DO 'traffic light' shopping

Weight loss starts in the store. Yes, this is true - if you have it in stock, you feel compelled to eat it. So buy according to the traffic light system: green for go, orange for caution and red for stop. A typical (basic) grocery list will look like this:

Green-coded foods - enjoy in varying quantities, every day: oats, fresh or frozen vegetables, fruit, grains, dried beans and lentils, rice, pasta, non-oily fresh, canned or frozen fish, white chicken meat without skin, herbs, spices, stock powders, fat-free dairy products, cold-pressed virgin olive oil, whole wheat bread.

Orange-coded foods - enjoy in moderate quantities, no more than four times a week: canned vegetables, oily fresh, frozen or canned fish (in brine), unsalted nuts, skinless chicken (dark meat), refined clarified canola or sunflower oil, 2% dairy products, soup powders, canned soups, fish paste and vegetable bread spreads, white bread, red meat.

Red-coded foods - enjoy in really small quantities, no more than once a week: canned fruit, full-fat and cream cheese, fish canned in oil, bacon, butter, cream, chicken with the skin, offal, cakes, confectionery, anything coated in crumbs or baiter and deep fried.

Gone fishing

Fish should not only be reserved for Fridays; it should be consumed at least four times a week. Gram for gram, fish offers the most beneficial nutrients with less harmful fat than any other animal protein foods. The oily fish varieties (salmon, sardines, mackerel, pilchards) are rich in Omega 3 and 6 oils, essential for:-

• Your brain: keeps the mind alert, brain tissue fluid levels high, regulates brain metabolism, improves neurotransmission and in short, enhances your mental functioning.

• Your looks: ensures optimal functioning of skin and nails, the formation of new skin cells and alleviates skin and nail problems.

• Your senses: maintains and protects - and may even improve-your eyes, your sense of taste and smell, your balance and hearing.

• Your heart, lung and cardiovascular systems: increases oxygen supply, boosts circulation, heals blood vessel damage, prevents arteriosclerosis and positively lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Your uro-genital systems: ensures sex hormone production, reduces PMS,improves fertility, protects prostate and testes in men and improves urinary problems.

• Your nerves: protects the nervous system.

• Your immune system: supports and improves your immune system.

• Your muscles and skeleton: it is an anti-inflammatory agent and eases muscle aches and pains.

Oily fish contains on average 12 to 16 g of fat per 100 g portion. This does not mean you should avoid the oily varieties. On the contrary, study the list of benefits again and see how important it is to eat them regularly!

Non-oily varieties such as hake, sole, kingklip and tuna are low in kilojoules, tasty and versatile, they provide you with super-A protein without the risk of high fat consumption, These varieties contain on average 1 to 2 g of fat per 100-g portion, a real bargain if you're hungry and feel like a large portion of protein!

However, as is the case with all foods, the way in which you prepare fish will make the difference to the size of your dress. All varieties of fish, from the robust sardines to subtle hake, taste better if prepared simply: grilled with a light sauce of lemon and herbs. Those crispy coatings we love so much, only serve to mask their taste. Be honest, don't you eat fried fish because it is actually the batter you love so much? And guess what: its the oil-and-batter combination that loves your hips so much that it clings to them forever!

Chicken considerations

When it comes to enjoying lean animal protein, chicken is a great second choice after fish. The reason is the visibility of its fat, Most animal proteins have fat hidden in the flesh, whereas chicken has most of its fat concentrated in visible fat and of course in the skin. By removing the skin and visible fat from a chicken, you reduce the amount of fat you will be consuming by as much as half.

