MENU OF THE WEEK (x2): HEALTHY CHINESE FOOD, INDULGENT OR BUDGET FRIENDLY

Courtesy of Getty Images  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Celebrate the Year of the Ox on 12th Feb with homemade low-fat & sugar, lower salt Chinese dishes.  Easy to prepare, fresh home-made Chinese will more than a  match for takeaways...and costs less.  

MENU 1: INDULGENT

Pineapple & Sesame Rice - Vegan with options

Skinnier Char Siu BBQ Pork - low sugar, salt & fat; ultra-tender

Sensational Tofu in Sweet Orange Sauce - vegan

Sugar-Free Oriental Salmon: financial indulgence, healthy, easy peasy

MENU 2: BUDGET-FRIENDLY

  

Un-fried Rice - virtually fat-free

Healthier Asian Spare Ribs - no gloopy super-sweet sauce

Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings: easy-peasy, low-fat, comes with stock

Orange Hoisin Glazed Salmon: from frozen, super easy

Both menus:

Slimmer's Delight Stir-Fried Vegetables

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permissio

SLIMMERS' DELIGHT STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES: high-fibre, low fat

Lots of nutritious perfectly-cooked vegetables -colourful & satisfying 

Another slimmers' delight: Stir-fried vegetables
serve alone or with protein & rice

With loads of crunchy vegetables and a bit of chopping, this veggie stir-fry will satisfy without dipping deeply into calorie or wallet reserves. 

Ultra-healthy, it's ideal for slimmers. The vegetables add fibre which make you feel full.  

Follow the instructions faithfully - particularly the order in which the veg are cooked - and the vegetables turn out perfectly al dente.  No soggy bits here but lots of deliciousness.  

The dish also uses up veg before the next weekly shop - even ones you wouldn't consider cooking. Cucumber, in particular, a bargain at 50 pence a go, often goes to waste in winter. 

The ingredients are for one but multiply easily.  

Cost: depending what's in the fridge, under a pound'ish 
Feeds: 1

Ingred:
   
   1/2 cup broccoll, in small florets, including stalks if you like, peeled & cut into similar sized sticks  
   1/4 cup bell pepper, in floret-sized sticks 
   1/4 cup de-seeded cucumber in floret-sized sticks
   groundnut or other light veggie oil

   1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
   1 med-large clove garlic, grated

   water or stock

   Marinade:
       2 tbsp dry sherry/ white wine/grape juice
       1-2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce 

(this mix can also be used to make gravy for vegetables)



Method:

1. Put a wok or large heavy-bottomed pan on high heat, with an inch of water on the bottom
2. When water is boiling, toss in broccoli; stir-cook 2 mins until almost cooked;  pour contents of pan including liquid into a dish; set aside 
3. With pan still on high heat, spray generously with oil
4. Stir-fry peppers 1 min; add cucumber; stir-fry 1 more min; add both to broccoli 
5. Return all veg + veg juices to pan; stir in garlic & ginger (then protein & juices if using.) Stir fry 1-2 mins or until veg are done to your liking
6. For more sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons water or stock, scraping at any bits left on the bottom of the pan
7. Serve with or without rice & protein

Tips: 

• Turn sauce into gravy (and add carbs and calories ) by mixing 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons cold water and mixing it into the vegetables 
• 'Hard" vegetables like carrots & cauliflower should be cooked first, as for broccoli; med-hard like green beans, mange tout & thickly sliced mushrooms next; salad veg like peppers, celery or bean sprouts last 
• Other suitable veg include: small cauliflower florets, thickly sliced mushrooms, mange tout, green beans, Chinese leaf, carrot & celery sticks
• If including protein, marinade as above & add after step 4: 100-150gm/3.5-5oz rump or other tender steak, thinly sliced across the grain (place meat in freezer 30 mins before slicing and use a very sharp knife) Or firm white fish like monkfish or - for the frugal - coley OR firm tofu, in the same size as broccoli florets  
  
• Vegan option: firm tofu, marinated in the same marinade as in ingredients & stir fry until golden brown

More Oriental dishes, incl the Art of Stir Fry on NavBar: How to...

