In this issue:

• Vanilla Banana Colada
• Portion Caution
• Mini Food for Festive Entrtaining

VANILLA BANANA COLADA

Serves 4

• 1 cup Jalna Vanilla Low Fat Creamy Yoghourt
• 1 banana, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup light rum
• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup crushed ice
• Cinnamon to taste
• 1 cup chopped strawberries (optional)
  
• Puree all ingredients except strawberries.

• Serve in martini glasses with strawberries.

Portion Caution

By Karen Inge, Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Have you noticed how muffins or cookies are giant sized compared to a few years ago?   Is your bucket of popcorn at the movies getting close in size to your laundry bucket at home?  Are you surprised at how inexpensive it is to “upsize” many takeaway food items?  If you’ve had a hunch that our food serves have undergone a bit of a growth spurt in recent years, you’re spot on.  The fact is that most of us are eating (or being served up) much larger amounts of food than in the past and this is adding to the challenge of maintaining a healthy weight.  

Even at home, there’s plenty of evidence that you are probably serving up larger portions than ever before.  Follow a modern recipe book and you may find that your lasagne recipe serves four when a traditional recipe of the same ingredients would have served six. Take a look at how the size of the plates in your grandmother’s dinner set compare to yours. Unfortunately, a big plate often needs a lot of food to make it look appetising. 

As the research continues on the best approaches to long-term weight loss, controlling portions or the amount of certain foods you eat is now recognised as an important part of success. Let’s take a look at some top tips:

Dining out dos

• Don’t be worried about leaving leftovers on your plate when eating out or at friends'.  Even celebrities have been caught by the paparazzi taking a doggy bag home from their favourite restaurant.
  
  
• Go for an entrée size main course and split a dessert with a friend.
  
  
• Look for a small plate and go for one round of the buffet.
  
  

• Go easy on alcohol as this can stimulate appetite and lower your self will with portion control.

Shopping solutions

• Watch out for shopping on an empty stomach as you may add more treats to your cart (before you start, enjoy a 200g serve of Jalna Strawberry Low Fat Creamy Yoghourt or a drink of Jalna Vitalize or Yoghourt on the Go, also low fat, to keep your calcium and protein levels up without lifting your fat intake the way many snacks will).
  
  
• Make a list before you shop – and stick to it (the Jalna ‘What’s for dinner tonight’ section on the Jalna web site has meal suggestions and shopping lists to help you).
  
  
• Read the suggested serve size on the labels of packaged foods.
  
  
• When comparing like foods, look at the number of kilojoules per 100g in the nutrition panel.
  
  
• Go for individually packaged biscuits and portion controlled food packs like Jalna’s Low Fat 200g tubs and 250ml bottles of Jalna Vitalise or Yoghourt On The Go drinks.  Even though larger packs can be more economical, research has revealed that you may end up eating 40-50% more.
  
  
• If you prefer to buy large packs of food, dispense them into smaller portions when you get home or use a measuring spoon or cup to control your serve.
  
  
• Look for low fat or fat free choices – all the Jalna drinks are low fat and you can choose Jalna Fat Free Berry Fruit, Natural or Greek Style Natural Creamy Yoghourt; or Strawberry, Vanilla, BerryFruit or Natural Low Fat Creamy Yoghourt. They are all delicious.

Kitchen capers

• When eating pasta or rice, switch to a small Asian bowl and try to use entrée serving plates instead of larger ones.
  
  
• Use cup measures or scales for a while to get a feel for portions.
  
  
• Serve larger amounts of salad, vegetables and fruit, but smaller amounts of meat or chicken and limit high fat, ‘treat’ food so it really is a treat, not an everyday occurrence. And enjoy more vegetarian meals, like Corn Cakes with Yoghourt & Salsa made with the new Jalna Low Fat Natural Creamy Yoghourt or Vitalize Vitamin+ (see the Jalna web site for the recipe).
  
  
• Position healthy food like a fruit bowl in a prime position and hide the biscuit barrel away in the pantry and have your Jalna yoghourt front and centre on the fridge shelf.
  
  
• Portion out leftovers and frozen meals into single serves.
  
  
• Consider making mini muffins instead of the supersize versions (there’s an easy recipe for Lemon and Orange Muffins on the Jalna site) – great for lunchboxes or mini snacks.
  
  

• Serve smaller portions for main meals.

Couch potato tips (not chips!)

• Watch mindless eating in front of the TV or movies, especially if there are enticing food ads – keep snack time separate from TV time.
  
  

• Find another action to do during TV time like knitting or stretching exercises, that takes your thoughts away from food.

