Nutrition for kids website
Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition
I arrived at the Nutrition for Kids website via a link from the excellent Shaping Youth blog and I’m loving it. The homepage is mainly advertising for Connie Evers books and teaching resources, but the back copies of their newsletter are a gold mine – full of excellent information, resources and links. I’ve been happily clicking, downloading and subscribing away. There is a weekly report on new research, as well as lots of useful links .
I’m going to add them to the resources list in my sidebar and take a look if you’re interested in what kids eat.
25 ways to use nutrient boosting ingredients
Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition
Some lovely suggestions from Connie Evers at Nutrition for Kids – 25 ways to use five nutrient packed foods: walnuts, blueberries, yoghurt, salmon and tomatoes .
Mini herb frittatas with onion marmalade
Posted by kathryn in Recipes: eggs, Gluten-free and Recipes: dinner parties
While the photo is not brilliant, these were really good – little bite sized morsels packed full of flavour. At one point I thought there was going to be a fight over the last three – good manners won out in the end, but there was a fair bit of “well I’ve only had one, how many have you had?” going on. While fights can spoil the mood of any dinner party, it is lovely when your guests enjoy something that much !
These are adapted from the latest Delicious magazine (December / January, number 56) and are really easy to make. Again , I made the frittata ahead, let it cool down, cut out the individual disks and put them in the fridge in an airtight container. I made the whole frittata in a large baking tray that’s about 31cm by 33cm, which I greased and then lined with baking paper.
The Delicious magazine recipe used a home-made eggplant relish, but to save time, I bought some onion marmalade ( Mick’s Fine Foods Onion Marmalade ). I also used a combination of coriander, chives and mint, instead of the original plain coriander.
Mini herb frittatas with onion marmalade
Makes 24 mini frittatas
- 2 cups of firmly packed mixed herbs (I used coriander, chives and mint), finely chopped
- 12 eggs
- Onion marmalade (I used about half the jar)
- Extra coriander leaves to garnish
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Prepare the baking tray as above.
Scatter the herbs evenly over the base of the baking tray. Whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper, then pour gently over the herbs and place in the oven. Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until set and very lightly browned. Put aside to cool.
Remove from the pan and then cut out 24 discs using a 5.5cm round pastry cutter (these can be stored in an airtight container until just before your guests arrive). Finish by topping with a small amount of onion marmalade and a sprinkling of coriander.
See the full dinner party menu here .
Technorati tags: canapes , finger food , dinner parties , frittata
Live life well
Posted by kathryn in Health News, A Balanced Diet and Weight loss
The NSW government has recently launched an initiative called Live Life Well, which includes a new website containing, information, quizes and tools encouraging us all to be healthier. While, here in Australia, we’re living longer , many people are spending a lot of those extra years suffering from chronic diseases, on mulitiple medications and unable to fully enjoy and take part in all of life’s riches.
The Live Life Well campaign is all about equipping you with the information and tools you need to live a long, healthy and active life. As the homepage says:
With the right information, every one of us can take steps to reduce our chances of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and type two diabetes.
By making just a few small but important lifestyle changes, we can ensure better health and wellbeing for our future – and more time to enjoy the important things such as spending time with our friends and family.
To be honest, the website is a bit clunky and the text could do with a good edit, but there are some useful resources and links. It concentrates on the six key areas of:
There are also a number of quizzes and interactive tools, so you can assess your current situation and learn how to improve your record in each area.
The things I liked:
- I found their disease risk assessment tool annoying – too many pop-ups and leading questions, however they also link to the Harvard University your disease risk website. This is an excellent site with comprehensive quizzes covering your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis and cancer. At the end of each quiz you get a summary, showing what you’re doing right, how to improve and how your risk changes as you make diet and lifestyle changes.
- In the healthy eating category there’s a portion distortion quiz , while it’s US-centric it shows how standard food portions have changed in the last 20 years and gives guidelines on how much physical activity is needed to burn off those extra kilojoules.
- The daily kilojoule counter is simple and limited, but you can use it to quickly get an idea of how much fat, protein, carbohydrates and kilojoules you’re eating each day.
- The section on alcohol consumption is simple and realistic and includes a couple of quizes to test your knowledge on standard drink sizes, alcohol free days and how much is too much.
