Butter or margarine
Posted by kathryn in Fat
I am regularly asked questions about butter and margarine. In particular, which one is healthier? It’s something I often struggle to answer, because it’s not black and white.
At the Food Coach Joanna McMillan-Price has written a piece setting out the pros and cons of both margarine and butter. And I quite like her conclusions.
She also articulates one of my butter dilemmas:
As a fairly passionate believer in eating ‘real’ foods as much as possible I have to confess to struggling with the idea that we can manufacture something that is better for us than a relatively simple food that has been made and consumed by native communities for thousands of years.
Head over to the Food Coach to find out more about butter and margarine.
Which do you use – butter, margarine or neither?
Photograph by Olya.
Quicklinks
Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Vegetables and Legumes
Some of the juicy, juicy stuff I’ve spotted recently.
- White beans & a book: I love this white beans with rosemary recipe from Jules at Stonesoup. She matches it with lamb cutlets, I can imagine mashing it on toast for breakfast or lunch. And along with the white beans, Jules has announced pre-orders are available for her new book And The Love is Free. There’s a tasty little sample you can download before ordering.
- Eating at work: A neat picture and summary of how Mark Bittman does it – dining al desko that is. It’s not an elaborate meal – in fact it’s very simple – but despite no stove and minimal equipment, he still makes something tasty, using in season ingredients.
- Did you know you could eat these? Since finding out radish and turnip tops were delicious, I’ve been eager to find other vegetable “scraps” that are actually edible. A Sonoma Garden has a neat list of five things you didn’t know you could eat.
- Medieval food podcast: I’m a recent convert to podcasting and I have to say I couldn’t get enough of this Book Show offering. It’s about the history of the spice trade, but it’s the discussion of Medieval cooking and entertaining that hooked me.
- Cooking with quinoa: Lovely recipe from the Messy Vegetarian Cook for Arabic influenced quinoa. Spices, tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh herbs and lemon juice, all gently cooked together.
- Growing & eating radishes: The lovely Elaine has put together a cracker post on radishes. It has gardening information, links, recipes, beautiful pictures of her crop, as well as the nutritionals. An excellent resource.
- On hating Masterchef: A piece from the inimitable Danny Katz on why he hates Masterchef.
Photograph by Kaishin.
Too busy to blog? So what have I been doing
Posted by kathryn in All In A Day's Work and Blogging
Long term readers of Limes & Lycopene will know I’m not posting as often as I used to. Over the last six months, my blogging time has been squeezed. I even missed this blog’s third birthday.
So if I haven’t been blogging as much, what have I been doing?
Over the last six months my clinic has boomed. We’ve never been busier. The business has been open 18 months and we’re becoming known in the suburb. Alexia and I have worked hard to build up a strong client base and it’s paying off. So of course, we’re tickled pink – it’s highly satisfying to see the business grow. But this also means I’m in clinic more often, leaving fewer gaps between clients for other work.
While Life etc magazine has closed down, I’ve picked up a new, regular writing gig with HealthSmart magazine. I compile the Eat Well food and nutrition column in each issue, plus other articles.
I’ve also been working busily away on a project with Lucy of Nourish Me fame. We’ve been cooking and writing, compiling notes, testing recipes and Lucy has taken some cracker photos. I’m pretty excited about this and am thoroughly enjoying the work. We’ll both be talking more about the project in the next few weeks.
It’s also a busy and momentous time in my house. Along with the work I’m doing, Richard is weeks away from the launch of a web application he’s been developing for the last 18 months. It’s been difficult and challenging work. But it’s nearly there.
And I’ve been doing a bit of work for him. I’ve expanded my nutritionist role to become an unofficial software tester and writer.
So that’s why I’m not here as often as I used to be. I have absolutely no plans to stop blogging. I’ve thought about it. But I continually come back to how much I love this site. How it has enriched my life.
Despite the ups and downs I still love blogging. It just won’t be as often as it used to be.
Quicklinks
Posted by kathryn in Health News, A Balanced Diet, Vegetables, Fat and Vegetable recipes
- 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 website. 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.
