The festive season comes with extra expenses. Below are some tips on how to save money this Christmas for those on a budget. How to save money this Christmas Homemade vs bought Making food at home is usually cheaper than buying it. It takes preparation and work, but if saving money is important to you, plan on making most of the festive meals rather than going out. This also applies to festive baked goods and desserts, such as Christmas pudding, cookies and the popular pavlova. Cook something simpler Making Christmas meals special does not require spending money in expensive ingredients. For example, instead of sourcing a turkey, you could roast…

Many people get confused when choosing healthier pasta dishes. As the answer is nuanced, in this article we present 5 popular pasta dishes analysed to help you choose what to eat. There are infinite variations of pasta dishes and sometimes is tricky to identify which ones are the best choices for you. Most people are told to choose pasta in tomato-based sauces rather than creamy ones but there are more variables to consider. For example, is the dish meeting your carbohydrate and protein needs? Is the dish too high in calories from fat? 5 popular pasta dishes analysed For the purposes of this article we chose 5 popular pasta dishes…

Eating healthy and within your energy budget doesn’t have to be bland. Below are my top 15 ways to add flavour without calories. The truth is that individuals who find it difficult to control their food intake should stick to bland foods. However, it is more enjoyable to eat tasty food and there are ways of doing so without sacrificing your energy budget. 15 ways to add flavour without calories Below are my top choices when it comes to adding flavour without adding too many calories. [Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash]

Nuts are packed with nutrients, including healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. If you don’t enjoy eating them plain, give this BBQ nuts recipe a go. This recipe takes inspiration from US-style BBQ rubs. I used regular paprika and liquid smoke but you can sub smoked paprika if you don’t have liquid smoke on hand. You can also use smoked salt if you have it handy. As for the nuts, you can buy a bag of mixed nuts or make your own mix with the nuts you prefer. Finally, as mentioned at the bottom of the recipe, I recommend storing nuts in the freezer or fridge as nuts can turn…

If you experience digestive problems after eating dairy foods, you may be lactose intolerant. If so, follow the strategies below for navigating lactose intolerance. What is lactose? Lactose is a disaccharide, i.e. two simple sugars linked together. It is the sugar present in dairy foods, i.e. milk and foods made from it. This includes yoghurt, cheese, cream, and ice cream. It also includes foods that have milk as an ingredient, such as most chocolate, some pastries, baked goods, packaged snacks, etc. Navigating lactose intolerance 1. Consume dairy alternatives Many people employ they strategy to deal with their symptoms. Foods in this category include plant-based dairy alternatives such as milk, yoghurt…