Nutrition Week 2000
15-22 October

The Aussie barbecue - a celebration of healthy eating

With parts of the country still shivering and others sweltering, Australians can begin celebrating the summer by bringing out the barbecue during Nutrition Week from 15-21 October.

Nutrition Australia are encouraging Australians to get behind the Nutrition Week theme "Celebrating Australian Foods", and one great way is to enjoy an Aussie barbecue with plenty of exciting, nutritious foods.

Gone are the days when the Aussie barbecue meant a couple of snags and some burnt onion wrapped in sliced, white bread. Today’s barbecue meal can feature a huge range of fantastic and nutritious taste sensations.

The key to cooking a healthy barbecue meal is to include a wide variety of foods and not to char the meat. Charring or blackening meats is thought to produce cancer-causing chemicals. If the barbecue meat is not blackened, it is quite safe.

Here are some tips for a healthy, tasty barbecue:

• Marinate meats to increase tenderness and reduce the likelihood of burning.
• Reduce the quantity of meat served by increasing vegetables and fruits.
• Seafood is perfect barbecue food as it cooks quickly, and is nutritious and tasty.
• Try something different such as salmon and pecan patties.
• Serve plenty of fresh crisp salads and vegetable dishes. Try cooking the vegetables on the barbecue.
• Serve a selection of breads.

For information and advice on all aspects of food and nutrition or to find out about Nutrition Week activities in your state visit the Nutrition Australia website at http://www.NutritionAustralia.org.

Nutrition Week is proudly supported by Stahmann Farms, suppliers of quality Riverside All Australian pecans.

ENDS