About our expert:

Sharon Brooks is a Registered Nutritionist and the January Scoop Sub of the Month.  You can read her full bio here and check our her daily tips on her brand new facebook page – Sharon’s Nutrition.

Many factors affect your perceived taste

Salty taste receptors are located throughout the entire oral cavity.  However, the intensity of the salty flavour detected is determined by several factors such as the concentration of salt in the food, whether salt is on the surface of the food or combined within it, the time it takes for the food to be chewed and swallowed and its aftertaste.

Liking for salty foods is influenced by prior exposure

To date there is little evidence to suggest that salty preferences are influenced by genes. The science in fact suggests infants and children’s preference for salt and subsequent adult preferences are influenced by foods consumed just after 6 months of age.  That is, early exposure conditions us to a certain level of salt that suits each individual.  Researchers at Deakin University Sensory Science have dubbed this our “bliss” level.  As we age and our taste receptors diminish it’s common to season food more heavily to arrive at our recognised or learned level of saltiness.

Salt imparts more than flavour in food

There are many reasons for salt addition in food products. Traditionally, salt was added as a preserving agent to compensate for the lack of cooling devices such as fridges and freezers. Salt is comprised of sodium and chloride. The sodium component heightens the sensory properties of food. It does this by increasing sweetness and saltiness and by decreasing bitterness. Sodium also provides textural and technological support to foods. For example, the addition of salt to dough facilitates the ‘stretch’. Salt addition also affects the starter culture activity in cheese making.

The pressure’s on to shake the salt habit

The Australian Division of World Action and Salt Health (AWASH) have launched a “Drop the Salt” campaign that encourages processed foods to be lowered in salt by 25% in 5 years. In addition many governments around the globe have set sodium targets across food categories.  Removing and/or lowering the salt content in foods is actually quite difficult. Common salt replacers such as potassium chloride and calcium chloride tend to leave unappealing after tastes such as bitter, metallic and astringent flavours.

Many of your favourite food products are being (carefully) reformulated

The removal or reduction of salt also substantially alters the sensory properties of the food. Removing too high a quantity too soon may reduce consumer likeability for that product. In other words your favourite packet of chips will no longer taste like your favourite packet of chips and sales will drop.  However, responsible leaders in the food industry like Unilever have shown through extensive research that incremental reductions are effective. If they slowly step down the level of salt overtime, guess what? You get used to it and your favourite packet of chips tastes exactly the same.  Your tastebuds become used to the revised flavour.

Top tips:

• Compare the sodium content of like food products.  Look at the mg of sodium in the per 100g column.  A low salt food is less than 120mg/100g by Australian food law.

• Many chefs believe they have a trained palate to season food correctly, however the science supports the need for individual choice.  If you’re preparing food it is better to under-season and allow your diners or guests to salt at the table.

• Aim to step down the salt level in your favourite recipes over time and trick your tastebuds to a new “bliss” level.

• Invest in a quality finishing sea or rock salt from fleur de sel to Himalayan Pink.  Stick to local choices where you can, like the divine Mount Zero here in Australia.

• Explore your culinary toolkit of aromatics to enhance flavour with less salt – roasted spices, pungent fresh herbs, lime zest, garlic, fresh ginger and more.

Editor’s comment:

Thanks Sharon, it’s been fantastic having you on board this month.  There are some foods that I just have to add salt, like egg on toast, but overall my palate is fairly sensitive.  I often find cafe salads overly salty.  How about you lovely readers? Are you a salt craver? Have you thought about slowly weaning yourself by stepping down the salt content in cooking or products you buy?  Love to hear and share in the comments below.

I’ve been sharing tips on twitter about packing smart (pre-prepared food and ingredients) for a healthy holiday.  My box of red organic quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)  inspired this recipe. I’m rather keen on this ancient, gluten free seed, rich in protein and with a distinct nutty flavour.

