IN CURRENT times, families are faced with reduced disposable income through wages cuts, redundancy and increased taxes. The Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF) is asking people to use this as an opportunity to shop smart, cook smart and eat smart together in order to establish a healthy diet for life for all the family starting with Eat Smart Week on April 19 to 25. This innovative initiative from the NHF, which is in its fourth consecutive year, is aimed at showing everyone that healthy eating is achievable for everyone.
This year they have some top tips as well as budget friendly one-pot wonders which can be made and enjoyed by everyone. With unemployment rates now running at 12.7 per cent, it is understandable that today’s moms, dads and families are more challenged than ever. Not everyone, male and female, have the ability to cook and many are now faced with the challenge of having to plan menus and finding recipes the whole family will enjoy whilst on a budget. Not only can this be challenging but also time consuming.
“With purse strings tightened, families have become more conscious of what they are spending on food every week,” says Dr Muireann Cullen, manager of the Nutrition and Health Foundation. There is the temptation to buy what’s on special offer, rather than perhaps what’s best nutrition wise. Obesity levels are now at an all time high in Ireland with direct and indirect costs accounting for €4 billion a year; it is imperative that people start to make the right choices when it comes to food shopping and eating.”
In our current society, we now don’t really plan ahead – with most of us planning our meals on the same day or the day before. The most important factor influencing our choice of what to cook is the ingredients we have at home – time of course is also an influential factor. To illustrate how eating the smart way, is not only sensible and vital, but also colourful, delicious, quick and fun, why not try these quick and easy recipes.
Stuffed butternut squash
WHAT YOU NEED
2 small butternut squash
400g baby spinach leaves
3tbls sunblush tomatoes, cut in half
100g feta cheese
100g chorizo sausage, diced
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
WHAT TO DO
Wrap the butternut squash in foil and bake in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes at 180degC until tender. Check by prodding with a dinner knife.
Fry the chorizo until crispy; add the chickpeas, sunblush tomatoes and spinach and heat through until the spinach wilts. Season.
Slice the butternut squash in half. Scrape out all the seeds very well.
Spoon in the filling and sprinkle with feta cheese.