After the excesses of Christmas, this is the time of year when people re-focus on their health, so why not spend some time explorying the Live Life Well website and finding out simple and easy ways to improve your health now and into the future.
Technorati tags: nsw , alcohol consumption , live life well , healthy weight , physical activity , physical activity , stress management , disease risk
Balsamic, tomato & goat's cheese bites
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work, Recipes: vegies, Recipes: dinner parties and Recipes: starters
Now to the dinner party recipes . I knew everyone would be hungry when they arrived, having come directly from work, so I thought a couple of canapes would be a good idea – just enough to take the edge off the hunger.
These little morsels worked well. They’re adapted from a Donna Hay recipe (issue 21 of her magazine) – I’ve changed the quantities around and used goat’s cheese instead of bocconcini. I made the pitta rounds and balsamic dressing in advance and then let them cool, before storing the dressing in the fridge and the biscuits in an airtight container. You could even do this the day before and it then takes about 15 minutes to put them together, just before your guests arrive.
Balsamic, tomato&goat’s cheese bites
With twelve guests I allocated two of each canape per person, so I made twenty-four of these and the mini-frittatas.
- 0.5 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons sugar
- 6 pitta breads (I used spelt)
- I bunch of basil, from which you’ll need 48 leaves
- 8 vine ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced – you need to get 6 good slices from each tomato
- 120g log of goat’s cheese
Preheat the oven to 180C. Using a 6cm cookie cutter cut out 48 rounds from the pitta bread. You’re aiming for 8 rounds from each piece of bread, so you need to be frugal – cut close to the edges and use as much of the bread as possible. Place on two baking trays and bake in the oven for 3 – 4 minutes. Turn the bread over and bake on the other side, for 2 – 3 minutes, until golden and crispy. Leave to cool on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container.
Place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a frying pan. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly for about 5 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Set aside to cool.
To assemble: top one pitta round with a slice of tomato and a basil leaf. Put another pitta round with basil and tomato on top and then finish with a smear of goat’s cheese. Drizzle all your “bites” with the balsamic dressing and serve to your hungry guests.
Technorati tags: canapes , goat’s cheese , balsamic , finger food , dinner parties
Menu for hope III: the final total
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
The first thing I have to do post-Christmas, is let you know about the Menu For Hope campaign, which has finished for this year. In 2005 US$17,000 was raised for UNICEF and while we were all hoping for more this year, little did we expect a final total of US$58,041.70 would be donated to the UN’s World Food Programme.
Prize winners will be up on Chez Pim’s site on January 15th and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I might have won a few goodies.
Thanks to all of you who took part and donated money to this wonderful campaign.
Back to blogging
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
Well Christmas has just zoomed past. I hope you all had a wonderful day and are enjoying the end of year opportunity to pause and take a deep breath.
I’ve had a lovely few days – baking and jam making in the build up to Christmas. We spent the day itself at my aunt and uncle’s house, surrounded by family, excited kids and PLENTY to eat and drink. The meal (mostly cooked by my aunt) was fabulous. Richard and I had our usual bizarre multi-cultural vegetarian meal (this year eggplant parmigiana with roast potatoes and vegies), while mum made mini-pavlovas with mango and berries, a welcome alternative to the stodge of Christmas pudding.
The day was punctuated by a trip to the beach. While my two year old nephew and I went paddling, the rest played cricket and it was lovely watching Richard with all the generations of my family together, happy and laughing.
Now it’s back to blogging and as per usual I have a whole pile of things to talk about. Before I started blogging I worried about having enough things to say. Ha, as if. Rather than struggling, I have constant back-log of blogging topics.
On the list at the moment are the recipes and prep plan from my Christmas dinner party , plus I have another muffin recipe to post, along with a couple of other summery dishes I’ve been making. I’m going to be talking about salads, a bit more about trans fats , plus I have a new weekly storecupboard cooking series of posts currently in the planning stages.
There’s still lots to come on Limes&Lycopene and I hope you continue reading, leaving comments and sending me lovely emails.
Merry Christmas
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
I’m going to be on a short blogging break over the next few days – back on Wednesday 27th December.
Until then, a very, very Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope you have a fun, safe and joyous time.
