Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Healthy Food Guide

Did you know the most popular sandwich fillings among Aussie kids are Vegemite, ham and Nutella? (And white bread is a clear favourite, too.) While I admit I’m rather fond of Vegemite on toast for the occasional brekkie, results from consecutive national health surveys tell us that kids are not eating enough veg. If you‘re preparing to send your kids back to school in coming weeks, you‘ll love our vegie-packed lunch ideas that are perfect for adults, too! (p38). Think mini pizzas, pinwheel wraps, mac & cheese slice and chicken schnitzel sliders… yum! Plus, we have healthy after-school snacking covered with our high-fibre muesli bars (p58) and advice from The Biting Truth dietitians, Anna and Alex (p32). Getting back into the swing of things after an indulgent festive season can…

Festive cheer Christmas and summer holidays mean plenty of celebrating, so I was delighted to find lots of great advice in the December issue of HFG for staying happy and healthy throughout the festive season. Along with the article on staying hydrated, especially in warmer weather, and the mindful Christmas survival guide, I loved the delicious and healthy recipes that make entertaining a breeze, and have us all saying, “Ho ho ho!”. And special thanks to those two amazing women, Alice and Edwina, for sharing their inspiring weight loss stories. They should be very proud of themselves. Judith Caine, VIC…

Instead of… Row (20g) of milk chocolate Opt for… Handful (30g) of mixed nuts Instead of… 3 choc-chip biscuits Opt for… High-fibre muesli-bar (see recipes p58) Instead of… Large milky coffee with 2 sugars Opt for… 170g tub plain yoghurt topped with ½ cup fresh strawberries Instead of… 2 tsp honey on a crumpet Opt for… 2 tsp peanut butter on a slice of wholegrain toast Instead of… Takeaway blueberry muffin Opt for… 2 wholegrain crackers with 1 slice cheddar & 1 cup grapes…

DRINK WATER FIRST You’ll naturally feel like eating a little less when you drink a couple of glasses of water before starting your meal. CHOOSE A SMALLER PORTION Not only do portion-controlled snacks keep a lid on energy intake when compared to snacking from a larger packet, smaller meals have the same impact — all without feeling you’re ‘going hungry’. TAKE YOUR TIME Eating slowly and chewing more not only helps you get the most enjoyment out of your 20 per cent foods, it’s an easy way to consume fewer kilojoules. WAIT BEFORE HAVING A SECOND HELPING Allow at least 10 minutes to pass to give your stomach time to tell your brain it’s full. CUT TREATS IN HALF Research shows you’ll feel just as satisfied 15 minutes after you’ve…

Thursday MILK + NUTS Nothing beats a cool glass of milk on a hot afternoon. Or a warm mug on a winter’s day! As well as protein, milk is a rich source of calcium, a nutrient important for developing strong, healthy bones. Nuts, on the other hand, are a bit like chickpeas in that they contain both protein and fibre — win-win! Fun fact: peanuts are actually a type of legume, just like chickpeas. There are plenty of nuts available to taste test, but we recommend the unsalted varieties. If your children aren’t fans of eating whole nuts, turn this snack combo into a nutritious smoothie by blending a cup of milk with a small banana and a spoonful of peanut butter. Yum! Friday CHEESE +…

MONDAY Warm pork, eggplant & almond lettuce cups Serves 4 Cost per serve $4.65 ✔gluten free ✔dairy free ✔diabetes friendly 25 mins 1 large eggplant, cut into 1cm pieces 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 long red chilli, finely chopped 500g lean pork mince 1 red capsicum, diced 1 large zucchini, diced 1½ tablespoons reduced-salt, gluten-free tamari ½ cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve ¼ cup roasted unsalted almonds, roughly chopped 8 iceberg lettuce cups 1 large carrot, shredded or grated 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve 1 Lightly spray a large wok with olive oil and heat over high heat. Add eggplant and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 2 Reduce heat to medium-high and…

