Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | My best articles

My best articles

Go vegetarian once a week

One of my columns for New Idea magazine, this topic helps two groups of people - parents who eat meat but have to cook for a child who's vegetarian (they can serve this yummy lentil rice salad as a side for them but a main for the vego) and newbie-vegetarians who need a bit of help coming up with balanced meals.
New Idea magazine, Oct 2011

Eat like a nutritionist

Diet experts (including Catherine) reveal what they eat on a typical day as well as their occasional indulgences, the food trends that horrify them and what they'll never eat again.
Interview by Angela Donaldson for Good Health Magazine Feb 2011

Is olive oil the best oil?

It's no secret that olive oil has won its way into our kitchens in recent times. And it's a top oil responsible for many of the health attributes of the famed Mediterranean Diet. But is it the ONLY oil to buy? And which is the best olive oil - extra virgin, pure or light?
Healthy Food Guide magazine Jan 2010

Start the day with high energy

Need energy to jump out of bed, get the kids organised, pack their lunches, put on a load of washing and head to work? Then you'll need a hard-working nutrition-packed breakfast to get you going. Catherine Saxelby outlines her morning method.
New Idea magazine March 2010
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Who's winning the food fight?

A new national survey on Australian diets confirms children from poorer families tend to eat more junk food and are more likely to be overweight. It also shows nearly all children, rich or poor, fat or slim, consume more sugar and salt than they should while hardly any teenagers eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Catherine Saxelby investigates.
Good Living, Sydney Morning Herald 14 July 2009
Read it Read the full unedited version of Kids' nutrition traps

Vegetables - fresh, frozen or canned?

"Fresh vegetables" used to be the motto for healthy eating. But busy lifestyles leave little time for food preparation or growing your own veggies. Unless you can fit in a daily shop, it means that you'll have to rely on frozen or canned in place of fresh - at least for some meals. Here I address the issues of how fresh is "fresh", what nutrition you lose, what's added (eg, salt), and which are the best kinds of frozen or canned to buy. 
Healthy Eating section, ahm website  June 2009
View it on the ahm website

Caffeine - 4 easy ways to cut down without going into withdrawal

Live on coffee? Can't think without your java fix? A cappuccino or short black is a common way for busy people to recharge the batteries or get going in the morning. But what do you do when it gets to be too much? Here Catherine covers the telltale symptoms that give you a clue that's you're overdoing caffeine and how to kick the habit in four gradual steps so you don't get the killer headache.
Recharge Lounge website  August 2008
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Goji - super food or marketing hype?

Hailed worldwide as a nutritional powerhouse, are gojis really a super food or is it just marketing overkill?
Australian Table magazine  May 2008
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Portion control

Check the portion on your plate. It may be as many as 8 times the amount that represents a standard serve. Here's how to spot the portion distortion.
Australian Table magazine May 2007
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The Tick gets the tick

Catherine interviews Susan Anderson, National Manager of the successful Tick Program run by the Heart Foundation, on how companies get the red tick of approval for their products. "We don't just hand over the Tick!  Food must meet our strict nutrition standards for saturated fat, salt, kilojoules, vegetables and fibre," says Susan.
Australian Table magazine March 2006
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Colour my world

We can't live without colour. But the bright hues in lollies, cordial and drinks are going ‘natural' in an effort to make our food more appealing and less processed.
House & Garden magazine September 2005
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Slim with soup

Filling and nourishing, soup has emerged as a fat-fighting star. It's all to do with what's called satiety and kilojoule-density.
House & Garden magazine  August 2005
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The eyes have it

What's the best way to eat for eye health? If you want to fend off macula degeneration or cataracts as the years go by, here's the latest advice on spinach, carrots, omega-3s, trans fats, butter, margarine and your body weight.
House & Garden magazine  June 2005
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A good serve

Groups, pyramids or plates? Food guides are designed to help you assess your overall diet and build a varied, balanced diet. But how useful are they in planning your next dinner?
Life magazine Sun-Herald and The Age  April 2005
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Snacks - 12 ways to snack under 600 kilojoules

Snacking doesn't have to be fattening if you keep the portions small and mix the indulgences with the healthier options. Check out 12 snacks that won't blow out the scales.
Australian Table magazine  April 2005
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Fat Files

Fats play a crucial role in health and there's many different ones. See all the different fats and how they compare for usages, saturated fat content and healthy rating.
Australian Table magazine  June 2007
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Superfoods

Why do some foods stand head and shoulder above the rest? Discover why in this fascinating look at nutrient-density - how to pack the most nutrients into the fewest kilojoules.
Sun-Herald Life magazine Nov 2004
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Help for overweight children

Catherine received a Highly Commended award from the Food Media Club in 2004 for this one-pager packed full of easy ideas for parents.
Super Food Ideas magazine  2003
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Kitchen of Youth

Discover the top 20 super foods for holding back the clock and slowing the ageing process. Some are things you'd suspect but some will surprise you ... and find out why.
Sunday Life magazine, Sun-Herald  2006
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