Menu for hope III: last day
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
Remember, today is the last day to take part in the Menu for Hope raffle. There are many fabulous prizes to bid for, plus all the money you donate goes to the UN’s World Food Programme .
The total donated currently stands at $41,156.70!
Take a look at the full list of prizes here , or those donated in the Asia Pacific region here . All donations made via Firstgiving .
Dinner party for 12
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work and Recipes: dinner parties
Many people who run their own business spend a lot of the working week on their own. While I see clients at a great clinic , I’m not there every day, so the rest of the week I work from my home office. Running your own business is not for the faint-hearted, but there are many positives – autonomy, the heightened sense of achievement, doing something for yourself, flexible working hours, having much more control over your working day and career path, the list goes on.
However, any micro-business, like mine, can only survive with the goodwill, help and support of the people around you. Sometimes projects don’t go well, you can have bad days, or simply get overwhelmed by the length of your to do list (and how behind you are in your accounts). In that situation, it’s your family, friends and loved ones that keep you motivated, get you back on track and remind you of all the good stuff you’ve done to date. My micro-business simply couldn’t survive without these people.
It’s the season of Christmas parties, so this year I decided to have my own and to invite the group of people, who have been so invaluable to me this year – Tuesday night’s dinner party was the date.
It was a lovely evening. I’ve posted the menu here and am going to post each recipe separately over the next few days. I’ll then put up a preparation plan of how I organised the cooking and some suggestions for alternatives / simpler options.
Menu for hope III: updated
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
With the campaign total currently sitting at $30,986.70, Menu for Hope may be about to double last year’s total . Remember, you’ve only got until December 22nd to buy raffle tickets and there are some fantastic prizes .
If you want to increase your chances of knabbing a prize, then take a look at Neil’s summary on Food for Thought.
Not much blogging today, but . . .
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work, Blogging and Recipes: dinner parties
I’m having a dinner party for 12 people tonight, so there won’t be much blogging today. I will be posting all about it over the next few days, but for now, I’ll leave you with the menu:
Balsamic tomato and goat’s cheese bites
Mini coriander fritattas with onion marmalade
Natto miso&ginger pumpkin tart
Mixed seasonal greens
Rocket, corn and zucchini salad
Baked potatoes
Berry and mango pavlova
Mixed chocolate and turkish delight plate
Coffee and herbal tea
Are there "sniffle-busting personalities"?
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work and Health News
News from Science Online of links between our mood and emotions, and our health. It seems happier people are less likely to suffer from colds and positive emotions stimulate our immune system. As one of the study authors states:
“We need to take more seriously the possibility that a positive emotional style is a major player in disease risk.”
The effects of emotions and stress on our health are a growing area of research, uncovering more and more evidence of strong links. Research conducted by the Heart Foundation has led to depression and social isolation being included on their list of cardiovascular disease risk factors.
I find this research really interesting and it’s certainly valuable work. The more that the mind-body connection is recognised by health authorities, then (hopefully) the more resources will be put into this important area of health, long neglected here in Australia.
I don’t want to sound all smug and know-it-all , but in natural therapies we’ve always taken into account the emotional health of our clients as part of the treatment. If you’re super-stressed, unhappy, angry or depressed, it’s going to effect your physical health. These emotions impact on your total wellbeing, so finding strategies and techniques for dealing with them is an important part of your path to wellness.
Technorati tags: mental health , mind body connection
Menu for hope III
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
Just five days into this year’s Menu for Hope and last year’s total has already been left behind – as of 7.30am on Saturday, $18.090 has been raised and there’s still another week to go.
Remember you’ve only got until December 22nd to buy raffle tickets for all the wonderful, wonderful prizes. The full list of goodies available in the Asia Pacific region can be found here and around the world here .
Life etc - berries ten minute kitchen
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work and Fruit
The December edition of Life etc is out. This month’s regular Ten Minute Kitchen features berries and as per usual includes three of my recipes, (which can all be prepared in under ten minutes).
You can download the recipes from their website , but the magazine also features a good article by Joanna Macmillan-Price on fighting fat in your 40s, advice on buying fair trade goods, as well as ways to prevent dementia.