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission 

KIDS' FRUGAL HEALTHY EASY LUNCHES: Part 1 Sandwiches/Rolls

(Welcome to the Blog (Nav Bar) offers more recipes & advice) 

RECIPES & ADVICE FOR FRUGAL QUICK EASY HEALTHY LUNCHES FOR KIDS...(AND MUM) 

Part 1: Bread/Rolls;  Part 2: Non-Bread Carbs & Protein; Part 3: Vegetables, Fruit, Treats, Snacks & Drinks

Courtesy Working Mother Magazine licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

...includes Sandwiches/Buns, other carbs, protein, desserts. Lunch should include carbs, protein and fruit or vegetables.  It might be worth looking at Child-Friendly dishes (Nav Bar: Recipes I)which includes dishes kids can make. 

Bread/Baps: see make your own which includes ultra easy bagels and baps taking only minutes to prepare.  The dough for Breakfast Buns/Baps is so easy, the kids can do it.

Easy-peasy Breakfast Biscuit dough morphs into Lunchtime Baps

Supermarket sliced bread (50p a large loaf at M&S) is fine but get the variety with hidden fibre, or ring the changes with wholemeal occasionally. (Toasted wholemeal grilled cheese sarnies are super-crunchy; the kids probably won't mind that the bread's not white.) 

Pizza: Make-it-yourself pizza dough is very easy and so delicious your kids will ask for it again and again.  Toppings do not need to cost much: a 67 favourite is tomato pizza base, grated cheddar and sliced mushrooms.  Or try sliced fresh tomatoes (around 60p a punnet), with salt & pepper on a base generously brushed with garlic oil..nothing else. Vegan Fresh tomato pizza is a revelation.    

Sandwiches: serve with soup (see soups under Easy Peasy in Recipes 1 OR Soups in Recipes II on Nav Bar above). If unable to make your own, M&S no-e-number tomato or mushroom soup is 50pence a tin.  

• Prep ahead: 5-star hotels always use bread that is at least a day old; they are made, left uncut, covered with a damp (not wet!!) j-cloth & tightly cling-filmed. They'll be good for 2 days.  
• Presentation: Pretty or shaped sandwiches encourage kids' appetites.    See freezable sandwiches.
• Budget fillings for on-the-day sarnies include Egg mayonnaise or cold omelet or fried - slightly runny egg - with tomato or chilli sauce; cream cheese & halved grapes or sunblush tomatoes; cheddar & thinly sliced apple or salad (Note: if inserting salad in sandwiches, ensure the lettuce is dry and the cucumbers sliced thinly); brie with cranberries; stilton with blueberries; peanut butter and jam or bananas or thinly sliced apple;  hummus & grated carrot or thinly sliced cooked beetroot (from a packet, drained & dried). Tinned sardines with mustard (best to remove bones & liver; mix in a bit of the tomato sauce or oil it's tinned with); tuna yoghurt-mayo (50-50 mayo & thick plain yoghurt) with sweetcorn or finely diced cucumber or bell pepper, with plenty of lemon juice, pepper & a bit of salt (adults: minced red onion & lots of lemon zest.)  Leftover shredded meat mixed with Dressing & generous portion of finely diced dill or sweet pickle.  Leftover meatloaf with lettuce & tomato.  Supermarket sliced meats can be good value (M&S hams, chicken & spiced sausage are £1 a pack for several slices)
• Toasted/fried sandwiches & Panini's (a waffle maker also works).  Fillings: Anything with cheese -- grilled cheese and ham, cheese & tomato, cheese & tuna melt; sardine & cheese melt; vegetables grilled then brushed with seasoned olive oil.  Even better, mashed white beans with drizzle of olive oil and fresh or flaked chillis. French Toast Sandwiches: fillings as above, but both sides of the sandwich dipped in beaten egg.  Note: fried sandwiches -while ever so delicious in taste and texture - is not for the cholesterol-phobic!