Breakfast Quinoa with Quince Balsamic Berries

Serves 1

1 cup cooked quinoa (see tips below)

1/2 cup fresh berries

2 teaspoons quince balsamic – this was a gorgeous gift from Star Anis from dietetic student @1stCulinarian

2 tablespoons natural or vanilla yogurt

Method

Prepare a batch of quinoa to last up to 3 days for breakfast, salads or a rice replacement. Place 2 cups quinoa seeds in a strainer and rinse well. Pour 2 cups water into a saucepan, add quinoa and simmer with covered lid for 15-20min until water is absorbed.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Slice strawberries and add to a bowl with whole berries. Drizzle with quince balsamic (or other fruit balsamic) and allow to marinate while you make coffee or more likely downunder, an English Breakfast tea.  The balsamic enhances the berries and imparts a subtle quince flavour without the need for added sugar.  It is definitely the wow factor, so track down a fruit balsamic for your pantry.

Plate a bed of quinoa, top with berries and yogurt. Find a tranquil place to sit, hopefully in the sun for some vitamin D, and enjoy a slow breakfast to steady your mind before the day ahead.

Are you keen on quinoa? Have you recently had a super relaxing or active holiday? Love to hear a comment from YOU below and make sure you check out the fresh start breakfast ideas.  I’m off to ride another wave.

About our experts:

Food?Sick is the brain child of Milena Katz and Liz Beavis, two Sydney dietitians with expertise in food intolerances who are keen to take nutrition into the techno age. They have been working together since 2006 when they set up a Sydney nutrition practice Ahead In Health Nutrition and Lifestyle Centre. Last year they found a gap in current practice when their clients found it difficult to keep track of their food intolerance symptoms after eating food, and decided to build an iphone app to help other dietitians and their clients.

Intolerances to certain foods are not uncommon, but it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint which foods are triggering your symptoms, and to confuse the issue other lifestyle factors (such as stress or hayfever) can interact and make recognising patterns very difficult.  It would be great if there was an easy test for food intolerances, but frustratingly many food intolerances cannot be identified by blood or skin tests.

Dietitians recognise that one of the best ways to recognise food intolerances is to keep a record of what we eat and our symptoms. For years we have asked our clients to write everything down, but invariably the diary gets left at home, lost down the bottom of a handbag, or has coffee spilled on it. And from our Gen Y & Z clients we get a strange look of ‘pen & paper’? What century are we in?

So we decided it was time to take step into the technological age – there’s got to be an app for that!

Food?Sick a new iphone application

Using our expertise in recognising and managing food intolerance we partnered with the technical expertise of Alexander Courtis from Efficiency Solutions Ltd to create Food?Sick an iphone application. While it may look simple on the outside, it has taken months of hard work (and learning how an iPhone thinks!) to bring this application to life.

Food?Sick is an App that helps you to identify patterns in symptoms that you may experience after eating foods. By identifying patterns it can help you to identify which foods trigger your symptoms.

Food intolerances may trigger headaches, bloating, rashes and behavioural symptoms (and many other seemingly random symptoms!) in susceptible individuals.

Sometimes symptoms occur immediately after eating a food – these intolerances are the easiest to identify. However, sometime symptoms can be delayed by a few hours or even the next day, which can be a little tricky to spot if you are can’t remember what you ate yesterday! Where it gets even more tricky is when you get symptoms after a ‘build up’ of a particular food (or group of similar foods) over a day or even over several days. To be able to spot these sort of patterns keeping a record of what you eat is essential. Moreover, it is important to get a professional eye cast over your diary so you don’t fall into the trap of blaming the wrong foods and eliminating them from your diet unnecessarily!

What can Food?Sick do?

Food?Sick allows you to record everything that you eat and drink – if it’s not in the database of foods you can easily add it. A new function in version 1.1 allows you to take photos of what you eat, which might help to provide extra details that you haven’t written down. You can also record your symptoms, and even rate them on a scale of 1-5. You can take note of other factors that affect your symptoms (eg pollens in the air or stress) and record any medications (eg antihistamine for hayfever) that you take which may affect your symptoms.

