Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2026 i Healthy Food Guide

SLEEP MOVEMENT Tai chi, a form of mind-body exercise widely practised in Chinese communities, has similar benefits to talking therapy for middle-aged and older people with chronic insomnia, a trial shows. Tai chi may be useful in long-term management of chronic insomnia in these age groups, the researchers say. Chronic insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders in these groups and has been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders and cognitive impairment. BMJ Good news for coffee lovers New research suggests that drinking coffee may actually help protect against atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat too quickly and irregularly, sometimes leading to stroke or heart failure. For years, doctors have advised people with AFib and other heart…

Growing up, kids are told to sit down while eating. Rather than just being about good manners, science is now discovering how standing up while eating can change taste perception, temperature sensation and even how much is eaten. Welcome to the weird world of altered taste perceptions! POSTURE AND TASTE Taste is one of the five key senses. It happens when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor cells found on taste buds. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami are the five well-characterised tastes. But there is growing evidence that we may even have a sixth taste, and that’s for fat. Taste, though, is more than just the sum of these defined tastes. You also have to factor in smell, texture and temperature. Because all of that…

It‘s a time of warm days and busy weeks. Our light, nourishing and practical recipes are perfect for this time of year – fresh chicken salads, nut-packed flavours, smart work lunches and plant-based protein. 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 doesnt 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 fit 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 friendly ✓ vegetarian…

1 Chicken, avo and pesto salad wrap Serves 1 Time to make 5 mins ✓ diabetes friendly Roll up 100g shredded, cooked chicken breast, ¼ sliced avocado, 1 cup salad leaves, 1 small sliced tomato and 2 teaspoons pesto in a toasted wholegrain wrap. PER SERVE 1694kJ/405calProtein 39.5gFat 13.2gSat fat 2.9gCarbs 21.6g Sugars 3.7gFibre 20.4gSodium 327mgCalcium 84mgIron 2.2mg 2 Chicken and bacon toasted club sandwiches Serves 2 Time to make 20 mins Preheat oven grill to high. Line a baking tray with foil and place a roasting rack on top. Brush 150g chicken tenders with olive oil and place on rack with 2 lean bacon rashers. Grill for 3–4 min each side until the chicken is cooked through, removing the bacon rashers once crisp. Set aside to cool a little. Toast 6…

MONDAY Corn and zucchini fritters with tomatoes Serves 4 Time to make 25 mins ✓ vegetarian ✓ diabetes friendly 3 corn cobs, kernels removed (or 2 cups canned corn kernels, drained)2 large zucchini/courgettes, grated1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus extra to garnish1½ teaspoons smoked paprika1 cup self-raising flour5 eggs, lightly beaten¾ cup reduced-fat milk300g bag ready-made slaw mix (dressing omitted)4 tablespoons low-fat plain yoghurt250g cherry tomatoes, chopped 1 In a large bowl, place corn kernels, zucchini, chives, paprika and flour. Mix to combine. 2 Add eggs and milk and mix well to make a batter. 3 Spray a large pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of fritter mixture in and cook until bubbles show on the surface. Flip to cook the other side. Set aside…

Excessive social media use may be driven by habit rather than genuine addiction, a new study shows. Researchers found that Instagram users tend to overestimate the extent to which they are addicted to the platform, and this may be driven by frequent social media use being commonly labelled as an addiction. Although 18 per cent of people who participated in the study thought they were addicted to Instagram, only 2 per cent displayed symptoms indicating risk of addiction. A subsequent study of Instagram users investigated the negative impacts of labelling frequent Instagram use as an addiction, and found that prompting participants to frame their social media use as an addiction was associated with lower feelings of control over their Instagram use and assigning higher levels of blame to both themselves…

Bang bang chicken salad Serves 4 Time to make 20 mins ✓ dairy free 100g bean vermicelli3 cups cooked, shredded chicken6 cups finely shredded lettuceHandful chopped fresh coriander leaves, some reserved for garnishHandful chopped fresh mint leaves, some reserved for garnish1 spring onion, sliced diagonally, some reserved for garnish1 small Lebanese cucumber, julienned or cut in fine matchsticks1 medium carrot, julienned or grated1 red capsicum, deseeded, sliced100g sugar snaps, trimmed, blanched100g mung bean sprouts1 red chilli, sliced, seeds removed, to garnish (optional)1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to garnish For the dressing 2 teaspoons chilli oil1 tablespoon tahini1 tablespoon peanut butter1 tablespoon peanut oil1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce½ teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns (or ground black pepper)1 teaspoon brown sugar1 teaspoon gochujang paste (optional) 1 In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients with 2…

Bean and lentil nachos $AVER Serves 4 Time to make 30 mins ✓ vegetarian ✓ gluten free ✓ diabetes friendly 2 teaspoons olive oil1 onion, roughly chopped1 teaspoon gluten-free Mexican spice mix½ red capsicum, diced½ yellow capsicum, diced400g can diced tomatoes4 gluten-free tortillas¼ teaspoon sugar400g can no-added-salt lentils, drained, rinsed125g can four bean mix, drained, rinsed1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves⅔ cup grated reduced-fat cheese200g low-fat plain yoghurt, to serve Salsa 125g canned corn, drained½ red capsicum, diced½ yellow capsicum, diced1 small avocado, diced1 tablespoon lime juice½ tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, then add half the Mexican seasoning. Add capsicum and tomato, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low and…

