So tonight I gave it a go and it was AWESOME! I was very sceptical making it, but ended up loving it! Will post the recipe I used and a photo tomorrow :-)

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in the body in 3 forms: retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. Together they are classed as retinoids. In food, vitamin A can be found in two main forms: derived from animals as retinyl esters, which are easily digested and absorbed by the intestine as retinol; and derived from plants as carotenoids. Only some carotenoids contain vitamin A activity, these include α-carotene, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin - β-carotene being one of the most well-known phytochemicals.

Vitamin A is very versatile. Its major roles include: vision promotion; participation in protein synthesis and call differentiation – to maintain the health of the skin and other epithelial tissues; and it also supports growth and reproduction.

Vitamin A deficiency is not as common in NZ as what it is in developing countries, however symptoms include night blindness, damage to the eyes, lowered immunity to infectious disease, and white lumps forming at the hair follicles (known as hyper-keratosis).

So how much do we need?

 It depends on your age and gender, so check the table below for your recommended dietary intake per day.

Where can we get it from?

The most significant sources of vitamin A include:

As retinol: Beef liver, cheese, butter, cream and milk

As β-carotene: Orange fruit and vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, kumara, apricots, rock melon), broccoli, spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables.

The table below shows the amount of retinol equivalents/100g (or 100mL for fluids).

References:

Ministry of Health. (2005). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Wickliffe.

Whitney, E. &. (2008). Understanding Nutrition. California, USA: Thomson Wadsworth

Only 12 more ‘likes’ required until I draw a winner for a FREE initial consultation worth $85. Go and ‘LIKE’ my facebook page and share this pic to get in the draw.

Also a new subscription deal is now available… Get healthy and save money!

http://www.knowingnutrition.co.nz/services.html

Opting to include three to four plant based meals during the week can lower your food bill significantly! Not only that, but lowering your meat consumption and increasing plant food intake can also have a positive effect on your health and lower your risk of developing health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

How about starting off with this delicious meal:

AND IT ONLY COSTS NZ$3.07 PER SERVE!

A close up of the nutrition information panel is below. In addition to what you usually find on nutrition information panels, I have included some vitamins and minerals of interest.

Tracey @ Knowing Nutrition

It is widely recognised that a high salt intake causes high blood pressure and is linked to a huge number of conditions and diseases, including stroke, heart disease, kidney problems, osteoporosis.

Recommended MAXIMUM salt intakes (for NZ and Aus)

Do you check everything you eat (ie packaged food for sodium amounts) and keep tabs on how much salt you add to your meals? A lot of people do not realise how much salt they are actually consuming so this week is all about paying attention to how much salt you are having.

Some ideas to lower your salt intake:

• Always remember to check the labels and choose lower salt options
• Look for lower salt and ‘no added salt’ versions of your usual foods in the supermarket e.g. canned vegetables, tinned fish in spring water, ketchup and baked beans
• Cook from scratch using unprocessed meat, fish and vegetables
• Avoid adding salt during cooking, try adding other flavours instead
• Always taste your food before adding salt at the table
• Cut back on sauces such as soy sauce, ketchup, brown sauce and salad dressings as these can be high in salt
• Try reducing the amount of salt you add gradually over a couple of weeks, allowing your taste buds time to adjust
• Use a mix of herbs and spices to add to the complexity of flavour of your foods
• Make your own salad dressingbased on balsamic, cider or rice vinegars

Finally here is a low salt shopping guide from World Action on Salt on healthy choices: