LINA-THE-DIETITIAN

  LET'S TALK ABOUT MILK WHAT IS MILK? We all love to eat our foods with milk especially when it comes to breakfast meals like our porridges, cereals and others. What then would you say is milk?   Milk: A Dietitian’s Perspective on a Nutritional Powerhouse Milk has been a dietary mainstay for centuries, valued for its versatility and rich nutritional content. From a dietitian’s standpoint, milk remains one of the most accessible and nutrient-dense beverages available. Whether consumed on its own, added to coffee, poured over cereal, or used in cooking, milk contributes significantly to a well-rounded diet when chosen and consumed thoughtfully. Nutritionally, milk is a powerhouse. It offers a balanced combination of macronutrients—carbohydrates, high-quality protein, and fat—along with an array of essential micronutrients. It’s best known for its calcium content, which plays a key role in bone health. Combined with vitamin D (often added through fortification), calcium helps m...

 LET'S TALK ABOUT KITCHEN GADGETS. WHAT ARE KITCHEN GADGETS? Kitchen gadgets are small, specialized tools or devices designed to make cooking, food preparation, and other kitchen tasks easier, faster, and more efficient. Unlike essential tools like knives or pots, gadgets often have specific, niche uses that solve common kitchen problems or speed up everyday tasks. Here are some examples of popular kitchen gadgets: Examples of Kitchen Gadgets Garlic Press : Crushes garlic cloves quickly and easily without needing to chop them by hand. Vegetable Spiralizer : Turns vegetables like zucchini into noodles or ribbons, perfect for making healthy pasta alternatives. Mandoline : Slices vegetables and fruits uniformly and quickly, allowing for paper-thin cuts or thick slices with precision. Citrus Juicer : Extracts juice from lemons, limes, or oranges without the mess of manual squeezing. Egg Separator : Separates egg yolks from egg whites easily, saving time for baking or making specific re...

 LET'S TALK ABOUT AIR-FRYERS AIR-FRYING; HEALTHY OR UNHEALTHY? Most consumers love to fry their foods in lots of oil known as deep frying. This makes food crunchy and appealing to one’s sight and enhances the taste. The average concern for healthy eating coupled with eating fewer fatty foods has led to a new method of frying foods called air- frying. This method involves frying foods with little or no oil using special equipment called the air-fryer. WHAT IS AN AIR-FRYER? An air fryer is a cooking appliance that uses hot air to fry foods while producing crunchy food with little or no oil. It is advertised as a healthy way to enjoy fried foods making it a popular kitchen appliance in recent times. It can be used to bake, grill, reheat (similar to a microwave) and fry (main purpose) foods such as yam, potatoes, meat, fish, and many other staples. HOW DOES IT WORK? An air-fryer releases heat up and down and on all sides of the food. The heat comes from a heater element and two fans si...

 LET'S TALK ABOUT WHOLEGRAINS! INTRODUCTION Over the years, wholegrains have been a major component of mans’ diet hence has been very basic to man in the primitive years. As time emerged, it was associated to negative sensory attributes such as a bitter taste, some say they are too grainy. This led to the onset of a technology that removes and sieves the coarse layers of wholegrains to produce a refined product without the bitter taste which was assumed to be of better quality compared to wholegrains. The consumption of refined grains led to some nutritional deficiencies such as beriberi among consumers. In addressing this nutritional concern, the idea of fortification arose. This was where vital nutrients were added to refined grains to compensate for that which were lost during the refining process. Fortification helped offset most of the nutritional deficiencies but it was quite expensive for the average consumer to afford. Even with this process, wholegrains are still of be...

LET'S TALK ABOUT FRUITS   WHAT ARE FRUITS? Botanically, fruits refers to the seeds and surrounding tissues of a plant. But for nutritional purposes, fruits are pulpy seeded tissues that have a sweet (oranges, apples, pears, blueberries) or tart (lemons, limes, cranberries) taste or flavor. They are mostly consumed as snacks, desserts, or a sweet side dish to a meal. They can also be eaten as; Fresh Canned Frozen   Dried/Dehydrated QUESTION : How do you love to eat your fruits? Do you like them fresh, canned, frozen or dried? Let's gist in the comment section😃 RECOMMENDATIONS As part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Recommendations, fruits should be taken wholly than consuming them as juices so as to derive all the nutrients it provides for our body. "As part of a healthy diet low in fat, sugars and sodium, WHO suggests consuming more than 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day to improve overall health and reduce the risk of certain NCDs (Non-Communicable Disea...

  LET'S TALK ABOUT WATER What keeps you hydrated? Water or a Drink? A ccording to the American Heart Association, the best thing to drink is water when one is dehydrated. Though s ome foods can be a source of water, such as fruits and vegetables, it is  healthier to drink water whiles eating a healthy snack like orange slices, bananas or a small handful of unsalted nuts. Avoid fruit juices or sugary drinks, such as soda. They can be hard on your stomach if you’re dehydrated. It’s also best to avoid drinks containing caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and causes you to lose more fluids.   Thirst isn’t the best indicator that you need to drink. If you get thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. The easiest thing to do is pay attention to the color of your urine. Pale and clear means you’re well hydrated. If it’s dark, drink more fluids. BENEFITS OF HYDRATION Proper hydration is essential for health and optimum performance. After water, i believe our greatest need as humans...