Beat the heat Twisted Frozen Yoghurt Vanilla Bean contains half the sugar of the average frozen yoghurt. Per 60g serve (about 1 scoop): 287kJ (69cal), 1.9g protein, 0.9g sat fat, 9.8g carbs, 8.5g sugars Seed-tastic Made with sesame seeds, linseeds, sunflower seeds, and pepitas, Olina’s Bakehouse Seeded Snackers Sour Cream & Chives are a satisfying snack. Per 25g serve: 474kJ (113cal), 5.5g protein, 0.8g sat fat, 7.6g carbs, 1.4g sugars, 5.1g fibre, 86mg sodium Roll with it Uncle Tobys Oat Balls Peanut Butter, Strawberry & Oat are a winning combo of low-GI oats and heart-healthy peanut butter. Per 3 balls (42g): 705kJ (169cal), 3.5g protein, 2.5g sat fat, 21.2g carbs, 15.6g sugars, 3.2g fibre Plant power Edgell Nourish Bowl Spiced Lentil provides more than a third of your daily fibre…

Supermarket health food aisles are full of bars and bliss balls ‘made with fruit’. While they’re probably better for you than a biscuit or piece of chocolate, not all fruit snacks hit the nutrition mark, with many lacking gut-loving, hunger-busting fibre. Read on to discover how your favourite fruit snacks stack up. An apple a day Fibre is found in fruit, vegies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and is important for keeping you regular, balancing your blood sugars and supporting a healthy ticker by lowering cholesterol levels. It’s also super satisfying, so having enough fibre in your meals and snacks helps to keep pesky hunger pangs at bay. As a guide, aim for a snack that has at least 3g of fibre per serve. To put that into perspective, adults…

Weet-Bix Little Kids Essentials Per 2 biscuits: 508kJ (122cal), 4.1g protein, 0.6g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 22.8g carbs, 1g sugars, 4.1g fibre, 4mg sodium Macro 5 Grains Porridge Per 30g serve: 446kJ (107cal), 3.4g protein, 1.2g fat, 18.4g carbs, 0.4g sugars, 4.1g fibre, <5mg sodium Carman’s Goodness & Grains Cranberry & Vanilla Per 45g serve: 662kJ (158cal), 4.7g protein, 3.2g fat, 0.4g sat fat, 23.5g carbs, 5.9g sugars, 7.8g fibre, 51mg sodium Uncle Tobys 100% Shredded Wheat Per 2 biscuits: 700kJ (167cal), 4.3g protein, 0.6g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 32.9g carbs, 0.9g sugars, 6.2g fibre, 5mg sodium Messy Monkeys Choc Crunch Cereal Per 30g serve: 473kJ (113cal), 3.7g protein, 1g fat, 0.3g sat fat, 21g carbs, 4.5g sugars, 2.8g fibre, 25mg sodium…

Healthy Food Guide (HFG) magazine is your complete guide to healthy eating. Our recipes use easy-to-find, affordable ingredients. Cook with HFG and you’ll always enjoy a nutritious meal. We give unbiased opinions and are not affiliated with any food manufacturers. All branded food in HFG has been approved by our dietitians. Advertisers cannot influence editorial content. You can trust our advice. All our health information is supported by solid scientific evidence, not media fanfare. We smooth out any confusion caused by ‘pseudoscientists’. Dietitians review all our articles so they’re always accurate with up-to-date information. A full list of references is also available on request. Every recipe in Healthy Food Guide is healthy Our recipe writers work with qualified dietitians to develop all our meals. A nutritional…

Bring back the sandwich! From 24 January to 6 February, the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council are collaborating with restaurant chefs to develop masterful creations and breathe new life into the humble sandwich. Visit glnc.org. au/news-media/bring-back-the-sandwich for further information. GUT HEALTH MONTH Take part in this inaugural, nation-wide campaign throughout February to encourage better gut health. Discover how nutrition affects your gut health and ways to manage nutrition-related gut issues, including constipation and bloating, so you can feel better from the inside out. Visit guthealthmonth.com for resources and gut-loving recipes. One in four The ratio of kids who made poorer food choices in Covid lockdown, according to a study by The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. The main reasons for eating more processed foods, with unhealthy amounts…

