Everywhere you look, we hear conflicting advice about what we should and shouldn't eat.

This issue gets more complicated when families are short on time and food prices go up every time you go to the supermarket. Aiming to keep things simple, here is some information that highlights a few ways to keep costs down, points out a resource to access easy and inexpensive meals, and shows why nutrition matters.

Eating well benefits everyone: Why daily food choices matter

Eating well can reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis, reduce high blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, improve your well-being, improve your ability to fight off illness, and increase your energy levels. In terms of mental health and being able to learn, a balanced diet improves sleep, memory, attention, reduces irritability and can help with depression, and ADHD symptoms. Check out these links from Julia Rucklidge (University of Canterbury) who has done extensive research on which nutrients can specifically help mental health.

http://www.thebetterbrainbook.com/

https://www.edx.org/course/mental-health-and-nutrition

Some tips to reduce costs and make it easier to eat well

• Try to plan the week ahead, breakfasts, lunches, dinner, and snacks 

• Keep an eye out for bargains, try the Reduced to Clear section

• Use Click and Collect options or if over $50 free delivery from New World

• Buy in season, get fruit and veggies from outlets other than supermarkets

• Use the Bin Inn or buy in bulk dispensers

• Use supermarket ‘home’ brands

• Grow your own veggies (now is a good time to plant broccoli, silverbeet, kale, swedes, radish, cabbage, kumara, and rhubarb)

• Join fruit and veggie co-ops or go to community gardens. Kaiapoi has two community gardens.

• Use frozen, canned, or jars of foods, in own juice rather than in syrup

• Try homemade versions of take-out meals, much cheaper!

For young people, the following nutrients needed by teenagers are:

Calcium

Your body is building its skeleton while you’re a teenager. To make it as strong as possible, you need to eat foods rich in calcium.

• Choose dairy products, including low-fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, eating 2-3 serves every day.

• If you don’t eat dairy foods, other good sources of calcium are calcium-fortified soy milk, canned fish (e.g. salmon or sardines), certain nuts (e.g. almonds, hazelnuts), dried beans & peas (e.g. chickpeas, kidney beans), lentils and wholegrain bread & cereals (e.g. wholegrain bread, brown rice, porridge).

• If you drink soft drinks, try replacing one or two each day with water or milk (which has calcium and other valuable nutrients).

• Try smoothies (made in a blender with trim milk, yoghurt, and fruit) for breakfast or a snack – they tick the boxes for calcium, fruit, and taste.

Iron

Teenage girls in particular need to include iron-rich foods in their diet as they need more iron from food to replace what’s lost during their periods. If not, low levels of iron in the blood can leave you looking pale and feeling tired and lethargic.

• Lean meat, chicken, fish, and seafood contain haem iron, which is absorbed best by the body.

• Eggs, nuts, seeds, dried beans (e.g. baked beans, chickpeas), and lentils also contain iron. Eating two serves from this food group every day, plus choosing wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals will help you get enough iron.

• Eat foods with vitamin C in your meals, particularly with plant-based sources of iron, to help increase the absorption of iron.

Recipe Ideas

To access a complete recipe book click this link. The meals are easy and use simple ingredients. https://nutritionfoundation.org.nz/just-cook-recipe-book/

Remember the Health Clinic is open Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10-2pm with a Nurse and Thursday 1-2pm with a GP.