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December 2009
BE A SUPERMARKET SLEUTH FOR A HEALTHY CHRISTMAS
Christmas may still be some weeks away, but there’s no avoiding the signs in the
supermarket – shelves laden with luscious
goodies and treats that come but once a
year. The Heart Foundation has a few simple tips to help you become a supermarket
sleuth and enjoy a healthy and happy Christmas season.
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Look for products carrying the Heart Foundation Tick. Only foods that meet our
high standards for nutrition are eligible for the Tick, so it is a guaranteed healthier
choice.
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Summer fruits like mangoes, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries and
berries are at their
best over Christmas, both in quality and price. Serving them
sliced on a large platter makes a delicious dessert. Try sprinkling with some fresh
mint for a refreshing twist.
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Make vegetables the main part of your meals. For a great roasted vegetable
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For a less traditional Christmas lunch, choose an Aussie barbeque with fresh
seafood like prawns and fish, and team up with crunchy salads.
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Choose lean meats, low fat dairy, wholegrain breads, and poly or
monounsaturated vegetable oils and margarines.
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Shop around the edges of the supermarket –
this is where the healthier, fresh
foods like lean meats, dairy, fruits & vegetables and bread tend to be located.
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Don’t go shopping when you are hungry! You are less likely to “impulse buy”
from the aisles packed with tempting high kilojoule treats.
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When shopping for snacks, use
the Nutrition Information Panel to compare
products. Use the “Per 100g or 100mL” column rather than “Per serving” to get a
true comparison. Choose foods lower in saturated fat, sodium and kilojoules.
The best ways to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and to help
prevent it getting worse if it already exists, are to: be smoke-free, enjoy healthy eating,
be physically active, control your blood pressure, achieve and maintain a healthy body
weight, maintain your psychological and social health and take your medicines as
prescribed by your doctor
About the Heart Foundation
This year the Heart Foundation marks its 50th anniversary as Australia’s leading voice
on heart health.
The Heart Foundation saves lives and improves health through funding world-class
cardiovascular research, guidelines for health professionals, informing the public and
assisting people with cardiovascular disease.
While the work over the past five decades has helped reduce the number of deaths,
cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke and blood vessel disease) remains one of
Australia’s most devastating health problems.
As a charity, the Heart Foundation relies on donations and gifts in Wills to continue its
lifesaving research, education and health promotion work. For further information visit
Attached is a recipe for a perfect Christmas Day summer salad using delicious fresh
seafood and healthy avocado.
Summer Prawn and Avocado Salad
Serves: 4 - 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
450g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
Olive oil cooking spray
1 large iceberg lettuce, sliced
50g rocket leaves, washed
50g snow pea sprouts, washed
150g snow peas, trimmed
1kg cooked king prawns, peeled, deveined and tails left intact
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 large ripe avocado, chopped
Cracked black pepper to serve
Dressing
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons reduced salt tomato sauce*
2 tablespoons reduced fat natural yoghurt*
Make this meal even healthier by using Tick approved ingredients.
*Products available with the Heart Foundation Tick. Remember all fresh fruit and vegetables
automatically qualify for the Tick.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. put the sweet potato in a large baking dish, spray lightly with olive
oil spray and cook for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. Put the lettuce rounds onto individual plates. Top with rocket and snow pea sprouts.
3. Steam the snow peas until tender, rinse under cold water and drain well.
4. Arrange snow peas and sweet potato on top of the greens, then top with prawns and
chopped avocado.
5. To make the dressing Put the lime juice, dill, tomato sauce, rice wine vinegar and yoghurt in
a bowl and whisk to combine. The dressing should be of pouring consistency. If it is too thick
add 1-2 tablespoons cold water.
6. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with a few extra snow pea sprouts and
cracked black pepper.
For more information please contact:
Jill Sims, Media & Communications Manager, Heart Foundation 07 3872 2541
M: 0421 911 116
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