The food of love?                                                                          

Who can help but think of chocolate as a Valentine’s Day treat? Chocolate hearts, chocolate boxes, chocolate bars – all scrummy. Rather than eating a large quantity of chocolate, why not keep the calories down a bit but still indulge by purchasing a small amount of more expensive chocolate on  ‘less is more’ basis. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that act as antioxidants which help to protect the body form aging, including the heart. Flavonoids assist in keeping blood pressure within correct boundaries and in balancing hormones. What a great excuse!  

For a feel good factor too, Thornton’s, Oxfam, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s all sell dark, fair-trade chocolate products.  For an inexpensive bar of dark chocolate, check out your local Co-operative store.

‘Divine’ chocolate is a great Fairtrade brand. You may be able to purchase it in your local supermarket. For Valentine’s Day, there are several products available including packets of lovely little hearts wrapped up in red foil. 'Divine' uses Ghanaian cocoa, pure cocoa butter and real vanilla in its products. Not only are the products Fairtrade giving African farmers a fair price for the product, but the Ghanaian Kuapa Kokoo farmers own the co-operative too.    

To continue the theme, Fruit Passion sells Fairtrade fruit juices, available in stores such as Sainsbury’s.  

Passion Fruits are an unusual Valentine’s Day indulgence. They are said to have a calming, relaxing effect. Passion fruits are native to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. They are now also grown in South Africa, Florida, California and Kenya. The skin is yellow. Passion Fruits are packed with vitamins A and C plus iron, potassium and fibre. They store in the fridge but need to be ripe to eat so may require ripening up at room temperature until the skin is wrinkled.

To eat passion fruit you can use the pulp. Scrape it out, sieve to remove the seeds if required or you can eat these too for an extra health benefit, then serve on top of yoghurt or another dessert, use in a sorbet or over a salad. You can even just eat it directly from a spoon. Be careful not to scrape out the white part, as this tastes bitter. They are available from the large supermarkets and some smaller outlets.  

Foods that traditionally have aphrodisiac qualities, though there may be no scientific evidence for this, are listed below. Great fun to eat on Valentine’s Day anyway!

Artichokes: fibre, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C. A natural diuretics and digestive aid.

Asparagus: Folic acid and vitamin B

Avocado: Potassium, Vitamins B, E, K, high fibre. High in monounsaturated fat.

Bananas: potassium, vitamin B, bromelain, increases blood sugar. Think of them in a warm dessert for Valentine’s Day.

Figs: Potassium, fibre, calcium and iron.

Honey: vitamin B, boron, sugar. Association with pollination. The word honeymoon comes from this.

Oysters: High in Zinc. Historically an aphrodisiac, possible due to their shape.

Fennel: Natural plant oestrogens.  

Heart shaped chocolate cakes using good quality, Fairtrade cocoa are a real Valentine’s Day treat if you love cooking.  

Have a lovely Valentine’s Day and don’t forget to indulge in just a little of that Fairtrade dark chocolate.

Winter Salads

Pat writes:

This is the time of year when some of us regret the extra calorie intake over the holidays, and resolve to start a new diet.

You may find the idea of salad in winter less than appealing, especially as the cucumbers and tomatoes on your supermarket shelves were probably grown in glasshouses and flown in for sale.  However, salads made from traditional winter fruits and vegetables can be very appealing.  As well as being a boon to a reduced calorie diet, winter salad can add vitamins, texture and flavour to your meals.

Here are a few ideas for winter salads:

Waldorf Salad.  A mix of apples (use a variety with pretty red skin), walnuts, celery and grapes (or sultanas) held together with a tiny amount of mayonnaise (preferably reduced fat.

I found this yummy recipe on a leaflet from Abel & Cole; I have a box of organic fruit and veg from them every week and try to make new and interesting dishes to keep the family happy.  This cabbage and cranberry salad proved especially popular

Shredded Cabbage and Cranberry Salad by Abel & Cole, serves 4 to 6 (with extremely generous portions)

1 white cabbage, shredded, 160 g dried cranberries, 100g slivered almonds, 120 ml mayonnaise (I use the reduced fat version), 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (I have never included parsley as I keep forgetting to buy any).

I mixed all the ingredients in a large bowl (except for the almonds), then toasted the almonds in a small frying pan and sprinkled them over the top of the salad just before serving.

Carrots with sultanas or raisins.   Simple grate a fresh carrot or two (depending on how many people you are feeding), add a scant tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, about 2 tablespoons of sultanas or raisins and top with a few toasted pine nuts.