Mini Suggestions for Festive Food

We’re nearly into the festive season and everybody is so busy that we all need quick and easy options for maximum impact without breaking the budget (especially with all the focus on finances lately). But this is the time of year we still want to enjoy eating well with family and friends and ‘mini food’ makes it possible to achieve a ‘wow factor’ with value for money, healthy choices.

Serving a range of mini food – small, bite size choices, rather than larger serves – means everyone has more variety and feels like they have lots to choose from and the more expensive items, like seafood, will make a real impact, while the whole menu won’t cost too much.

Mini food is also easy to eat while you keep socialising – and everyone (especially kids) will try something new if it is small. Plus hot weather means people are more inclined to nibble than want a heavy meal.

Firstly, try to prepare well before you have guests:

• Stock up on plastic containers and snap lock bags so you can prepare extra quantities and freeze or refrigerate.
  
  
• Pack the fridge and freezer with essentials to whip up a quick snack or a stunning dessert to make you look good (but with minimal effort). Keep plenty of Jalna Yoghourt and Yoghourt On The Go, fresh fruit and vegies, smoked salmon and eggs in the fridge.
  
  

• Stock the pantry with versatile ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, canned salmon, tuna, chick peas, tomatoes, packets of rice, pasta, couscous, dried rice wrappers, dried fruits (sultanas, apricot, apples and pears), pastry cases and lemon butter, plus sauces like sweet chilli, thick teriyaki and soy.

Secondly, get everyone involved.

If you are the host, don’t think you have to do it all yourself. Here are a few useful suggestions:

• Invite the guests to bring a plate of mini food (ideally give them suggestions so you don’t end up with too much of the same thing).
  
  
• When guests arrive, station someone at the blender to whiz up any of the Jalna Yoghourt On The Go drinks with a dollop of Jalna creamy fruit yoghourt and seasonal fruit (usually inexpensive and luscious at this time of year) to hand around as the first cold drink. Makes a change from the usual drinks served and is a great way to welcome people to your home.
  
  

• Get everyone to make their own Vietnamese spring rolls with rice paper wrappers and whatever vegetable or salad ingredients you have.

Mini food makes it easy

There are an endless array of mini food ideas that are quick and easy to prepare, and many can be done in advance:

• An array of dips with crudités, bread sticks, pita toasts or small fruit kebabs always go down well. Jalna Natural, Greek Style Natural or fruit yoghourts make a perfect base for dips. Try Tzatziki or the Yoghourt Spinach dip on the webs site, or simply serve the yoghourt in a bowl over ice. 
  
  
• Cold avocado soup (prepared in advance) served in small glasses is so simple - puree 2 ripe avocadoes, add in ½ cup of Jalna Greek Style Natural Yoghourt or BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt, squeeze of lemon juice, 1-2 teaspoons of wasabi (green horseradish) and 250mls of Vitalize Vitamin+ drink, along with crushed ice for a delicious soup.
  
  Add cooked crab meat or school prawns for a chilled avocado seafood soup. What could be easier or have more impact on a hot day?
  
  
• Make mini chicken koftas (see the Jalna recipe) or little fish bites ahead of time and serve on toothpicks – blend Jalna Greek Style Natural or Low Fat Yoghourt with fresh herbs or sweet chilli sauce as a dip or drizzle on top.
  
  
• Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon & Lime Zest Yoghourt (see the recipe on the website) can be part made in advance then quickly assembled for real impact.
   
  
• Individual lamb cutlets with Tzatziki on top are also yummy and can be cooked ahead or done quickly on the BBQ.
  
  
• Smoked salmon or trout roll ups. Blend some Jalna Natural or BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt, a little wasabi or horseradish, fresh herbs and lemon or lime zest, spread on the salmon slices and roll up. Serve on cucumber rounds or rye bread squares. (This is one to get the kids to make.)
  
• Mini muffins are also perfect with coffee or a yoghourt smoothie when guests drop by unexpectedly – you can make plenty in advance, freeze then warm slightly in a microwave. The Lemon & Orange Yoghourt Muffins on the site are yummy! 
  
  
• Desserts in shot glasses, or mini coffee cups or atop Chinese spoons look stunning for a finale – make any of the frozen yoghourt dessert suggestions on the Jalna web site (Frozen Honeyed Fruit Yoghourt, Parfait Shots of BerryFruit Yoghourt Sorbet with Raspberries, Strawberry Yoghourt Icecream or Strawberry & Yoghourt Sorbet); or simply drop pre-chopped fresh fruit or berries into the glass and top with any of the luscious Jalna creamy yoghourt fruit varieties for a cooling climax to your entertaining.
  

Remember this is the time of year to enjoy the company of family and friends and to forget about the commercialism that seems to invade everywhere we go – so relax, have a good time talking, not working, this season. Who said festive entertaining couldn’t be easy and not too expensive?