So now you have a detailed record, what do you do with it? Software that tries to guess what foods are causing your symptoms based on what you last ate are way too simplistic when there are so many interacting factors (and many different ways that food can trigger symptoms), is more likely to do harm than good, cutting innocent foods out of your diet and may leave you missing out on important nutrients.  So we advise you to use the expertise of food intolerance specialists.

Food?Sick will generate an emailable report that can help look at the big picture to view any obvious patterns. We recommend that you make an appointment with a dietitian who specialises in food intolerances (some experts are available online if there are none in your area) so they can take a look at your report with an experienced eye to help you identify the more complex patterns. If you do need to remove certain foods from your diet your dietitian can also make sure you aren’t missing out on important nutrients when you do so.

Why should I use Food?Sick?

If you want to start taking control of your health and identify what foods may be triggering your symptoms Food?Sick is the ideal first step. Food?Sick is easy to use and goes with you everywhere (we know you and your iPhone are rarely parted!). Food?Sick allows you to stop worrying about your symptoms and gives you the tools to start focusing on what you can change to start feeling better.

Food?Sick version 1.1 is available now at the App store for $AUD2.99

Editor’s comment:

Thanks Milena and Liz.  I absolutely love seeing dietitians developing new technology this way.  And of course I love apps in all shapes and sizes.  I’m sure our Scoop community have questions for you about the app usage.  Drop us a comment or question for the girls below lovely readers.

Every year I have a New Year list of to do’s and goals, previously resolutions.  Over the years as I’ve discovered more about myself and my habits, the style of the list has changed. Instead of “cook more interesting dishes”, I will now write “set up that progressive dinner party with the 4 neighbours to start in Feb”. Many of you will know these as SMART goals.  So much more positive than “resolving” NOT to do something.  I hope you have health goals on YOUR list? My January guest post on GI News looks at choosing health as a path to weight loss and explores the Health at Every Size approach.  Here are 12 more ways to choose health and a healthy relationship with food this new year.

Book the cooks

Sign up for the growing number of new cooking classes with a healthy or traditional diet focus.  I’ve signed up for events at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival like this kitchen garden forage and cooking class at Heidi.  Try Japanese or Mediterranean cuisine to get back to the source and unlock those health secrets.  Open your mind to new ingredients and flavour pairings.

Try Feb Fast

If you’re looking to quit smoking, curb the booze or work on another habit that is hard to break, don’t even think about going it alone.  Seek out expertise and support.  Get involved in monthly alcohol free challenges like Feb Fast or Dry July. Or better still why not explore Hello Sunday Morning.  Circle the calendar or wall planner now.

Check it

Don’t put off that health check, routine blood or fitness test, or review with your doctor.  Have you had the recommended checks for men or women listed here?  Book your appointments this week.

Run away to the circus

Find a fitness plan that is fun (most of the time)  and works for you. It’s taken me decades to realise I best love and respond to outdoor, group style, constantly changing and challenging classes, so Step into Life works for me.  Extend and stretch yourself and try something new. Why not try acrobatics or circus skills like our Oct Sub of the Month Ashleigh Jones? Sign up for a block of surf lessons? Indoor rock climbing? Parkour?

Slow down

Look at your New Year list and cross off a couple of goals right now.  Go on.  You know it’s going to be hard to fit everything in. Be realistic. Be kind to yourself. You can schedule these to start in July.  Find space for slow days and slow food.

Mark-et

Instead of doing the supermarket rush when it’s super busy on the weekend – you only end up getting stressed in the aisles and falling prey to pester power or impulse purchases.  Why not change your habits and shake things up?  Try your local farmers market or community swap.  I’m going to try marking my calendar with no appointments on Wednesdays so I can do a mid-week shop and “research” at the South Melbourne or Footscray Markets.  Then I can pop to one of the majors at 7am after morning training midweek, to stock up on non-perishables.

Give back and share

I’m looking forward to mentoring more upcoming nutritionists and dietitians in our Sub of the Month program.  I’m also going to continue to volunteer my time to community causes like food security.  How about registering at your local soup kitchen, community garden or Foodbank? How about giving blood? Doing something for others helps put life in perspective and makes you appreciate what you have, right here, today.  It’s good for your mental health.