School lunchboxes
Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition
I’ve just come across a great post (from Shaping Youth) which discusses the battles that occur over school lunches. While you might want to pack a healthy lunch, your kids are more likely to want what everyone else has. In Australia this probably equates to a vegemite sandwich, a packet of chips, a popper and maybe a “healthy” muesli bar, but this is not a balanced, nutritious lunch.
Pester power is a strong force and it’s hard to resist. Nobody wants to be constantly battling with their offspring, especially over food. However, finding a way to negotiate the everyday healthy food vs occasional food argument is important. Establishing the difference between every day foods and occasional foods enables your child to eat properly now (and be strong and healthy), while also setting them up for good eating habits in the future.
Only 20% of the kids in NSW eat enough vegetables each day, while 60% of them will have at least one glass of sugar-laden soft drink. Toddlers are getting about a quarter of their daily energy requirements from junk foods like cordial, biscuits, lollies and chips. We do need to act.
Suggestions on getting kids to eat more fruit here , more vegetables and for info on healthy school lunches take a look here .
Technorati tags: school lunches
An organic school canteen
Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition
A report from the Herald , about a school in Surry Hills with an organic canteen!
The inner-city school’s 250 pupils can choose from a lunch list that looks like any other healthy canteen menu, except that it is all organic. Even the snacks such as potato chips, popcorn, fruit bars and licorice straps are certified organic.
Hewitt’s motto is “naughty, nutritious, healthy and delicious”.
The canteen serves sandwiches, pies, spaghetti bolognaise, hokkien noodles with vegetables, as well as wraps and salads. Fresh fruit and drinks are also available and it’s not just the kids who are enjoying the food. Teachers are buying their lunch from the canteen and parents are putting in requests for lunch packs, as well as fruit and vegetable boxes.
The canteen also composts its food waste and recycles as much of its rubbish as possible.
Technorati tags: school canteen , organic food , school lunches
The state of our health
Posted by kathryn in Health News, A Balanced Diet, Fruit and Vegetables
Last week the Chief Health Officer of NSW released a report into the health of NSW people . While we’re living longer, the levels of chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are on the increase. Moreover, the number of overweight and obese people in NSW is growing, up to 57.5% of men, 42.3% of women and nearly a quarter of school children. We’re also seeing a rise in lifestyle related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, we’re living longer, but we’re less healthy.
Unhealthy behaviours, like smoking, not having enough exercise and diet, contribute significantly to the development of these health problems. These are the causes of disease that we have control over . As the report states:
Good health enhances the quality of human life and benefits the community. The opportunity to participate in and contribute to society is maximised in a healthy population. Organisational, economic, and environmental factors have major influences on the health of individuals. However, health-related behaviours also contribute significantly to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and other conditions that account for much of the burden of morbidity and mortality in later life.
Startling for me, as a nutritionist, are the stats on fruit and veg intake . The Australian dietary guidelines are to have five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day. In NSW only 5% of men and 10% of women are eating the recommended vegetable intake . We’re slightly better at eating fruit, with 45% of men and 58% of women eating at least two pieces daily, although these still aren’t great figures. With children, only 20% are eating enough vegies. At the same time, 60% of boys and 40% of girls drink at least one cup of soft drink per day.
There is overwhelming evidence for the benefits of eating vegetables. This is not some weird, hippy, tofu-eating, vegetarian behaviour, it’s something we all need to do to maximise our health both now and in the future . Five servings of vegies is about 3 cups, that’s all. It’s having a good mix of salads in your sandwich at lunch-time and then a potato, half a carrot, a few green beans and about 3 broccoli florets in the evening.
So, how many servings of vegies do you eat every day? Not sure, well why not keep a vegie diary over the next week? For seven days, note down how many servings you eat each day. Remember that a serving is equal to one cup of leafy vegetables (lettuce, rocket, spinach, herbs, etc) and half a cup of all the others.
For more on eating vegetables, have take a look at the LImes&Lycopene vegetables category and for different ways to cook, try out some of these recipes .
Technorati tags: nsw
Trans fats: what foods contain them?
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet and Fat
Trans fats are definitely bad for us, but what foods contain them?
They’re mainly found in processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable fats:
- deep fried fast foods
- manufactured biscuits, pastries and cakes
- mass produced sausage rolls, meat pies
- croissants
- some margarines.
Trans fat rich foods are found in the supermarket, fast food outlets, pub and some bakeries.
