The Foodwatch eNewsletter

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’. 

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.

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. 

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.

Nutritionists suggest we cut back on salt but it's sodium you'll see listed on food labels and on any recommended daily intakes. So what's the difference and how can you convert sodium into salt? And vice versa?

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 food 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.

Gallstones, small hard “rocks” of cholesterol and calcium, can block the tubes that drain the gallbladder.  This blockage causes inflammation of the gallbladder or of the bile drainage tubes. Once this happens you experience terrible pain or colic, fever and even jaundice (skin turns yellow). Here’s what you can do about it.

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.

A.

Fish oil and cod liver oil are two different oils even though they both come from fish and have a similar fatty acid profile.

 Just like yards became metres and pounds became grams, so Calories have become kilojoules. Kilojoules are the metric equivalent of Calories and have replaced Calories in Australia and many other metric countries. Yet they're very confusing, especially to my US visitors who have always only known Calories (lucky for me, I grew up with Calories then had to learn kilojoules!)

There are heaps of websites and food packs out there that try to compare this super food to that one. Depending on which testing method is used, you'll see sites and ads proclaiming that blueberries have more antioxidants than red wine; that goji has more than blueberries; that pomegranate juice has more than tea; and that dark chocolate is up there with all of them.

Do members of your family turn up their noses when you try to feed them veggies? Then try this recipe where I’ve sneaked the veggies into this mince sauce. It’s tasty and hides the lot from carrot, onion, mushrooms, a few lentils and zucchini to tomatoes! I bet the family will never know how much goodness they are getting.

When the weather gets cooler, there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of soup. This Cauliflower and Leek soup is a lower carbohydrate, lighter version of the traditional Potato and Leek soup. Soups are a great way to get extra serves of veg into your diet, and they help you maintain a healthy weight during the cooler months, when we tend to crave warmer and heartier foods.

Easter often means chocolate, chocolate and well…more chocolate! Whilst it’s perfectly fine to enjoy a chocolate egg, sometimes Easter can leave us feeling lethargic and so full of sweets that we never want to see a chocolate bunny ever again!

Why not try something a little healthier this year? This cocoa ‘nice cream’ will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide that 'chocolatey’ hit without heaps of extra added fats and sugars.

The best bananas to use for this recipe are those that are very ripe and spotty. These make the ‘nice cream’ extra sweet! Slice them and pop them in the freezer ahead of time so they're ready when you want to make this yummy dessert.. 

If I’m going to have a salad for lunch, it’s got to be satisfying AND tasty! This salad ticks both those boxes.

Both salad and dressing can be made while the chicken is cooking. Once that’s done, you just toss everything together! If you’re short on time, you could use a bought roast chicken. Remove the skin for a lower fat, lower salt meal. If you’re planning to take this for lunch, simply slice the avocado and dress the salad on the day.

This dish is the perfect example of something you can #CookAhead  or #CookOnceEatTwice. It combines wholegrains, lean protein and a variety of vegetables into one fuss-free meal. It’s delicious eaten on the day, but can also be enjoyed the day after. 

I’ve used taco seasoning as most brands will be a blend of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dried herbs. This saves you the trouble of having to individually add these spices. However, make your choice carefully many brands have sugar as one of the first three ingredients! The best we could find was Masterfoods where sugar was the 7th ingredient. They all also contain salt. Old El Paso salt-reduced had the lowest salt count but of the “regular” varieties Masterfoods was the lowest.

This is an easy way to downsize your portions of meat as you use HALF the mince and boost the flavour and filling power with lentils. It's a plant-based recipe that works - it adds fibre and slowly-digested carbs plus stretches the meat so it goes further. Plus it's a hearty dish to cook when the weather is cold outside.

This delicious and nutty salad makes for a satiating vegetarian meal, or can be served as a side to any grilled meat or salmon. Plus the combination of all the ingredients provides a variety of textures and a nice crunch, so you really get to enjoy your meal! The garlic roasted broccoli is also pretty addictive and might just convert any broccoli-hater into an avid consumer. We like to make double the recipe so we have a side salad for dinner and a few work-friendly lunches throughout the week.

Anything in a bowl is on trend now. Here's a favourite dietitian Sophie Feng has created based on salmon - you choose whether you go with the raw or the cooked fillets if that's what you prefer and are used to.

Here is a great way to use up any extra vegetables hanging around in your refrigerator and make fried rice healthier. It’s a mix-and-match recipe so feel free to substitute any vegetables you have on hand or what your family likes. I find you can add almost anything from capsicum to cabbage.

For meat eaters, it’s nice to throw in a cup of diced, cooked chicken pieces with the peas at the end to create a complete one-dish dinner.

My trick: cook the rice ahead and allow it to cool (or use leftover rice). I’ve used brown but the brown-haters won’t notice once the dark sauces are added!