Plan that vac-ay

Are you one those people with weeks of holidays owing? Why? If you’re saving them up for a sabatical, house renovation project or major trip, well ok. But if you just haven’t got around to it, you’re doing your health a disservice. I’ve just handed Mr Surfer Dude the 2012 wall planner.  We’ve mapped the school and public holidays and are now onto plotting the fun runs, marathons (him) and the active holidays and beach short breaks.  He’s a fish out of water without a surf safari to look forward to. Your mind, mood and body needs a break too.

Buddy up

Phone a friend, join a class with your mum, set up a powerwalk program with your bestie and surround yourself with support.  Roll with people that have similar goals to you and suss out your saboteurs.

See the experts

You don’t ask your plumber for legal advice, do you? If you have a medical nutrition issue or need expert advice and coaching on nutrition see an Accredited Practising or Registered Dietitian.

Go techno and social

Get appy with your smart phone to help you stay on the health track.  We look forward to bringing you more reviews soon. I’m loving my ipad for recipe videos wall mounted with the Wallee in my kitchen. And as Weight Watchers Nutrition Advisor I can tell you that the new iphone app and etools is proving a huge success with Members.  Also check out Healthshare new online health community for sharing and caring with people and patients like you. I’m one of the expert panel members and there’s a huge number of health bodies involved.

Read it, before you eat it

Last but not least, make sure you catch all our posts. You can sign up to receive them by email in the top right corner by clicking on the envelope symbol or “like” our Scoop facebook page. We have so much planned and promise to bring you the scoop on the latest and greatest nutrition news plus more fabulous experts.  Leave a comment or two, we know we have a lot to learn from YOU this year too.  What are your goals or plans for 2012? With health as a focus I know it’s going to be a good one.

About our expert:

Jenna Obeid is a Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition student at Deakin University in Melbourne and our December Sub of the Month.  She is a gymnast and competitive cheerleader and represents Australia in the World Cheer leading Championships. Her team picked up a silver medal in the USA in 2011. Check out her full bio and connect with her on Twitter @J_Obe.

Go Natural’s Hi Protein Performance Snack bars are designed for sportspeople needing to keep their protein and carbohydrate levels up to maximise performance in endurance-based events.

As I train regularly and at quite an intense level for an extended period of time (up to 5 hours per session), I always like to refuel during the session and replenish my body with protein and carbs post-training for optimal recovery.

It is well documented that carbohydrate ingestion during endurance exercise enhances performance (Temesi et al, 2011).  However according to leading Sports Dietitian and spokesperson for Go Natural, Susie Burrell, “For events of longer duration, research supports that a mix of a small amount of protein, coupled with larger proportions of carbohydrates is needed.  This not only optimises the fuelling of the muscle during activity but the protein load helps to preserve muscle mass and control insulin release, resulting in more stable blood glucose levels over time. This is of particular relevance to endurance activities and sports including triathlons and cycling events in which training and competition can go for many hours.”

Bar breakdown

Available in two flavours – Almond & Apricot and Choc Berry – the 80g bars contain 12.5g of high quality, whey protein, 28g of carbohydrates and are fortified with calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin E and B1. “The formulation has ensured that the bars are ‘low bulk’, soft and easy to chew which is crucial for any athlete attempting to refuel on the go,” says Susie.

How does it differ from a typical muesli or sports bar?

The bars are quite high in overall energy/kilojoules for an 80g serve and you can see that the Go Natural bar is an excellent source of protein and carbs, far greater than a typical muesli bar.   While munching on my bar, I noted the smooth texture and wondered how much fat was in it. But when comparing nutrition panels of the Hi Protein bar and the usual protein bar I consume, it has less saturated fat (2.8g per bar), which was a pleasant surprise.

But best of all Go Natural Hi Protein bars taste delicious.  The choc berry kind of resembles a chocolate crackle – nom, nom, nom.

Go for it?

