We believe in eating the best quality food, striving for a good balance between the food groups, enjoying seasonal and local produce. A healthy diet is a key to good health. '
Healthy Picnics
Pat writes: There was a time when my kids’ idea of a good picnic was to get in the car and drive to McDonald’s.In case you are interested, a Big Mac, medium fries and small chocolate milkshake would provide 1040 calories.(I got the calorie information from the McDonald’s website.)
It could have been worse.An article appeared in ‘The Scotsman’ on 31 July 2008 saying that a typical British picnic ‘contains as much fat as is recommended to eat over 2 days’.However, the picnic described in the article included Scotch eggs, pork pies, sandwiches, crisps, sausage rolls, a slice of cake and fizzy drinks.Does anybody really take that much?
The ideal healthy picnic would include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, sandwiches with low fat fillings between slices of wholemeal bread, dried fruit and chilled water.
This ideal picnic would be packed into a wicker basket lined with lovely floral fabric.You would spread your checked blanket in an isolated woodland glade, far from the madding crowd and everyone would have a lovely time.
In real life, your Special One might say ‘you know I don’t like brown bread’, your kids might ask where you’ve hidden the crisps and your elderly parent might say, ‘ I can’t manage raw vegetables with my fragile teeth.’ All this might make you wish you had stayed at home.
Consider a lovely picnic with some compromises.
Do include a selection of fresh vegetables, cut into easy to eat pieces.You could include carrots, celery, peppers, radishes, and baby sweet corn or sugar snap peas.But take a healthy dip, such as salsa or hummus
If your picnic party consists of adults, they might enjoy smoked salmon with low fat cream cheese on brown bread.My Wonderful Husband claims he was traumatised as a child by being made to eat Extreme Granary bread.The result is that he does not like bread with ‘bits’ in it.One compromise is to make sandwiches with one piece of white bread, and one brown.
Perhaps some members of your family do not really like sandwiches?Think of taking cooked chicken or sausages.Try to choose cuts/varieties with lower fat content.Grill sausages to that fat drips away.
When packing sandwiches or chilled meat for a picnic, remember that it is important to keep it chilled.Carry this part of the picnic in an insulated chill bag.After all, it’s better to lug along a bit of extra weight than suffer a prolonged tummy upset or worse.
You could make a pasta or potato salad – ideally without mayonnaise.Don’t use salt to add flavour, but try spring onions, garlic, black pepper or herbs.
If your kids insist on crisps, it is possible to impose some portion control by taking the crisps out of the large bag, and packing them into small re-sealable sandwich bags.Then everybody has their own serving, and there is less chance of argument over who has had the most.
Dried fruit, such as soft apricots, dates or raisins make sweet addition to your picnic.When my kids were little, they were never keen on being given a handful of raisins, but did like them when presented in a little box.(Tricia says that hers were the same).
Take along chilled water, or mix fruit juice and iced water for a refreshing drink.
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.
Herbs
Tricia writes:
I love the traditional feel of growing herbs. Used throughout the ages for culinary and medicinal purposes, they have an air of mystery about them. Come the early summertime, my kitchen windowsill is strewn with pots of herbs. This is much cheaper than purchasing fresh herbs in the supermarket plus it’s lovely to pick herbs straight from your own pots. This year, I am growing parsley, coriander and sweet basil in the kitchen, plus bay, chives, thyme, garlic and mint in the garden. A friend provides me with rosemary from her garden as I always fail miserably to grow it myself.
Herbs are packed with nutrients including anti oxidants which help neutralise the damaging and ageing free radicals in our bodies
Parsley is used to garnish dishes and as a flavouring for sauces and savoury dishes. It is claimed parsley reduces inflammation, stimulates digestion and clears toxins.
Coriander flavours soups, curries and salads.It has been cultivated for over three thousand years. It is claimed that coriander stimulates appetite and relieves digestive irritation.
Sweet Basil is used to flavour meat and tomato based dishes. As it is delicate, it is often added to recipes at the last minute to improve the flavour. Basil is said to lower fever.
Bay grows well in a pot in the garden and looks very attractive. The leaves can be picked as required to add to sauces, soups and meat dishes. Bay leaves are said to aid digestion.
Chives are used in salads, sauces and soups but I find they are also great chopped and added to the filling of an omelette. They are said to be useful as a tonic. Chives look lovely in the garden as they are bulb like and many varieties produce flower heads, mine are a gorgeous purple.
Thyme has many species with various colour flowers. Mine are white and purple, providing useful ground cover in the border of our front garden. Thyme is said to be antiseptic, improve the immune system and ease sore throats. The leaves are used as flavouring in recipes.
Mint is prolific, therefore best grown in pots as it can be invasive in garden borders. It is lovely as flavouring for new potatoes or chopped to make mint sauce to accompany roast lamb. It is said to ease stomach problems and headaches.
Rosemary can be a striking feature in your garden as it grows into a bush. It is said to relax spasms, relieve pain aid digestion and stimulate the liver. Its culinary uses are to flavour lamb dishes, soups and stews.
It’s certainly worth having a go at growing a few herbs to add to your recipes.
lovely floral fabric.
A 50g serving of dried apricots (about 7 or 8) provides 2.1mg iron.