In order to remain healthy, we need a diet that delivers the range of nutrients we need through a variety of foods. This is how Knorr is addressing the crisis of South Africans not eating a wide range of foods.
ALSO SEE: What Are South Africans Really Eating?
How well do South Africans eat?
Knorr’s new Plate of the Nation report, compiled by research specialists Nielsen, reveals some worrying insights into what we’re eating as a country. The current South African plate consists mostly of starch (41%) and meat (26%), and only 13% vegetables! Such an unbalanced and limited diet has serious implications, not only for our individual health, but also our collective health as a nation.
So how can we work together to change the Plate of the Nation? By making a variety of foods part of our diets through highly nutritious plant foods! The easiest way to introduce variety to your menu is to add more fresh veggies to meals. You can also add pulses like beans and lentils, and nutrient-dense grains like millet, quinoa, and wild rice.
You can start eating better by making small changes to your diet, such as swapping mince for lentils in bolognaise sauces, bulking up soups and stews with fibre-rich beans and root veggies, or choosing brown rice and wholewheat pasta over potato mash and pap.
Revamp traditional family favourites by replacing starchy white foods like pap, rice and potatoes with more nutritious alternatives – for example, use sweet potatoes to make mash; replace noodles with spiral-cut baby marrow or carrot ‘spaghetti’; and make sandwiches with wholegrain bread, high-quality lean protein, and plenty of fresh, crunchy veggie fillings.
ALSO SEE: Stories From Women Who’ve Switched To A Plant-Based Diet
Mushroom And Spinach Pie Recipe
Knorr’s chefs and nutritionists have created a collection of quick, delicious plant-based recipes designed to make healthy eating easier!
Try this pie with a creamy filling of mushrooms and iron-rich spinach, topped with delicate and crisp phyllo pastry…
Ingredients
- 15ml olive oil
- 350g portabellini mushrooms, sliced
- 200g baby spinach leaves, washed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 750ml hot water
- 250ml low-fat milk
- 2 sachets Knorr Alfredo Pasta & Sauce
- 4 sheets phyllo pastry
- 60ml margarine, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry the mushrooms for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the baby spinach and fry until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and black pepper, and set aside.
- In another medium saucepan, bring the water and milk to the boil.
- Add the contents of the sachets of Knorr Alfredo Pasta & Sauce and stir continuously until the mixture comes to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Fold the cooked mushrooms and spinach through the sauce and pour into a 1,25ℓ ovenproof dish.
- Brush the phyllo pastry sheets with the melted margarine and lightly ‘scrunch’ each one up. Arrange the crumpled pastry sheets on top of the dish and bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
