CHRISTMAS PUDDING --LOWER FAT and LOWER CARBOHYDRATE

Lower fat and carbohydrate christmas pudding

Christmas pudding --lower fat and lower calorie

    I devised this a while ago but am often asked for it so here it is again--enjoy


Christmas pudding --lower fat and lower calorie I developed this recipe a while ago and it is very popular. It can be made at the last minute or rather the day before Christmas and is both easy and economical not to mention tasty.

Having looked at most luxury style Christmas puddings as well as recipes for homemade ones using traditional ingredients like suet in them I found that most provided around 600 kcals and 80g carbohydrate per portion. So I was given the challenge of developing a lower calorie and carbohydrate pudding. 

This is what I made and it makes 8 small portions and each portion provides 204kcal 43g carbohydrate, 1.4 g fat, 0.3g saturated fat and 0.3g salt.

It was quick to make and also cheap. It will not keep so make it only the day before or freeze.

Ingredients

200g dried mixed fruit

100ml water

10 ml red wine

1 tbsp oat bran

I tbsp black treacle

200g self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spices

1 420g can of prunes drained

1 egg

Mix the wine and water together (I just washed out a wine bottle)

Pour the dried fruit into a dish

Pour on the wine and water mixture

Leave overnight in the fridge.

This soaking step is important as it plumps up the fruit.

To this mix add the oat bran and return the dish to the fridge

Take the stones out of the prunes and puree—if you have not got a liquidiser a potato masher works well

Add to the mix, then add the treacle and mix through.

Sift together the flour and spices and add to the mix

Finally beat in the egg

If the mix seems a bit dry add a little skimmed milk

Pour into a one and a half pint basin and smooth down

Alternatively pour into 8 small basins

Put in the microwave and cook for 7 minutes on high

Take out of the microwave and let stand for 5 minutes

Cook again for 7 minutes on high and again let stand

Test the inside is cooked with a knife or skewer –if not cooked –then cook again for 5 minutes and allow to stand then check it

 The smaller puddings will cook more quickly and so will a pudding in a shallower basin

 The pudding will not keep for long so freeze it or cook a day or so before required.

 If you do not want to cook in a microwave it can be baked for an hour in a medium oven in a covered basin stood in a bowl of water.

 Serve with custard or ice cream or as it is very low in fat a little brandy butter or my current delight a really nice plain Greek style yogurt

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Children and obesity

Such a shame that while many children (18%) in the UK aged 5-19 were categorised as overweight or  obese --a big jump since 1975 when it was just 4%.

Also people appear to accept that children are a bit bigger and heavier and accept it as the norm.

Unfortunately 22% of girls aged 11-18 and 11% of boys years are not getting enough calcium at a critical time when they are growing.

There seems a big gap between boys and girls

Calcium is needed for bone health so items like cheese, milk and yogurt are really useful in providing this important mineral

WORLD DIABETES DAY

Diet is so important in managing diabetes that I thought  people may like to know of my book

"food meds and more"

Over the last 20 years, many people have asked us for advice on living with diabetes, from lifestyle choices to what to eat on a daily basis. We have now produced a book that we hope will answer those questions, with an emphasis on lifestyle, dietary information and recipes.

The book covers: Meals – recipes and ideas for meals and snacks to include; everyday recipes – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert; Weight loss recipes; Recipes for specials diets – coeliac disease, vegetarian, vegan; Recipes and advice for snacks, takeaways, eating out and travel; Recipes and advice for parties, with a section about alcohol Management – the different types of diabetes and information on lifestyle issues, including treatment and prevention of hypoglycaemia, advice about physical activity and exercise, and guidance around sick days.

Medication – the ways Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are treated, with information on different types of meals and how these link with insulin, medication and physical activity. We want people to know what they can eat, rather than what they can’t. We understand from experience that healthy eating means different things to different people, and we also differentiate between lifestyle essentials and lifestyle choices. This book is not only about everyday meals and snacks, but contains recipes for special diets, special occasions, exercising, travelling, and if your blood glucose levels are high or low.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will help IDDT to continue its work to help people who live with diabetes.

COTTAGE PIE

Lovely recipe from 

Cottage Pie

Serves 4
30 minutes preparation time and 30-45 minutes cooking time

 400g lean minced beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or chopped
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce (optional)
1 large carrot, cut into small pieces
1-2 tablespoons tomato puree
50g frozen peas
1 beef stock cube
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
500g potatoes
2-3 tablespoons  skimmed milk
1 tablespoon vegetable spread (such as olive or sunflower)
 pepper to season

Method

• Preheat oven to 200C or gas mark 6.