Sardines for the eco-conscious
Posted by kathryn in Sustainablity and Fat
This is the third post in a series on Omega 3s. Take a look at Omega 3s – what are they? and the main fish sources.
It’s tricky recommending fish online.
Firstly, fish are called by different names around the world. What I call salmon, may not be labelled “salmon” in another part of the world. Even within Australia we’re only just getting round to using standardised fish names.
And it gets even harder when you’re talking sustainably managed fish. Fisheries around the world vary enormously. A species that is plentiful here in Australia, and well managed for long-term sustainability, may be virtually fished-out in another part of the world.
Then, if you want to know about Omega 3s, it adds another layer of complexity to the question. Which fish are the best to eat, if you want pleny of Omega 3s but want to make ethical choices?
I’d love to give you a definitive list. The top 10 fish to eat. But I can’t. It’s a huge, huge issue. The situation varies around the world and there’s just no one-size-fits-all answer.
So if this is important to you, you’re going to have to do some local research. It’s not an issue you can be passive on, instead you’ll have to do some of the leg work.
What I can offer is some general recommendations and choosing the best fish. I can also refer you to some resources. Hopefully this will help you decide what’s best to buy in your area.
How to choose sustainably caught Omega 3 fish
- The issues: Here’s a good overview of the issues involved and why it’s so difficult to choose Omega 3 rich fishes that are sustainably managed.
- Look for dark coloured fish: A basic rule-of-thumb is that fish which are high in Omega 3s tend to have darker flesh and are more oily in general. While white fleshed fish do have some Omega 3s they’re generally not as Omega 3 packed as the darker fleshed species.
- Find a fishmonger you trust: If you’re really serious about buying sustainably caught fish, then get to know your fishmonger. Ask them questions, tell them you want to know where your fish comes from, refuse to buy anything unless they know the provenance. And then, when you find a fishmonger you can work with, stick with them. Become a loyal and frequent customer – reward them for their environmental consciousness. Here in Sydney, I’ve been hearing good things about Fine Fish in Neutral Bay – their website tells you where their fish comes from and they support sustainable practices.
- Read Bottomfeeder: Taras Grescoe’s book Bottomfeeder is one of the best introductions to the issues of fish sustainability I’ve seen. It’s very readable, covers a broad range of issues and finishes up with some good guidelines on how to choose the best fish.
- US list: This list from the US is pretty good – it shows eleven fish which are both high in Omega 3s and sustainably managed. Bear in mind you’ll still need to ask questions – about exactly where the fish you’re buying has come from.
- Pocket guides: A number of bodies produce pocket guides to the most sustainably caught fish in a specific area. Seafood Watch has a number for different US locations. The Australian Marine Conservation Society also produces one.
- Look for the MSC logo: The Marine Stewardship Council certifies fisheries around the world, recognising and rewarding sustainable practices. They have a list of the fish they have certified and where you can buy them.
- David Suzuki: Thanks to Elaine I’ve also found out that David Suzuki’s website has information on sustainable fish choices in Canada.
Do you try to choose sustainably caught fish?
Photograph by Joseph Wu.
Quicklinks
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet, Sustainablity, Snacking, Breakfast, Vegan and Salads
- Breakfast cereal is healthy right? A recent survey by Which? (similar to our Choice) looked at breakfast cereals. And found some contained more sugar than a Cadbury Flake.
- Tofu salad: I read a lot of healthy eating blogs. But there are other blogs I read for other reasons – the writing, the blogger’s perspective, the photos. Lemonpi is one of those. There’s a lot of cake and dessert on Y’s blog but her photographs and writing are quite beautiful. However today I can link to Lemonpi, as she’s posted a fab looking tofu and sesame salad.
- Fooling yourself: Caitlin sent me the link to a seeminly counter-intuitive report in Neuromarketing – having salad on restaurant menus can increase the sales of fries.
- Muffins: I’ve been eyeing up Green Gourmet Giraffe’s roasted pumpkin and goats’ cheese muffins all week. I can imagine making these for snacks or breakfast on the go.