The question presented once a chicken is on the serving platter is "... white or dark meat?" Regardless of your personal taste preference, you might be interested to know that skinless white meat is the choice if you want to include very little fat in your meal. It contains around 4,5% fat, whereas the dark meat (skinless) contains 9,7% fat. On the other hand, if nutrients are what you are after, go for the dark meat. It contains about twice as much zinc, folate, and vitamin A as white does,

All this proves that when it comes to choosing your chicken, you have only a few simple and sensible choices to make. How to prepare it is a much harder decision to make. There are thousands of rich and tempting chicken recipes (remember the one roasted, skin and all, with chutney and mayonnaise?), so invest in a few low- fat chicken recipe books for your body's sake.

The decision whether or not to remove the skin should be determined by the method of cooking you are planning to follow. Since you will be eating according to the 'Have-a-life' eating plan, you might want to indulge in some crispy chicken now and again. For this purpose, and only this, you would leave the skin intact. It protects the bird from the heat, keeping the meat moist. Therefore, a bird with its skin must be prepared in a 'dry' way, such as grilling, roasting or barbecuing. Pierce the skin all over with a sharp instrument (toothpick or meat skewer) and roast raised, on a rack, so that the fat can be released and drip away. Cooking it in this way releases even more fat and gives it a crispier-than-usual skin - a pleasant bonus for your trouble.

Cooking a skinless chicken has the advantage of drastic fat reduction, but it can possibly become dry and stringy. Which will make you dump your diet faster than you can say: "Pass the gravy". However, poaching, boiling, cooking, stewing or making a casserole, are 'wet' cooking methods for which the skin's protection is not really required. If you cooked the chicken with its skin intact in this manner, the unnecessary (and unwanted) fat will simply leech out into the sauce, and invariably end up on your plate and in your body. There is no point in doing this, especially if you consider that you would never have eaten the fat on its own. So why eat it mixed with (or floating on top of) other juices and flavours? It will just end up floating around your thighs, somewhere under your skin. Your orange-peel skin, at that!

For what sugar you had?

Several different types of sugar are available, namely white, golden brown and the so-called 'speciality sugars' which include soft brown, caramel brown, multicoloured crystals, castor, icing and yellow sugar. Golden brown sugar is the end product of the milling process. Also known as raw sugar, it is from this that all the following types of sugar are produced:

• Soft brown sugar is made by adding extra molasses to raw sugar.
• Caramel brown sugar is produced by adding caramel flavouring and colouring (also made from sugar).

Yellow sugar has simply had yellow colouring added to it.

• White sugar is a refined raw sugar.
• Castor sugar is very finely ground white sugar - which is why, if you're ever stuck without it, you can make your own by grinding ordinary white sugar in your food processor.
• Icing sugar is even more finely ground white sugar, with a little cornflour added to prevent lumps forming.

Sugar and nutrition

Sugar is pure carbohydrate and as such its main contribution to the diet is food energy. One gram provides 17 kilojoules (4 calories). This energy is readily availableto the body, that is, the body can use it very quickly and efficiently. This may be either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the situation. For example, for anathlete taking part in an endurance event and therefore requiring a quick energy top-up, sugar is very useful. On the other hand, for diabetics - who have difficulty keeping their blood sugar level under control - the fact bloodstream relatively quickly is a

Another aspect to consider regarding sugar as an energy source is that it is inexpensive. This may not be of concern in affluent nations, but it means that sugar can be used to supplement energy-deficient diets of impoverished communities.

Despite claims to the contrary, the difference between the nutritional value of brown as opposed to white sugar is negligible. The brown variety does contain more molasses (the syrup left behind when sugar crystals are produced from sugar cane) and molasses is a rich source of certain nutrients, but in terms of the overall contribution to the diet, the amounts are insignificant. As an illustration, while molasses is considered a good source of iron, in order to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance for iron for an adult woman from brown sugar alone, one would have to eat nearly half a kilogram!

Why is sugar found in so many foods?

One of the major concerns people have about sugar is the fact that it is found in such a wide variety of foods - including foods that don't even taste sweet - which makes it easy to consume relatively large amounts of sugar without being aware of it. The reason it is used so widely is because it is a very versatile product. It has certain properties which enable it to perform numerous functions in foods - for example, it adds flavour, colour and texture and acts as a natural preservative.

