Nutritional Profile: Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are a tasty treat which are high in fat - but better fats than your standard fatty animal products. While eating lots will kill your weight-loss efforts, a few a day will help keep your nutrient levels high. And when I say a few, I mean ten or less, not 50! :-)

High in:

Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Protein
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Zinc
Manganese
Polyunsaturated fats (mostly Omega-6)

Moderate amounts of:

Thiamin
Niacin
Iron
Monounsaturated fats

Use them in:

Salads
Bread and other baking
Curries

For more information, see NutritionData on Pine Nuts.

(picture taken from Wikimedia Commons - thanks to Paul Goyette)

Making Meals Healthier

There are a number of things you can do to improve the nutritional content and decrease the bad-for-you rating of your favourite meals,and lose weight while you get healthier. This article focuses on some of the basics.

Add veggies

You can add vegetables to almost any dish without losing out on flavour and texture. Spaghetti bolognaise? Finely dice (a food processor is handy here) two carrots and add them to the sauce. Lasagne? Cook some pumpkin, mash it, and add to the meat sauce. Curried sausages? Dice some squash or zucchini and add it to the curry about 10 minutes before you finish cooking it. Or add frozen peas to just about anything.

Substitute

You don't want to miss out on the good stuff. I get that. That's what this blog is all about - making changes that are easy enough to be lasting, and heck, maybe even enjoyable! Substitution can help. Making a meat sauce for pasta? Use less mince than usual, and add some cooked green lentils. They have a nice texture, similar protein content, and they shouldn't change the taste much, if at all. Cheese? Use light, and be careful to only use the same amount as you usually would. Rice? Use brown. If you don't like the taste or texture of brown rice, try boiling a small amount of brown rice for 10 minutes, then adding some white rice and boiling for another 10-15 minutes. Making bread, or a cake? Add 1/4 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts. This will actually increase the fat content of the baking, by the way - but it will also add some valuable nutrients and good fats.

Add Salad

Try eating a small salad before the main course, or incorporate the salad into your meal. You'll get more nutrition, and possibly eat less of the main meal without losing out on satisfaction.

Your Body Panics

Let's face it: human beings aren't designed for a life of ease and plenty. Our bodies are geared towards survival, which means doing everything possible to avoid dying. With me so far?

One of the ingenious ways our bodies try to keep us alive is to recognise the warning signs of starvation ASAP, and counteract impending doom by triggering us to go out and get food before we're too weak to do it properly. When our blood sugar levels drop too much or our nutrient levels are low, we get strong desires to eat foods high in fat and sugar - things the body can use to convert to energy straightaway.

Sadly, our bodies don't stop just because we're already carrying enough fat to feed a whole family of hyenas. And this is important if you've ever felt that your eating is out of control. It's not the only possible reason, but it's arguably the most common - you're sending your body the wrong messages, and it's not smart enough to realise there's a problem.

Taking Back Your Control

You've probably heard that a number of small, healthy meals throughout the day will help you lose weight. That's mostly true. It's definitely a good place to start. Keep nutritious, low-fat food nearby, and snack regularly - once every 2 hours or so. Fruits and vegetables are typically good choices. Apples, pears, grapes, oranges, carrots, tomatoes, even raw broccoli or cauliflower. They're higher in nutrients when raw, which means your body is even less likely to panic. Include nuts, seeds and bread, but in smaller portions than the fruit and veg.

It's OK to eat treats. No, really, it IS, as long as you keep them small and occasional. One biscuit or a couple of squares of chocolate a day won't kill you. But keep this in mind - most treats aren't actually food. Chocolate, lollies, chips and cookies have a nutritional content near zero. So don't eat them straightaway if you're hungry. Eat them after something healthy, or as a garnish to a healthy meal - fruit salad with chocolate topping, for example.

Dealing with the Cravings

Every now and then, you're bound to find yourself absolutely ravenous and desperately wanting something high in fat and/or sugar. It happens. But you can take control!

Here's a strategy which works well for me -

Take a small amount of whatever it is you're wanting - let's say cheese. Grab a piece of fruit or two as well. Alternate small bites of the unhealthy with large bites of the healthy. Before too long, your body will stop panicking and you can go back to your healthy snacking - without the nasty damage.

Recipe: Low-Fat Lentil Soup

Ingredients per person:

1/2 cup of red lentils
1/4 tsp of dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp of ground paprika
1/2 tsp of ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp of coconut milk powder (or 2 tbsp of coconut milk)
1 cup of water

Instructions:

Add everything to a saucepan, stir well, and heat gently for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with a few 'bacon bits' on top, if desired.