• Ultra Easy Double Dipped French Toast:  so easy kids can make it 

Also have a look at How to make...Healthier Sandwiches

 

Refreshing stale sliced or whole Loaves 

Whole: Preheat oven to 150c/300-325F.  Stick crust side of stale loaf under lightly running water (keep the cut side away) until the outside of the loaf is damp but not soaked through. Bake 6-7 or 10-12mins, depending on size of loaf

Sliced:  See sandwiches & 5-star hotels above.  Butter bread thinly to the corners, add filling, cover with an almost dry damp clean tea towel; clingfilm; refrigerate overnight 

Other suggestions for spare bread: 

Bread & Butter Puddings 
Stale bread/croissants make fabulous puddings, soaked in flavoured egg and milk custard, with or without fruit or nuts, baked till crispy & brown.  Choose an everyday treat with jam or marmalade OR special occasion with rich and stupendous chocolate and cream.  See Recipes I/Baked Goods, including indulgent Chocolate Mint Bread & Butter Pudding and frugal Boozy Orange Bread & Butter Pudding  

No oven?  
Toast is the new go-to snack - from a toaster, air-fryer or frying pan (bread cooked in fat in a frying pan is not for the cholesterol-phobic!  Dry-fried/toasted is fine).  Favourite toppings include Avocado, Cheese, tinned fish, grilled veg  and bacon.  

Try this Kidult's' sugar-free budget light meal:

Hole-in-One Egg Toast

 

Parts: 2 - Carbs/Protein & 3 - Veg, Fruit, Desserts Snacks 

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KIDS' FRUGAL HEALTHY EASY LUNCHES: Part 2 - Carbs & Protein

FRUGAL LUNCHES PART 2: CARBS & PROTEINS

Non-Bread Lunches: a mini-portion of supper 

Rice

Easy-cook rice is well-priced and takes just 10-12 mins to cook.  (Follow manufacturers' instructions - add double the amount of water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid wrapped in a clean tea towel or j-cloth; leave 10-12 minutes).  

• stir in frozen peas (they'll defrost in the heat of the rice), a thin one-or-2-egg omelette sliced in ribbons and a bit of cooked bacon or ham.  
• OR stir fry rice with favourite vegetables with a little soy, oyster or hoisin sauce, adding tuna or smoked mackerel if you like.  
• OR just serve plain from the pot with a fried egg - runny yolk on top. For a change, fry two slices of back bacon first; crack the egg over the bacon and cover until cooked to your liking; transfer to portion of rice. 
• If feeling adventurous try easy but tempting Egg & Bacon Rice, below

 

Note: 67's shortcut during busy times involves Waitrose's VeeTee Himalayan Basmati which is excellent but not your run-of-the mill rice.)

Pasta

As well as standard macaroni, spaghetti etc think about Chinese noodles (£1'ish for 5x1-person nests of noodles). They come in plain or chilli, in wheat or rice.  When Chinatown is accessible again, try dieters delight 'thread' noodles which are made of green bean starch.  Noodles are very easy; just cover with boiling water for 5 mins and drain.  

• Add to a well-flavoured bowl of stock (cubes, granules ok) with vegetables and shards of protein.  
• Or stir fry some veg and leftover protein and add noodles and a sprinkling of  toasted sesame oil, if liked, until heated through

Potatoes

Baked: 

These take a bit of planning but halving the baked potatoes vertically cuts the baking time.  Kids get a half; adults, a whole.

Wash, dry, remove any blemishes; rub with oil and salt & pepper.   Bake at 180C/350F directly onto the oven rack (with a tray on the shelf below to catch drips) about 30mins (1 hour for whole ones). Make a cross in the side without skin; push-up with thumbs to make a crater and fill with:  

- tuna or prawn mayo 

- leftover spaghetti sauce (tinned is ok as long as it doesn't have much sugar) 

- baked beans with or without grated cheese

- sliced cooked sausages (meat or plant) with tomato sauce and/or  cheese 

   

Mashed potatoes:  Either boil or bake potatoes (see above) with or without skin until a sharp knife in the centre meets little resistance.  With boiled potatoes, drain, return to pan and to (turned off) hob to dry out.  With baked, skin the potatoes.  Place 'taters in a bowl; add butter; mash with hand-held potato basher.  If you're after sloppy mash, stir in milk or yoghurt bit-by-bit, until it reaches the desired consistency.  Otherwise, add just enough yoghurt-mayo to moisten, not drown, the mash; stir in corn or peas and bits of protein: tuna, chicken, chopped hard boiled eggs.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with green veg or simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber).  If you have time, get the kids to make mash patties (this won't work with sloppy mash), spray with a little oil and bake/fry until golden.

