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Sugar is added to a lot of our everyday packaged food and drink. This includes seemingly healthy foods, such as muesli bars, fruit-flavoured yoghurt and store-bought muffins, and those convenient foods we turn to when low on time and energy, such as instant soup and cereal. Without the need to whip up elaborate meals throughout … Continued

Identifying added and free sugars by learning how to read labels takes a little practice, though worth doing. By building awareness of where and how much added sugar is hiding in food and drink, we are less likely to over consume. This is important as too much of the sweet stuff increases the risk for tooth decay, type 2 … Continued

Most Aussies are consuming too much added and free sugar. Recommendations are to limit intake to 6 teaspoons (25g) per day, yet some boys aged 14-18 years are having at least 38 teaspoons of free sugars per day! Too much added and free sugar can lead short- and long-term health concerns, so it is important … Continued

Tucking into a tub of Häagen-Dazs, a packet of Skittles, or a slice of Aunty Val’s pavlova, without question you are eating added sugar. However, excessive amounts of the sweet stuff can creep into everyday foods without us realising, even in products that appear ‘healthy’. In fact, Australians over-consume free and added sugars, surpassing the recommended limit of … Continued

Everyday we are exposed to ultra-processed packaged food and drink that is fancy looking, hyper-palatable, super-cheap, and easily accessible – yet ultimately unhealthy. Whether online, on the TV, at school, on public transport, or at the weekend sporting match, it is hard to avoid the temptation of such offerings by the “Big Food” industry.  In the face … Continued

Most of us want to eat well. And we should. It is imperative for optimal brain and body function. While it is obvious that certain foods are not great for us (yes, that Krispy Kreme is not designed to nourish your body), in this online age we are constantly bombarded with sometimes conflicting nutrition information … Continued

Easter is here, friends! And with it, supermarket aisles of coloured foil and bunny-themed, sugar-laden sweets. It is a festive time of year, and a chocolate Easter egg for the kids as part of the fun can be okay. What we don’t need is our kids partaking in a mountain of chocolate and other sugared-up … Continued

Creating a meal to please kids that is also healthy can be a challenge. Children and teens can have a discerning palate and a preference for particular (often unhealthy) foods. It is not surprising. We are faced with endless marketing of hyper-palatable processed and packaged foods, many of which contain added and free sugars while offering little … Continued

We read and hear frequently that foods with anti-inflammatory properties are good for us. So, if anti-inflammatory is ‘good’, is inflammation ‘bad’?   The short answer, no.  Inflammation is essential, a completely normal biological process and a natural part of our body’s defense system.  When injured or infected, a complex response takes place in your body … Continued

Whether at the workplace or school canteen, lunch can often be the meal we buy on the run or piece together with various packets of ultra-processed, pre-made, instant foods. Yet buying out all the time can be expensive, and take-out and pre-made foods are often high in unhealthy types of fats, added salt, and added … Continued

It has been remarked by some that 2020 feels like several years rolled into one. With so much happening, it is no surprise that the festive season is suddenly upon us! In a year where social distancing, lockdowns and Zoom hangs have become the new normal, typical holiday and Christmas activities and gatherings may look … Continued

While a little added or free sugar is okay for most, come the festive season we are often bombarded with excessive offerings of the sugary stuff. In addition to what is already hiding in everyday and seemingly ‘healthy’ foods, at this time of the year – with gatherings, supermarkets, and gifts brimming with sweetened food and drink – it … Continued