Feeding a family! Help?!

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Rachelc1992
Rachelc1992 Posts: 246 Member
edited February 8 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am an au pair in New Zealand and I have just started this week. I have chosen my time here to lose weight, which is great because the family are health freaks! There is NO junk in the house, which is good as it stops me eating it when home alone haha.

But anyways.... The advice I need!

I am not the best of cooks, I can follow recipes and make most things but I'm use to making what I consider 'normal' food aka probably more fat and salt that you should have! I'm looking for any advise or recipes of cooking dinner/tea? They use organic, wholegrain and gluten free products so that's fine, I just don't know what to make with it all!!

Any ideas????

P.s feeding 2 adults in early 50's, a 20 year old (me) and a 4 year old girl. She eats the same things as us.

Thanks :):smile:

Replies

  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    You should find a healthy cookbook or search around online. I recommend Cooking Light, Food Network's Elie Krieger, The 400 Calorie Cookbook, and/or The Flat Belly Diet.
  • HRLaurie614
    HRLaurie614 Posts: 260 Member
    There are some great "clean eating" blogs out there...one I like is The Gracious Pantry. While not Gluten Free, many recipes can be adapted. Also, just google Gluten Free recipes and I'm sure you'll find a lot great ideas. Also, look on Pinterest!
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,749 Member
    http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/?m=1

    Skinnytaste.com

    http://www.tasty-health.se/?m=1 she also has an Instagram account under same name and that's in English
  • ThatOperaGirl
    ThatOperaGirl Posts: 138 Member
    I second the Skinnytaste.com recommendation! There are so many healthy recipes on there written with feeding families in mind, and you can search them based on whether they're gluten free, paleo friendly, kid friendly, able to be frozen, etc. Good luck!
  • sanfly
    sanfly Posts: 207 Member
    http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/health-information/gluten-free

    Have some good recipes, I don't specifically go for gluten free though, so not sure what those ones are like - at least its local though so should be able to find all your ingredients easily
  • Rachelc1992
    Rachelc1992 Posts: 246 Member
    Thanks everyone! I will try the websites :) x:happy:
  • Ideabaker
    Ideabaker Posts: 517 Member
    I live in New Zealand as well. Pick up a copy of the little magazine called "New Zealand Healthy Food Guide" at the grocery store. It has wonderful recipes, and classifies them by categories (GF, Low KJ/cal, Low Sodium, High Calcium, etc.). Plus, everything they list is in season (late spring going into summer for us). Every month, the mag has "HFG Picks" where they rate different products based on the amount of calories, fat, and sodium in them to help you make better choices with packaged items.

    I find that it is very easy to eat well here simply because we don't have a lot of the processed foods available elsewhere. Stick to the perimeters of the grocery store, and depending on where you live, there is probably a gluten free section of the store, or in each area (crackers, breads, grains, pasta, etc.).

    Try some of the foods that are especially tasty in New Zealand. Most meat is grass-fed, so the beef tends to be more lean, with far more flavour than grain fed. We have deer farms, so venison is readily available (albeit a bit pricey) at the market. There are heaps of great fish (the salmon here is particularly delicious, far more flavourful than Atlantic salmon). Chicken is wayyy more expensive here than in other places, so if you find it on special, snap it up and throw some in the freezer for later.

    Fruits and veggies are abundant and cheap right now (they get pretty pricey when autumn rolls around, so eat up!

    People here are very outdoor oriented, so get in plenty of bushwalks, cycling , beach trips for Christmas holidays, and other outdoor fitness opportunities. Depending on where you live, it can get pretty rainy or snowy in June/July, so now is the time to be outside! (I picked up a rebounder/mini-trampoline and several DVD's that I use when the weather isn't so great.)

    Enjoy your stay here, and have a great time getting fit with your host family in Aotearoa!
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