For the filling

• Warm the oil in a large sauce or frying pan.  Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes without colouring.
• Add the minced beef, and continue to cook until browned
• Add the stock cube, canned tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcester sauce and carrot pieces
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  The sauce should thicken nicely.
• Add frozen peas and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, season with pepper

For the topping

• Peel the potatoes and cut into egg sized pieces. Boil for about 20 minutes or until tender
• Drain the potatoes, add the vegetable spread and milk and mash until smooth and creamy

Making the pie

• Put the meat filling into a casserole or baking dish, and top with the mashed potato
• Bake for 45 minutes (30 minutes from hot), until golden brown on top
• Serve on its own or with seasonal vegetables

Recipe tip:  Try adding canned beans to the meat mixture instead of peas, adding chopped mushrooms or for a smoother sauce puree the chopped tomatoes before adding to the pan.

Per 100g

Low fat, saturates, sugar, medium salt 

Per serving

 Energy: 325 Kcals/ 1364 Kjoules   Fat: 12.3g   Saturates:  3.3g Sugars: 13.8g   Salt: 2.2g

Porridge

Lovely porridge recipes on the Heart Heath website

BEANS

I always use lots of pulses in cooking so like the ideas from the bean institute. Some slimmers may like to see the following-

Weight Watchers popular point system has long taken the guesswork out of dieting and healthful eating. Every food is assigned a point value where the most nutrient-dense foods receive the fewest points. By choosing foods that fit within their personal points “budget,” participants are encouraged to eat more of the most nutritious foods. The plan has always included a handful of “free” foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, which have no points. Now, in their new FreeStyle program, Weight Watchers has expanded the list of Zero Point foods to include even more healthful choices like dried beans. According to Weight Watchers, beans and other Zero Point foods belong at the center of healthy eating patterns and there is no reason to measure or limit these foods. Even if you aren’t involved with Weight Watchers, you can feel good about eating beans to your heart’s content.

HOSPITAL GOVERNORS

I have just taken over as acting lead Governor at Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust 

Being a Governor is extremely rewarding and we have a number of Governors active in many areas of helping to improve matters.

I always encourage people to  become a member of l Hospital Trusts  and to stand for election as a Governor.

Council of Governors

What is a Governor?

Governors provide an important link between the hospital and the local health community, enabling us to gather views from local people and to feedback what is happening within the Trust.  They reflect your interests and are working on your behalf to improve health services for the future.  By passing on ideas and suggestions you can help them carry out their role effectively. Who are your Governors? Meet your Governors

If you would like to contact your Governor please e-mail council.members@kgh.nhs.uk

The full Council of Governors is made of two groups. The first group is elected by members from their own area. These are called constituencies. The second group will be appointed by key organisations that work closely with the Trust.

What is the Council of Governors?

The Board of Directors (the Trust Board) is accountable to the Council of Governors.  In addition to monitoring the performance of the Trust, the Council has a wider role which includes ensuring that the local community and staff have a greater say in how services are developed and delivered by the NHS Foundation Trust.

What Governors do?

Governors have two roles – statutory duties that they have to carry out and non-statutory duties that are carried out in agreement between the Trust and the Council.

The statutory duties are:

• Selecting and appointing the Chairman and Non Executive Directors
• Approving the appointment of a Chief Executive
• Approving the salary of the Chairman and Non Executive Directors
• Advising the hospital’s Board of Directors on a range of issues
• Attending meetings of the Council
• Appointing the Trust’s External Auditor
• Receiving the annual reports and accounts

The non-statutory duties which we hope to develop will be:

• Participating in Council working groups and contributing to Council activities
• Assessing the patient and visitor experience and helping in the development of improvement programmes
• Understanding the requirements of the Code of Governance of NHS Foundation Trusts published by Monitor (and available to view on the Monitor website at www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk)
• Developing the Membership Strategy and increasing membership
• Publishing a quarterly newsletter distributed to all members
• Discussing the hospital’s future development

BEANS and PULSES

I often cook with beans and there are lots of lovely recipes from this site http://beaninstitute.com/beanbite

Also lots of information on nutrition.

diet and diabetes FOR CATERERS

Last week I spoke on managing food for people with diabetes for those in hospital for the Oxford branch of the Hospital Caterers Association



While there was a very full presentation these are some summary points

•Ask diabetes team/ patients

•Menu code H

•Carbohydrate content of items

•Low calorie sweeteners

•Lower GI foods

•Snacks

•Adequate fluid

DIABETES WEEK

This is a book I wrote on diabetes

Lots of good information on this site 

NHS 70 years celebrations

At Kettering General Hospital  there is the Annual Members Meeting and NHS70 celebration open day taking place on Thursday 5^th July.

