Home
About
Reviews
Recipes
Books
Freebies
Contact
Search-
Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces
What’s in your favourite tomato pasta sauce, and how much of it? Here are the most popular sauces reviewed for your reading ple... -
Protein-rich foods – serve sizes
Protein, protein, protein. Are you getting enough? Here is a handy list of MEAT and NON-MEAT SOURCES of protein for you to prin... -
The truth behind coconut oil
Many “health gurus” tout the benefits of coconut oil. Just type the term into any search engine and you’ll be flooded with arti... -
Gardening – is it really exercise?
Did you know that gardening can reduce your risk of heart diseaset? This month I’ll share this and the latest posts from ... -
Plant-based meat substitutes
What do YOU think about plant-based meat substitutes? Veggie-loaded burgers? All-vegetable rissoles? Meatless Mondays?Yet anoth... -
The truth about lecithin
What IS lecithin, I hear you ask. A popular “health food” supplement, lecithin is a type of fat called a phospholipid, which ha... -
Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction
As you probably know already, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained favour as an alternative regimen to daily caloric restrictio... -
Reduce your risk of a knee replacement - if you lose weight
Did you know that you can reduce your risk of needing a knee replacement by losing weight? I’ll share this and the latest... -
Brighten your diet – eat by the rainbow
What’s the first thing that strikes you when you walk into a fresh produce store? If you’re imagining the rainbow of colour…so ... -
Eat a high quality diet and there's less chance of overweight..
Did you know that a better (high quality) diet can help you reduce overweight? I’ll share this and the latest posts from the Fo...
My Best Articles
Here's a collection of my favourite articles published in magazines, newspapers and on blogsites. Oh and tv too. The most recent are at the top. I've enjoyed researching, writing and editing them all - hope you like reading them too!
Cheat Meals
I look at whether there's any science behind the popular "cheat days" or "cheat meals".
From Body 'n' Soul magazine Nov 2021
Ask the Expert
I answer a common question - how to cut down on meat intake (but not cut out entirely). I give some ideas for vegetarian options and plant-based patties.
From image Healthy Food Guide magazine Feb 2020 (530 KB)
Quinoa, Cranberry, Parsley and Cucumber Salad
I give a wonderful recipe for spring using the trendy quinoa which has largely replaced couscous. You’ll get a dose of seasonal inspiration. As well as online, this magazine is also available in hard copy at YMCA centres for members.
From
image
Nosh Magazine Spring 2019
(240 KB)
Eat to lower your cholesterol
I cover the 5 best ways to eat to lower you blood cholesterol and stave off heart disease. They are switch to whole grains, eat 2 grams of plant sterols a day, say No to coconut, visit your GP for a blood test, and get more exercise. Take a look:
Sunrise Morning Show Channel 7 July 2018
Label detective: Be savvy about serving sizes
I compare serve sizes from labels. Are they a help or a hindrance? Remember the size of that portion you eat is crucial in the war against weight gain. If you think your cereal weighed 30 grams but it really weighed 50 grams, this can explain why you’re gaining weight without realising!
From Healthy Food Guide Magazine, August 2015
The Truth about Juice
I explain the often misunderstood nutritional fact that despite freshly-squeezed juice having a health halo and being marketed as natural, nutritious and fat-free, it is a far less healthy option than a real piece of fresh fruit.
Sugar vs Sugars
This article will help you to decipher the difference between sugar and sugars and make healthier choices when you go shopping.
From Nosh Magazine Issue 5 Spring 2015
That Sugar Film Review
Read my review of the much-hyped and controversial movie, "That Sugar Film" by Damon Gameau.
Potassium and why you need to care about it
I cover off on this essential mineral, how it can help you to better health(think lower blood pressure and strong bones), and why you won’t now find it on food labels. Plus how to get your daily potassium easily at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
From
pdf
Healthy Food Guide Magazine, Nov 2015 pdf
(1.28 MB)
Buzz Foods: Are they actually good for me?
I join forces with dietitian Zoe Wilson to examine the health benefits of the latest super foods. I cover acai, chia, goji, quinoa and cacao while Zoe tackles kale and spirulina. There's also info on three bush tucker super foods too (billygoat or bush plums, lilli pilli and lemon myrtle) from Samantha Martin.
From Yours Magazine, March 2014
Ancient grains and why I love them
Here's a short one-pager I wrote for Sunday Life magazine in the Sun-Herald. It talks about the rise and rise of ancient grains and I list my six easiest ancient grains to cook and serve for your meals.
Sunday Life magazine May 2013
Canned beans - healthy and convenient
In one of my columns for New Idea magazine, I wrote about canned lentils and canned cannellini beans as top examples of processed items that CAN be nutritious and make your life easier. Someone else has done the soaking and boiling for you!