If you’re a very active person that’s looking for a balanced fuel to enhance performance during endurance events or training, something that tastes yummy and is easy to eat, then go for Go Natural Hi Protein Bars. Susie suggests that a portion of the bar is consumed every 40-60 minutes during a longer event (2-3hrs) or training session.  For individualised advice see a Sports Dietitian, in Australia a member of Sports Dietitians Australia.

But if you are a recreational exerciser, especially one watching their weight, be careful.  These bars are high in kilojoules and as a general rule you shouldn’t need to refuel during a gym session or fitness class.  It’s a good idea to keep a check on your recovery fuel.  Read more in the Scoop post on Proactive recovery nutrition for runners – with guest Nutritionist Kate Freeman.

Where can I try them?

If you’re in Australia pick up a bar in Coles supermarkets, 7 Eleven stores or online at www.gonatural.com.au at $3.95 RRP.

Editor’s comment:

Thanks Jenna. It’s been fantastic having you on board during December. We look forward to watching your nutrition career evolve and can’t wait to have you back soon on Scoop.  How about you lovely readers? What training challenges are you planning in 2012? I’m down for a half marathon, Mr Surfer Dude wants to do the Great Ocean Road full marathon and our friend Rusty Berther is just back from the Ice Marathon in Antartica.  Are you stretching yourself? I never thought I could run.  And I still can’t.  But after training and improved fitness I can now jog my way around 21kms and even enjoy it (some of the time). We’d love to hear your ideas and share in the comments below.

As we reflect on a fantastic year at The Scoop on Nutrition we hope we’ve DONE enough to show you that dietitians are food lovers, that are big on sound science and health, as well as great taste.  It’s time to say thank you. Firstly to our nutrition colleagues here in Australia and around the globe that continue to inspire us, like Regan, Deanna and Serena of the Recipe Redux – the first recipe challenge by registered dietitians.

This month’s Recipe Redux theme is Putting the Pea in Potluck. Translation for the locals: create a festive dish that you can feed a crowd that also encourages greater consumption of legumes. There’s no better way to avoid a larger tush this holiday season, than my red and green Middle Eastern, Festive Fattoush Salad.

Festive Fattoush

Ingredients

1 large wholemeal Lebanese Pita bread

Olive oil, plus olive oil spray

2 teaspoon Sumac

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (organic if you can)

1 punnet mixed grape tomatoes, halved

1 Lebanese cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into chunks

5 small radishes, quartered

1/2 cup continental parsley, chopped

1/2 cup whole mint leaves

1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place the pita bread on a lined baking tray, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sumac. Bake until crisp and just golden for around 10 minutes.

In a large bowl combine chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, onion, herbs and sumac and lightly toss to combine.

In a jar or small glass jug, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate molasses.  Add the dressing to the salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Break cooled pita into pieces and either toss small pieces through the salad or serve on the side.

Check out all the other fab Redux recipes below and download the latest health info on grains and legumes here: Go Grains.

And now for the most important part of this post.  A big thank you. Yes to you, our lovely readers, Sub of the Month’s especially our December girl, Jenna Obeid and contributors for all your support.  We absolutely love your input and having you as part of our fast growing Scoop community. We would love you to say hi and share your festive food ideas or thoughts in the comments below.

And so this is Christmas.  I (truly) hope you have fun.  The near and the dear one.  The old and the young.  A very merry Christmas. Emma x

Chef Mel Haynes – check out her bio

Wish list: Thermomix – every home cooks dream and to whizz up a storm at my healthy cooking classes.  iBike Dash and Power Cycling Computer – for clocking up all the cycling kilometres I’m planning in 2012.

Melissa Carmody APD – check out her bio

Wish list: A  whole crate of handpicked and delivered cherries from Snowgoose. The Culinary Herb Garden Kit for my new digs in Orange.  And a subscription to the Healthy Food Guide magazine for first class nutrition articles and delish recipes.

Ashleigh Jones APD (on right) – check out her bio

Wish list: This very “cheesy” art print from Etsy. Benchtop cereal dispensers for easy portion control from Mindless Products for my new home and kitchen in 2012.  And these fab Stainless Steel Lunch Canisters to keep my healthy, home packed lunch fresh during a long commute.