Healthier pineapple upside-down cake Serves 6 Time to make 35 mins 1½ cups self-raising flour1 teaspoon baking powder150g reduced-fat Greek yoghurt½ cup caster sugar3 eggs1 lime, zest and juiceGood pinch allspice3 tablespoons agave nectar7 pineapple rings (tinned in juice) 1 Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line the base and sides of a 23cm diameter cake tin with baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, place flour, baking powder, yoghurt, sugar, eggs, lime zest and juice and allspice. Whisk to combine. 3 Drizzle agave nectar over the base of the cake tin, then place pineapple rings to fit across base in a nice pattern. Pour over the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the sponge is springy to touch. While still hot, turn out on to…

When it comes to keeping properly fuelled for work, school or uni, you can’t beat a healthy, homemade lunch for ultimate nutrition and money-savings. Most of us don’t have a lot of spare time to make everything from scratch, so it’s helpful to know which supermarket products are a good choice. To remove the guesswork, our dietitians have analysed hundreds of products to determine which ones meet our nutrition criteria – along with being tasty, convenient and affordable. Plus, for added convenience we’ve picked our top lunchboxes, bags and bottles to keep your food fresh, and healthy takeaways – for those too-busy days. MEET THE JUDGES Min Saw Accredited practising dietitian and content creator on a mission to make healthy living feel fun, sustainable and empowering Jess Moulds NZ registered…

PER SERVE 1500kJ/360calProtein 29gTotal fat 16gSat fat 3gCarbs 9.3g Sugar 8.1gFibre 5.8gSodium 850mgCalcium 230mgIron 2.8mg Your individual daily nutrition intake will vary depending on age, gender, height, weight and your level of physical activity. Look for these nutrition panels that appear on all of our recipes 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 or…

It goes without saying that we need to maintain a nutritious diet throughout pregnancy. This means eating enough of the four main food groups (fruit and vegetables, breads and cereals, milk and milk products, and meat/fish/chicken/vegetarian protein) and less of the high-sat fat, high-sugar, low-nutrient extras. Remember, although you may be eating for two, your energy requirements don’t double. In reality, you only need about 1400 extra kilojoules a day in the first trimester. This is the amount of energy found in a cup of high-calcium milk plus a small tuna and salad roll. In the third trimester you need about another 500kJ on top of that – the energy in 2 tablespoons of raw mixed nuts. ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS PREGNANT PEOPLE NEED MORE OF ● Folate (folic acid) Folate has…

Nutty toasted muesli Serves 8 Time to make 30 mins ✓ dairy free ✓ diabetes friendly ✓ vegetarian 1 cup rolled oats½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped½ cup macadamias, roughly chopped½ cup pecans, roughly chopped⅓ cup pumpkin seeds⅓ cup sunflower seeds2 teaspoons cinnamon2 teaspoons vanilla essence⅓ cup dried cranberries⅓ cup dried coconut flakes 1 Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, place oats, nuts and seeds. Add cinnamon and vanilla, and stir well to combine. 3 Evenly spread mixture out on prepared tray and bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. 4 Remove from oven and top with cranberries and dried coconut flakes and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month. PER SERVE 1217kJ/291calProtein 6.9gTotal fat 23gSat…

Salmon, radish and potato bake with mustard miso sauce Serves 1 Time to make 30 mins ✓ dairy free 4 radishes, halved100g baby potatoes, halved125g salmon fillet½ cup frozen peas, defrosted¼ cup frozen edamame beans, thawed1 cup baby spinach Mustard miso sauce ½ tablespoon white miso paste1 teaspoon Dijon mustard½ tablespoon rice vinegarPinch sugar 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking dish with baking paper. Arrange radishes and potatoes on dish, spray with oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, add salmon and return to oven for another 10 minutes, until salmon is just cooked. 2 Meanwhile, make sauce. In a small bowl combine all sauce ingredients and whisk with a fork. Add a little hot water to make a smooth sauce. 3 Steam or boil peas…

A typical lunchbox often hits the basics – a sandwich, a snack and some fruit – but small tweaks can make a big difference to growing bodies. A few easy swaps can turn that everyday lunch into one that fuels busy brains and bodies with extra energy, calcium and fibre – without losing any fun or flavour! This upgraded lunchbox packs almost double the fibre, more healthy fats to keep kids fuller for longer, and a 70% calcium boost — all with more whole foods and less sugar. SMARTER PROTEIN SOURCES Protein isn’t just about quantity – it’s about quality. Swap: Ham (processed meat) for shredded leftover chicken breast, eggs or tuna. ➤ Provides higher-quality protein with less sodium, and supports muscle growth and satiety. MORE WHOLE GRAINS Whole grains…

1 Carotenoids are a group of 850 different pigments that give yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables their colour, p28. 2 Iodine levels in the soil in New Zealand and parts of Australia are low, meaning many people don’t get enough iodine, p34. 3 Brazilian researchers found that eating three apples daily improved weight loss and blood glucose levels in overweight women, p30. 4 Foods high in folate (a nutrient essential for fetal development) include green vegetables, legumes and citrus fruit as well as fortified cereals, breads and fruit juice, p33. 5 The vestibular system is the apparatus in your inner ear that helps the body maintain its postural equilibrium and gives us our sense of balance, p24. 6 Hot coffee seems hotter when its drunk standing rather than…