Although sugar substitutes are available, none of these has all the properties of sugar and many products in which it is used would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to produce without sugar. For example, sugar may be used in the production of bread to improve its shelf life and in beer to assist with fermentation. Since South African food law states that food ingredients must be listed in descending order of quantity, you can get a good idea of the extent to which sugar has been used in a product simply by reading labels.

A spoonful of moderation

Having looked at where sugar comes from, what it does and its role in nutrition and health, it is clear that as is the case with so many other aspects of nutrition, much of what is commonly believed is not necessarily accurate. Too often, what is held to be absolute truth is in fact the result of assumptions and hearsay rather than controlled scientific research.

As far as sugar is concerned, the conclusion to which research has brought us is that, provided it is used in moderation as part of a balanced diet, it is not harmful. But what, you may ask, is moderation? It is difficult to give specific quantities because we all have different energy requirements, but the general consensus is that it is acceptable to consume up to 10% of your total energy intake in the form of simple carbohydrates (that is, all sugars). For an average adult man, this would be the equivalent of about 16 teaspoons of table sugar per day; for a woman, about 12 teaspoons. However, because (as mentioned above) so much of the sugar we consume is 'hidden' in manufactured or processed foods, it is very difficult to establish exactly how much sugar you are in fact eating. The best policy, therefore, is to have three balanced meals a day, concentrating on fresh, wholesome foods which are prepared at home wherever possible. Sugar, used sensibly to improve the palatability of such a diet, forms a useful part of good nutrition.

Indifference - the biggest enemy?

Against the background of all this evidence and the educational efforts of authorities worldwide, what are the chances that in the decades to come, people will change their eating patterns to protect themselves against cancer? Unfortunately, the experts agree that these chances are slim indeed. For one thing, they say, there is no record of any population ever changing from a palatable diet high in fat to a less palatable one which is lower in fat, for health's sake.

To justify this pessimism, it has to be admitted that despite all the evidence and the urging of respected authorities such as those mentioned above, statistics show that people in Western nations are not cutting down on their food and fat intakes. In fact in many countries - such as the US and Australia - obesity is rising. South Africa is no exception in this regard, since several reports havetestified to the high frequency of obesity in our inter-ethnicpopulations, especially among women. Obviously, food consumption in prosperous Western nations - and in 'higher-class' Third World urban populations - is governed mainly by pleasurable taste and hedonisticattraction.

The Cabbage Patch Diet

There has been a lot of discussion in the media about the valuable anti-cancer properties of fruit and particularly of 'cruciferous vegetables'. These are vegetables which have four leaves at the base of the stalk in the shape of a cross - hence the name. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower all fall into the group. These vegetables also provide us with a large amount of fibre. Along with many other fibrous foods, cruciferous vegetables are rich in vitamins A, beta-carotene, C and E. It has recently been discovered that these vitamins act as important defence mechanisms against damage to tissues and the impairment of their function due to 'free radicals' - compounds which are produced in the everyday working of our bodies.

The vitamins, which act as 'anti-oxidants' or scavengers, tend to lessen the damaging effects of bacteria and other parasites and also have an inhibiting effect on the development of cancer and other degenerative diseases. While these findings may tempt you to rush out and stock up on multivitamins, all authoritative dietary bodies are emphatic that it is infinitely preferable to increase your vitamin intake by eating more plant foods rather than by popping pills. (This applies particularly to vitamin A, which can be toxic in large doses.)

This is borne out by the well-known experience of some populations during World War II. During that time there was a significant drop in the consumption of fat and sugar - simply because they were not freely available - and a marked increase in the intake of less refined bread and of vegetables and fruit. In the populations most affected, there were varying decreases in dental caries, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, constipation and appendicitis. Admittedly there was no clear-cut evidence of a fall in diet-related cancers, perhaps because the length of time these changes were in operation was too short. But the point of this story is that once wartimerestrictions were removed, dietary patterns reverted and frequencies of all the disorders and diseases mentioned returned to their former levels - and then increased.