In 2005 Choice magazine tested more than 50 processed foodstuffs and found about a third contained trans fats. At present food manufacturers are not required to list trans fats on their nutrition panel, unless they are making a claim about cholesterol or unsaturated fat.
Until food manufacturers are legally required to note the level of trans fats in their products, the best ways to avoid them are:
- keep away from fast food
- don’t buy mass produced pies, sausage rolls, biscuits and cakes
- ask your local bakery and fast food outlets whether they use partially hydrogenated vegetable fats and make choices accordingly
- use one of the margarines or spreads that is low in trans fats. Alternatively use ricotta cheese, avocado or hummous on your toast and sandwiches.
More information
Menu for hope III
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
I love December in Sydney – the weather’s heating up, both the shops and I are full of stone fruit, and Christmas is on it’s way. It’s the season of picnics, BBQs and outside dining. Plus Sydney-siders always seem more chilled out, relaxed and friendly in summer.
As we come to the end of the year, it’s also the time we often think of those who aren’t as well-off as we are, including the many who still live in soul destroying poverty, unable to feed either themselves or their families.
A Menu for hope is an annual blogging event, started by Chez Pim . It’s basically a whopping, big, world-wide raffle and this year all money is going to the UN’s World Food Programme . Prizes have been donated and bloggers are encouraging their lovely readers to buy raffle tickets to win. Helen, over at Grab Your Fork , is coordinating the Asia-Pacific leg of the campaign and yesterday posted the full list of prizes available – from full degustation dinners at Tetsuyas and Becasse, through to cookery books, food hampers, a food writing course, it’s a fantastic list.
I didn’t have time to coordinate a prize myself this year, but am already coveting a number of items on offer. Tickets are a mere US$10 and check out Helen’s site for all the details of prizes and how to take part.
Trans fats: what's the problem?
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet and Fat
In the last week, news has come through that trans fats have been banned from restaurants and food outlets in New York. While, Denmark has had a total ban on high levels of trans fats, for quite some time. In the spectrum of good fats through to bad fats, trans fats are being categorised as the REALLY bad fat.
What are trans fats?
While trans fats do occur naturally in some foods, the vast majority are in processed foods.
They are formed when poly-unsaturated fats, like corn oil and soybean oil, are partially hydrogenated. This is a chemical process where an oil, that is liquid at room temperature, is converted into a fat. The fat has a much higher melting point and is a semi-solid at room temperature.
During this process the poly -unsaturated fat is converted into a mono -unsaturated fat, PLUS a whole lot of trans fats.
Are they really that bad for you?
Trans fats are a problem. They vastly increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Eating only 5g of trans fats per day, increases your risk of heart disease by 25 percent.
There are also concerns trans fats are linked tocancer, diabetes, obesity and also liver dysfunction.
For better health we need to avoid these partially hydrogenated fats, with their high levels of trans. At the moment, there is no acceptable minimum level of intake. Most health authorities are saying steer clear of them altogether.
More calls for ban on junk food ads
Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition
The American Academy of Pediatrics has joined the call for a ban on junk food advertising to children. From today’s herald :
Children request more high-calorie, low-nutrient foods after seeing them on TV, said Donald Shifrin, the chairman of the committee that produced the new policy. One study found exposure to TV ads actually increased children’s overall energy intake, heightening the risk of them becoming overweight or obese. “Healthy foods are advertised less than 3 per cent of the time,” Dr Shifrin wrote. “Children rarely see a food ad for broccoli.”
In the UK a ban on junk food ads during children’s programmes will start next year. Here in Australia, the introduction of a new voluntary code by the food and beverage industry, makes any government intervention seem increasingly unlikely.
Related – see my post about one of the latest cordial advertising campaigns and Lisa Pryor’s article .
Trans fat ban in New York
Posted by kathryn in Health News and Fat
A few days of light posting, as I’m starting at my new clinic and have much to do. Will mostly be directing you towards news stories.
I’m writing an article on trans fats, so there will be more about them over the next week, but in the meantime, New York has become the first city to ban trans fats in its restaurants and food outlets. More info in today’s Herald . For a beginner’s guide to trans fats, take a look at the Heart Foundation’s factsheet .