Deb Blakley APD (on right) – check out her bio

Wish list: A potted Blueberry bush of my very own to keep me in blueberries all summer long. This gorgeous children’s book and audio CD, “Nanna’s Carrots” by Aunty Rozzy.   Loveable characters, Harriette the Rabbit and Perry the Parrot, share their love of a versatile vegetable – the carrot!  And a kids garden tool set plus these Easy Raised Garden Beds from Productive Gardens for more locavore adventures in 2012.

Jenna Obeid nutrition student – check out her bio

Wish list: A large Nutshack Christmas Hamper with nuts, dried fruits, dried veges, chips and lollies. My favourite is the yoghurt coated fruit. Or the sweet potato chips. So good!  And  Wrist Weights – great when you want to up the ante when going for walks or runs.

Emma Stirling APD (on right in Pittsburgh, USA) – Editor

Thanks marvelous Sub of the Months.  Such stories in those photos.  A quizzical Mel Haynes dissecting her pressie, Mel Carmody getting in morning exercise before she’s even dressed, Ash really not sure about this whole santa thing, Deb already embracing those rainbow of produce emblems and Jenna, what can I say, Santa in shades!  What about me you ask? I’d love a years supply of Melbourne City Rooftop Honey and a weekend cooking trip to The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania.  I’m also popping hot nutrition and cooking books over here on my Pinterest page, so let me know in the comments if you have ideas to add.  And more importantly what do you want for Christmas lovely readers? Drop us your wish list below.

About our expert:

Deb Blakley is the November Sub of the Month and a highly experienced community nutritionist, dietitian and mum who is passionate about kids learning to love good food from birth and beyond.  Deb has worked on community nutrition initiatives as diverse as breastfeeding promotion and food security.  Make sure you jump across and “like” Deb’s brand new facebook page Kids Love Food.  She’ll be sharing all her practical tips and nutrition news to help you grow happy, healthy kids.

I love Christmas!  I love the lead up, the shopping and the preparation.  I enjoy catching up with friends and family – it’s all about good food and good company.  I heartily enjoyed making my first traditional Christmas pudding with my sister-in-law using her Ma-Ma’s recipe a few weeks ago and I especially delight in planning the perfect meal.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic though to enjoy the Christmas holidays without the guilt? Of a too-full tummy at the end of every BBQ and party? Of weight gain? Of skipping those gym sessions?  Of cranky kids with too many sweet treats?  I have made a pledge to follow a new strategy these holidays, whether it’s a BBQ or the traditional Christmas feast – I’m going to enjoy EVERYTHING about the meal.  The company, the laughter, the joy and of course the food by following these mantras.  Repeat after me:

I will keep the family meal and snack time routine

As much as possible over the holidays I will aim to keep meals and snacks at regular times, and watch out for constant grazing or a month long party. I do not need to buy mince pies for extra treats, just because they are in the shops in November. I will plan a healthy, lighter meal before a night out, so the kids don’t fill up on the chip bowl.

I will embrace the changing seasons

I’m going to immerse the family in fresh and nutritious seasonal foods.  We will visit the local farmer’s market or supermarket to explore all the seasonal produce that may be unfamiliar and I will encourage my daughter in touching, smelling, preparing and tasting these delights.  I will focus on fruit or veg based options as snacks for the whole month of December and re-gift those boxes of chocolates and shortbreads.

I will come to the dinner table with a healthy appetite

When at a party, gathering or event I want to be hungry when I get to the meal and savour the carefully prepared fare like slow roasted meats and artfully layered trifle.   I’ll be mindful of the pre-dinner nibbles as I can get chips, dips and crackers anytime.  I’ll enjoy just enough to take the edge off, but not dull my appetite, or skip them altogether.

I will select a delicious variety of food when I get to the table

When it’s time for the meal, I’ll take time to survey the feast and only the food I really want to savour and enjoy will end up on my plate.  I will focus on quality like beautiful smoked salmon or prawns, not quantity. I don’t have to eat everything that’s on display, right then and there.  There are always leftovers or another invite.  I will not deprive myself of dessert if I really want it, nutrition research shows it will only make me crave it more, but I can select a smaller slice.

