Nutrition Centre -- The year often starts with great intentions - perhaps you will join a gym, cut out fried foods, or decide to give up fast food - but will they stick? One of the best ways to keep your new year's resolutions is to make sure they are realistic in the first place.SXC.hu/Ambrozio Have you overdone it a little ...
Nutrition Centre -- Buying a loaf of bread, a breakfast cereal, or pasta used to be straightforward. But today, a wide assortment of grain-based products comes with a push to choose healthier whole grain varieties. Just what is whole grain, and what makes it healthy? Anatomy of a whole grain kernel. Drawing: US Department of Agriculture Once upon a time, buying ...
Nutrition Centre -- World Diabetes Day is observed every year on 14 November to raise awareness of diabetes. While there is currently no cure for it, those who are affected can still live a full life by carefully managing their condition. World Diabetes Day is observed every year on 14 November to raise awareness of diabetes. This year's theme focuses on ...
Nutrition Centre -- Recognising that a younger generation of Ismailis in the United Kingdom are less likely to know how to cook traditional foods, members of the Youth Cultural and Social Network in the UK recently organised a series of cookery classes. In addition to learning how to cook a selection of traditional dishes, participants received valuable tips from Auntyji Razia ...
Nutrition Centre -- Those suffering from type 2 diabetes may be worried about observing the fast during the Muslim month of Ramadan. However, it is possible to fast safely if you are careful about managing your diabetes. Those suffering from type 2 diabetes may be worried about observing the fast during the Muslim month of Ramadan. However, it is possible to ...
Nutrition Centre -- Labels on the foods that we purchase today include measurements of calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and fibre, among other nutrients. But what do the numbers actually mean? A sample Nutrition Facts label used in the United States. Copyright: US Food and Drug Administration Labels on the foods that we purchase today include measurements of ...
Nutrition Centre -- When you are cooking, watching the amounts of fat, salt and sugar you add are essential to achieving a balanced diet. By making small changes to your cooking methods, you could be making big changes to your overall habits. Whether you're cooking an Indian, Iranian or Indonesian dish, watching the amounts of fat, salt and sugar you add ...
Nutrition Centre -- Eating well is as much about the different balance of foods on your plate as it is about the individual foods. Dishes like curry, dhal, roti and rice can be healthy, but if the portion of dhalis tiny and the meat curry is smothering the rice you've probably got the balance wrong. Eating well is as much about ...
Nutrition Centre -- So, you like to cook and you'd like to try out one of the mouth-watering recipes in the Nutrition Centre. Well, that's great - and it would be even better if you take a little time to think about how that recipe will fit in with your healthy lifestyle goals. So, you like to cook and you'd like ...
Healthy Hints Fried onions, beef stock as well as salt, and 5 tbsp of oil - it's hardly surprising that pilau gets a lot of red lights. Yet this is a dish you might be eating once a week. So choose a healthier option by avoiding the stock cube, using less oil, garnishing with fresh coriander instead of fried onions, and ...
Healthy Hints Dhals, beans and lentils are particularly helpful in diabetes because they are slowly digested and help to keep your blood glucose (sugar) levels steady. 100 g (½ cup) split lentil 50 g (¼ cup) split green gram, skinless 2½ tbsp pigeon peas 2 tbsp whole black gram 1 pinch asafoetida ½ tsp turmeric, ground 1 tsp salt 2 cm ...
Healthy Hints Cut down the oil to about half the amount, use less salt and try adding some vegetables to give you more fibre and anti-oxidant vitamins. 500 ml water 450 g lean lamb 3 cardamom 1 tsp salt 5 tsp fresh garlic, crushed 5 tsp fresh ginger, crushed 5 tbsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds ...
Healthy Hints Choose lean meat, throw away the meat juices after boiling and replace the ghee with a tablespoon of rapeseed or canola oil if you need it. Get into the habit of measuring added salt and aim for ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt for a curry that serves 4 people. 1 kg lamb chop, lean 3 small tomato, chopped ...
