It’s usually left up to us ladies to create new and exciting dishes which are also nutritious, and we have to do this EVERY DAY!!  Hopefully you will find these snippets helpful and inspiring and will give you some ideas on how to adapt your current recipes and prepare meals in a different way.  The focus is not about eliminating any food groups, but about balance, taste and health.  Enjoy!

Milk and Milk Products

• Plain low fat yoghurt can be flavoured by adding fresh fruit chunks such as apple, banana or strawberries.  This is a great breakfast or snack.  Blend to make a smoothie if you want something to take ‘on the run’
• Low fat buttermilk or natural yoghurt flavoured with herbs and natural spices can be used as a marinade for meat, fish or chicken and can replace cream in certain dishes if you want to reduce your overall energy intake
• Use low fat plain yoghurt mixed with lemon juice instead of mayonnaise in fish or chicken dishes
• Plain low fat yoghurt can be combined with low fat cottage cheese and flavoured with garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and herbs.  It can be used as a mock sour cream on potatoes or as a dip for fresh vegetables and salad
• Use low fat natural yoghurt as a salad dressing  - add some herbs and lemon juice for taste.
• Ricotta or fat-free cottage cheese can be used instead of cream cheese.

Products containing Starch

• Limit the intake of cakes, tarts, biscuits and pastries as they contain a large amount of fat, sugar and refined starch.
• Rather select high fibre and unrefined products like rye or seed bread, oats and brown rice, which stimulate the feeling of fullness.  In addition to containing fibre, these products contain more B-vitamins.
• The fibre content of dishes may be increased by adding oat bran and substituting refined cake flour with wholewheat flour and oats.  This can be done when making pancakes
• Limit the use of sugar (white or brown) and honey/syrup.
• The use of natural sweeteners found in fruit and vegetables, and flavourants like herbs and natural spices, will enhance the taste of most dishes if used instead of sugar.

Fruit and Fruit Juices

• Fruit juices contain a large amount of energy.  Rather eat fresh fruit than drink fruit juice as fresh fruit stimulates the feeling of fullness and ensures better control of blood sugar than fruit juice.  There is also more fibre in whole fruits.
• Fruit juices may be diluted with soda water, quenching the thirst, but supplying less energy.  If you have Diabetes, limit fruit juice intake to when you exercise only, and according to guidance by your doctor or dietician.
• Whenever possible fruit should be eaten unpeeled to improve the fibre content of your diet.

Vegetables

• Increase your intake of fresh vegetables and salads to increase your fibre, vitamin and mineral and antioxidant intake.
• Raw vegetables e.g. baby marrow, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cubed butternut, spinach leaves, beans, baby corn etc. can all be added to salads to make different and more nutritious salads.
• Avocado added to salads increases the nutrient value greatly 
• For a variation in vegetable preparation, vegetables like spinach, cabbage, baby marrow, brussel sprouts, pattypans, broccoli, brinjals and green beans may be prepared as follows:  Saute onion in a small amount of water in a pan, and add chopped tomatoes/green pepper/mushrooms etc. and a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano, basil and fresh garlic.
• Sprinkle pumpkin, butternut, gems and carrots with cinnamon instead of glazing them with butter/margarine and sugar.  Or alternatively, squeeze the juice of an orange over and bake.
• For added flavour, add chopped mint leaves to peas and fresh parsley into any vegetables desired.
• Brown "fry" (saute) onions in brown/balsamic vinegar in a non-stick pan for a tangy taste.
• Use a combination of chopped tomato and onion; tomato and green pepper; tomato, green pepper and mushrooms as a "gravy" for meat/chicken/fish dishes.
• For a low fat "creamed" spinach, spinach may be prepared with black pepper, fresh garlic and low fat plain yoghurt or low fat evaporated milk.

Meat, Fish and Chicken Dishes

• Use mostly lean meat and chicken.  Remove excessive visible fat and skin before preparation.  
• Regularly eat fish and skinned chicken breasts.  Pork loins or fillet and ostrich are other good sources of lean meat.
• Avoid deep-fry foods too often.  Rather oven bake chips, chicken and fish.
• Marinade meat, chicken and pork in tomato sauce, fruit juice (e.g pineapple juice), wine or low fat natural yoghurt instead of fatty-based marinades.
• To cook chicken without the skin and keep it tender at the same time, flavour it and bake in a sealed cooking bag.
• For succulent white fish fillets, prepare them in foil.  Flavour with lemon juice, black pepper and herbs and dry white wine if desired.  On top of fish place:  slices of tomato, onion, mushrooms and green pepper.  Add pitted olives and feta for a Mediterranean flavour for a change.   Cover with foil and bake.
• Eggs make great, quick dinners if used for an omelette.  Place tomato & peppers in the middle and fold over
• Use lentils or beans in stews to decrease red meat intake and increase the fibre content of your diet.
• Add chopped fresh/dried apricots or fresh pineapple to flavour pork fillets when grilling these in the oven.
• Red wine enhances the taste of meat like beef and lamb

Salt

• Limit your intake of salt over cooked food, especially if you have high blood pressure - you will grow accustomed to the taste.
• Rather use herbs and natural spices or try natural herbal salts in moderation.  Avoid using too many packet gravies and soup powders as they contain salt.
• Use the following herb shaker to enhance meat and vegetables:

Combine 2 ml cayenne pepper or turmeric  + 5 ml each of dried basil, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, parsley & sage + 12,5 ml garlic flakes