Find out more about healthy eatingArchive of my healthy eating blog, 2006 To subscribe to my blog, and keep up to date with a daily dose of healthy eating info, go to my blog sign-up page and follow the simple instructions. For a sample of what's on offer, read on.
Dec 31, 2006, Healthy Eating Survey - do it now, and win a prize!Tell me - what's your greatest healthy eating challenge? Complete my survey about healthy eating, and you could win a copy of Melt the Fat, my recommended healthy eating and fitness ebook. But hurry - prize draw takes place on 1 January, 2007. Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 30, 2006, You could build a successful site too - with this great special offer!Do you have passion? Mine, for healthy eating, led me to build this site, which now makes me a nice little income. I did it all myself, using a fantastic site-building package called Site Build It! - and now there's a chance for you, too, to start the new year with an exciting new project, and build a site about YOUR passion. Site Build It are having a two-for-one special offer, until 3 January 2007. Follow the link, and scroll down to About this site, to find out more... Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 20, 2006, Healthy Eating Tips for ChristmasThis week, prepare yourself for the feasting to come, and eat a light diet. No cream, no chocolate - look for low-fat, veggie-based dishes. Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 13, 2006, Eating Healthy SurveyTell me what you like to find on healthy eating made easy. Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 12, 2006, New Year’s tips for healthy eatingMake it a healthy new year, with these tips for healthy eating Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 5, 2006, Eating Healthy To Lose WeightLook on eating healthy to lose weight as a great longterm way to feel and look better Permalink -- click for full blog Dec 5, 2006, Please share this healthy eating sitePlease share this healthy eating site and add a link to your website or blog Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 26, 2006, Turkey Soup RecipesYou must be down to the bones by now! Boil 'em up into some nourishing stock, that can form the base of a delicious home-made turkey soup recipe. Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 24, 2006, Healthy Eating Tips for Christmas - and beyondFollow these healthy eating tips for a guilt-free festive season Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 23, 2006, After Thanksgiving - you'll need leftover turkey recipes!Happy Thanksgiving, to all my American visitors. Enjoy the feast! And tomorrow, check out these leftover turkey recipes, and enjoy the remains of the festive bird in soups, salads and sandwiches. Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 21, 2006, Healthy Eating Tip for Every Week of the YearThe fantastic 52 - a healthy eating tip for every week of the year. Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 14, 2006, Healthy Soup RecipesQuick, delicious recipe for a November lunch time - bring 1 litre (2 pints) vegetable stock to the boil. Add prepared vegetables: 2 small onions, a couple of leeks, half a celeriac, a handful of spinach leaves. Simmer for 15 mins until veg have softened. Blend. Lovely, simple, and ultra-healthy. Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 10, 2006, Sample Ad layouts">Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 8, 2006, Healthy Eating Magazine - next issue out tomorrowIdeas for using seasonal produce, timely turkey tips, hints for using the freezer cleverly in the run-up to the holidays - it's all in Eat Healthy! the ezine of healthy eating made easy, out tomorrow (9 November). Don't miss it - sign up today. Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 6, 2006, How Long to Cook a TurkeyFind out how long to cook a turkey, and enjoy a perfect, succulent bird Permalink -- click for full blog Nov 2, 2006, Healthy Halloween RecipesDead man's leg, anyone?... Have fun, with these healthy Halloween recipes Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 24, 2006, Easy Healthy Apple RecipesDoing a bit of site housekeeping, I revisited my page on easy healthy apple recipes. Mmm, there are some goodies on there - and we're going to have apple flummery tonight. Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 19, 2006, Advantages of Organic Foods and their terrific health benefitsDiscover the many advantages of organic foods. They're healthy, full of flavour and pure, good for you and good for the environment. Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 19, 2006, Healthy Lunch Box IdeasMake the most of those healthy pasta dishes you cook for supper. Prepare an extra portion or two, and use it the next day, as part of a healthy lunch box. My kids love cold pasta, simply packed in an airtight box. Don't forget to send a fork along, too. Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 16, 2006, Leftover Turkey RecipesDelicious leftover turkey recipes. Make the most of your festive bird in turkey soups, salads and hot dishes Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 13, 2006, Health and Nutrition NewsLatest news: fruit juices help to prevent Alzheimer's Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 13, 2006, Easy healthy eating – easy recipes and tips for feeding your family healthilyQuick, easy recipes for healthy eating, plus tips for feeding your family healthily. Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 10, 2006, Healthy Eating Magazine October - out soon!Sign up today for my healthy eating ezine, Eat Healthy! Why? Because the next issue goes out on Thursday 12 October. In it you'll find seasonal suggestions, a yummy dessert recipe, and helpful tips for eating organic on a budget. Oh, and you also get a free download of 50 healthy eating hints and tips, to help you enjoy a diet that's always delicious and always healthy. Permalink -- click for full blog Oct 6, 2006, Healthy Meal PlanningGet into the habit of healthy meal planning, and choose the right foods for family meals. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 29, 2006, Lunch Boxes for KidsLoads of ideas on packing healthy lunch boxes for kids. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 29, 2006, Banana Cake RecipeVersatile and healthy banana cake recipe, so easy kids can make it. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 29, 2006, Pumpkin Soup RecipesA selection of warming pumpkin soup recipes, perfect for chilly evenings. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 29, 2006, Pumpkin Pancake RecipeUse this pumpkin pancake recipe, to cook up a stack of tasty breakfast pancakes. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 29, 2006, Pumpkin Square RecipeA delicious pumpkin square recipe, with a soft, spicy pumpkin pie filling. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 26, 2006, Pumpkin Cake RecipesScrumptious pumpkin cake recipes, moist, spicy and mouthwateringly good. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 26, 2006, Fresh Pumpkin RecipesDelicious fresh pumpkin recipes to help you make the most of this versatile veg. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 23, 2006, Be a work at home mumAre you a mum who'd like to work at home? You can build a website like mine. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 21, 2006, Healthy Snacks for KidsResist the demands for crisps and rubbishy snacks and offer healthy snacks for kids Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 15, 2006, Healthy Pumpkin Soup - delicious!Overheard in the greengrocer's this morning, "Do you know, some people actually EAT pumpkin!" Soon they'll be getting in their stocks for Halloween, and when they do it's worth buying in an extra pumpkin and making some golden, warming soup. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 15, 2006, Healthy Eating Magazine - my free newsletterSubscribe to my free healthy eating magazine EAT HEALTHY!, get all the help, info and inspiration you need. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 12, 2006, Seasonal Fruit and VegetablesMake the absolute most of delicious seasonal fruit and vegetables at their very best. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 8, 2006, Autumn Fruit and VegetablesDelicious seasonal ideas for making the most of autumn fruit and vegetables Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 8, 2006, Healthy Lunch Boxes feature in my ezineMy new term's resolution is to make lunch boxes more interesting for the kids and already it's paying off - the boxes are coming home emptied. Eat Healthy! my ezine comes out next week, and I'm devoting the whole issue to healthy lunch box ideas. Sign up now, and don't miss it - out on 14 September. PS you also get a free download, 50 Healthy Eating Tips - really helpful! Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 6, 2006, How to get your kids eating healthy foodTry some of these ploys, and get your kids to eat ing healthy foods more often Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 6, 2006, Always, always read the label...Drat! This week I am in packed-lunch mode, trying to find some interesting new foods to put in the kids' lunch boxes. They asked for wraps. I bought a pack, innocuous looking things they are, simple flat breads... Surely they can't contain anything nasty. Back home, I inspected the label. "Hydrogenated vegetable oil" - argh, my worst enemy. The lesson - don't assume that simple, healthy-looking foods are all that they seem. Take nothing for granted! Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 4, 2006, Healthy Lunch Box IdeasMake your kids’ packed lunches more exciting with these healthy lunch box ideas. Permalink -- click for full blog Sep 1, 2006, British Food FortnightCelebrate British Food Fortnight, and try these easy healthy recipes for delicious British food Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 27, 2006, Getting kids to eat fruit and vegThere was piece in the UK Guardian yesterday, by journalist Stephanie Calman, saying that the idea of having five portions of fruit and veg a day is something dreamed up by the government 'to make parents feel useless'. Ok, I know she's a journalist and she needs an angle. But that, on the same day that more shock-horror obesity predictions were made for UK kids - purleese. But then I started thinking - how many portions do my kids eat, hmmm? So, next week, once the holiday weekend is over, I'm going to log their fruit and veg intake, and record it on my site. Watch this space, and grab some ideas for getting your family to eat more of the green stuff. Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 23, 2006, Disgusting news from Burger KingYuk! Burger King in the US have introduced a massive burger which included 4 meat patties and 4 slices of cheese. No veggies allowed. And people wonder why the States has an obesity problem... Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 22, 2006, Are you concerned about food miles?I'm becoming more and more bothered by the vast distances some of our foods travel to reach us. So when I spotted some green beans in the supermarket this week that were grown in the UK, rather than Zimbabwe or Kenya, I snapped them up. And very delicious they were, plump and full of flavour. Next day, I went back for more, dropped the pack in my basket - then something caught my eye. The label. These beans came from Egypt. Just shows that you can't take anything for granted. Always, always read those labels. Aug 19, 2006, Super foodsWhat are the super foods, and why are they so good for you? Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 18, 2006, Meat factsYes, you can include meat in a healthy diet - as long as you make the right choices. Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 16, 2006, Healthy eating magazineSubscribe today to Eat Healthy!, and get a free download of healthy eating tips - how to shop, cook and eat healthily - with your first issue, out tomorrow. Permalink -- click for full blog Aug 15, 2006, Chocolate-covered strawberry recipeA delicious dessert for those end-of-season strawberries. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 27, 2006, What is a healthy diet?
My take on healthy diets is very straightforward, and not particularly scientific. Eat lots of fresh produce, organic if possible. Buy simple, fresh,local ingredients that you can cook yourself from scratch. Avoid processed foods, and cut down on fat, salt, sugar and alcohol. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 26, 2006, Lunch Boxes for Kids
Loads of ideas on packing healthy lunch boxes for kids. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 26, 2006, Healthy Drinks for Kids
‘I’m thirsty, Mum’… What are the best healthy drinks for kids? Here are the answers. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 26, 2006, Eating Healthy While Pregnant
Eating healthy while pregnant, healthy eating during pregnancy Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 26, 2006, Healthy Diet for Teens
Creating a healthy diet for teens in your family, and making sure they eat it, is just another one of the challenges of parenthood! Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Healthy Recipes for Kids
Fun, healthy recipes for kids to make Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Healthy Eating for Kids - are your children getting the right food?
Easy tips on healthy eating for kids, to help you give children a well-balanced, nutritious diet that's vital for their health. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Healthy Eating Guidelines - how to switch to a healthier diet
Eating healthily is essential for all the family. Follow these healthy eating guidelines to make it easy and fun to improve your diet. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Meat Facts
Check out the meat facts - all you need to know about including meat in a healthy diet Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Chocolate Facts
Chocolate facts, on a healthy eating site? Yes, chocolate can be good for you! Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Vitamins: their place in a healthy diet and where to find them
What vitamins are, and why you need them in your healthy diet. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, What Is A Healthy Diet?
Use this healthy eating food guide to discover exactly what is a healthy diet - and what isn't. Healthy eating starts here, with these easy guidelines. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 25, 2006, Healthy drinks for kids
My son has invented a new pastime for the summer holidays - making a 'smoothie of the day'. Yesterday it was a small banana, a handful of raspberries and a slug of apple and blackcurrant juice. Result, pink, frothy and delicious. To improve our results, I'm now chilling the fruit first. Today we're trying strawberries with a few stewed gooseberries. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 24, 2006, Healthy diets for teenagers
Teenagers - some of them - quite like the idea of eating healthily, but when it comes to it, they'll still choose junk food if they get the chance. I'm sending my 15 year old off on a camping trip today, armed with a bag of goodies, including dried apricots, sugar-free muesli, a huge bag of apples and a bar of good quality chocolate. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 23, 2006, Use Super Foods
When it's really hot like this, we don't always have much of an appetite. That's why I try to include one or two of the super foods at each meal, to make sure we're getting a good shot of nourishment. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 22, 2006, Using Summer Fruit and Vegetables
The only way to do it - is to do it. Eat more fruit and veg, I mean. It seems to me, that families don't often clamour for more fruit and veg, but if you just plonk stuff down on the table, they eat it. Every time you make lunch, chop up a couple of peppers, an apple, a few bits of cucumber. Put them on the table with whatever else you're having. They'll be eaten, I guarantee. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 21, 2006, Health and Nutrition News
New Jamie Oliver initiative targets family meals Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 20, 2006, Quick Healthy Breakfasts
Super-speedy quick healthy breakfasts. What to eat for the best start to a busy day. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 20, 2006, Healthy Breakfast Cereals
Really healthy breakfast cereals are few and far between, because many brands are high in fat, sugar and salt. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 19, 2006, How to make pesto
Homemade pesto is streets ahead of the gunk you get in jars. For a good supply of fresh basil, buy a supermarket plant and repot it in a larger pot, teasing out the plantlets and giving them space. Keep well-watered in a sunny spot, or even on a windowsill, and you'll be rewarded with flourishing supplies of fragrant leaves. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 18, 2006, Healthy Blueberry Muffin Recipe
Question: What makes a very pleasant dessert on a hot evening? Answer: a homemade blueberry muffin, served with a spoonful of sliced strawberries mixed with fresh raspberries, which you have sprinkled lightly with sugar and left to marinade together for an hour or so before eating. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 17, 2006, Easy healthy eating – easy recipes and tips for feeding your family healthily
Quick, easy recipes for healthy eating, plus tips for feeding your family healthily. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 17, 2006, Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids
The summer holidays are almost here in the UK, and some kids have finished school already. Boy, will I be glad to get off the treadmill of preparing the daily lunchbox - but children still need to be fed, and it's good to give them something healthy and sustaining in the middle of the day. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 13, 2006, Healthy Eating Tips and Tricks - coming soon
I've just spent a couple of hours putting together all the hot tips on healthy eating I can think of. There's so much, from simple little things like having 3 fruity snacks a day, to the bigger changes, like switching from white to wholemeal bread, or from whole milk to skimmed. Every one of them can make a difference. Where can you get this great list of ideas and inspiration? I'll let you into a secret, it'll be the free add-on to my healthy eating ezine next month. Sign up now, and you'll receive the link to download it with the August issue. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 12, 2006, Lunch Boxes for Kids - make them easy
This week, a letter comes from school. On Friday, can all parents please send a lunch box without any packaging. Stifling my inclination to say AAAAAH!, I have instead invested in a new, compartmented lunch box from Lakeland Plastics, and in it I shall put some veggie sticks for a snack, a cheese and salad roll, a home made scone and an apple. All of them neat, in their own little space. Whether they'll stay that way when the lid is wrenched off in the playground is another matter - but at least I tried. And there's no way you could fit a pack of potato crisps in there, which has to be a health benefit. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 11, 2006, Snow Pea Recipes
They look so green and fresh that it's very hard to resist. Snow peas, or mange-tout are at their best at this time of year. They're lovely lightly steamed as an accompaniment, or added to stir fried. Or you use them raw to give a crisp, juicy lift to salads. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 10, 2006, Healthy Eating Magazine - sign up for a freebie
The next issue of Eat Healthy!, my healthy eating ezine, goes out on Thursday, July 13. This month it features a free download of Easy Healthy Salads - with loads of inspiring ideas for hot-weather eating. Sign up now, and you won't miss it. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 9, 2006, Stuffed Green Pepper Recipe
This is a wonderful recipe for a cool summer's evening, and has a great Mediterranean tang to it. The stuffing is enriched with anchovies, olives, capers and olive oil, giving the dish a deeply savoury flavour. Serve with a simple green salad. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 8, 2006, Snow Pea Recipes
Make the most of these delicate summer vegetables in a range of delicious snow pea recipes. Permalink -- click for full blog
Jul 8, 2006, Stuffed Green Pepper Recipe
An easy stuffed green pepper recipe, equally delicious served hot or cold. Permalink -- click for full blog
2 May 2006Can potato chips or crisps ever be healthy?If you're in the UK, you might have seen Gary Lineker on tv, telling you that Walkers crisps have the same amount of salt as a slice of white bread. Experts aren't impressed. Dr Mike Rayner, of the British Heart Foundation, quoted in the Guardian, said "The industry seems to think making diets healthier is about choosing healthier versions of the same foods within categories. But that's not enough - you've got to cut out whole categories." The message - crisps can never be a healthy food. Eat in moderation, or not at all. 3 May 2006Americans less healthy than Brits?I fear this is disturbing news for my pals across the pond, but according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, Americans are a darned sight less healthy than Brits. Americans aged 55-64 are up to twice as likely to have diabetes, lung cancer and high blood pressure as their English counterparts, and even the healthiest Americans have disease rates similar to the least healthy groups over here. Oh dear. The cause? A mixture of different healthcare systems, unknown factors - and diet/exercise. This helps explain why my favourite search term 'healthy eating' is tapped into Google three times in the UK, for every one search in the US. Could it be time to check out my healthy eating site, and make some much-needed changes? 4 May 2006Sugary drinks banned from US schoolsAt last, manufacturers are starting to see sense - or have it forced on them. The American Beverage Association, along with Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the American Beverage Association have signed up to a deal with anti-obesity campaigners, agreeing to sell only water, juice and low-fat milks to primary and middle schools. Find out more about healthy drinks for kids, by clicking on the link. 6 May 2006Controlling advertising of junk foodUK proposals to control the advertising of junk foods to children were watered down after Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator was lobbed 29 times by the food and advertising industry. Ofcom has now suggested three options, including a ban on junk food ads being shown during programmes aimed at the under 10s. Anti-obesity campaigning groups had hoped for a blanket ban on junk food ads before the 9pm watershed. Which? the consumer watchdog, said that the proposals don't go nearly far enough in tackling childhood obesity, which has doubled in the last decade, saying that "even the toughtest of the weak options proposed by Ofcom would not cover the programmes that children are actually watching." 8 May 2006Make those lunch boxes healthier!If you are in the UK... and if you have a child aged 10 or 11... then you will know what's going on this week. Yes, it's the dreaded SATS tests, which according to my 10-yr-old mean 'Stupid And Time Wasting Silly!'. He went off this morning with a brave expression, so try and make his day just a fraction easier, I'm giving him his very favourite sandwiches in his lunchbox. Peanut butter is top of the list. I buy a wholefood one, which has no unhealthy fats and is low in added sugar and salt. To make it healthier, I add a good handful of leaves, some thinly sliced cucumber and a bit of shredded yellow pepper. 9 May 2006Get ready for healthy breakfasts on the run!Do your kids race into the kitchen 2 minutes before they're due to leave for school, and tell you they 'don't have time' for breakfast? Starting the day on an empty stomach won't help them physically or mentally, so be prepared, and hand 'em something they can munch on the run - a banana or apple, a chunky slice of wholewheat toast - or have a smoothie ready that they can glug down before they go. 10 May 2006Last night, my husband was seduced in the supermarket...It wasn't some flame-haired temptress, lurking behind the pasta, that lured him into misbehaving, but a Fruits of the Forest Torte, which beckoned from the freezer cabinet. It did look attractive, even I can accept that. Juicy chunks of fruit, tumbling out of a crisp, brown pastry case. Ah, but the reality. Soggy pastry, anaemic fruit...what an anti-climax. Perhaps now, he'll remember to ignore the picture, and read the ingredients. Potato starch, hydrogenated vegetable oils...the botox and teeth veneers of the frozen dessert world. The moral of the story? Appearances can be deceptive... 11 May 2006Great news - fresh, home-grown asparagus is here!Asparagus is here! This is what we've been waiting for, the first delicate stalks of home-grown, local asparagus. It arrives at the greengrocers piled up in a shallow box so you can pick out your own bundle, or gathered up in fat bunches, tied with a jaunty red ribbon. Snap it up whenever you see it and serve it simply steamed, boiled or roasted and dressed with a dribble of olive oil or melted organic butter. Not only is it a real delicacy, it's also very nutritious. Make it one of your five a day, every day, until its short season ends.