Wedges: baked, not fried; healthier than chips but just as crisp & yummy; cooks faster than baked

Note: try sweet potatoes or celeriac for a healthier carb  

Rice Crackers 

Kallo's thin rice crackers are loved by everyone - toddlers to adults.  Very crispy and healthy (brown rice, unsalted), they don't even need a spread or topping.  They cost just over a pound but there are dozens in a pack and they'll stay crisp in an air tight container a few days.  Serve spread with a favourite topping, alone or alongside soups.  Or break into shards and add to crudités for dips.  They're very easy to pack - they fit in a good-sized coat pocket (obv. wrapped in cling film or in a sealable sandwich bag.)  

FRUGAL PROTEIN

Chicken wings: good value (per kilo, Sainsbury's £1.50 (!!), Morrisons £2.80); raw or cooked, freeze well.  Baking naked 25-35mins is the easiest cooking but there are plenty of easy flavourings on NavBar: Recipes 1: Chicken  

Drumsticks and thighs: also often on special and freeze well

Cheaper cuts of meat: beef and (lower-cost) pork become tender and soft, whether in one piece or in cubes, if cooked gently in a slow cooker

Frozen Fish: much cheaper than fresh. Really frugal cuts like coley are just as nutritious as cod or haddock.

Tinned fish: one tin of tuna with vegetables, mixed with a tin of pulses feeds 4 adults. (See Navigation Bar: Recipes I: Fish).  Tins of sardines at around 70p (2023) are one of the most nutritious budget proteins. 

Tuna Salad Italian Style, quick, healthy, satisfying

 Eggs: Try Devilled Eggs instead of the usual -- boil, drop in cold water, drain; halve vertically; remove yolks, mash with a little mayo plus small amounts of  tuna, ham or avocado and finely diced celery or green onion  

Baked Beans.  Tinned, on toast, with or without cheese, is usually a winner with kids.  A lower-sugar/fat version, 67's Beautiful Baked Beans, cooked in a slow cooker has also become popular with families -- it's much much cheaper and freezes well.

Other Pulses: dried beans are cheapest but tinned are also good value.  Cook and blend with vegetables in soups, using herb/spices to add flavour.  Bean purees make a good carb substitute.

Parts: 1 - Bread/Rolls & 3 - Veg, Fruit, Desserts Snacks

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KIDS' FRUGAL HEALTHY EASY LUNCHES: Part 3 - VEG & FRUIT, TREATS & DRINKS

FRUGAL LUNCHES: PART 3 - VEG, FRUIT, DESSERTS & TREATS, DRINKS 

VEGETABLES & FRUIT

Raw veg or fruit should be consumed daily, whether at lunchtime or dinner.

It could be as simple as tomato slices/wedges and/or cucumber sticks and/or celery sticks or crisp lettuce leaves. Dress lightly with oil & vinegar or yoghurt-mayo dressing (bottom of page). If you have an artistic child, arrange them nicely as in Fantastic Frugal Salad.

Just 4 ingredients, and you can forget the carrot!

A great way of serving raw veg is to team them with individual bowls of easy home-made hummus - go easy on the garlic - which an older child can make. Or offer individual bowls of Sauces & Dips.  They both make a nice change from sandwiches as the main part of lunch.

Soups.  Smooth soups are easier for kids to consume than chunky ones.  Serve in cups not bowls for a change.  Mini-meatballs & cubes of tofu add texture and flavour without bulk; no spoon needed.

FRUGAL HEALTHY DESSERTS

Fruit: Supermarkets & green grocers like Pomona (Belsize Park) offer bags of apples and pears at around £1.50 each.  Serve them hot: peel, cut into chunks or slices, cook in a little butter & water in a heavy saucepan until they soften (maybe 10-15 mins?).  The fruit will be naturally sweet but can be sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and/or nutmeg and sugar.

Pineapple: ripen at home supermarket pineapples are excellent value when cooked in a little orange juice and sugar.  There are also several 67 recipes with pineapple in cakes and cookies/bars in Recipes I: Baking on the Nav Bar.

Ripen at Home: Supermarkets offer punnets of plums, nectarines and other fruits at budget friendly prices (M&S are particularly good).  Cook them as with apples and pears or turn them into a compote and layer them in glasses with plain, unsweetened yoghurt. The recipe for Creamy Pineapple Pudding will work with any other fruit.