- Processed foods: In The Guardian Richard Ehrlich asks how much do you rely on processed foods in your cooking? Plus he tries to cut them out for a week.
- Video casts: Two good programmes to watch online, although they’re both about 45 minutes long. Firstly Four Corners examines the effects of supermarket dominance in Australia, in The Price We Pay. And Fiona sent me a link to the Insight programme on obesity and how to get people to change their diet. It’s called A Gutful.
Photographs by Bern@t and MarcoIE.
What I ate yesterday
Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet
I’m going to occasionally be posting about what I’m eating. A food diary in photos.
About two years ago I posted a fortnight of pictures of what I eat. I’m not planning to feature another two week block, instead it will be the occasional day.
I’m going to include a variety of days. Times when I’ve eaten to plan and days which haven’t been so good – when I haven’t had time to shop, or work and life has been busy.
With each post I’ll put a description of the dish next to each picture, with a link to the recipe, if there is one. Then at the bottom I’ll include some comments on the day.
So here’s what I ate yesterday
7.00am Breakfast
Muesli, yoghurt, poached persian figs and honey.
8.30am Coffee
Soy latte
11.00am Pre-client snack
9 Grain Vitaweats
12.30pm Soup between clients
Roasted pumpkin and chickpea soup – basically pumpkin, spices, rosemary, olive oil and chickpeas
2.30pm Snack between clients
Pistachios, almonds and a small piece of Have Cake Will Travel’s chickpea blondie.
5.30pm Snack between clients
An orange and a carrot – the carrot was from dad’s garden, which is why it has green tinges.
8.00pm Dinner
Leftovers Italian bread, white bean and cabbage stew.
It’s a variation of this Jamie Oliver recipe which I discovered last year.
I used cabbage, cauliflower, bread, garlic, white beans, shallots, mozzarella, vegetable stock, capers. I leave out the bacon and anchovies, as well as the sage butter.
8.30pm Birthday cake
It’s Richard’s birthday this week so we’ve had birthday cake – this is orange and almond cake – with yoghurt.
Comments
- This was a clinic day, when my breaks are short. Rather than having a big lunch, on these days I tend to focus on smaller, more regular amounts of food. I find this helps me to maintain good energy and focus during the day and prevents hunger. Plus it’s easier to eat the smaller amounts of food in the breaks between clients.
- To do this though I need to be organised.
- As you’ll see I didn’t really have a specific lunch – instead I had soup, crackers, nuts, fruit and so on – over the course of the day.
- I’m rarely a raw carrot eater. However I knew that between the pumpkin soup and cabbage stew, I wasn’t getting quite enough vegetable variety. Hence I packed a little extra.
- Obviously birthday cake isn’t a normal every day food in our house!
What did you eat yesterday?
Eating your greens
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
I was reading an article this morning about Stephanie Alexander’s school garden project. In it was this advice for getting kids to eat good food:
Some words should never be uttered in the company of minors, [Alexander] says. “Healthy” is one, “Greens” is another.
While this may well be true, it also got me thinking about what a terrible image problem green vegetables have. While everyone agrees they’re good for you, poor old greens are mocked and vilified as too boring and just too green.
I personally love greens and would eat them most days. It might be rocket, spinach or herbs in a lunch-time salad. I regularly add silverbeet to frittatas and spinach to pasta sauces. Dinner might include a side of steamed broccoli, some sauteed mixed leaves or a smidgeon of cabbage.
However one of the best lessons I’ve learnt, is from Jamie Oliver’s Italian book – and it’s to mix up the greens you use.
If you’re having spinach, then combine it with a few handfuls of fresh herbs. Add beetroot greens, cabbage and kale to silverbeet. Using a combination of green vegetables is much more interesting than eating each one individually. You get more flavour, the bitterness of one is counter-acted by the sweetness of another. Each mouthful is different.
You can get an idea of how I do this here.
What’s your favourite way to eat green vegies?
Photograph by Minwoo
Quicklinks
Posted by kathryn in Blogging
I’ve been somewhat absent from this blog recently. It started with house-hunting, fracturing my foot and moving, but has persisted.