Healthy Hints Choose the leanest meat you can afford. You can get minced beef at around 5-10 per cent fat, so do ask your butcher or supermarket. Traditional kebabs are often deep fried. This is a much healthier recipe as the kebabs brown just as well when baked in the oven. And the bonus is your clothes won't smell of all ...
Healthy Hints Lamb biryani is usually served on special occasions, but think about what else you may be eating at that meal. A samosa or two, perhaps? Two would add an average of about 300 extra calories! Try making biryani with less oil - no need to fry the potatoes and garam masala, and use lean meat. 1 kg (2.2 lb) ...
Healthy Hints Although this recipe suggests you boil the vegetables first, this isn't good practice nutritionally, as it results in losses of vitamin C. Instead, add the vegetables with the boiled potatoes at point 3, and cook until tender, but not mushy. 3 medium potato, peeled and diced 250 g (9 cups) frozen mixed vegetable 3 tbsp sunflower oil 1 medium ...
Healthy Hints Try baking the fish in the masala - you won't need oil or fried onions. A sprinkling of salt should be enough for two servings. 200 g (7 oz) frozen coley fish, defrosted 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 tsp fresh garlic, crushed 150 g (5 oz) tinned tomato ...
Healthy Hints Dhal is a very healthy food, so don't be too put off by the warning above. All you need to do is replace the ghee with a tablespoon of healthier fats like rapeseed, canola, corn or sunflower oil. This will reduce the amount of saturated fat you get in a serving, helping you keep an eye on your blood ...
Healthy Hints Okra (bhindi) contains a special fibre which has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels steady in diabetes. So, it's a healthy food but traditionally bhindi is cooked in a large amount of oil. Try this recipe instead. Note that recipes from the British Heart Foundation don't use salt so if you add any, you could change the ...
Healthy Hints Good nutrition isn't just about calories. When you make dhal, you often feel you need to add a lot of salt, probably more than the amount in this recipe. Start to gradually reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking. Remember you get far too much salt from bought and processed foods, so make adjustments in your home ...
Healthy Hints Go easy! Choose lean meat and less oil. Also, adding some lentils or vegetables will make it go further so you could end up with this recipe serving four people - that would make it much healthier. 5 tbsp corn oil 1 small onion, chopped 5 tsp fresh ginger, crushed 2 green chilli, chopped 1 tsp fresh garlic, crushed ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints This recipe cleverly cooks the onions, tomatoes and spices in thier own juices rather than adding fat. Remember, although a portion only gives you 200 calories, this is only true when this recipe is cooked wihout added oil and if it serves 6 people. 1 onion, chopped 300 g tinned tomato 2 tbsp fresh garlic, crushed ...
Healthy Hints Chicken without the skin and low fat natural yogurt are the keys to success in this healthier version of a korma-type dish. You don't need oil to cook the onions and the tip to add some water if they start to burn is something you could try with other dishes too. 225 ml (8 oz) natural yoghurt, (low fat) ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Try stuffing the chicken tikka into wholemeal pitta bread with shredded lettuce and cucumber. A quick snack that also gives you one of your 3-a-day wholegrain portions. 3 tbsp natural yoghurt, (low fat) 2 tsp fresh garlic, crushed 2 tsp fresh ginger, crushed 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground 1 tsp red chilli paste 450 g ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Add your favourite vegetables to this dish and you get even more nutrients. Choose a low salt soy sauce to make this healthier. 200 g (2 cups) broccoli floret, 5-6cm/2" inch long 2 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil 1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced 2 fresh green chilli, finely chopped 2 ...
Healthy Hints When you think of kebabs, you generally think of meat. But this heart-healthy veg-based kebab gets the green light all the way. There is good research to suggest that plant based diets can be cancer-protective, so enjoy more fruit and vegetables as part of a varied diet. 1 small potato, peeled and boiled 100 g (¾ cup) frozen pea, ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Measuring the amount of oil you add is the first step to helping you cut down on added fat. This recipe uses 3 tablespoons for 4 people which is actually quite a lot, but likely to be less than a traditional recipe. Notice that the potatoes are unpeeled -- this gives you added fibre and saves ...
