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Hi everyone, this week I answer a couple of readers’ questions. Keep the questions rolling in because I really appreciate it and gives you an opportunity to learn something that is relevant to you.
Question one: Can you please suggest some dairy and gluten alternatives?
Dairy alternatives
Instead of cow’s milk you can try soy, rice, oat or almond milk. Soy milk is high in protein and has a distinctive taste, but it is good for baking and cooking. Almond milk is high in protein, vitamin E and healthy fats and blends well with other flavours. Unfortunately, nuts and soy are commons allergens so they may not be suitable for some people. You can get oat milk, which has a moderate levels of protein and has a nutty flavour but it isn’t good for people with celiac disease. Rice milk is quite sweet, but it’s quite watery and low in protein which makes a less than adequate alternative to cow’s milk.
You can get soy alternatives to cheese, cream cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream. You can also try sorbet if you don’t like the idea of soy ice cream. Check the labels for foods that contain dairy as food manufactuers add dairy to a wide variety of food including chips. Also, check for lactose, which is a form of sugar that is found in milk.
Gluten
Gluten is a wheat protein, which is a common allergen and many people are intolerant to it. It is found in a wide variety of foods including, but not limited to the following:
* Wheat
* Barley, barley malt, barley flour
* Rye
* Oats
* Wheat flour
* Einkorn
* Spelt
* Semolina
* Durum
* Bulgar or Bulghar
* Kamut
* Cracker meal
* Couscous
* Tabbouleh
* Tempura crumbs
* Malt, unless specified as being made from a non-gluten source (such as corn).
Check for gluten because it is often found in unlikely foods like sauages. You can get gluten free bread, which are labelled as such. You get rice, potato and corn flour as alternatives to wheat flour, which contains gluten. You can get gluten free pasta and rice noodles, which don’t have gluten. Try rice crackers and wafers. Try amaranth (often sold as flour), buckwheat, millet (like rice and can be made into flour), quinoa (made into pasta), teff (made into flatbread), or wild rice.
Question two: Do you have any interesting sandwich suggestions?
Yes I do. Sandwiches are probably of the cheapest, depending on what you put in them, and most convenient, versatile meal you can make. And they don’t have to be dull. No longer will you have to stick to boring old Marmite or ham sandwiches because I have a few sandwich fillings for you.
* Chutney, avocado and cheese sandwich
Fill up your sandwich with chutney, chargrilled peppers, sliced avocado and cheese.
* Cucumber sandwich
Place thinly slice cucumber on wholegrain bread spread with low fat mayonnaise.
* Egg and mayonnaise
To make two sandwiches, boil up an egg, remove the shell, mash up and add some low fat mayonnaise. Mix together and spread on bread.
* Cheese and pickle sandwiches
Slice up some cheese and a few pickles (onions or gerkins) and place them on some grainy bread.
* Peanut butter and carrot sandwiches
Combine 1/2 cup of peanut butter, ¼ cup shredded baby carrots, 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, 3 tablespoons of currants, 2 tablespoons of honey in a bowl and spread onto 4 slices of whole grain bread to make 8 sandwiches.
* Fruit sandwiches
Combine a ¼ cup of cottage cheese, ½ cup of soft low fat cream cheese with pineapple, 1/3 cup of chopped dried fruit and spread the mixture on 4 slices of brown bread.
* Tasty tuna sandwiches
Combine a can of tuna, one red pepper, and three green onions, thinly sliced in medium bowl. In small bowl, combine one cup of parmesan cheese, ½ cup of low fat mayonnaise, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of basil leaves and blend well. Add to tuna mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate tightly up to 2 days.
If you have any questions, then please email me at nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your questions here.
Krissi
16 facts about food and nutrition
1. Chocolate contains psychoactive ingredients, which are known to make you feel good, but the only trouble is that you need to eat about 20 kilograms of chocolate to feel the buzz.
2. The word tomato was slang for an attractive woman in 1920-1940s America.
3. Ginger is used to treat nausea and vomiting.
4. Cinnamon is considered an aphrodisiac and can be used as insect repellent and breath freshner.
5. Grapes and chocolate (even though dogs love it) are toxic to dogs and cats. They can damage the kidneys. Alcohol (surprise, surprise), nutmeg and raw potatoes are also harmful to your furry friends.
6. Eating garlic may reduce your risk of developing some cancers and being bitten by vampires, but not zombies or werewolves.
7. Coffee is known to boost mental alertness, but it may also reduce your risk of developing type two diabetes and colorectal cancer. However, coffee consumption is not recommended for people who have heart disease, osteoporosis or anxiety issues as it can worsen these conditions.
8. Banana skins contain bifutenine, which is released when the banana is cooked. It can reduce the effects of PMT in women.
9. Peppermint tea is good for soothing sore tummies and reducing feelings of nausea.
10. Omega 3 fatty acids (found in salmon, tuna) and B vitamins (found in meat, Marmite, broccoli, eggs, nuts, fish and whole grains) may enhance mood
11. There are few things that can improve your brain power. Gingko biloba is one of them. It may boost memory by improving blood flow to the brain. Omega- 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and ginseng may also help. Following the Mediterranean diet is good for the brain. Mediterranean diet is low in red meat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts, with moderate amounts of dairy, fish, and poultry. Olive oil is a main feature of this diet. It is an important source of healthy fats which is good for the brain and heart. A moderate intake red wine may also lower the risk of Alzheimer's. However, doctors don't recommend that people start drinking alcohol to prevent disease. Exercise and challenging the brain (playing Scrabble and doing crosswords) can also help boost the memory.
