Sarah Di Lorenzo is a trusted voice in nutrition.

Today, she is taking about ultra-processed foods and what they are doing to our health.

Sarah’s worst culprits are - soft drinks, processed cheese, sugary breakfast cereals, chips, processed meat, sugary lollies, frozen pizza, minute noodles.

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She will talk about easy swaps including: processed meats - try chicken nuggets; sugary drinks - try ginger iced tea or fruit in mineral water; sugary cereals - try chocolate granola.

Homemade chicken nuggets

4 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

Salt and pepper

2 eggs whisked

25 grams of parmesan cheese

4 cups of corn flakes crushed

3 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees c and line a baking tray with baking paper. Mix the cheese cornflakes, salt and pepper in a bowl. First coat each piece of chicken in flour, then add to the egg and finally in the cornflakes.

Bake for around 15 - 20 minutes, just check at the 10 minute mark and turn over.

Enjoy!

Homemade ginger iced tea

5 cups of water

5 cm piece of fresh ginger sliced thin

3 green tea bags

2 tablespoons of honey

Juice of 1 lemon

Fresh mint

Method

Bring the ginger and water to the boil and then let simmer for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags and let them sit in the water as strong as you like your tea, I would say around 5 minutes.

If you like your tea sweet add the honey, next add the lemon and into the fridge for a couple of hours. Serve over ice with fresh mint.

Healthy chocolate granola

Serving size - 1/2 cup

Ingredients

2 cups of rolled oats

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

1 cup of mixed seeds and nuts chopped

2 tablespoons of liquid coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1/3 cup of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate (to be added at the end)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Mix the wet ingredients together and then the dry ingredients and then mix together. Bake for around 12 - 15 minutes but check regularly as you don’t want it to burn. Shake it every 5 minutes or so.

Remove from the oven and while still warm add the chocolate to melt and coat. Next make sure it cools completely.

I love this served with fresh chopped banana and yoghurt (and milk of choice).