Those five servings of vegies again
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet and Vegetables
Another interesting and useful post from Chew On This – on how to get those five servings of vegies a day. It’s a subject I’ve talked about on many occasions .
You only live once
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet
A friend just pointed me to this great post on one of the SMH blogs called, Chew On This. It’s Paula Goodyer’s blog – she’s the Herald’s health writer – and this is the start of the post:
When it comes to attitudes towards food and health, it’s the “you-only-live-once” mentality that really gets to me – “Hey, you only live once, so bring on the bacon, uncork another bottle, and add more cream.”
It’s a mindset that says stuff the consequences of what you eat – you only live once. But the point is we do only live once, so wouldn’t it make sense to do it smarter? To listen to expert advice about what we eat so that we have a better chance at reaching the last two decades of our lives in good enough nick to enjoy them without being burdened by disabling diseases like diabetes or a stroke?
I love this post.
Advertising cordial
Posted by kathryn in Food Labelling and Kid's nutrition
Lisa Pryor had an excellent rant in the weekend herald – on the current advertising campaign for Cottee’s cordial. Their slogan is “Kids need water. Cottee’s makes it fun”. As Lisa says:
The brilliance and the bastardry of this slogan is that it never actually claims cordial is healthy, while implying it all the same. Is it true that kids need water to be healthy? Yes. Is it true that Cottees makes water fun? You could argue the point.
By the same logic you could run also run ads claiming “Kids need food. Deep fried lard makes it fun” or “Kids need energy. Caffeine tablets are pretty cheap”.
Cordial is not healthy, it is not the best way to get kids to have their daily intake of water. If you make up cordial, to the bottle directions your kid is getting just under 20g of sugar – that’s one whole tablespoon folks, per glass of cordial . That’s a LOT of sugar in one drink. If you’re then giving your kid six glasses of cordial, they’re getting six tablespoons, which is half a cup of sugar each day and this is in drinks. Cordial is not a meal, it’s not a snack, it’s not providing any other nutrition.
Those six glasses of cordial, with their half a cup of sugar, also contain 1,760kJ. This is about the equivalent of a normal meal. For the same amount of kilojoules you could eat almost a whole serve of this risotto , three of these fritters , most of a serve of this pasta and almost two of these muffins .
Last December the Advertising Standards Board dismissed a complaint against Cottee’s on the grounds that the advert “does not state that people should replace water consumption with cordial” and therefore they were “not promoting unhealthy drinking habits”. Lisa again:
The usual excuse of junk food companies is that their products are supposed to be treats consumed only occasionally. Cottee’s can hardly mount this defence when it promotes a beverage nearly as sugary as Coke as an “everyday” drink. If a child got half her daily recommended water intake from cordial, she would consume nearly 2½ kilograms of sugar in a month.
Sorry, but cordial is just not a good way for kid’s to get their water intake. Occasionally, as a treat maybe, but not in most of their drinks. As it is for adults, straight water is the best choice to keep children hydrated.
Technorati tags: cordial , soft drinks , cottee’s , kids health , sugar , kids’ drinks , Advertising standards
Sustainability: lobster / crayfish
Posted by kathryn in Sustainablity
After I posted about fish and sustainability , Cucina Rebecca asked where lobster or crayfish fitted into the equation. Were they over-fished and under-threat? I really don’t know much about crayfish, so thought I’d try and find out. After speaking to a number of people, it seems there’s no one simple answer to this question.
Here in Australia we tend to eat more rock (or spiny) lobster and while they resemble true lobsters in a number of ways, they’re actually a very different species. They live in crevices of rocks, on ledges and among coral and are carnivourous scavengers, eating snails, clams, crabs, sea urchins, etc.
Rock lobsters in Australia are mainly caught in pots and most of the critters are exported to Japan, Taiwan and China, with only a small proportion kept for the local market. In fact, rock lobsters are the most commercially valuable species in Australia and are worth over half the total value of the Australian finfish catch. So in Australia at least, it’s a well-off industry.
The fact that the rock lobster industry only catches one species, also makes it easier for them to manage their fisheries, ie they’re only dealing with the sustainability of one species, plus a few bycatch species.
