Australia Pacific Conference on Clinical Nutrition Wrap-Up

In late November last year the team from GLNC headed to Adelaide for the 10^th Asia Pacific Conference on Clinical Nutrition (APCCN). With the theme ‘Nutrition Solutions for a Changing World,’ APCCN brought together nutrition scientists from across the globe to share the latest in nutrition research. Read on for a wrap-up of the key themes from APCCN:

• The future of food: how can we contribute to a more sustainable food system?

Author and science communicator Julian Cribb opened the first Plenary Session with a sobering reminder of the risks involved with the modern day food system. Our population is growing at record rates, yet over-consumption and current practices are straining both our health, and the environment. Cribb noted over the next few decades, there is a need to grow more food to sustain the growing population, but produced from less land, using less water. But it’s not all bad news: Cribb’s presentation shared the endless opportunities and areas for innovation in sustainable food systems – a shift to a more plant-based diet, cultured meat and the use of food printers, and ‘Agritecture,’ the art of growing more food in urban environments, which can be observed in major cities with sustainably built high-rises covered in greenery.

• The microbiome: a trend that’s here to stay, but there’s so much more to learn!

Gut health made waves in 2017 for its links with health and possible disease prevention, and a number of research presentations at APCCN focused on how the microbiome can be altered through eating probiotic or prebiotic foods. Associate Professor Melinda Coughlan from Monash University shared interesting research around the potential for resistant starch to protect against Chronic Kidney Disease in mice, by suppressing or reversing inflammation from dietary AGEs, and decreasing changes in gut bacteria. But despite the hype, there was a consensus that nutrition science is still in the early stages of understanding how diet can affect gut health, so stay tuned!

• Food innovations and new product development: high-amylose wheat

Dr Anthony Bird from CSIRO presented research on a newly developed strain of wheat which is high in amylose and looks set to become a useful functional food ingredient. With ten times the amount of resistant starch than ordinary wheat, the newly developed high-amylose wheat can be milled into flour and used in food products as normal. This means people could benefit from the digestive and chronic disease protection resistant starch offers, without drastically changing or increasing the foods they eat.

• Whole grain: where we're falling short

GLNC General Manager Dr Sara Grafenauer also presented research findings from GLNC, alongside the University of Wollongong: ‘The whole grain gap: comparing intakes to recommendations.’ The study found that from a nationally representative sample of Australians, only 30% met the 48g Daily Target Intake of whole grains, so are missing out on the known health benefits. Find out more about the whole grain DTI here.

4 Steps to Creating the Ultimate Sandwich!

by Lisa Sengul

It’s that time of year again when the kids are headed back to school and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the thought of so many lunches to prepare. We’ve got your back this new school year - creating a nutritionally balanced lunchbox doesn’t have to be so stressful. Take a step in the right direction by making your kids a wholesome sandwich!   

Did you know bread contains vital nutrients such as fibre, B-group vitamins, folate, thiamine, zinc, vitamin E and antioxidants? So it’s the perfect vehicle for creating a nutritious, portable lunch.

If you’re lacking inspiration when it comes to packing school lunches, simply follow our 4 easy steps to creating the ultimate portable lunch…

1.     Choose your base - a well-constructed sandwich relies on a substantial base! Whatever you choose to build your sandwich on, we recommend choosing whole grain, wholemeal or high fibre varieties where possible. Whole grain and high fibre foods can reduce our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

If you have a picky eater on your hands try using one slice white and one slice wholemeal bread or use a high fibre white bread!   

2.     Add flavour - use your favourite spread like vegemite, hummus or avocado to add a pop of flavour, colour and nutrients. Mix things up and try this bright beetroot hummus.

3.     Add your veggies - use a handful of salad or any other raw or cooked vegetables you have at home. Don’t look past last night’s leftover roast pumpkin or zucchini!

4.     Finally, choose your protein power - quick and easy sources of protein like cheese, tuna, boiled eggs or leftover roast meat are great for sandwiches.

Getting the kids involved...

Now that you’re ready to get creative, why not get the kids to help? A great way to get younger kids involved and make lunchboxes fun is by cutting sandwiches into shapes using cookie cutters!

Encourage your kids to get involved in lunchbox choices too - asking them to choose their fruit and veggies will help to reduce uneaten food at the end of the day.

Top tips for avoiding soggy sandwiches

·       Very lightly toast bread, just 1-2 minutes 

·       Make sure lettuce leaves, rocket and salads are nice and dry before assembling - use a paper towel to remove most of the moisture

·       Put condiments like mayo in the middle of your sandwich, between meat or cheese

·       Use lettuce leaves as a barrier - layer first so they are directly in contact with the bread

Still lacking inspiration?

Don’t worry, we’ve prepared a bunch of lunchbox sandwich, wrap and roll recipes that are sure to get your creative juices flowing. You can find all these and more on our website. Check out our Mexican Bean Wrap - it takes just 5 minutes to prepare and it’s a winner with the kids!