I will offer to take my signature salad

If the party invites are clocking up like pressies under the tree, I will alter my eating behaviours.  I can eat a lighter breakfast, lunch or evening meal and offer to take some healthy staples and stick to these.

I will leave feeling satisfied, not stuffed like the turkey

I need to take notice of my cues of hunger and fullness. I will try to slow down and savour each mouthful, enjoy the other acts of sharing a meal – conversation, sip of wine, company of friends and family.  I will allow children to finish eating when they feel full and not force them to “lick the plate clean”.

I will stay active and perhaps move a little more

I WILL maintain my exercise routine and not slack off because life gets busy.  I will even try and do a bit more if I can, to counter the festivities.  I will role model healthy habits and our family will use the holidays and great Aussie summer to swim more, walk more and enjoy the great outdoors more.  Perhaps we’ll play backyard cricket at my BBQ? I will give kids active gifts like skipping ropes, balls and flippers, plan activities outdoors and retain limits on screen time.

I will get the most out of each holiday experience 

I will focus on slowing down, putting off some of my to do list, making space in my calendar, not cramming in more. I will make time for quality catch ups with good company and conversation and not drag the family around town. I will make time just for my kids. And just for me. And I will ditch the food guilt. I CAN embrace the tasty food that December brings – succulent ham, Christmas puddings, roasted seasonal vegetables, crisp salads and cherries, nectarines, plums and peaches galore.  These are all good foods for a very good time of the year.

Editor’s comment:

Thanks Deb, it’s been so great having you on board this month. I think your mantras are just perfect. We can lose focus on the reason for the season and we do carry such guilt over food and eating. How about you lovely readers? What are your mantras or top tips for silly season survival?

I lurv Aussie grown, cracked, greenwheat freekeh.  Picked and roasted when the grain is green, freekeh retains a high level of protein (over 12%), dietary fibre, calcium, iron and zinc, plus has a low GI.  But it’s the versatility that you will love.  As easy to prepare as rice or pasta, freekeh lends itself to a side dish or this reinvented, traditional nicoise salad, full of health and deliciousness. Freekeh also makes a great turkey stuffing as I also say a special “Happy Thanksgiving” to my North Amercian readers. Make sure you also check out my video post – Makeover your pantry with wholegrains – you’ll freekeh over the health benefits.

Hot Smoked Salmon & Freekeh Nicoise

Ingredients – serves 4-6

• 4 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and quartered*
• Small bunch green beans, trimmed
• ½ cup cracked greenwheat freekeh
• 2tbs red onion, finely diced
• 2tbs continental parsley, roughly chopped
• 15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 180g hot smoked salmon or trout**
• 3tbs small olives
• 4 anchovies
• Butter lettuce leaves, washed and roughly torn
• 1 tbs, extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Cook ½ cup freekeh as per pack instructions, approximately 20-25 minutes for absorption method. Drain, set aside.
• Place eggs in saucepan with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and run under cold water.  Crack shell and peel when cool, set aside.  *Hard boiled eggs can be soaked for 1 hour in beetroot juice to give a festive red tinge.
• Boil green beans for 3-4 minutes until just tender.  Refresh under cold running water, set aside.
• In a large bowl flake salmon with a fork.  Add freekeh, red onion, parsley, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice and stir to combine.  **Hot smoked fish is prepared with heat and the fish is cooked through, unlike cold, smoked trout or salmon.  My favourite choice if you live in Australia is Tasmanian Huon.   Look out for their Reserve Selection Blackened Hot Smoked Ocean Trout.

Assemble

• Tossed salad – in a large bowl add lettuce, green beans, olives and salmon mixture and toss lightly.  Top with anchovies and eggs. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Deconstructed salad – lay lettuce leaves on a large platter. Add separate sections on top of eggs, green beans, olives and salmon mixture. Top with anchovies. Drizzle with olive oil. (as in photo next to ingredients)
• Party time – line one side of a drinking glass with lettuce and 3 green beans. Spoon in salmon mixture. Top with 2 olives and egg quarter. Slide in a small dessert fork.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Now that’s my kind of finger food.