Rock lobsters are not immediately threatened with extinction. However, the rock lobster industry have over-fished in the past and species are down to low levels. This, of course, also has an impact on the wider marine ecosystem, as rock lobster is a key food source for many other fish, sharks and seals. Some rock lobster fisheries also drown seals which get caught in the pots, although this issue is being addressed through changes in fishing practices.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society gives the overall industry a mid-rating in their fish forever guide – they’re not immediately under threat, but more needs to be done to build up rock lobster stocks, as well as address bycatch and ecosystem impacts.
Of all the rock lobster industries, the Western rock lobster is the most sustainably fished. The West Australian Rock Lobster ( WARL ) industry was one of the first in the world to receive an MSC rating . From the MSC website:
The WARL fishery has been practising responsible management since 1963 when commercial fishers, processors and the government joined together in an effort to preserve the fishery’s future. The fishery has strict guidelines including seasonal closures, minimum size requirements and a ban on catching breeding females. Data on the fishery has been kept since the 1960s and enables fisheries scientists to predict catches accurately and ensure that controls are adequate to keep the fishery operating at sustainable levels. The fishery is managed primarily through licensing under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and the total allowable catch (TAC) is usually between 10,000-12,000 tonnes.
Western rock lobster is sold at the Sydney Fish Markets and while they look very similar to the Eastern and Southern rock lobsters, all should be clearly marked. So if you do want lobster this Christmas, then choose the Western rock lobster, but also, let the retailer know why you’re buying this species . Tell them that the sustainability of the fish you eat is important to you and that you want to see more fish with an MSC rating. As consumers we have a power and through demanding that our fishing industries take care of the species they’re catching, we will ensure the future of our fish stocks
Oh yes and about the thorny question of how to kill and cook your rock lobster, the most humane and easiest way is to chill the rock lobster in the freezer for about 45 minutes – long enough for it to become insensible, but not long enough to freeze. Once chilled, it can be quickly killed by either splitting in half or dropping into rapidly boiling water. For more details, see www.rspca.org.au .
For more information:
December: what's in season?
Posted by kathryn in Shopping Basket, Fruit and Vegetables
December is here already, which means we’re well into the summer fruit season. Bananas are definitely coming down in price, while they seem to be averaging $8.99 – $9.99 a kilo, I did buy some for $4.99 / kg last week!
Anyway here is the list of the fruit and vegetables that are in season in December:
Fruit:
- Apricots (down to $3.99 / kilo in my local shop)
- Avocadoes
- Bananas (expect them to continue coming down in price )
- Blueberries (coming into season, although still a bit pricey)
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Lychees (supposed to be in season, although I haven’t seen any yet, should come into the shops in next week or so)
- Mangoes (the NT season is complete and we’re now into the Qld mangoes, they continue to be really good bargains)
- Melons
- Nectarines (peak crop are still a bit pricey, but you can get the smaller fruit quite cheaply – I bought a kilo of nectarines for $2.99 over the weekend)
- Oranges (Valencia)
- Papaya&pawpaw
- Passionfruit
- Peaches (peak crop are still a bit pricey, but you can get the smaller fruit quite cheaply)
- Pineapples
- Plums – some varieties are just coming into season
- Raspberries (I’ve been buying really good raspberries for $4.99 a punnet over the last week)
- Strawberries
Vegetable:
- Asian greens (bok choy, etc)
- Asparagus
- Beans (green, flat and butter)
- Capsicum
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peas
- Radish
- Silverbeet (I’ve been buying beautiful, young bunches over the last week)
- Spinach
- Sweetcorn
- Tomatoes
- Watercress
- Zucchini
Information from Sydney Markets website.
Technorati tags: seasonal produce , seasonal vegetable , seasonal fruit .
Healthy Fast Food?
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet
I was talking to a client this week and we were discussing the best fast food options.
I live in Sydney’s inner city. Our nearest corner store sells good quality fruit and veg. Plus, they’re open until 9pm every night. There are also plenty of Thai or Vietnamese restaurants close by, many of whom home deliver.
Even when I’m home late from work, or can’t be bothered to cook, it’s still easy to organise a healthy meal.
However, in talking to my client I was reminded this isn’t the case for everyone. For many people, living further out of the city, the only option is fast food.
