I thought I would share with you on an ongoing basis my favourite foods that make their way into my trolley.  Here are five of my current favourites:

1. Berries – I adore berries.  Frozen, fresh, it’s all good.  Berries are packed full of fibre, antioxidants and approximately only 200kj per 100 grams (which is a lot of mixed berries).  Add to cereals, yoghurt, smoothies, muffins and ice cream (every now and then!).
2. Oats – Good old fashioned rolled oats.  No added anything and that’s hard to come by in a cereal.  Oats have plenty of dietary fibre and a low GI to keep you going through the morning.  By using oats to make porridge, ½ cup of oats can turn into nearly 3 times as much porridge.  Make your own muesli by adding oats to other grains and your chosen dried fruit, seeds and nuts.  You can pick your favourite to make your ultimate combination.  Just don’t go overboard on the fruit, nuts and seeds.  See Nuts about nuts
3. Kangaroo steak – I’ve been eating it for years now, since it was placed next to the fresh meat for dogs in the butchery section of the supermarket.  I don’t know however if it was actually being marketed as a meat for dogs.  Perhaps they put it there so not everyone would notice and therefore any possibility of an uproar about our coat of arms being sold for dinner would be minimised.  The price has gone up a lot since then but it is still cheaper compared to many other red meats.  It’s rather funny that this once controversial meat has now moved next to the ‘posh’ steaks in the supermarket and that kangaroo on the menu at a restaurant can be quite an expensive main meal.  Not only does it taste delicious, it is incredibly good for us nutritionally. One hundred grams of kangaroo steak contains more iron (3.3 mg), and has less fat (98% fat free) and energy (418 kilojoules) than 100 grams of beef.  Iron is part of red blood cells which are important in transporting oxygen around your body.  That’s why if you have low iron levels, fatigue can be a symptom.  I really should insert some comment about Kangaroo meat putting a spring in your step but that’s a bit too obvious!  Macro Meats is a main distributor of kangaroo meats.
   
4. Sundried tomatoes – If you have sundried tomatoes in your cupboard or fridge you can always make something tasty.  Sandhurst make a 97% fat free variety which are packed full of flavour but not marinated in oil.  Add to salad, pasta, eggs (frittata, scrambled or omelette), sandwiches, or even puree some to make a pesto inspired relish for fish. 
   
5. Popping corn – No, not the microwave stuff, the good old-fashioned stuff.  Corn kernels and nothing else.  I’ve been eating this before I’d even tried the above foods.  As a teenager with an insatiable appetite, I’d rummage through the kitchen cupboard looking for something to eat.  I discovered a bag of popping corn.  I didn’t even know that it was less than 400 kilojoules for about 3 cups of air popped corn!  I was just hungry.  The fact that we did not have a hot air popcorn machine posed no obstacle.  I could easily make it in the popcorn with a teaspoon or two of oil.  By putting a small amount of oil in a saucepan (just enough to cover the bottom), covering with a single layer of popping corn, placing the lid on and putting on a medium high heat, I could have a whole saucepan full of popcorn in about 5 minutes.  Just don’t take the lid off and until it stops popping!

Pop.  Pop.  Pop.  Pop.  Pop.  Pop.  Pop.

Pop.  Pop.  Pop.

Pop.  Pop.

Pop.