TREATS

Healthy eating does include one indulgence a week.  During lockdown, infrequent small servings of sweet treats as a teaching aid, or reward for good behaviour, or - god forbid! - a bribe are permissible.  But try to make them healthier by including some wholemeal flour and/or fruit.   

Midi-Cakes: 5inch/13cm 'midi' cakes baked in air fryer or oven serves 4 small portions. 67's favourites include Mocha, Raspberry Almond and Pear & Cinnamon. (Also See Recipes I: Baking on Nav Bar)

Cook-as-you need Frozen cookie dough: Double Chocolate Chip, Orange Cinnamon, German Spiced. 

SNACKS

Roasted Chickpeas: ring the changes with different spices and herbs

Stovetop Popcorn: For the price of pre-popped supermarket or microwave popcorn, you can get dozens of servings of homemade.  Kids love making popcorn (but persuade them not to take the lid off while popping!) in or out of Lockdown. I know, I know.  Make-it-yourself popcorn can be hit and miss but not with this recipe.  Add your own toppings, savoury or sweet, controlling salt & sugar without nasty preservatives. (below)

Left: Smoked Paprika & Salt; Right: Simple Caramel Nut Drizze 

 

Pitta 'Tortilla Chips' - split pita in half, cut into triangles, sprinkle with a little salt; bake at 180C/350F 10 mins or until crisp and browning at the edges.  Serve with Sauces & Dips.

Bruschetta: slice a baguette thinly, drizzle over a little olive oil, salt & pepper; lay out on a baking tray, bake at 180C/350F 10 mins, turning once, until golden.  Serve with dips or savoury/sweet toppings of choice, using up leftovers where you can. 

DRINKS

Making your own low-sugar additive-free drinks for kids is better for them and for the family -- kids are calmer and behave better.  Many of 67's kids' drinks are easy but are all tasty.  If the kids are used to bottled drinks, gradually wean them off.

Parts: 1 - Bread/Rolls &  2-Carbs/Protein

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ITALIAN PULSES SOUP, EASY OR CLASSIC: frugal, triple duty, good for kids & older people

Thick, satisfying high-fibre January soup uses up leftovers in a most delicious way...

Back at work with a lovely mug of thick Triple Duty Italian Pulses Soup --
(computer carefully set on a stand in case of spillages !!)

This terrifically tasty soup takes a bit of chopping and some planning (in the case of the classic version) but can be prepared in advance.  Left to cook gently for a couple of hours for the dried pulse version, or 45 mins for the tinned, it fills the kitchen with wonderful aromas.  

Here garnished with ham, it will use up lots of leftover veg and any bits of protein from Christmas.  Inspired by Ina Garten's Tuscan Bean Soup, 67goingon50 replaced dried cannelloni beans with split yellow peas in the classic soup.  They're easier to digest but dried cannelloni beans will do just as well.

Tinned cannellini beans are used in the quick and easy soup, seen below.  

Fresh rolls or bread, grated parmesan and chopped parsley are all the extras needed for a delicious high-fibre lunch that fills you up healthily.  Garnishes with protein add a bit of zip.  

Whichever option you choose, the recipe makes a lot and is - of course - wallet-friendly.

Cost: £2.50'ish
Makes: about 3 litres

Ingreds:

250gm/8oz split yellow peas or dried cannellini beans (tinned beans below)

 

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup chopped leeks, white & light green (1)

1 cup chopped yellow onion in 1/2inch dice (1)

1 cup celery in 1/2inch dice (2-3 stalks

          1 cup carrots 

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

 

4 to 5 cups chicken stock

a Bayleaf

1 teaspoon salt; half a teaspoon pepper

 

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

chopped fresh parsley

Protein Garnishes: 2 ounces back bacon in 1/4 inch dice (or minced poultry or pork or vegetarian meat pieces) cooked in couple tablespoons olive oil till browned 

Method:

WATCHING YOUR WEIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS

Courtesy of quotespictures.com/2013/05  © Copyright  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

UPDATED 2 JAN 2023

So, we are all ready to lose some of the excess flab we so happily consumed over the Christmas Period.

That's fine but be aware of the downsides of diets and don't deprive uyourself of necessary nutrients and harm your health.