New Idea magazine June 2012
Go vegetarian once a week
Another column 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
Life magazine Sun-Herald and The Age April 2005
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
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
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
Read it
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
Read it
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
Read it
You may also be interested in...
Like what you've read so far?
Don't miss a post. Sign up for Catherine's eNewsletter and get the latest Foodwatch news, product reviews, recipes and special offers direct to your inbox each month. It's free. Plus you'll receive Catherine's 26-page ebook "Cut the CRRAP - How to limit your intake of ultra-processed foods".
You can unsubscribe at any time and we never give your details to any third party.
Reviews
-
Read more
Product snapshot: Tomato pasta sauces
What’s in your favourite tomato pasta sauce, and how much of it? Here are the most popular sauces reviewed for your reading pleasure.
I’ve rated nine of the most popular tomato pasta sauces in terms of their nutrition, ingredient lists and jar size. You’ll find many of these in your local supermarket. The sauces are ranked:
- from Italian (Italy grows the reddest full-flavoured tomatoes) to Australian
- per 100 grams, which is equivalent to 3½ ounces (the standard for comparing food products)
- by serving size (varies between brands but is generally 100–175 g in size)
- by ingredient list, jar size and where made (with each product’s website as the source)
The bottom line
When you’re next out shopping, run your eyes down the per 100 g column and look for products containing less than 400 mg sodium AND less than 5 g fat (which equals 5% fat). Most of the brands are below these levels. I like Barilla, Sacla, Leggo’s, La Gina and Mutti – but that’s just me!
-
Product review: Low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer
Want something to drink before dinner? Something that’s LOWER in alcohol than wine? To match his beer? Then look no further than Bundaberg’s low-sugar alcoholic ginger beer.
You can drink Bundaberg low-sugar ginger beer straight from the can, or pour it into a long glass over ice with a slice of lime.
-
Product snapshot: Berkelo’s Khorasan Macaroni
I’m loving this macaroni from Berkelo. I was sent a sample for Whole Grain Week 2022 by the Grains Legume Nutrition Council. I cooked it up and found that it was just divine! Read on for more …
-
Product review: Super high-oleic safflower oil
“What does super high-oleic mean?” I hear you ask. Also, “I haven’t heard of safflower for ages. What’s the deal?” Read on and all will be explained.
-
Product review: Healthy Life Food Tracker
When I was first asked to write this review, I thought, Not another tracker.
After all, there have been several in recent years, such as My Fitness Pal and Everyday Diet Diary. But this one is different. It works by using your Everyday Rewards card AND your shop at Woolworths.
-
With home delivery on the rise, this post is reviewing none other than that stalwart Lite n’ Easy. We all know their meals are good for weight loss (which we all need after COVID-19!), but did you know they’re also good for general health and wellbeing ? Eating well to nourish yourself – putting your mental health and wellbeing at the forefront – is gaining momentum. Lite n’ Easy meals also ensures you satisfy your need for vitamins, minerals, fibre and phyto-compounds, such as sterols and carotenoids.
This post has been sponsored by Lite n' Easy. -
Product review: Birds Eye Plant Based range
When you think of Birds Eye, their frozen peas and fish fingers probably come to mind. But I bet you’d never think of plant-based products!
This post has been sponsored by Birds Eye.
Healthy Weight Loss
-
Read more
Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction
As you probably know already, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained favour as an alternative regimen to daily caloric restriction (DCR). Fasting is shown to extend the lifespan of rats, and has been associated with metabolic benefits in humans, yet the results so far have been inconsistent. So, which regimen is best for healthy weight loss?
-
What sort of a diet should you follow to lose that excess weight? These days, it’s pretty confusing with high-protein Keto advocates clashing with plant-protein followers … as well as intermittent fasters, juice-only dieters, no-carb dieters and no-animal (aka plant-based) dieters. Plus all the ads for anti-hunger supplements, meal-replacement shakes and home-delivered meals, more of which somehow appear every day. So, what sort of diet should YOU follow to lose that excess?
-
Protein shakes for weight loss
These days, protein shakes aren’t bought by just body builders – they’re so popular that you can readily buy a 400 g tub at your local supermarket or service station. And with tempting claims such as ‘Facilitates muscle toning’, ‘Contains transformation-making protein’ and ‘Tastes incredible, mixes easily’, why wouldn’t you grab one? But protein shakes aren’t the magic answer to all your weight-loss woes. Let’s take a look at what you get for your money.
Guest post by dietitian Zoe Wilson APD
-
Many of us have cravings from time to time and for different reasons. One thing is certain, they can sabotage all your best efforts at a healthy diet and/or weight loss. The good news? You CAN beat them. I’ll tell you how.