Healthy Hints More wholemeal flour means more fibre and whole grains. Experiment with greater amounts of wholemeal flour compared to white flour - you may even enjoy brown naan. Get children into the habit of enjoying whole grains so they get used to eating higher fibre foods. Whole grains have been shown to be heart-protective when taken as part of a ...
Healthy Hints Enjoy this dish regularly. It can help you achieve your five a day, fill you up and give you a range of colours. Generally, the more natural colours on your plate, the more nutrients. 200 g (1 cup) canned red kidney beans 100 g (½ cup) frozen peas 100 g (½ cup) frozen broad beans 1 small red pepper, ...
Healthy Hints Ok, to be fair, this is more of a stuffed chapati than a stuffed paratha, but it does have lots of flavour and is much healthier. Try a mixed vegetable filling instead of potatoes. For the dough 225 g wholemeal flour 150-175 ml warm water For the filling 450 g potato 1 tbsp lemon juice, or amchur 1/2 tsp ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Use chicken without the skin to cut down on unhealthy saturated fats. Do you think you could experiment with less salt? There's a wide range of herbs and spices in South Asian cooking and this can help replace salt in recipes. 6 tbsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp ginger ...
Healthy Hints This recipe uses 5 tablespoons of oil. A tablespoon can give you up to 135kcal, which is about the same number of calories as a couple of thin slices of bread. Wouldn't you rather have bread for your calories than oil? 5 tbsp corn oil 2 small onion, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 200 g tinned tomato 1 tsp ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints Do you really need the fried onions? Try using lean meat and cooking the curry in the meat juices rather than in oil. If you prefer to boil the meat separately, then throw away the cooking water so you get rid of some of the unhealthy saturated fats. This dish isn't so high in calories on ...
Healthy Hints Look closely at this list of ingredients, as compared with the higher fat (more traditional) version of kofta curry on this site. You get a bigger portion of koftas in this recipe, yet the other recipe has a red traffic light for fat. This is a good example of how using less oil in cooking can improve the nutrients ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints This is a perfect example of how you can have a fragrant rice dish without all the fat. The lemon juice helps the rice grains to stay separate and you only need a little oil to fry the spices. Try using this method for your other rice dishes. 190 g (1 cup) basmati rice ½ tsp ...
Healthy Hints Surely this must be a misprint: only 1 teaspoon of oil? No, really -- try it, it works! The oil is only needed to allow the aromatic mustard seeds to pop, so a teaspoon is more than enough. You can always add a little hot water if you find the potatoes are starting to stick to the bottom of ...
Healthy Hints 100 Calories per portion sounds too good to be true, but this is not a mistake. And here's even better news: there is research to suggest that karela can help to keep blood sugar levels steady in diabetes. Take note, karela in curry is usually fried so don't assume all karela curries are this healthy. 5 medium sized bitter ...
Healthy Hints Curries and stir fries are often accompanied by fried rice but steamed Basmati is a much healthier side dish. This recipe uses a touch of oil just to keep the rice grains separate - you could try lemon juice instead. Add some whole spices like cumin seeds, cardamom, whole black pepper and cloves for an aromatic touch. Brown rice ...
Healthy Hints A healthier alternative to fried kebabs. Traditionally this dish is made with paneer, which is a full-fat cheese, but the cottage cheese works just as well. Or make home made paneer with skimmed milk and use that instead. 1 tsp root ginger, minced 1 medium potato, boiled and mashed 1 medium carrot, grated 75 g (½ cup) frozen pea, ...
Nutrition Centre -- Healthy Hints When you remove the skin, it makes a big difference to the amount of saturated fat, so don't be tempted to keep the skin on chicken wings whichever way you cook them. Keep an eye on your salt intake by missing out the MSG and using low salt soy sauce. 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken wing, ...
