Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Healthy Food Guide

Green juices and ‘super’ smoothies may be marketed as healthy, but some are very high in sugar. This means they can pack in more kilojoules than a main meal, resulting in unwanted weight gain. So, can you really sip your way to good health? Not so smooth A smoothie can be nourishing, but may also contain kilojoule-dense frozen yoghurt, sweet syrups, honey and dates. And juicing also involves separating the skin and other fibrous matter from the liquid, which is a problem because the skin of fruit and veg is the main source of gut-friendly fibre. Fibre also helps to prevent sharp rises in blood sugar and insulin levels after eating. Choose wisely A healthy portion size for a smoothie is about 250ml (the size of a standard measuring cup).…

Festive cheer! Christmas comes but once a year, so make the most of it by serving up impressive seafood platters, exciting salad combos, gluten-free nibbles and refreshingly cool delights. Turn the page to tickle your fancy further! To make life easier, we’ve done the healthy eating hard yards for you. Every main meal contains at least two serves of vegies. Each dish meets our dietitians’ criteria to ensure it doesn’t contain too much energy, saturated fat, sugar or sodium. Recipes all come with a nutritional analysis, with the table on page 95 showing how they meet daily nutritional needs. Our food writers work with qualified dietitians to develop these recipes for maximum health benefits. For more about our recipe badges, see p99. ✔ gluten free ✔ dairy free ✔ diabetes…

Vegie ricotta fritters with capsicum salsa Serves 1 Prep 15 mins Cook 10 mins ✔ vegetarian 1 zucchini/courgette, grated1 carrot, grated1 spring onion, thinly sliced¼ cup ricotta1 egg2 tablespoons flour2 tablespoons Greek-styleyoghurt, to serve Salsa ½ red capsicum, finely diced1 tomato, diced2 teaspoons red wine vinegar1 teaspoon olive oilChilli flakes (optional) 1 To make salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 2 Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3 Lightly spray a frying pan with oil and heat over high heat. Dollop tablespoonfuls of batter into pan and cook for 4 minutes each side or until golden. Serve fritters with salsa and yoghurt on the side. PER SERVE 1720kJ/411cal Protein 20g Total fat 21g Sat fat 7g Carbs 30g Sugars…

The silly season is here, which means you’re probably digging into more cheese and crackers than you might normally. With good health in mind, we show you how to make the most out of your festive munchies. + MORE FIBRE Fibre keeps you feeling full for longer and supports a healthy digestive system, feeding your gut microbiome and keeping you regular. Swap: Rice crackers for wholegrain crispbreads. You’ll boost your fibre intake by 2.5 grams, which is almost 10 per cent of your entire day’s needs. + MORE HEALTHY FATS Unsaturated fats from oily fish and nuts are helpful for a happy ticker. These fats also boost brain health and are super satisfying. Add: A handful of raw, unsalted nuts like almonds or walnuts, and slices of smoked salmon. As…

PER SERVE 901kJ/216calProtein 1.4gTotal fat 7.4gSat fat 5.5gCarbs 34.6g Sugars 28.9gFibre 2.0gSodium 111mgCalcium 22mgIron 0.6mg Look for these nutrition panels that appear on all of our recipes! Your individual daily nutrition intake will vary depending on age, gender, height, weight and level of physical activity. We use 8700kJ (2100cal) as the recommended average daily energy intake because this is the figure prescribed by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. While tracking numbers is one way to healthy eating, focus on the quality of the foods you eat, too. Enjoying a wide variety of whole foods will make it easier to meet your daily nutrition needs, as well as balance energy intake. Use our recommended daily nutrition intake as a guide only. For personalised advice, visit dietitiansaustralia.org.au to locate an…

Having a bad day? Music improves overall mood, but listening to rhythmic music may also change your brain function to a similar extent as certain medications. Most music has a range of frequencies, causing a complex set of reactions in the brain. And researchers think rhythmic music may prove useful in improving depression, attention deficit disorder and other neurological conditions because it can speed up or slow down brain waves. So, depending on your need to boost concentration or dial it down to a more relaxed state of mind, pop in your earbuds, turn on and tune in to enjoy this safe, readily available therapy.…

As the largest organ, your skin is a big deal. It protects against bacterial infection, helps regulate body temperature and is responsible for tactile sensation. The quality and condition of your skin is also a good indicator of where you are in life and health, be that acne during the hormonal teenage years or wrinkles and sun spots that come naturally with age. While genetic background plays a part in your skin thickness and pigmentation, extrinsic factors including diet, smoking, sleep, physical activity and your environment also affect skin health. Too much exposure to pollutants, UV radiation and humidity can all irritate the skin, causing inflammation and cell damage as the balance of healthy molecules (or free radicals) and antioxidants get disrupted, resulting in the premature ageing of skin. Get…

Chicken burgers $AVER MONDAY 20 mins Serves 4 ✔ dairy free 1 red onion500g chicken mince1 teaspoon ground cumin1 egg1 tablespoon wholemealspelt flour45g baby spinach leaves,finely chopped4 seeded bread rolls, halved,toasted¹⁄³ cup roasted pepper andeggplant pesto1 x 225g can beetroot, drained1 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 Thinly slice half the onion and finely chop remaining half. Place chopped onion in a large mixing bowl. Add mince, cumin, egg, flour and spinach. Season with freshly ground black pepper, mixing well to combine. Roll mixture into four patties. 2 Lightly spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add patties and cook for 5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked. 3 Spread roll bases with pesto. Top each with beetroot, burger, sliced onion and cucumber.…