-
How to lose weight WITHOUT going on a diet
The word 'diet' is a turn-off for most people. It sounds hard, unpleasant and unpalatable. Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard AND it doesn’t have mean sticking to a 'diet'. You can forget Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Raw, Gluten-free and Intermittent Fasting. To lose weight, you don’t have to follow any specific diet. What you need is simple, healthy, nutritious food and a few tips and tricks.
-
What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?
Healthy weight loss happens when you lose weight slowly and steadily (around 1 kg or 2 pounds weight loss a week). Your goal is to lose weight while still getting your essential nutrients but from smaller portions. You certainly don’t want to be tired with no energy! That’s why you need regular healthy meals and snacks on hand to ensure your vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and fibre needs can be easily met. There is a new range of healthy weight loss meals available and it’s one that I’d like to recommend. With these ready meals, you’ll say goodbye to meal planning, shopping, meal preparation and cooking.
This post is sponsored by Chefgood
-
Kitchen make-over for the New Year
“This year, I'm going to lose weight!”, or “This year I’m opting for a healthier lifestyle!” Is your 2020 New Year's resolution something like one of these? If so, how is it going to happen?
Most popular
-
Read more
Q. What's the difference between Diet Coke and Coke Zero?
A. At first glance, Diet Coke and Coke Zero appear to be identical. Both contain no kilojoules (Calories) and no sugar. Both are artificially sweetened with (the same amount) of aspartame and acesulfame K and therefore have the same ‘sweetness’.
-
7 types of sugar - which is healthier?
Last week on the radio, the announcer asked me if there was a 'good' sugar – one that would satisfy her sweet tooth but that was 'healthier' than regular white sugar. She figured if there were 'good' carbs and 'bad' carbs there must be some sugars that would get the nod of approval from nutritionists.
-
How to convert sodium to salt (and salt to sodium)
As a nutritionist, my aim is to help busy women eat healthily. One of the ways to do this is to follow the general nutrition advice to reduce the salt in your diet. So, how can you do this when what you’ll see on a food label and on any recommended daily intakes is sodium?
-
Eat to beat gastro and diarrhoea
A clear fluid diet is the best form of treatment for gastro and tummy upsets. It is the "lightest" type of diet, designed to place as little strain as possible on the digestive tract. It is NOT nutritionally adequate and should be followed only for a strictly limited time e.g. two or three days but no more than a week.
-
Nutella. The full (correct) list of ingredients
Have you ever tried to find the exact list of ingredients for Nutella online? The identical one that appears on its label - in descending order from the first (largest ingredient by weight) to the last ingredient, as required by law? Well, you won’t find it! Here’s the hoop-la I went through to discover exactly what the ingredients in Nutella are and why Nutella is not good for your kids.
-
Sugar - why quitting sugar guarantees you'll lose weight
Sugar. It's been labelled "deadly", "addictive", "toxic", "sweet poison" and blamed for the rise in global obesity in recent years." Get rid of the white toxin from your diet and you'll free up your body to drop those excess kilos" (or so say anti-sugar campaigners Sarah Wilson, David Gillespie and Robert Lustig). Here are the three real reasons why I believe quitting sugar helps you lose weight.
-
What does 8,700 kilojoules look like?
8,700 is a magic number in nutrition. It’s the number of kilojoules (kJ) that is the “average” intake for adults in Australia, if the surveys are correct.
It’s widely used as a benchmark figure and as the basis of food labels such as the Percent Daily Intake values.
Recently kilojoules have appeared on fast food menu boards and they use 8,700 as the yardstick to assess their foods against. Here's my take on it.
Recipes
-
Read more
This is a kind of pavlova topped with fruit, but the base is made from ricotta, rather than egg whites and sugar.
-
This is an Asian-influenced salad that’s perfect to serve as a side salad at a BBQ or with a fillet of fish.
-
This banana loaf is half bread and half cake. Hence I've called it "cread" which is halfway! It’s dense and delicious without being super-sweet or oily. It can be enjoyed fresh, toasted or sliced and frozen into portions to enjoy later.
-
This quick and easy dessert is ready in minutes. And there are NO leftovers to tempt you later!
-
Spring Vegetable Pesto Pasta Salad
This super salad-in-one gives you pasta plus vegetables all together. It has a spring feel to it. More?
-
Squash-ed spaghetti bolognaise
This is an excellent make-and-freeze recipe, so weeknight meals become more manageable. I know of no better way of ‘hiding’ veggies than in a Bol sauce – somehow mince with a few veggies like pumpkin or zucchini is a match made in heaven.