You will notice that I add nuts to my salads.  Some people are worried by the calories in nuts.  In my opinion, moderation is the key.  Also, some nuts may help to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol.  Try a Google search on nuts and cholesterol for more information.

Food Labels can help you to stay healthy

In the United Kingdom there are legal requirements that cover many aspects of food labelling.  Basically, the law says that the label must correctly describe the contents of the tin or package.

The presentation of information on food labels has been improved so that it is now much easily understood by the average shopper like me.  This is good news not just for those who are counting calories, but for anybody who is trying to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet.

For example, I am trying to reduce my daily intake of salt.  I have weighed out 6 grams of salt (which is the high end of recommended intake) and can see that I don’t put anywhere near that amount into food that I cook or eat over the course of the day.  But it is difficult to guess which prepared foods contain the most salt without looking at the labels.

The photo shows the lunch that I purchased one day when I was walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.  This combination of water, crisps and a sandwich contained nearly 2 grams of salt, or a third of the daily recommended maximum intake.  You might think that the crisps contained the most salt, but it was actually the sandwich.  Next time you buy a prepacked loaf of bread, take a look at the small print on the food label to see how much salt there is per slice.  You may be surprised.

If you have food intolerances, or sometimes inexplicably suffer from headaches or digestive upsets, try keeping a record of “E numbers”.  You may find a link between certain “E numbers” and your bouts of ill health.

The Food Standards Agency website has more information on labels and E numbers. 

Is Calcium Safe?

This summer calcium supplements have been in the news, following publication of a medical review.  The data suggests that some people who take calcium supplements could be at increased risk of heart attack.

It should be stressed that this study was about calcium taken as a supplement, not as part of daily food intake.

Calcium in the diet is safe.  The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency recommends that adults should have 700mg a day from milk, cheese and leafy green vegetables.

Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth, and also supports other vital body functions, including muscle contraction and sending messages through the nervous system.  A good calcium intake will help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones).

Each of the following will provide 300mg of calcium (remember, this is just under half of the daily recommended intake):

·         250ml milk (about a cup)

·         200g yoghurt (the normal size of an individual pot is 125g)

·         150g almonds

·         20 slices of wholemeal bread

·         6 to 8 oranges

·         40g hard cheese

·         1 kg broccoli (that is a lot!)

·         100g tinned sardines with bones

A few serving suggestions:

·         Fruit smoothie

·         Grilled cheese on toast

·         Chopped fruit with custard

·         Use plain yoghurt flavoured with herbs as a salad dressing

Calcium isn’t all we need to keep bones healthy and strong.  Studies have shown that vitamin D in association with calcium boosts the body’s ability to make the most of both substances.  Try to get outside for a 15-minute walk every day because sunlight enables the body to produce vitamin D.  At the same time, you will be helping yourself to look lovely with some good exercise.

Why include fruit in your daily diet?

·         For the largest part fruit consists of water

·         Fruit is bad-cholesterol free

·         Fresh fruits are naturally rich in potassium, folate and vitamins C and A

·         Fruit is a good source of dietary fibre

·         Research suggests that eating just an apple or orange a day could cut your risk of dying early from cancer

As well as health-related issues, fruit tastes good!

Iron for your Hair (and the rest of your body as well)  

Most people know that insufficient iron in their daily diet can lead to anaemia but did you know an iron-poor diet can lead to thinning hair?

You can ensure that your iron intake is sufficient by maintaining a balanced and varied diet.

Beans, Brazil nuts, almonds, dried fruit, whole grains (such a brown rice), fortified breakfast cereal, most dark green leafy vegetables (especially water cress and curly kale) are all good sources of iron.

Surprisingly (to those of us brought up on Popeye cartoons), spinach is not a particularly good source, as it contains a substance that makes it harder for the body to absorb iron from it.

Liver is a good source of iron, but if you are pregnant you should avoid eating it because of the amount of Vitamin A it contains.

Eating food that is rich in Vitamin C at the same time as you eat food with iron will help your body to absorb the iron.  Consider having fruit juice or fruit with fortified breakfast cereal, or vegetables with your beans or rice.

A 50g serving of dried apricots (about 7 or 8) provides 2.1mg iron.  The recommended daily intake of iron is 14.8mg for women of childbearing age, and 8.7mg for other adult women, and all men.

Most people should be able to get all the iron they need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

We do not recommend taking an iron supplement without first seeking qualified medical advice.

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