Lime coconut chilli pineapple granita Serves 6 Prep 15 mins plus 4 hrs freezing ✔ gluten free ✔ dairy free ½ pineapple (see Cook’s tip)500ml lemon & lime sorbetice-creamZest and juice of 1 lime½ teaspoon chilli flakes¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes1 cup coconut yoghurt, to serve 1 Leaving a 2cm border, cut between pineapple flesh and skin. Cut out core, discarding. Cut flesh in a cross hatch pattern, then scoop out with a spoon into a food processor. Freeze pineapple shell. 2 Add sorbet and lime juice to food processor and process until smooth. Transfer mix to a 25 x 35cm shallow tray and freeze for 2 hours or until icicles start to form. Using a fork, scrape mixture towards centre. Freeze for a further hour, then scape again. Repeat…

When money’s tight, it pays to look to the past to find out how others managed through tough times. What can we learn from our grandparents about shopping, cooking and keeping house? And how we can apply their tried and true practices to our modern lives so we can spend less but still stay healthy? Read on to discover six money-saving strategies that have stood the test of time. 1 Make basic ingredients taste great A generation or two back, Grandma had a very limited range of ingredients to choose from. Ingredients like olive oil, pasta, soy sauce, artisan cheeses and even garlic were considered exotic and uncommon. But she knew how to work with what she had, and base her dishes on basic, inexpensive ingredients such as produce from…

Once upon a time, the Christmas menu did not deviate from turkey with roast potatoes, some token green veg and a rich, flavoursome gravy. Since this Christian feast to celebrate the birth of Christ originated in the Northern Hemisphere, a hot meal made sense during the coldest winter months. But for most of us here in the Southern Hemisphere, the typical Christmas menu has been adapted to include lighter seafood dishes and salads. These healthier foods are also in season, readily available and a lot less bothersome to dish up. After all, an Antipodean Christmas Day falls smack bang in the middle of the summer holidays — and who wants to slave over a hot oven for hours when you could be relaxing at the beach?! As vegetarian and veganism…

Prawn cocktail platter Serves 6 Prep 20 mins ✔ gluten free 1 clove garlic, cut in half1 spring onion, cut in half1 avocado1 tablespoon lemon zest¼ cup lemon juice¹⁄³ cup mixed fresh herbs(dill, chives, parsley, mint)¹⁄³ cup reduced-fatGreek-style yoghurt1 tablespoon rice vinegar1 oak leaf lettuce, leaves torn60g baby spinach leaves6 radishes, thinly sliced2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeledinto ribbons1 small red onion, thinly sliced600g peeled cooked prawns,tails intact¼ cup small fresh mint leaves2 tablespoons small freshdill sprigs 1 Place garlic and spring onion in a food processor and process for a few seconds or until finely chopped. Add avocado, lemon zest and juice, fresh herbs, yoghurt, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water and process for 20 seconds or until smooth and combined. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then transfer to a small…

Roasted tomato, olive & asparagus tart $AVER Serves 6 Prep 15 mins plus 15 mins chilling Cook 35 mins ✔ vegetarian 2 sheets reduced-fatshortcrust pastry2 bunches asparagus, halved1½ cups reduced-fat ricotta2 tablespoons finelygrated parmesan2 tablespoons choppedfresh chives30g pitted black olives,roughly chopped200g cherry tomatoes, halved1 tablespoon pepitas/pumpkinseeds, lightly toasted50g baby rocket, plus extrato serve 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly spray with olive oil an 11 x 34cm fluted tart pan with removable base. Line with pastry, joining edges where necessary, then trim excess, re-rolling pastry and reserving for another use. Chill tart case in fridge for 15 minutes. 2 Line pastry case with baking paper, fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and baking paper and bake for a further 8–10 minutes or…

Raise the steaks! The heat is on, but summer barbecues don’t have to be full-on meat fests. For a healthier, plant-plentiful sizzle, try the following dietitian-approved ideas. ➜ Swap traditional snags for homemade skewers layered with skinless chicken cubes, red onion wedges and yellow and red capsicum strips. ➜ Bring colour onto your plate with barbecued corn cobs, charred asparagus spears and thickly sliced grilled eggplant. ➜ Instead of snags, chuck a tuna steak on the barbie for some lean protein and healthy fish oil. ➜ Try meat-free options such as marinated firm tofu cubes on skewers or vegetarian patties made with chickpeas or lentils.…

A glass of wine or a beer are pleasant accompaniments to sunshine, salt water and backyard barbecues, but some people find it hard to stop at just one. The good news is there’s a growing range of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic tipples to enjoy. Before you pour your next cold one, check out the latest health advice on booze and boozing. Liquid kilojoules Alcohol is often termed ‘empty calories’ because, gram for gram, it packs almost double the energy of carbohydrates or protein and has no nutritional value. One standard drink contains 10g of alcohol, which is 290 kilojoules (69 calories). So it’s easy to see how a few drinks can add a lot of unnecessary kilojoules to your day, without providing any other important nutrients. For this reason, the festive…