The Vegetable Kingdom

Delicious, healthy and Climate-Smart food

By My Tiljestam. Photo: Åsa Dahlgren

More greens and less meat on your dinner plate, boosts your health and well-being, and is planet friendly. Marie Butler, health motivator and owner of the Swedish lifestyle restaurant Happy M Kitchen inspires us to enjoy food that is delicious, healthy and sustainable.

Her philosophy is to present pure and nutrient-dense plant-based food that tastes delicious. “I want to inspire people to make good food choices,” says Marie.

According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture animal products, such as meat, milk and cheese, account for one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. And meat consumption is escalating globally. “The climate impact on the environment from food we choose to eat needs to decrease dramatically. One way to achieve that is to choose more plant-based foods. Half a kilo (1 lb) of beef generates 13.5 kilos (29 lbs) of greenhouse gases, whereas half a kilo of beans only generates 0.2 kilos (7 oz),” continues Marie, who has worked with food and health for over 30 years.

CHANGING DAILY HABITS. Marie encourages us to explore new ingredients and flavours so that we have a positive desire to change our daily habits. That’s why Happy M Kitchen offers innovative plant-based food with touches of fish and shellfish that meet the requirements for sustainable fishing. As many ingredients as possible are organic and locally produced, and the restaurant is level two KRAV-certified (a Swedish certification in accordance with EC regulation 834/2007). The menu doesn’t contain any meat, dairy products, white flour or refined sugar. And as knowledge and inspiration are important factors, Happy M Kitchen regularly organizes cooking courses, where you can learn how to prepare everything from healthy breakfasts and delicious snacks to exciting lunches and dinners.

“I also often give talks about food and health. People are becoming more and more conscious, and there is a lot of interest in how food affects us, and the planet. Why not try our recipe for climate-smart tacos (next page) with beans instead of beef, which reduces the greenhouse gas emission by approximately 13 kilos (28 lbs). Let’s say a family eats tacos once a month, that would mean they could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 150 kilos (330 lbs) per year, just by making a small change like this,” says Marie.

KEEPING AN EYE ON HEALTH TR ENDS. Marie’s own interest in food started early on and has evolved over time. Already as a teenager she knew she wanted to get out into the world and run her own restaurant. She developed her skills in food and health, took health courses and read all of the research she could find. With the help of altered eating habits, Marie cured her own widespread eczema, and over the years she has also contributed to helping many others to become healthier. Nowadays she lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, but occasionally goes to London, Los Angeles and other cities to keep up-to-date on food and health trends that are worth bringing back home.

A MEETING PLACE. Happy M Kitchen has become a meeting place for people who wish to eat good, healthy food. It serves natural and organic wines, organic beer, and other drinks and snacks. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there, or have a coffee and cake. On Saturdays a large brunch is laid out, and cold-pressed organic juices are made by order in the gigantic juice press, every day of the week.

Everything in Happy M’s world is packed full of Marie’s knowledge and vitality. With the help of her team, she constantly develops the concept and is now fully focused on expanding.

“We are currently working out a structure that means that we will be able to gradually roll out Happy M Kitchen more widely. It’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to reach people in places outside Gothenburg as well,” says Marie enthusiastically.