Healthy Food Guide December 2021

Please tell me I’m not the only one putting the Christmas tree up a little early this year? It seems many of us are keen to get into the festive spirit and cheer up, following a strange and somewhat exhausting year. After much of the country spent weeks on end in lockdown, you can be forgiven for wanting a headstart on the silly season! But if the thought of Christmas celebrations sends your blood pressure soaring, that‘s okay too. Planning, shopping, cooking and eating can be equally enjoyable and stressful, so we share four simple, stress-free tips to keep your cool and avoid burnout over the festive period (p22). Plus, dietitian Susie Burrell plates up the best foods and snacks to give you all-day energy (p28)! Finally, you‘re in for a treat…

Healthy Food Guide (HFG) magazine is your complete guide to healthy eating. Our recipes use easy-to-find, affordable ingredients. Cook with HFG and you’ll always enjoy a nutritious meal. We give unbiased opinions and are not affiliated with any food manufacturers. All branded food in HFG has been approved by our dietitians. Advertisers cannot influence editorial content. You can trust our advice. All our health information is supported by solid scientific evidence, not media fanfare. We smooth out any confusion caused by ‘pseudoscientists’. Dietitians review all our articles so they’re always accurate with up-to-date information. A full list of references is also available on request. Every recipe in Healthy Food Guide is healthy Our recipe writers work with qualified dietitians to develop all our meals. A nutritional analysis is provided for every recipe. We test each…

Renewed spirits At 79 years of age and being on my own, the lockdown blues quickly set in and I lost interest in so many things — including cooking. During one of my rare trips to the shops I picked up a copy of HFG magazine and it was a revelation. The recipes and colourful plates of food were inspirational. I immediately started trying out recipes and enjoyed reading the interesting articles. I soon came to realise I was actually enjoying the isolation and, after I started eating better, found the energy to spring clean! Thank you for lifting me from my blues and expanding waistline, and helping me feel energised and positive about the Covid-19 future. Shirley Crampton, NZ Planning ahead Your weekly meal plans are great! It would be useful to have one…

Fasting made easy Thank you for the informative ‘To fast or not to fast’ article that appeared in HFG’s October issue. I always thought fasting was about drinking liquids for days. To find out you can safely fast intermittently, eat real food, feel healthier and lose weight seemed too good to be true. So, I decided to give it a try. I selected fasting meal plan option two (eating window 10:30am—6:30pm) as this fits perfectly with my lifestyle. I was surprised at how easy it was to do and how good I felt not eating after 6:30pm. The added bonus was losing some weight. Thank you HFG for bringing this to my attention and re-educating me about the benefits of fasting. Karyn McDonald, NSW…

Write to us at ‘Your say’ and you could win a pack of delicious Gingerbread Folk gingerbreads. All products are free from dairy, eggs, palm oil and nuts, with gluten-free options available, and are packaged in eco-friendly compostable wrappers. The prize features a traditional gingerbread house kit, a chocolate gingerbread house kit and a Christmas tree kit, plus Christmas minis. Visit gingerbreadfolk.com.au ❋ Congratulations to Karyn McDonald, this month’s Your say winner, who wins a set of Zip Top reusable containers worth $249.95. Have your say at healthyfood.com and click WIN, or write to us at Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590…

Safe in the sun ANTIPODEANS HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF SKIN CANCER IN THE WORLD, WITH A RECENT STUDY REVEALING 160 CASES OF SUNBURN SO SEVERE THEY REQUIRED HOSPITALISATION. AVOID BEING OUTDOORS FROM 11AM TO 3PM AND WEAR A HAT, SUNNIES AND SUNSCREEN. JAMA Dermatology ! FUN FOOD FACT Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, costing about $10 per half a gram (about 250 dried strands). The good news is you only need to add a few strands to dishes to impart great flavour, aroma and that undeniable pale golden hue. Portion perfection Take the guesswork out of healthy portion sizes with this handy guide! They say 50 is the new 40, but the older you get the more 9pm is the new midnight BRING ON THE CHEER The ability to recall information declines as we…