Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

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.

Read more No comments 29 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

Some lovely suggestions from Connie Evers at Nutrition for Kids – 25 ways to use five nutrient packed foods: walnuts, blueberries, yoghurt, salmon and tomatoes.

Read more 2 comments 29 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Eggs, Recipes, Snacks and Summer

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 …

Read more 3 comments 29 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Lifestyle

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 …

Read more 1 comment 29 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Recipes, Salads, Snacks and Summer

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 …

Read more No comments 28 December, 2006

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 …

Read more No comments 27 December, 2006

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 …

Read more No comments 27 December, 2006

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.

Read more No comments 23 December, 2006

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 herei.html#more. For those donated in the Asia Pacific region click here. All donations are made via Firstgiving .

Read more No comments 22 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

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 …

Read more No comments 21 December, 2006

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 winning a prize, then take a look at Neil’s summary on Food for Thought.

Read more No comments 20 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Summer

From yesterday’s Good Living, the last minute guide to surviving Christmas.

Read more No comments 20 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Blogging

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: h3. Entree * Balsamic tomato and goat’s cheese bites * Mini coriander fritattas with onion marmalade":/blog/2006/12/29/mini-herb-frittatas-with-onion-marmalade/ h3. Main * Natto miso & ginger pumpkin tart * Mixed seasonal greens * Rocket, corn and zucchini salad * Baked potatoes …

Read more 8 comments 19 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Winter

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: bq. “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 …

Read more No comments 18 December, 2006

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.

Read more No comments 16 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Miscellanea

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).

Read more 2 comments 15 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

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 …

Read more 1 comment 15 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

A report from the Herald, about a school in Surry Hills with an organic canteen! bq. 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 …

Read more 3 comments 15 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

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 …

Read more 1 comment 14 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

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 …

Read more 2 comments 13 December, 2006

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 …

Read more No comments 12 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils and Nutrition

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. h3. What are trans fats? While trans fats do occur naturally in some foods, the vast majority are in processed foods. …

Read more 2 comments 11 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Junk Food and Labels & advertising

The American Academy of Pediatrics has joined the call for a ban on junk food advertising to children. From today’s herald: bq. 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,” …

Read more 3 comments 07 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

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 …

Read more 2 comments 07 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in 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.

Read more 4 comments 07 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating

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: bq. 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 …

Read more 1 comment 06 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Labels & advertising

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: bq. 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. …

Read more No comments 06 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & 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 …

Read more 4 comments 05 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Summer

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: h3. Fruit: * Apricots (down to $3.99 / kilo in my local shop) * Avocadoes * Bananas (expect them to "continue coming down …

Read more No comments 04 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Junk Food

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 …

Read more 4 comments 01 December, 2006