The problem with fast food
However, most fast food is high in saturated fat, sugars and sodium. It’s also chock-a-block full of kilojoules. Fast food options are difficult to negotiate and it’s hard to work out which are the better choices.
It’s not uncommon for a burger to contain:
- about 2,000 kilojoules
- more than 20g of fat
- at least half of the maximim recommended level of salt.
Add a small fries and a shake to that and you could be consuming over 4,000 kilojoules and about 40g of fat in one meal.
The good news: in recent years most fast food places have made significant improvements to their menus. Most items are still chock-a-block full of kilojoules, sodium and fat. However many fast food outlets now have at least a couple of choices that won’t break the diet.
You do need to pick wisely and ignore most of the in-store promotional guff about “healthy” options. Some of the seemingly healthy choices are as bad as a burger.
Ignore meal deals
Also ignore meal deals. An Australian study has shown for a 12 percent increase in cost for the meal deal, you can be getting:
- 23 precent more kilojoules
- 25 percent more fat
- 38 percent more sugar
Here are the best options from the major fast food outlets.
Red Rooster
Red Rooster and Subway are the best fast food outlets if you’re looking for healthier choices.
Red Rooster use less batter than KFC, so less oil is soaked up in the cooking process. They also provide skin-free options, which again cuts back on the fat.
You still have to be careful which items you select, however there are more choices than at other places.
Best choices:
- Skinfree Portugese chicken pieces, coupled with one or two of the following – corn, peas, coleslaw or potato&gravy
- Baguette d’Lite
- Skinfree grilled chicken salad
Second best choices :
- Roast chicken salad (although high in sodium)
- Chicken BLT baguette (high in sodium)
- Mediterranean baguette (high in sodium)
- Skinfree grilled chicken baguette / burger&wrap (all high in sodium)
Subway
Subway have a number of okay choices. Plus all their sandwiches include salad, so you’re getting at least a couple of vegetable portions.
Best choices:
- Deli style sandwiches: ham, roast beef, turkey and tuna
- Salads: roasted chicken, Subway club, veggie delite and tuna. The tuna has the highest amount of fat and I’d recommend having this one without dressing.
- Dressing: mayonnaise
Second best choices:
- Subway have a range of about 8 sandwiches which have less than 6g of fat, so these are pretty good choices, although most of them are still too high in sodium. Of these, the best choices are the veggie delite, roasted chicken and the turkey.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s have been heavily promoting their new lighter choices and salads menu, but there are still only a limited number of good options.
Some like the Bacon & Egg and Chicken Caeser Deli Choices have as many kilojoules, if not more than a Big Mac. While others are lower in kilojoules and fat, but still contain a pretty hefty amount of sodium.
Best choices:
- Hamburger
- Chicken McNuggets 3 pack with either a Herb Fusion Chicken Salad or a Garden Salad
- Crispy cut chicken salad
- Herb fusion chicken salad
- Dressings: chilli&lime, Italian, ranch dressing or spicy avocado
Second best choices:
- Chicken tandoori, Thai chicken or turkey&cranberry Deli Choice (all a bit high in sodium)
Desserts:
- Best choice is either the Flake M, the plain Sundae Cone or the Sundae without topping
- The apple pie, cookies, McFlurries and Sundaes with toppings are all super high in kilojoules and fat. Also their “lite” muffins are not very.
Avoid: the sugary soft drinks and the shakes (even the smallest size has about 1,000kJ).
Hungry Jack’s
Best choices:
- Hamburger
- Spicy chicken baguette
Second best choices:
- Grilled chicken baguette (higher in sodium than the spicy chicken)
Avoid: The vegie supreme baguette – it’s a shocker. High in kilojoules, sodium and fat, so don’t mistake the vegetable option for the healthy one!
KFC
Of all the fast food places, KFC is the hardest place to find a healthier option.
The best of a very poor bunch is the Original Fillet Burger, although this still has 17.9g of fat and 1,093 mg of sodium, which are VERY high.
How many kiloujoules, etc should you be eating?
All these figures are pretty meaningless without some context. In making the above assessments I used the following criteria:
- No more than 2,000 kJ per meal
- No more than 15g of total fat and no more than 5g of saturated fat
- No more than 1,000mg of sodium (although this is still higher than I’d like)
To give you an idea of what you need every day – these are average intak
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29 December, 2006
