Five Food Groups Series - Number 4

Milk, Yoghurt & Cheese

From an irresistible slice of smoked cheddar with relish, to a fresh strawberry smoothie, or a dollop of yoghurt on sliced ripe mango, there's nothing quite like the creamy, indulgent taste of milk, cheese or yoghurt.

Dairy products can also be enjoyed in a multitude of sweet and savoury ways. Milk can be poured on cereal, added to mashed potato, used to poach fish, or blended in a fruit smoothie. Yoghurt is great as an accompaniment to many savoury dishes - such as couscous or curry - as well as with fruit for a delicious snack or dessert. Cheeses are also fantastic on their own, on top of pasta, in salad, on bread or even as a simple cheese platter.

Better still, when it comes to dairy products there are plenty of different flavours and reduced fat options available - so you can always find one that suits you, and can still enjoy your favourite milk, yoghurt or cheese every day.

Why is this group good for me?

• Milk, cheese and yoghurt are high in calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Calcium helps young bones grow strong.
• Dairy products are also an excellent source of protein - which helps our body's cells grow strong and healthy and riboflavin and vitamin B12, two of the B group vitamins.

Fresh food tips

How many serves a day do I need?

You should have at least 2 serves of dairy produce every day. Fat-reduced products are recommended for those over 2 years of age. One serve is equivalent to:

• 40g of cheese
• 200g tub of yoghurt
• 250ml of milk or fortified soy milk.
• 250ml of custard

Fresh food tips

Enjoy a fresh fruit smoothie with your breakfast. Combine a banana, 1 cup of skim milk, 1/3 cup of natural yoghurt, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1-2 tablespoons of wheat-germ in a blender, whiz and drink!
Rich in iron and protein, these foods provide us with the strength and stamina our bodies need for everyday activity.

Try to choose lean cuts of meat or chicken wherever possible, and match this with a healthy preparation method such as stir-frying, grilling or poaching - which don't need extra oil.

Eggs, nuts and legumes - such as chickpeas and lentils - also make fantastic, easy alternatives to meat.

Barbecue slices of haloumi on a hot grill and serve sliced with kalamata olives and quartered Roma tomatoes in a Greek salad.

Spice up a cheese platter with fresh dates, halved and topped with slices of blue-vein or cottage cheese.

If you don't like to drink milk on its own, try adding it to cooking. Make a cheesy sauce to serve over vegetables by melting 2 tablespoons of reduced fat butter with flour in a saucepan, and adding 1 cup of skim milk and 1 cup of low fat grated cheddar

Five Food Groups Series - Number 2

Breads & Cereals

Prepare for a busy day with a hearty breakfast of homemade muesli and wholegrain toast. Fill up at lunchtime with a toasted pita pocket stuffed with tandoori chicken, bean sprouts and avocado. Or relax in the evening with a welcoming bowl of prawn, saffron and snow pea fettuccini.

Flavoursome, versatile and convenient, breads, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles are the basis of most our meals. Wholemeal grains have, on average more than twice the fibre of white bread -and wholegrains take longer to digest and keep you satisfied for longer. They provide long-lasting energy, are satisfying, and help us keep up with the demands of a busy lifestyle.

Best of all, there's no limit to the range of flavours, varieties and textures on offer. From creamy risotto to crumbly rye bread, you'll find something to suit every occasion.

Why is this group good for me?

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta & noodles are rich in carbohydrates. Wholegrain breads and cereals and all types of pasta provide slow release glucose that keeps us satisfied for longer. Whether you're a new mum, a growing child, or a busy office worker, all of us need carbohydrates for energy supply, to help our bodies function effectively.

Wholegrain and wholemeal breads and cereals are also good sources of fibre - which keeps our digestive system functioning as it should. Wholemeal and wholegrain varieties have a low glycaemic index, which means their carbohydrate is broken down slowly to form glucose and the slow-release of energy from this process helps keep us feeling full for longer.

How many serves a day do I need?

Try to have at least 4 serves every day. An example of a serve could be:

• 1 cup of cooked pasta, noodles or porridge
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 2 slices of bread or 1 medium bread roll
• 1/2 cup of natural muesli
• 1 cup of breakfast cereal

Fresh food tips

There's nothing like an appetising bowl of Italian-style pasta. Lightly fry some button mushrooms in a pan with onion and garlic. Add a dash of white wine, some fresh snipped oregano or thyme or finely chopped rosemary and some tomato puree and pour over freshly boiled veal tortellini. Top with a sprinkle of finely grated parmesan.

Take your tastebuds on an exotic journey with a Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Boil beef stock with lemon juice, star anise, ginger and lemon grass. Place uncooked rice noodles and strips of raw beef into bowls and cover with steaming broth. Top with fresh basil, coriander, lime, chopped chilli and bean sprouts.

