Quicklinks
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Fats & oils

- Do you need sports drinks? According to new research apparently you don’t – a bowl of cereal with some milk will do just as well. Be aware the research was partly sponsored by a cereal company.
- A simple supper: I love the look of this easy, quick dinner/supper from Crunchy Green Things: smashed peas on toast. Defrosted frozen peas, oomphed up with some fresh mint and then topped with a poached egg. Simple, delicious and full of nutrition.
- 50 Dietician Blogs: There’s a great reading list here – 50 nutrition blogs to investigate. Some great fodder in there.
- The Test: There’s a couple of high profile health initiatives here in Australia at the moment. One of the most interesting is The Test. This online questionnaire aims to find out how healthy and happy you are. I like it for the rounded view they have of health and the many dimensions covered in the questionnaire. Once you’ve taken The Test you get a score, but also lots of advice and resources you can use to improve your wellbeing.
- Using up leftovers: I do like this post from 80 Breakfasts which suggests some different ways to use up leftover veggies. I particularly like the simple pumpkin soup.
- Heart disease resources: You may not be aware that heart disease is the number one killer of Australian women_. The Heart Foundation has just released a new position paper on dietary fats and heart disease and there’s a whole lot of resources on their websiteRisk/Nutrition/Pages/default.aspx. I’d start with the Q & A on Dietary Fats – which is the fourth item down.
- Quick curry: A lovely quick meal from The Frugal Cook a chickpea, spinach and turmeric curry. Lots of vegies, lots of antioxidants and a simple, hearty meal.
Photograph by She Watched the Sky.
Comments
432 for me. I disagree with some of the assessment methodology (but hey, it’s the best that can be done in most cases), but it is worthwhile seeing everything laid out at once, to remind oneself of things. Apparently my social and emotional life are the worst.
Would you believe that the first “meal” (as in, actual meal) I cooked was that very curry, but sans coriander, and with a couple potatos and mustard seeds! Fond memories.
Thanks for the links.
I like the look of the peas on toast – nice and quick, and tasty with the mint and garlic!
Interesting about the cereal and milk working as well as sports drinks.
There’s been research previously that suggests that chocolate milk is as good as a sports drink – I’ll have to pass the link on to my other half for his triathlon training as he’s a big milk drinker. The only disadvantage that I spot is that cereal and milk isn’t as easily portable as a bottle of sports drink
Another interesting & helpful collection — thank you, Kathryn. The quick curry really appeals to me & I will probably try it with kale.
I’m still working my way through our Canadian Stroke recommendations, especially for fat. So interesting to compare with the Australian ones, lots of overlap though yours have more specific guidelines on amounts.
Sam: it’s always a difficult balance with questionnaires like The Test – they are by their nature making assumptions and generalisations. What I like about this one, is the wide range of questions. It doesn’t just ask about the most obvious aspects of health. And what an excellent “first” meal to cook.
Arwen: I’m a total pea lover and smushed on toast really does sound great.
Sophie: I wouldn’t be surprised if the cereal manufacturers didn’t come up with their own “sports drink” based around cereal and milk . . .
Elaine: glad to hear you’re finding something useful. My general impression is the Heart Foundation are moving more and more towards specific dietary recommendations. I sympathise, I think when people are told to “eat more fish” their reaction is “how much is more”. Hence the specifics.
I’m going to check out that happiness test! I’m interested how they structured it to be well-rounded. Could be a good tool for my clients. and for me!
I’m always looking for interesting breakfast/ lunch/ brunch ideas because I hate cereal and get bored of toast and sandwiches. So I gave the peas and poach egg on toast a go. Yummo!! Who would have thought of that combination. Next time I’ll get off my bum and pick some mint to go in the peas but it was lovely just will a little parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Winner. Now I have Crunchy Green Things bookmarked as well.
mmmm, smashed peas on toast sounds loverly.
The smashed peas on toast are a popular entry!
Michelle – really interested to know your feedback on The Test. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than most other health questionnaires I’ve seen.
While the original test is good, I’m finding the follow up emails a bit disappointing – they’re not targeted and include a fair bit of advertising.
Powerade… My sports drink of choice. It must work! It must! The Wallabies drink it after every game! And did you see them thrash the Babarians the other night? Powerade must’ve been the difference… Just imagine what they could’ve done on a belly full of Weetbix as well?!!
Paul I would personally love to see the Wallabies guzzling bowls of Weetbix during the game – that image tickles me no end!
Thanks for your links Kathryn – so many fantastic recipes from your links over the last year :) I know that your life has gotten busier and love that you are still posting here.
I was looking forward to seeing The Test results (an holistic assesment is very appealing), but maybe the program has a glitch this morning – it recorded mostly incorrect results for me so the results weren’t useful – just as a FYI for anyone else thinking of using it.
Leave a comment