I spotted this kindy-kid, scaled-down flavoured milk in chocolate and strawberry at a local mini-market. And immediately thought “Clever idea”! At a smaller more practical 250ml, it’s the kid brother of the usual big, 600ml, chocolate milk which is way too large for most primary school kids. Not to mention impossible to re-seal if you want to drink later.

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You’d think we’d discovered all the super berries. After all, we’ve had years of hype and marketing for cranberries, goji, noni, acai and mangosteen.  Now there’s a new berry in your health food aisle or produce store. It’s the Incaberry!

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I like to sip this iced tea as a refreshing not-overly-sweet drink. It’s pleasant and sweet without being sickly-sweet. It’s not fizzy so there’s no gaseous feeling nor burping afterwards. But how much healthier is it really?

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Guest review by dietitian Frances Gilham, APD, AN

SumoSalad claims to be the healthiest fast food franchise. It caters to people looking for nutrition as well as convenience and taste for lunch on the go. And Australians are obviously seeking out healthier options to burgers and pizza – three new SumoSalad stores have recently opened up in Australia, despite the global economic problems. SumoSalad now boasts a grand total of 84 outlets across the country – which is fabulous for nutrition, but still pales in comparison to McDonalds’ 750+ outlets (including McCafes) and Subway’s whopping 1200 stores!

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Looking for a plain healthy biscuit to have with your coffee or tea? Want one that's reasonably healthy, not cream-filled or choc-coated, but still a pleasant sweet mid-meal bite? Here I compare two of the top sellers Arnott's Shredded Wheatmeal and Paradise Highland Oatmeals They look healthy, but are they?

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"Mindless Eating" is one of the best nutrition books I've read in the last four years. It was a real eye-opener for me - and I suspect for most of us - as it shows why you may not realize how much you're eating, what you're eating - or why you're even eating at all!  It starts out by pointing out that everyone makes over 200 food decisions each day but we have no idea why we're making them nor how we're influenced by the "hidden persuaders" around us!

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We all know that potato chips are not that healthy. But what about the new wholegrain-type chips? Are they a better-for-you alternative to those salty, oily, potato chippies that beckon from petrol station stores and vending machines? Let’s take a look.

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Are you so busy at work that you can't even spare ten minutes to go out and buy lunch? Wouldn't it be great if there were something quick and easy you could grab; something you could keep in your desk drawer; something that doesn't need to be refrigerated and yet is healthy?

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Found a great new water drink.  It's bottled water with a splash of lemon flavour. That's it. Nothing else - no sugar, no sweeteners, no calories, no colours, no additives. Just water with flavour. It takes a minute to adjust to the fact that it's colourless but once you do, you suddenly look at all those yellow and green bottles and realise that CLEAR is the way to go. Who says your drink has to look like a kid's colouring book? Who wants all those colours anyway?

 

 

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Bliss for the tastebuds, hell for the hips!  Recent articles in The Australian, The Washington Post and other newspapers have been touting the existence of what they call "bliss foods". So what is a "bliss food" and what's all the fuss about?

 

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Everyone loves to indulge in chocolate yet we all know it's a food that's laden with fat, sugar and kilojoules - and it's damn hard to stop at just one mouthful.

So it's hardly surprising that dieters have turned hopefully to light chocolate to provide pleasure without guilt. At first glance, it looks like the answer to a dieter's prayers!

I have to say right up front that choc isn't one of my weaknesses (I have others like nougat or soft jellies). But I was interested to see how much you could save by doing a swap from say a regular Mars Bar to a light Mars Bar.

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Finally a Crust pizza franchise opened up near me. I'd read all about these amazing ‘health-conscious' pizzas that had managed to secure the Heart Foundation red Tick of approval. Yep, you're reading right! Here was a pizza that was guaranteed to be low in saturated fat (read ‘bad', really ‘evil' fat), bounding with veggies and - most amazing of all - low in salt.

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Do your kids like to snack on fruit leather or fruit straps, those sweet long thin flat pieces of dried fruit? They come individually wrapped in single serves like muesli bars. They're easy to throw into a kids' lunch box. And they add a pleasant sweet treat to a wholesome lunch. But each time I spy some at my fruit market (placed tantalisingly at the check out), I have to ask myself: are they really a healthy snack or just confectionery in disguise?

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