This post has a look at severa diets:  Vegan, Vegetarian, Smoothies, No-Sugar, Low-Carb,  Protein, No/Low-Fat, 'New" Mediterranean, 20-80, Exercise.

VEGAN FOOD 

The vegan trend is still very much alive but in a Cost of Living Crisis maybe easing off a bit.  The millions invested in vegan 'meat' production has not been as successful as hoped and only a couple of big firms  continue to develop new products.  remain.  

The problem is: vegan food can be expensive and is now out of favour in many household budgets.  

A vegan diet is the natural extension of vegetarianism, brought about by: 

• heightened awareness of the health benefits of high plant diets
• thrift 
• concerns about animal welfare 

But Vegans avoid all animal protein; that means NO dairy or eggs and a complex pairing of animal proteins to ensure good health. And it's not easy to follow without advice and feedvback from something like the Vegan Society.

Because vegan diets are so restricted, 67goingon50 does not recommend them  as a full-time food option.  However, substituting some meat meals with vegan meals is encouraged.     

Vegan food can be healthier than most because of low levels of saturated fat.  It can shift pounds swiftly.  But some ingredients and combinations take getting used to.  

The exotic ingredients which necessary to balance nutritional needs can affect taste and texture -- and not necessarily in a good way.  Caution is recommended before stocking the cupboard with exotic or expensive ingredients. 

Baked vegan products -- cakes, cookies, pies -- can be tasty but sometimes oddly unsatisfying.  Plenty of internet sites offer vegan alternatives to conventional baking ingredients but whether the result suits your household's tastebuds is an individual thing.  67 prefers to develop healthier baking recipes.

Many of 67's vegetarian dishes turned out to be vegan, too, which is a bonus.   
But the blog does favour vegan dishes that use conventional non-animal products rather than exotic meat substitutes like seitan.  67 vegan dishes have successfully undergone taste tests with carnivores as well as vegetarians.     

The Recipes pages has a section for vegetarian and vegan food. 

VEGETARIANISM

67 is happy to recommend increasing vegetable and fruit intake but has doubts about full-time vegetarianism: 

• Animal protein provides all the essential amino acids needed by the body; most vegetarian foods contain some but not all essential amino acids.  Vegetarian meals usually need to be balanced between vegetables containing some essential amino acids with others containing different complementary amino acids.  And it's easy to get it wrong.
• Vitamin B12, vital for good health and preventing serious anaemia, is   found in its most accessible form in animal products.   Vegetarian B12  needs to be converted into the B12 needed by the body.  Some people's bodies (including the Blogger's) lack the capacity to make this conversion.

Vegetarians and Vegans 
...can avoid depriving your body of essential nutrients by combining:

Cheese & Walnut
Tear & Share Bread

• Legumes and grains eg hummous or other pulses with bread and rice (vegan)
• Dairy products and eggs with anything (vegetarian)
• Nuts & seeds with anything (vegan)
• tofu with anything (vegan

SMOOTHIES

Replacing meals with a smoothie can lead to good weight loss but there is an art to healthy smoothies.

Too much fruit just adds more sugar (though in a healthier form) which has the opposite effect to the one intended.

The ideal healthy smoothie has these elements:

• liquid: water, milk, veggie milks, fruit juice, coconut milk (but not for the cholesterol challenged)
• fruit: berries, whole apples & pears, bananas, melons
• vegetables: spinach, carrot, beetroot, tomatoes, avocados, kale
• protein: yoghurt, nut butters, tofu

Optional but tasty ingredients include:

• texture: nuts, oatmeal, granola 
• flavour: cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

NO SUGAR DIETS

Recommended on doctor's advice only.

By all means reduce intake of unrefined and refined sugars but substitute natural sugars found in fresh fruit.  Learn to bake with less guilt and always, always, serve small portions.

A baked treat containing sugar should be reserved for a weekly treat day or special occasion.  

Giving up sugar entirely can cause physical and emotional strain.


LOW CARB DIETS

Carbs are not the enemy but we probably eat too many, especially if we are reducing animal protein.  

Carbs turn into blood sugar which provides vital energy for day-to-day activities.  Too much blood sugar turns to fat; cutting carbs reduces sugars in the blood and causes fat reserves to burn off.