13 May 2006Mother's Day tomorrow - act now, and make your mom happy!Mother's Day in the USA is tomorrow, Sunday 14 May - so make a plan now, of what you're going to do to surprise and please your mom. If you ARE a mom, visit my site and print off this page on Mother's Day Breakfasts then leave it lying around, casually... you never know, you might get a delicious surprise tomorrow morning - I hope so!
14 May 2006Make soup from fresh baby beet/beetrootFresh baby beetroot have made an appearance down at the greengrocer. They're delicious baked in the oven - the skin peels off easily, and you can serve them as a vegetable accompaniment, sliced and dressed with a little olive oil. Or visit the site, to find out how to use them in Crimson Beetroot Broth, a colourful and nutritious soup, which is good served either hot or cold. 15 May 2006Fast Food Nation - for kidsEric Schlosser - he of Fast Food Nation - has a new book out on 25 May, but early reviews are appearing now. "Chew on This" is aimed at kids who - if they're anything like mine - will lap up the repulsive case histories, like the tale of twins Sam and Charlie Fabrikant of Illinois, who both had gastric bypass surgery before the age of 16, thanks to their addiction to double Whoppers and fries at Burger King. Let's hope they learn something at the same time, and start to choose the salad bar option in the school cafe, instead of sneaking out for a tray of chips. 16 May 2006What's Jamie up to next?Jamie Oliver is currently filming a follow-up to his massively successful series Jamie's School Dinners, televised last spring, that provoked a public outcry in the UK over the contents of kids' school lunches. Remember those grease-laden turkey twizzlers... Second Helping goes out in September and asks what progress, if any, has been made. The aim is to hold the government to account. Many schools have responded to the first series, but there have been lots of setbacks, and there is still a long way to go. Meantime, for many mums, the answer is still to stick to giving kids a healthy lunch box - that way we know what they're getting. 17 May 2006Cancer-proof your kidsCancer Research UK spell it out: "Eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise can help to prevent cancer in later life." What is a balanced diet? Include five or more portions of fresh fruit and vegetables daily, plenty of fiber, cut back on fat and reduce red and processed meats. You'll be doing your kids a good turn that lasts a lifetime. 18 May 2006Supermarkets reduce salt - but it's still better to make your ownSupermarkets have finally caught on to the healthy lobby and are reducing salt in their products. In 2005, for instance, Somerfield removed a massive 86 tonnes of salt from its products. They aim to reduce salt ot a maximum of 3g per serving in all new products by 2009. When you consider, though, that the maximum recommended daily intake for an adult is only 6g, one serving of a ready-meal could take up as much as half of your allowance. It's processed, ready-meals that we're talking about here - and of course, not only are they salty, they contain many other less-than-delicious additives as well. Make a resolution now, to cook more meals from fresh ingredients, and to introduce easy healthy recipes into your daily routine. 19 May 2006What do you do with ripe bananas?Two days ago, I had 8 hard, green unripe bananas in my fruit bowl. Yesterday, no one wanted a banana...so today I have 6 ripe-to-the-point-of-going-over bananas staring me in the face. It's use them, or lose them, so I'm going to make a banana cake. It's a lovely recipe, moist, fragrant and very moreish... 22 May 2006Fizzy drinks for kids lose their sparkleBritvic, manufacturers of fizzy drinks like Tango and 7Up have seen the value of shares plunge this year, as consumers turn away from sugary, additive-laden drinks. Kids may still like the taste - but more and more schools are refusing to sell these drinks in vending machines, and parents are wising up to the health implications of nutrient-free drinks. In contrast, Innocent, who make fruit smoothies have trebled sales over the last year. 23 May 2006Find out about healthy snacks for kidsI'm often asked about good alternatives to the ubiquitous potato crisp, as a snack to include in kids' lunch boxes. So I've decided to create free download about it - a useful list that can go up on the fridge door as a reminder. It'll be available free to subscribers with the next issue of my ezine, Eat Healthy! 28 May 2006How many portions of fruit and veg?In the UK we live by the mantra of five-a-day - portions of fruit and veg. But are five servings enough? The Danes aim for six, in France it's 10, Canadians do their best to consume 5-10 portions and the Japanese government, wait for it, recommends up to 13 portions of veg plus four of fruit, daily. The only thing everyone seems to agree on, is that eating more helps reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Now, we all need to wise up on what counts as a portion. 29 May 2006Why worry about vitamins?What are they, and why do we need them? Vitamins are vital because they have far-reaching effects on the body's ability to look after itself and stay healthy. Some foods are especially vitamin-rich, and those are the ones to eat daily. But which foods to choose - that's the big question. 30 May 2006What shall we eat tonight?It's the never-ending question. One answer - take a browse through my collection of easy, healthy recipes. Pasta, chicken, salmon - maybe a salad? There's lots of inspiration in there. 5 June 2006A neat new way to search for info on healthy eatingI've found an interesting new way to offer visitors to my site a search facility. It's called a swicki - click the link, and scroll to the end of the page to see it in action. It finds its way around my site, which is getting pretty big now, and also directs people to other great sites related to my theme of healthy eating. And it looks very pretty on the page, with its orange cloud of words. 6 June 2006Soup, one of the best, all year roundThe weather is so changeable at the moment, that yesterday I planned to make some of my delicious Gorgeous Green Soup, using young spinach leaves, so that we could have something warm to eat on a chilly evening. There was plenty leftover - and today, the temperature has soared, so we'll be enjoying this lovely soup cold, with warm rolls, this evening. Lovely soup, it's great all year round. 18 June 2006Baked chicken recipes - perfect for a summer SundayThe weather can't make up its mind. One minutes the sun's out, next it's gone in again. It doesn't feel like a day for salads, somehow. I have some organic chicken thighs in the fridge and some cherry tomatoes, plus basil flourishing in the pots out back. So tonight, we'll have slow-baked chicken baked with tomatoes and garlic, and easy but satisfying dish for a healthy Sunday evening supper. 20 June 2006Lunch box treatsThere hasn't been time to make a cake this week, I must be spending too much time glued to the footie, like everyone else in the UK! But lunch boxes still have to be made, and the kids do like something sweet in there. In the bad old days I used to buy choccie covered biscuits, but they are stuffed full of hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are on my list of no-no's. Instead, I've bought some simple scones from the supermarket, which don't contain anything nasty, and when spread lightly with butter and a touch of locally made blackcurrant jam, go down incredibly well. 26 June 2006Get five a day of fruit and veg - but don't drink them allLast week I flagged up the growth of the smoothie market, both here in the UK and in the US. This weekend, the financial papers were being a little more cautious. We snap up smoothies partly because we think they're good for us - and they are, in limited quantities. But an official from the Food Standards Agency pointed out that not all smoothies contain the pulp of the fruit and veg used to make them. Some include concentrated juices, which are less nutrious than fresh. In short, don't think you can knock back five smoothies a day and get all the vits you need. One portion a day in liquid form is fine. 29 June 2006Disgusting junk food factsI don't want to put you off your breakfast, lunch or supper, but even though I've known this stuff for ages, I'm still amazed at some of the horrible facts about fast foods. Like poultry feathers being ground up, and added to chicken-nugget mix, for instance... Nasty isn't it - but these are the things we need to know. And if anything will help break the junk food habit, it's that kind of information. 30 June 2006Healthy breakfasts - vital for teenagersA wonderful sight greeted my eyes when I came downstairs at 7.30 this morning - my teenage daughter, in her bathrobe, eating baked beans on wholemeal toast. She'd come down early to cook herself a proper breakfast 'because I'm always starving in the mornings...'. Usually, she starts the day with a rushed bowl of cereal gulped down two minutes after she should have left. Hers was brilliant breakfast choice, and she should make it through to break-time without any tummy rumbles. For more healthy eating blogs-from-the-past, go to my blog archive.
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