12. Vegetarian diets can help reduce your risk of heart disease, type two diabetes, and colon cancer, and they can also help keep your weight in a healthy range. However they can be low in calcium, iron, B12, protein, iodine, zinc.
13. You may have heard that the canning process of oily fish can turn omega-3 fatty acid into omega-6 fatty acid. This does not happen. It does however reduce the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the canned fish.
14. Nuts are good sources of B group vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, plus plant sterols and antioxidants, fibre, mono- and polyunsaturated fat and protein.
15. Some of you may have heard that eating mushrooms can cause fungal infections. I haven’t. As far as NZFSA know, edible mushrooms do not cause such infections.
16. Avocados are rich in unsaturated fat and vitamin E, which protects against heart disease and various forms of cancer. Avocados also have other goodies such as folate, (which protects against birth defects and heart disease), and potassium.
If you have any questions, then please email me at nutrition.advice@gmail.com, or leave your questions here.
Krissi
September 26th 2009 01:07
Unusual foods and odd food laws
Okay this column isn’t really nutrition or health related but it does contain a few fun facts about food. Here are a few unusual foods that I have found on the internet and around home.
In Thailand, the blood of the King Cobra is consumed straight or mixed in a cocktail. It is thought to have medicinal and aphrodisiac properties
Here in the Land of Long White Cloud people enjoy eating huhu grubs. I personally I have not tried huhu grubs and probably never will, but apparently they taste like peanut butter or buttery chicken, which seem to me to be two completely different flavours. We along with the Aussies have a habit of adding beetroot to our burgers, which is considered odd by the rest of the world. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. Additionally eating Marmite or Vegemite is also considered weird by the rest of the world, excluding Britain. Some Australians prefer the taste of little green ants, which apparently taste like lemon sherbet.
In Japan, they have a lollipop, which is flavoured like salted plums. They’re dried plum candies covered in a layer of salt and have a gooey, salty liquid substance. Sounds good to me. Japan also has green tea flavoured chocolate. It tastes exactly the way it sounds – like green tea and chocolate – it’s okay but it’s just not my cup of tea. I prefer my green tea separate from my chocolate, thanks.
In the USA they have jelly with marshmallows and fruit in a can, among other sugary treats. It sounds somewhat nice if you’re into canned desserts.
In Britain, they have bangers and mash in a cone. It’s exactly that – a cone that consists of sausage, mash potato, gravy and peas. Only in Britain.
In the States, there are some pretty unusual food laws, well at least according to Really Long Link I don’t know if they’re true but they are pretty amusing and hopefully you will find them amusing too.
It's against the law to eat peanuts and walk backwards down the street while a concert is playing in Greene, New York.
When you go to a wake in Massachusetts, you’re not allowed to eat no more than three sandwiches.
It is forbidden to eat watermelon in the park in Beech Grove, Indiana.
Riverside, California: It’s against the law to carry lunch down the street between 11am and 1pm. So they’re not allowed to eat lunch outdoors in Riverside?
In Maryland, it's against the law to eat while swimming in the ocean. Hmm I wonder why one would do that?
Marion, Ohio: It's a violation to eat a donut while walking backwards. In case you trip? Or walk into someone?
Carmel, New York: It's illegal to eat ice cream while standing on the sidewalk. How about walking on the sidewalk?
In Rosemead, California, eating ice cream in public with a fork is prohibited. Why would you?
California: It is illegal to eat an orange in your bathtub. But, how would they know?
It is illegal to eat peanuts in church in Boston. Is it because the peanuts are a noisy food?
That is me for this week. If you have any questions then please email me at nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your question here.
Ciao!
Krissi
September 19th 2009 07:09
This week’s column is a little, well, random, but that’s way we like it. Or at least that’s what I think. This week I’ve decided to look at low odour snacks, V, good and bad vegetables and fruit disguised as vegetables
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This week I’ve been asked about what can and can’t be put on food packaging in New Zealand. If you find this sort of thing interesting, then please read on.
In New Zealand, food manufacturers can make nutrition claims relating to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acid, omega fatty acid, low joule (energy), lactose, gluten and salt, sodium or potassium content in foods. They can also make vitamin and mineral content claims, including claims that a food is “a good source” of a vitamin or mineral
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Lately I’ve been speaking with my friends about keeping your weight under control and I thought it would be a good idea to share a few my tips with you. Let me know which tips work for you.
Think healthy
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“Hello, I am a 50 year old woman that is recovering from breast cancer (mastectomy right side) and just had a bone density test. My doctor called and stated that I have the beginning phases of osteoporosis. They want to put me in prescription medicine (fosamax). I want to know if it possible that I might work on diet instead of drugs. I exercise plenty, I am 5'7, 130lbs. Any help would be appreciated.”
I suggest taking the medication provided by your doctor as well as
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Fighting Winter Nasties
Winter is here and there is no escaping it. Well you could hide in your flat next to your oil heater until spring comes along. However, until then you are a little vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Luckily, we can do something about this. Altering your diet and making it healthier can make a big impact so I have a few tips to help you.
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Winter is the time of year when we begin feel a little cuddlier.
Okay there is this idea that people put on weight over winter. This may or not apply to you. If it does you may want to lose your little winter coat, so have a look below for some tips on keeping trim this winter.
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1. Shop later in the evening
Later in the evening is when the supermarkets mark down anything, such as bread, yoghurt, and fruit , that must be sold straight away. The only problem with this is that many of the cheaper items are due to expire the next day, so check the expiry date before buying, and make sure that you will actually use it, don’t just buy something because it is cheap.
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Comment by Krystle Chester
on Recipes for breakkie
Nutrition Mad