Nothing quite compares to the hunger of a child after school. You know how it goes: they arrive home, dump their bags and fix themselves a big bowl of cereal or graze all afternoon, leaving no appetite for dinner. Or perhaps you’re stuck in a rut and looking for new and tasty ideas to add to the healthy snack roster. With kids about to head back to school after the long summer break, we share our easy guide to after-school snacks that require minimal or no preparation, but keep little tummies satisfied until dinner. Monday YOGHURT + FRUIT Yoghurt delivers the protein in this pairing, while the fruit supplies the fibre. Flavoured yoghurts tend to be high in added sugars so we recommend using a plain, Greek-style yoghurt.…

BEST POUCHES 1 Siggi’s Skyr 0.5% Vanilla Per 150g pouch: 459kJ (110cal), 14.3g protein, 0.4g fat, 0.3g sat fat, 11.7g carbs, 10g sugars, 429mg calcium 2 Tamar Valley Dairy Kids All Natural Greek Yoghurt Raspberry Per 110g pouch: 432kJ (103cal), 4g protein, 7.7g fat, 5.1g sat fat, 4.6g carbs, 3.4g sugars, 156mg calcium 3 Farmers Union Greek Style Yoghurt Passionfruit Per 130g pouch: 497kJ (119cal), 6.5g protein, 3.8g fat, 2.6g sat fat, 14.4g carbs, 13.9g sugars, 272mg calcium BEST POTS 4 Chobani Plain Greek Yoghurt Per 170g pot: 408kJ (97cal), 16.5g protein, 0.3g fat, 0.2g sat fat, 7.1g carbs, 5.6g sugars, 204mg calcium 5 YoPro Perform Banana Yoghurt Per 175g pot: 510kJ (122cal), 20.1g protein, 1.2g fat, 0.9g sat fat, 7.2g carbs, 6.5g sugars, 441mg calcium BEST TUBS 6 Danone…

Dietitians are regularly asked to name the best breakfast cereals for kids, so if you’re confused by the endless options available, you’re not alone. To give your family a nutritious morning meal, here’s what you need to know about building a healthy breakfast bowl. Be selective Despite what many people think, breakfast cereals can be a super-nutritious choice. Of course, some are less healthy than others, but low-sugar, wholegrain varieties provide hunger-busting fibre and low-GI carbohydrates to help kids stay energised until the lunch bell rings. To help choose the best cereal for your little one, look for the following on packaging: A simple ingredients list that includes whole grains such as wholegrain wheat, corn and oats. Low in added sugar Look for less than 15g sugar per 100g. If…

Full of goodness I really appreciated the article in the September issue comparing the fibre content in different breads, as this has always been a source of confusion for me. Now that I know which ones are the higher-fibre rated breads, wraps and rolls, shopping has become so much easier. I also enjoyed your spicy stuffed eggplant recipe that appeared in the August issue. I’d love to see more of these ‘meal for one’ recipes as I often find it hard to get inspired to cook when it’s just for myself. Thank you for an amazing little magazine full of information and hints. Helen Fazackerley, QLD Meals with ease I love how HFG’s website is so easy and accessible to use, with colour coding and meal plans. The meals are…

How I’ve Kept The Weight Off by Anna Van Dyken (Pan MacMillan Australia, RRP $39.99) With the help of Weight Watchers, Anna lost half her body weight — 70 kilos. Having maintained her goal weight for the last five years, she shares her tips and tricks for sustainable weight loss and maintenance, plus 90 delicious recipes. The Superheroes On Your Plate by Tansy Boggon (Shawline Publishing, RRP $19.95) This delightful picture book encourages young children to eat a wider variety of whole foods. Combining stories with nutrition education, it’s the ideal conversation starter for parents wanting to foster healthy eating habits from an early age.…