Start the day with fruity French toast. Dip a thick slice of raisin bread into a bowl of whisked egg, and lightly fry it on both sides until the egg is cooked. Serve with poached peaches and ricotta cheese.

For a healthy kick-start to the day, make your own homemade muesli with rolled oats, wheatgerm, a little toasted flaked coconut, dried apricots, cashews and linseeds. Serve with slices of banana and fresh yoghurt.

Need a quick and easy dinner for two? Try this simple baked risotto. Throw 1 cup of Arborio rice into a baking dish, and add 1 ½ cups of salt-reduced vegetable stock, a small knob of butter or 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 350g of diced pumpkin. Bake for 30 minutes at 190°C until the rice is soft. Top with grated parmesan and serve.

Five Food Groups Series - Number 1

Vegetables & Legumes

Drizzle olive oil over chick-peas, rocket and roast pumpkin for a hearty summer salad! Get the morning off to a great start with a zesty carrot, celery and coriander juice. Or throw some skewers of colourful fresh veggies basted with chilli on the barbecue!

There are simply endless ways to enjoy vegetables. Packed full of valuable nutrients, they form an essential part of a healthy diet. And the good news is they can be absolutely delicious - particularly when in season and prepared the right way.

Why is this group good for me?

Vegetables are full of fibre, which is good for your digestive tract. They also provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals essential for normal growth and health.

If you're watching your weight, fresh vegetables are great for both meals and snacks – as some of them contain few kilojoules.

Vegetables are also versatile, easy to prepare, and add colour and flavour to any meal - perfect if you're catering for a hungry family. Try to cook vegetables as lightly as you can and as close to serving time as possible to get the full nutritional benefits.

What is a serve?

Try to have at least 5 serves of vegetables or legumes a day. A serve is generally ½ cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw or salad vegetables. Some other examples of a serve include:

* 1 medium potato
* 1 medium carrot
* 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts or leafy vegetables
* 2 florets of broccoli
* 3 sticks of celery
* 3-4 button mushrooms

Fresh Food Tips

By cooking vegetables in different ways, you can explore all sorts of varied flavours and textures.

Steaming is fantastic for retaining colour, taste and nutrients - ideal for delicate vegetables that can be enjoyed firm and slightly crunchy, such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, zucchini or squash. Also great for potatoes, pumpkin or yams. Serve steamed asparagus or broccoli topped with sunflower seeds and slivered almonds for some extra taste and crunch.

Boiling is useful for those times when you can't steam your veggies, but it results in the greatest vitamin losses. Be careful not to overcook - so the veggies retain their flavour. After boiling, drain the water into an airtight container and freeze as a healthy, natural vegetable stock to use in soups, casseroles or stir fries.

Blanching is used to soften the edges on vegetables or to remove their skins prior to freezing or grilling. Blanched snowpeas and fresh green beans are fantastic in salads, especially combined with other soft textures such as goat's cheese or roast pumpkin. Blanch vegetables by steaming or boiling for 1 minute and then plunging into cold water. Drain after a couple of minutes cooling.

Roasting works to intensify the flavours and natural sugars within vegetables so they become caramelised. Oven-roasted tomatoes can be made by halving Roma tomatoes, brushing them with garlic, mixed herbs, olive oil and some cracked pepper, and cooking them in a slow oven for an hour. Roasted tomatoes are great served for breakfast with fresh bread and ricotta cheese. Other vegetables that roast well include small whole potatoes, chunks of peeled sweet potato or pumpkin, whole carrots, small whole beetroot (peel after roasting) and peeled and halved parsnips.

Stir-frying is another quick and healthy way to prepare fresh vegetables as it uses very little oil, and helps retain their natural crispness and taste. Stir-fried vegetables are delicious served with rice or noodles and topped with coriander and sunflower seeds.

Barbequed vegetables are quick, easy and quite unique in flavour. Sweet potato slices on the barbeque give an interesting edge to steak and sausages. Simply slice a sweet potato into thin circular slices, place on the grill, and cook until crispy and brown on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Five Food Groups Series

Whether it's the rich aroma of a tender steak cooking on the barbeque, a warm loaf of freshly baked bread, or the first slice of mango in summer, there's nothing quite like the taste, texture and variety offered by fresh food.

To help choose foods with the right mix of essential nutrients, the Australian Healthy Eating Guidelines recommend basing your diet on the Five Food Groups. To stay healthy, it's recommended you eat a certain number of serves from each of these five groups every day.

Thanks to the Woolworths website, I'm going to do a little mini-series on the Five Food groups that we should all be using. I say the collective "we" but really, the finger is definitely pointed at ME!!!!

1. Vegetables & Legumes
2. Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta and Noodles
3. Fruit
4. Milk, Yogurt & Cheese
5. Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs, Nuts & Alternatives

So on Friday, I'll start with number 1.