While it’s true the other parts of my working life have heated up – I’m busier than ever in clinic and have new writing work – but that’s not the full picture.
I’ve had some writer’s block. Plus with Limes & Lycopene rapidly approaching third birthday, I’ve been taking some time and space to re-evaluate what I do online.
Now I’m feeling my way back into blogging. I’m working up some new topics and themes. Trying to find a new routine and posting pattern, that’s going to work.
So bear with me. Things may continue to be erratic for a while longer, but I’m not going anywhere. Just trying to find a better balance.
Speaking of erratic . . . I meant to post these Quicklinks on Friday last week, however it just didn’t happen. Rather than ditching them I thought I’d post today, as there’s some juicy stuff.
- Normal cooking vs TV cooking: Mark Bittman compares home cooking to what the TV chefs do. He’s after more “reality” in TV cooking because “the home cook, especially the aspiring home cook, needs encouragement — not befuddlement.”
- Kale & mung bean coleslaw: I’m a recent convert to the stupendous blog The British Larder and spotted this coleslaw. A lovely vegetable combination, but it’s the lime and soy dressing I’m particularly impressed by.
- Turkish style baked eggs: I can’t get enough of Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes and he’s posted another cracker on The Guardian blog: baked eggs with yoghurt and chilli. It’s quite a simple meal, but highly nutritious.
- Blanching vegetables: I love finding really good guides to cooking basics and there’s one about blanching vegetables on the Culinate website. How long, how much water, whether you need to add salt, how to fix the colour afterwards, what happens in the vegetable – it’s all covered.
- Cooking chicory: If you’re in the mood for trying a new vegetable then why not make it chicory? Sophie from Mostly Eating has published a great recipe braised chicory with orange, honey and pepper.
- Chickpea blondies: Any of you who follow me on Twitter will know how much I adore Have Cake Will Travel’s chickpea blondies. As Celine says “these are not meant to perfectly mimic or replace the most sinful blondies ever made, but to offer a healthy and tasty alternative instead.” I personally think they’re fantastic.
Photograph by Jan Glas
Making a healthier mash
Posted by kathryn in Vegetables
Mashed potatoes to me are one of the ultimate comfort foods.
There are times when I crave it and going into winter we’ll probably be eating more of it.
While there’s nothing wrong with the actual potato part, most recipes call for bucketloads of milk and butter. Which hikes up both the kilojoules and also the saturated fat.
Over the years, I’ve gradually found ways to make my mashed potatoes just that bit healthier.
How I make mashed potatoes
- Cook less: One of the first steps I’ve taken is simply to cook less potato. It means we have a smaller amount of mash, but I still get the flavour withoutall those extra kilojoules. I’ll then make sure there are plenty of steamed vegetables, to boost the meal.
- Leave the skin on: Much of the potatoes goodness is in or close to the skin so leave it on when cooking, and mash through.
- Add other mash-able vegetables: Quite often when cooking potato, I’ll add cauliflower florets to the water, close to the end of cooking. I then mash these two vegetables together. This reduces the overall kilojoule content. Plus it means you are eating another, different vegetable as well. And it’s quite delicious. As a kid, my mum also used to add parsnips, suede and sweet potato.
- Add some white beans: A tin of lima or butter beans, added to the potatoes just before mashing is another excellent addition. This combination makes a really good mash and also adds more fibre, some protein and plenty of antioxidants.
- Replace some of the butter: I usually use a bit of butter in mashed potato, it adds a lovely flavour. However to cut back on the saturated fat, I use much less than most recipes recommend. Instead I add in tahini, yoghurt and some of the potato cooking water. This combination produces a full-flavoured and creamy mash, with the benefits of greater nutritional diversity and a lower overall saturated fat content.
Mashed potatoes are one of those dishes many people avoid, particularly when they are trying to lose weight. However, if you adjust the way you make it there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy it more often.
Do you have any suggestions for making a healthier mash?
Photograph by Devlyn.
25 comments
02 July, 2009