A few hours after you’ve eaten those jelly snakes, your blood glucose levels start to fall again. Now you feel your energy levels dip, and you begin to get tired and hungry. As a result, you look for an energy fix and reach for the next handful of sugary snakes to keep you going. Continuing on its journey, fructose and any leftover glucose travels into the liver. At this point, fructose is converted into glucose, too. Any glucose that’s not needed straight away gets packaged up into glycogen (lots of glucose molecules stuck together) for storage in the liver and muscles until it’s needed for energy. Once the storage capacity in the liver and muscles is full, extra glucose can be converted to other fuels, such as pyruvate and lactate.…

It’s about eating everything in a balanced way, so is more sustainable in the long term Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply want to eat healthier, one thing’s for sure — strict, fad diets don’t tend to work. There are a range of reasons to help explain this, everything from how dieting affects metabolism and hunger hormones, to research showing restrictive dieting impacts quality of life and bumps up food cravings, at least in the short term. No surprise, then, that while most people lose weight when they go on a diet, the vast majority regain it and sometimes more. The problem with moderation At the other end of the scale, the ‘everything in moderation’ advice might seem like the perfect antidote. Sadly, that approach doesn’t have a…

EGG-DROP CHICKEN & NOODLE SOUP Serves 4 Prep time 15 mins Cook time 20 mins Cost per serve $4.95 ✔dairy free 180g dried ramen noodles 500g chicken tenderloins, trimmed of fat 4 spring onions, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 1 long red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced 3 cups reduced-salt chicken stock 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce 1 bunch choy sum, roughly chopped 1 bunch baby bok choy, leaves separated 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 x 100g packet shimeji mushrooms, cut into small clusters 1½ cups bean sprouts Black sesame seeds, toasted, to serve 1 Place noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes over high heat. Using tongs, transfer to…

BEETROOT & MINT Add 200g beetroot (peeled, finely grated, squeezed of excess moisture) to food processor in step two, and swap the coriander for ¼ cup chopped mint. GREEN Add 50g baby spinach leaves (roughly chopped) and ½ cup frozen peas (blanched, drained) to food processor in step two. TURMERIC & SWEET POTATO Add 100g roasted sweet potato (roughly chopped) and ½ teaspoon ground turmeric to food processor in step two. Add an extra tablespoon of flour if mixture is too soft.…

Make it snappy! Balmy evenings are perfect for popping fresh and crisp sugar snap peas onto your plate. A mix between a snow pea and a garden pea, sugar snap peas are part of the health-giving legume family, along with green peas, chickpeas and lentils. Here are four reasons to eat more of them this summer. IMMUNE SUPPORT Sugar snap peas are a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for strong immunity. HEALTHY BLOOD CLOTTING They also provide vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting. GOOD FOR YOUR GUT With 2.8 grams of fibre per 100g, a handful of sugar snap peas thrown into a salad or stir-fry supports a healthy digestive system. CULINARY CREATIONS Their sweet, yet mild flavour makes them a versatile kitchen…

From acai to dragonfruit, try out the more unusual fruits now available in the freezer aisle of supermarkets. 1 Blend thawed frozen strawberries with honey, extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of vinegar to create a tangy, homemade salad dressing. 2 Stir frozen blueberries through a healthy banana bread batter before baking. 3 Blitz frozen pineapple pieces with lime juice, then freeze to make DIY sorbet. 4 Combine defrosted frozen raspberries with chia seeds, then store in the fridge as a low-sugar alternative to jam. 5 Top Sunday morning pancakes with a handful of frozen mixed berries. 6 Blend frozen banana chunks with milk and peanut butter to create a healthy and filling afternoon smoothie. 7 Make your own ‘nice cream’ by combining defrosted frozen acai puree with yoghurt. 8…

