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| | | | 2012 Eat Well Aspirations | | | | | | Aim to eat 2 pieces of fruit, a portion of salad and 2 vegetables every day, at least! One of these vegetables should be green to top up your iron and folate levels. Try broccoli, cabbage, mange tout, spinach…
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| | | | Aim to eat wholegrain, high fibre carbohydrates instead of white processed ones. Wholegrains are prebiotics and help feed the good bacteria in the gut. |
| | | | Aim to eat more peas, beans and lentils. They are naturally low in fat and are good sources of protein and phyto-oestrogens. |
| | | | Aim to eat more oily fish, flaxseed and walnuts which are excellent sources of omega 3 fats. |
| | | | Aim to eat more olive and rapeseed oil instead of polyunsaturated oils in salad dressings and when cooking.
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| | | | Aim to eat low-fat calcium-rich dairy foods with added probiotic friendly bacteria. |
| | | | Aim to eat more natural sugars found in fruits and sweet vegetables instead of sucrose (table sugar) added to fatty foods such as biscuits, cakes, snacks etc. This time of the year oranges, satsumas and clementines are delicious! |
| | | | Aim to drink more water (up to 2 litres per day) |
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| | | Remember to season healthy food well this time of year to keep your taste buds tantalised!
Add citrus, and lots of it. Lemons, oranges and limes bring so much flavour and balance to dishes of all kinds, and not just with their juice. The real punch is in the zest. Use a mixture of juice and zest in marinades for chicken and shellfish and for salad dressings that go easy on the oil. The zest, mixed with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, also dresses green vegetables nicely.
Use herbs of all kinds, alone or in combinations. Use the dried variety in dishes that cook for a long time, such as spaghetti sauce and stews. When the dish is ready, add fresh herbs for colour and to enhance the flavours.
Add fresh herbs to quick-cooking dishes. Chopped herbs can go into dressings, and whole leaves into the salad itself. Pasta dishes come alive with the last-minute addition of basil or fresh oregano.
Simple bean salads take on a new dimension when you toss in some parsley, chives or coriander. Even cous cous is more edible with these little teasures!
Spice it up. Add cumin to marinades, chili powder to burgers, and cinnamon and cloves to meat dishes. Keep the spices handy, and buy in small amounts so you know they're fresh. If you heat with some oil, the dried spices will more fully release their flavours.
Enjoy a tomato salsas. They add flavour, moisture and texture to grilled fish or roasted meats.
Stir in a pinch of sugar. Bypass the salt shaker and use a pinch of sugar instead to mellow the tartness of lemon juice or vinegar or to give some depth to tomato sauces. You don't want to taste sweetness, nor do you want to add much to the calorie count. Although at 16 calories a teaspoonful you have some wiggle room here.
The general idea is to use less butter, oil and salt, but note that you don’t have to eliminate them completely. Olive oil contains a good type of fat and can balance a dressing already well flavoured with herbs and citrus. I really believe we can reduce our salt levels in cooking without compromising on the taste, as our desire for salt is driven by exposure.
Happy New Year!
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