta and lamb shank with wide noodles. Much like the TV series, the food in the book is comforting, without necessarily being traditional.

Of course, not feeling guilty about your food is easier said than done. However, if you’re looking for inspiration to start a new relationship with food, Lawson’s philosophy isn’t a bad place to start.