Lots of information, open departments and activities

In the Prince William Education centre  9.30 onwards 

Members meeting  6pm

hydration and hot weather

It is so important to drink enough in hot weather

The NACC has a really good set of sheets on this



Most of us enjoy sunny weather, but extreme heat can affect fit and healthy people as well as the vulnerable. It can potentially cause serious discomfort or worse, seriously damage people’s health. During the warm summer months, make sure the hot weather doesn’t harm you, anyone you know or anyone you support in your job role. So what is a heat wave? A heat wave occurs when temperatures remain really high day after day and they can occur suddenly, with rapid temperature rises. During the heat wave of 2003 over 2000 excess deaths were recorded across England and Wales; it is for this reason that we must put measures into place to protect vulnerable people. However, it is also important to be aware that our staff/volunteers may struggle in a heat wave; particularly those who work in kitchens; have physical duties or work outdoors! It’s all in the preparation! The Heat wave Plan for England provides advice and guidance on preparing care services and has some basic measures for minimising the risks for vulnerable people: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heatwave-plan-for-england The ‘at risk’ groups are: • Older people (especially those over 75) • Babies and young children • People with mental health problems • People on certain medications • People with a serious chronic condition, particularly those with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases • People who abuse alcohol or drugs • People with mobility problems • People who are unable to adapt their behaviour to keep cool, including those with cognitive difficulties such as Alzheimer’s, those with a disability or who are bed-bound • People who are physically very active (such as manual workers who work outdoors) Everyone involved in providing services to vulnerable people and all managers of services that could be affected by a heat wave should be prepared. Good preparation should start with raising awareness across staff teams and identifying service users who might be made more vulnerable because of excess heat

Happiness

I always love the action for happiness information --this is the calendar for June

If people feel happier they do tend to care more for themselves and not console themselves with excess snacks of food

dietitians week

Dietitians Week is nearly here! 

June 4-8 201

DIET< NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer:
a Global Perspective

The Third Expert Report

The Continuous Update Project (CUP) is the world's largest, most authoritative and up-to-date source of scientific research on cancer prevention and survivorship through diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer

I have always valued these reports and this is a summary of advice

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Introduction
• Be a healthy weight
• Be physically active
• Eat wholegrains, veg, fruit, beans
• Limit 'fast foods'
• Limit red & processed meat
• Limit sugary drinks
• Limit alcohol
• Don’t rely on supplements
• Breastfeed your baby
• After a cancer diagnosis

Detailed information at 

https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/about

Feeding infants

Bean Bites

Bean tips, facts, and recipes in one quick bite.

Many people are looking at eating more vegan ideas and this site has some useful ideas on this including in the diet of infants.

Beans are a source of protein, iron and fibre and compliment other food items including meat and poultry.

SPORTS NUTRITION

This is a really interesting topic in nutrition and went to Vitafoods last year where there was much discussion.

I thought this may be of interest

Vitafoods Insights <vitafoods@informa.com>	Apr 16 (3 days ago)
to mabel

If you are having trouble reading this email, read the online version.

Sports nutrition has come a long way from on-shelf products targeted only to bodybuilders and professional athletes; with today’s consumers seeking protein in more diverse products and increasing numbers of the casually active ‘weekend warriors’, growth in this sector shows no sign of slowing down. Consumers globally are more interested in healthy diets and exercise, expanding the consumer base and ensuring continued market potential.

Sports nutrition has come a long way from on-shelf products targeted only to bodybuilders and professional athletes; with today’s consumers seeking protein in more diverse products and increasing numbers of the casually active ‘weekend warriors’, growth in this sector shows no sign of slowing down. Consumers globally are more interested in healthy diets and exercise, expanding the consumer base and ensuring continued market potential.

Takeaways for Your Business: The market is booming in Europe, with continued innovation in ingredients and finished products. Research shows 72 percent of consumers want industry-wide certification to ensure ingredient quality. Manufacturers and retailers making health and nutrition claims need to be aware of the legal requirements of marketing claims.