→ BRICKS One of the healthiest of the bunch, brick-style cereals are usually made with wholegrain wheat and little else. A good source of gut-loving fibre, they are often low in added sugar. → FLAKES Healthier versions are made with whole grains, such as wholegrain wheat, corn, oats, brown rice and barley. Less healthy versions contain refined grains like white wheat flour and white rice, and also sugary extras like honey and maple syrup. → MUESLI, CLUSTERS AND GRANOLA They may have a healthy halo but are not always the best choice. Some varieties are made with honey, golden syrup, coconut and other oils to help bind them together, so can be particularly high in added sugars and saturated fat. Your best buy in this category is natural, untoasted muesli.…

MONDAY Breakfast • Muesli & fruit ½ cup natural muesli with 1 x 170g tub plain reduced-fat yoghurt & 2 passionfruit (1600kJ/380cal) Lunch • 2 x Muffin pan pizzas (p39) plus 2 cups mixed salad leaves (1400kJ/330cal) Dinner • Baked mustard salmon with white bean puree (p68) (2400kJ/570cal) Snacks • Apple pie muesli bar (p60) • 1 regular skim latte (1100kJ/260cal) Daily total 6500kJ (1555cal) TUESDAY Breakfast • PB & berry toast 2 slices wholegrain toast topped with 2 tsp natural peanut butter & ½ cup fresh blueberries (1400kJ/330cal) Lunch • 2 x Muffin pan pizzas (p39) plus 2 cups mixed salad leaves • 2 kiwifruits (1800kJ/430cal) Dinner • Sticky chicken skewers with stir-fried greens (p50) (1900kJ/450cal) Snacks • Choc chip & orange muesli bar (p60) • 1 regular skim…

WHY AM I ALWAYS HUNGRY? HOW TO STOP SUGAR CRAVINGS, p18 Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2016. Australian Health Survey: Consumption of added sugars, 2011–12. Available at www.abs.gov.au Accessed December 2021. Clemens et al. 2016. Functionality of sugars in foods and health. CRFSFS. 15: 433–70. Sugar Nutrition Resource Centre. 2019. Sugar consumption trends in Australia and NZ. Available at www.sugarnutritionresource.orgAccessed December 2021. Sugar Nutrition Resource Centre. 2021. Digestion, absorption & transport of carbohydrates. Available at www.sugarnutritionresource.orgAccessed December 2021. HOW TO BURN MORE KJS (WITHOUT NOTICING!) p24 Australian Government Department of Health. 2021. About physical activity and exercise. Available at www.health.gov.au Accessed September 2021. Cadmus-Bertram et al. 2015. Randomized trial of a Fitbitbased physical activity intervention for women. AJPM. 49(3): 414–18. Medibank. 2021. Live Better — kilojoules burned during exercise calculator. Available…

My eight-year-old struggles with constipation, especially during the school term. What high-fibre foods should I put in his lunchbox to help get things moving? Rachel, via email Q&AThe cornerstones of healthy digestion start with fibre, fluid and exercise. Fibre adds bulk to stools, making them bigger, softer and easier to pass. It also helps to increase the frequency of toilet visits. For fibre to work well, it needs fluids: too much fibre and not enough fluids can have the opposite effect, so remind your child to drink lots of water and top up his water bottle throughout the day. Exercise is also good for digestion because it speeds up the digestive tract, pushing things through faster. To include more fibre in your child’s lunchbox, add: → Muesli bars with oats…

Recipes per serve contain no more than: • 1700kJ per main meal • 800kJ per dessert • 600kJ per side dish • 200kJ per 250ml fluid. Recipes per serve have at least: • 20g protein per main meal • 5g protein per side dish or dessert. Recipes per serve contain no more than: • 10g fat per main meal • 4.5g fat per dessert • 3g fat per side dish • 3.5g fat per 250ml fluid. Recipes per serve have at least: • 6g fibre per main meal • 3g fibre per side dish or dessert. Recipes per serve contain no more than: • 500mg sodium per main meal or dessert • 200mg sodium per side dish. Recipes per serve have at least 250mg calcium. Recipes per serve have 4.5mg…