A recent survey by the American Cancer Society showed that 'only 15% of those polled (white persons) reported that they had made significant changes in the foods they eat because of theirunderstanding of a possible diet-cancer link'. In the Tecumeseh Diet Study (also in the United States) in which peoples' perceptions of change were assessed after a 15-year interval, there was no fall in the intakes of fats and oils. And a survey in the Netherlands indicated that only 4% of the population were consuming a 'prudent' diet.

With increasing urbanization and prosperity, energy and fat intakes are rising in Third World populations to the levels consumed by their white brothers and sisters. Simultaneously, fibre intakes are falling to levels even below those of white populations. Education among urban Third World populations has certainly created an understanding that nutritional deficiency diseases, mainly in children, such as proteinenergy-malnutrition (marasmus, kwashiorkor), can be fought by making appropriate changes, and that adult nutrition is very important in the control of tuberculosis. However, to suggest that their increasingly palatable diet, with higher intakes of animal products, should now be modified to lessen their chances of developing 'killer' diseases in later life seems like a contradiction, and is largely ignored.

In the American Cancer Society study referred to, it came to light that blacks and Hispanics were less inclined than whites to alter their diets so as to reduce their risk of getting cancer - even though these minority groups appeared to be just as aware of the link between nutrition and the reduction of cancer risk. One reason stated was that blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to feel that they cannot afford the required nutritious diet. (In America, brown bread costs more than white bread and breakfast cereals, vegetables and fruit are comparatively expensive.)

Baked Geelbek in Lemon Sauce

4 x 150 g portions filleted geelbek(Cape salmon)

4 large lettuce leaves

75 g soft butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

15 ml chopped fresh dill

salt and milled black pepper

175 g whole peeled shrimps, well drained on kitchen paper (weigh after shelling)

60 ml dry white wine

dill fronds for garnish

Set the oven at 200°C. Cut four squares of foil, large enough to enclose the fish.

Place a lettuce leaf on each; this will prevent the fish from sticking, and will make serving easier. Put a piece of geelbek on each leaf.

In a small bowl cream together the butter, garlic, lemon rind and juice and dill, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on the fish and top with a scattering ofshrimps.

Pull up, the edges of the foil and add 15 ml wine to each parcel.

Turn the edges over to seal the parcels. Cook for about 15 minutes until the fish is firm to the touch.

To Serve: Remove fish and lettuce from the parcels, or simply place the parcels on warm plates and garnish with dill. Serves 4

Leonie's Snoek Tart

Delicious warm or cool, as a savoury snack with a glass of good wine. Serve with moskonfyk and seeded, finely chopped green chilli.

1 kg smoked snoek, deboned, skinned and flaked

vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

125 ml grated mature Cheddar cheese

Pastry

375 ml cake flour

90 g unsalted butter, cut into blocks 45 ml iced water

White Sauce

500 ml milk

15 ml butter

15 ml flour

salt, milled white pepper, grated nutmeg

Pastry: Sift the flour into a large, chill. bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is flaky. Don't let it become oily.

Pour the iced water over the mixture and toss lightly. Gather the dough into a ball. If it crumbles, add a little more iced water a few drops at a time, until the pastry forms a ball. Dust with a little flour, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.

Set the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry, line a greased quiche tin and bake blind for about 15 minutes. Cool.

White Sauce: Warm the milk in a small saucepan. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When the foam subsides, sift in the flour and stir with a wooded spoon to form a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and blend in the warm milk. Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onion until translucent.

Spread a little white sauce onto the pastry, then add the flaked snoek and onion. Repeat the layers once more, ending with a layer of white sauce. Cover with grated cheese and bake for about

20 minutes until the cheese is golden.

Serves 8