Being a Vegetarian
Diets in New Zealand have changed and evolved substantially over recent years from the traditional ‘meat and three veg’. Part of this is due to the growing awareness that healthier eating patterns mean less meat and more vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. Some people replace a couple of meals a…
Smell the roses, taste the wine
Have you ever stopped to smell that rose hanging over the fence? And when you try a red wine do you savour the taste and flavor? Is your eye caught by the different colours of fruits in a bowl or flowers in a field – and how does sitting in…
Soy unveiled
Over the past few years there has been a big increase in the number of soy products available, along with advice and opinion on the positive and negative aspects of soy consumption. But why is there controversy? Should we be consuming soy products and, if so, how much is good…
Eating cleanly?
‘Eating cleanly’ is one of the latest ideas about how and what to eat. But what do we mean by clean food? ‘Clean’, after all, can mean a wide range of things – from being washed or tidy, to spotless, unadulterated and pure. Clean eating ‘Clean eating’ has different definitions,…
Liquid goodness
Think of a golden liquid that has the ability to transform food from sometimes bland to tasty in seconds. Oil. But which one? The oil section of the supermarket has expanded in recent years, from the basics such as olive oil and sunflower to variations on these (e.g. ‘lite’), plus…
POP POP POP?
Is popcorn a good snack or not? Well yes, it can be. It just depends on how it is “popped” and what’s added to it. Lots of us will remember popping the hard corn kernels in a saucepan with just a very tiny amount of oil or butter. This is…
Going with the grain
Carbohydrates have had a hard rap recently. Many fad diets have emerged that discourage eating them: the ketogenic diet, the Atkins diet and the low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet. BUT – you cannot only happily enjoy carbohydrates, you can rest assured they add value and nutrition to your diet. The secret…
Quick Food Facts: IRON
Iron deficiency is not to be underestimated. Globally, it’s the most common dietary deficiency, with women and children being affected most commonly. In New Zealand, research has shown that over 7 per cent of women and 1 per cent of men are iron deficient (1). Why is iron so important?…
Losing weight with small changes
In our 'Size Does Matter' article elsewhere on this website, we talk about portion sizes and their importance in keeping our energy intake from food under control. In turn, of course, that means helping keep our weight in control. There are some other little tricks that will also help. These…
Size does matter
Sometimes it’s not what we eat, but how much. Slowly and subtly reducing these amounts will make a difference if we are carrying too much weight. After all, we know weight gain happens when we eat more energy than we use (1). So, decreasing portion sizes and making small changes…