Dietitian Sharon Natoli answers your questions about food and nutrition.

Breakfast of champions

Q: How can I make porridge more interesting? What’s the best thing to put in it – sultanas, chopped apple, honey?

– PT, Wollstonecraft, NSW

A: Porridge provides a nutritious start due to the day due to the soluble fibre, B vitamins and iron naturally present in the oats. Dried fruit, chopped nuts and grated apple are all great additions to provide extra nutrients, interest and flavour. Sultanas are a good source of fibre and potassium while dried apricots will give you additional vitamin A and dates extra iron. Stick with just a dash of honey for additional sweetness boost.

Don’t get as-salted

Q: How much sodium should I be having?

– KB, Fitzroy, VIC

A: To meet the body’s needs for sodium, you require around 420 to 920mg per day. Two slices of bread and a piece of cheese provide around 500mg so it’s very easy to meet sodium requirements with everyday foods. A typical Aussie diet provides around 3500mg daily for most people (yep, about three times the amount you require!); if you’re getting this much I recommend you cut back by eating mostly fresh foods and minimising processed and takeaway foods.

Cleaning lady

Q: Can you recommend a detox program? I’m feeling bloated and lacking energy. I can afford to drop a couple of kilos as well.

– DD, Maitland, NSW

A: While “detoxing” is popular, there’s no scientific rationale for the practice. The liver and digestive system act as the body’s daily detoxing system so the idea you can detox by following specific dietary regimes is unfounded. If you’ve overindulged, you’ll feel better simply by reducing your intake of alcohol and caffeine, as well as fatty, fried and sugary foods while eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs and fish.

Sharon Natoli is a practising dietitian, media identity and founder and director of Food and Nutrition Australia.


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