Ah the cereal aislse. All of nutrition’s complexities and the smokes and mirrors of food marketing in one place. No wonder it’s so hard to chose a healthy breakfast cereal the family will like. I’ve scoured the shelves (detoured to the health food aisle) and looked past the marketing on the front of the packs…
Reading Food Labels
The best and the worst of icy poles
It’s icy pole season again! Summer is almost upon us and it wouldn’t be an Aussie summer without sitting on the trampoline with an icy pole. Kids adore them and they can be a great way for everyone to cool down. Every year we see more and more products claiming to be healthy on the…
How healthy is Milo (and how does it compare to other chocolate powdered drinks)?
Just like Vegemite and tomato sauce, chocolate drinks are staples in the Aussie pantries. Kids love them and they provide a chance to get another serve of milk in. Milo has been in the news recently as Nestle has conceded to reduce the label’s 4.5 Health Star Rating (based on making up Milo with milk)…
Which plant milk is best? A comparison of milks
Plant milks have become very popular and I am often asked which one I recommend. Cow’s milk is actually my preferred milk. It is a great source of minerals (including calcium) and protein. It also has a good balance of electrolytes which makes it great for re-hydration. Dairy products also help protect our teeth, which…
How to choose a healthy bread
A minimally processed, plant based diet is really the important part of any healthy diet. It includes as much fruit and veg as you can handle, plenty of WHOLE grains and little bits of nuts/seeds, meat/fish and dairy. Bread seems to be the first food to go when some embarks on a new ‘health journey’,…
The How to find hidden added sugars
In Australia, food manufacturers have to tell us how much sugar is in a food. You’ll find this in the Nutrition Information Panel on the back of the pack. But we can’t tell how much of that sugar is naturally occurring in wholefood ingredients and how much is added sugar. We want any sugar in…
How to Use the Health Star Rating
If you’ve googled how to use the Health Star Rating you probably found the not very useful official guide from the Department of Health. You may also have noticed that many nutritionists and dietitians aren’t impressed with the system. The Health Star Rating took such a long time to come out because Government, food industry and health agencies couldn’t agree on a…