But carbs are an essential food group; that's why giving them up is so difficult.  Carb deprivation can lead to headaches, weakness, nausea, dizziness and irritability.

To maintain good health, reduce carbs to 50-150gms per day but do not remove them from your diet.  If you really can't go without mash, be clever about combining potatoes with celeriac, sweet potatoes, carrots or other root veg.


PROTEIN

The body needs protein but we don't need as much as we think we do.

That said, too little protein -- animal or vegetable -- leads to tiredness and lethargy.  At worst, the body starts consuming its own muscle.

Protein is not a food group to give up but smaller portions go a long way to achieving a good balance.

See How to...calculate Daily Protein needs

DAIRY PRODUCTS

It's become fashionable to avoid dairy products but beware.  Dairy products, especially yoghurt & blue cheeses, help protect against Vitamin D deficiency.

FAT

Fat is essential for the proper functioning of brain cells; giving up fat is not recommended.

Focus on good fats:  olive oil, avocado, oily fish, (unsalted) nuts and seeds and dairy products, preferably fermented, such as yoghurt and ricotta. 

Butter is borderline -- it's a natural product and considered more healthy than liquid oils converted to solid form, such as margarine.   Recent research into butter is still inconclusive.


THE 'NEW' MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The Mediterranean Diet is said to help reduce dementia.  Here's 67's recommended take on the 'new, revolutionary' Mediterranean Diet (which is not that different from Healthy Eating.)

1. Plant-based foods play a primary role: veg, fruit, whole grains, legumes, pulses, nuts, vegetable oils
2. Carbs (conventional plus vegetable and pulses, beans & whole grains) limited to 50-120gm per day; a day or two per week without any carbs at all won't do any damage
3. 5 portions of fresh veg daily
4. 2-3 portions fresh fruit, most with lower-sugar content, daily(see Healthy Eating above for sugar content of fruits) 
5. Replace butter where possible with olive or veg oils
6. Replace salt with herbs and spices
7. When using soy sauce use 25% reduced-salt brands like Amoy 
8. Fish twice a week, especially for oldies
9. Poultry once a week 
10. Best quality affordable red meat once a week, fortnight or month, depending on mental & physical requirements
11. All other meals vegetarian or vegan
12. Small quantities of dairy products, preferably fermented to help digestion  (eg fat-free or low-fat but sugar-free yoghurt or ricotta)
13. Handful of salted nuts 2-3 times a week 
14. Read labels to check that low-fat foods do not have added sugar
15. Some people complain that the Mediterranean Diet is very expensive; to reduce cost increase the number of plant based meals

67goingon50 adds:

Baked goods once or twice a month but adapted to low sugar diets (How to Bake with Less Guilt ) and fewer, or no, carbs that day or for a couple of days to compensate.

THE 80-20 DIET

Many people who successfully maintain a healthy weight or lose weight without sacrificing nutrition practice a form of the 80-20 diet.  This consists of 5 days of disciplined, healthy eating (low-carb, sugar & fat with plenty of vegetables and some protein) and 2 days of eating whatever you like. 

67 prefers a 5 +1+1 regime with one day of fasting a week and a day of indulgence but the blogger does not keep normal working hours.  

The advantage of these regimes is that there is no feeling of deprivation while still building in a sense of disciplined eating. The blog believes that's why they are so succesful.  

Because after all, food is a pleasure as well as a necessity.  And a life including  culinary pleasure is a life of colour and good cheer.

REMEMBER:

NO DIET IS EFFECTIVE WITHOUT EXERCISE!

Move, move, move.

Cost-free or low-cost effective exercise:

• (during Lockdown) follow free tv & online exercise classes
• walk in or near a park at least half an hour every day or equivalent:  early morning (around sunrise) will avoid crowds but wrap up well
• at your desk or on the couch, get up every hour & move at least 5 mins
• enrol in budget-friendly Zoom exercise classes on the recommendation of others
• if affordable, invest in a wearable smart device to monitor/access exercise and health readings

Sources:

Healthy Eating: Principles 

All Foods in Moderation

How to...Balance Vegetarian Meals 

Exercising Safely and Wisely

How to...approach the 'new, revolutionary' Mediterranean diet 

How to...calculate Daily Protein needs

How to...Have Your Cake, Eat It and still Stay Healthy

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