Cookbook giveaway

This month I have a book by one of my favourite authors, Tessa Kiros. Make sure you check our her family friendly Apples for Jam and drop us a comment below if you’d like to win her Venezia – Food and Dreams. This book is from my own collection, as I was gifted it twice, and I know you will cherish it as THE guide to traditional, northern Italian cooking. We have one copy to giveaway to a lucky Aussie reader. Entries open until 5pm Aussie EDST Monday 28 November and a creative comment will be selected. So for your chance to win drop us a comment below. We’d love to hear your wholegrain stories? And check out the fab new roundup tool for the other reduxers – aren’t those team leaders too clever to find this?

Recipe Redux roundup

1. Curbside compost

There was definite agreement that we want a no waste, closed loop, food system and there was praise for groups like SecondBite already working towards this. And one of the simplest places to start is more composting.  When I was last in NYC I loved seeing women dressed to the nines, in sky high heels dropping of their little baggies of compost at the Union Square Farmers Market.  Imagine if we had a wheelie bin for this on every city corner and at home? That fed the compost back to the local farms?

2. Community kitchens

We’re starting to get the hang of community gardens and school programs like Stephanie Alexander’s School Kitchen Garden Program.  We talked about the Malcolm X school garden program in Berkley too.  But what if every apartment building had it’s own communal kitchen?  Sort of like an upmarket backpackers hostel with a communal shopping list and roster for those who would like to join in…busy, working people and families…with produce supplied by the rooftop garden and mushroom farm built in the old underground car park? And everyone sat and ate and laughed together? And the same system would feed a home cooked meal to the elderly or housebound and support the homeless in your area too? Check out the community kitchens already in Australia.

3. Edible streetscapes

How about we ripped out all the English rose gardens and formal box hedges and devoted public parks and spaces to edible fruit trees, olives and more? What about if every tree on your nature strip was a peach, plum, fig or apple? What if you had no backyard fences and more room for produce? And a fair and online system of swapping and sharing the surplus around?  What if everyone had access to fresh produce and there were no food deserts?

4. Siesta volunteer time

What about if you were given a 2hr work break each day to tend the community or workplace garden? Get some fresh air and vitamin D and be outdoors. Or a farm break for a week to help at harvest time in the local food bowl? Wouldn’t you learn to appreciate your food provenance, your farmers and seasonal eating?  Did you know a surprising amount of the food produced in my state (Victoria) is grown on the fringe of Melbourne within 100km of the city, including over 50% of the states vegetables and 17% of the fruit?

5. Dietitians and home economists back in schools

What about if every school like in Japan, had a dietitian managing school lunches, completing child health checks and working on nutrition education? What if every child (and their parents) learned core cooking skills, just like Jamie Oliver keeps emphasising? What if we curbed our climbing rates of obesity?  Are you surprised that the other dietitians in the room voted for this one?

6. Ultimate food labelling

What if we finally nailed the perfect labelling system, that clearly let you chose a product on nutrition merits? On ethical standards? On country, area and farm of origin? On sustainability targets? Fair trade? Oh and on taste of course too.

7. Safe food, restaurants and food service

What if we never had another food recall?  What if fresh produce was never tainted with an ecoli outbreak? What if every food outlet could handle the increasing number of people with food intolerances and allergies? And prepare and appreciate nutritious food? What if state of the art technology and training drove greater food production the natural, organic way, with no artificial additives, pesticides, herbicides or GMOs?

8. Wholesome food coupons

What if our welfare system directed people to healthier choices by food coupons for farmers markets, like that by the USDA ? Or  like Healthy Start in the UK, where parents get vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables? And what if no one experienced food insecurity? And no one went hungry?

A monumental task, I hear you say.  As if, I hear you say. Politics and budgets and profits will get in the way, I hear you say. But I say, if we dream big, write it down and start the baby steps, anything is possible.  How about you lovely readers? What happens in your home or city? What is your dream for our food future? Love to hear your comments below: