ISSUE 10 |  June 2015

Welcome... 

Welcome to the latest edition of GLNC e-news - Balance. As the new General Manager of the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC) and an Accredited Practising Dietitian, I'm pleased to be able to share with you our winter warmer edition of Balance

 

Winter has arrived and to keep you fighting fit throughout the colder months, this edition of Balance shines a light on the links between legumes, immunity and weight management. We also take a look at the new Healthy Eating Pyramid which arrived just in time for winter. This edition also includes a special feature from Associate Professor and author of The Mediterranean Diet Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos on the long-term health benefits of including legumes in a balanced diet.  

 

If you are looking for inspiring new legume recipes, check out the top recipe picks in the Australian Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition. We've had some great creative recipes entered, so be sure to vote for your favourite recipes in the People's Choice Awards before Sunday 14 June. Good luck to everyone who entered the competition. We're looking forward to tasting the finalist recipes with the judging panel, including Simon Bryant, in June before the winning recipe is announced 27 July 2015.

 

If you were unable to attend the launch of GLNC's 2014 Australian Grains and Legumes Consumption and Attitudinal Study on 30 April 2015, you can download the key findings here.

 

Finally, thanks to everyone who visited GLNC's stand at the DAA Conference in May. We hope you enjoyed our legume and grain guessing competition, and were motivated to try out the lupin flake samples at home.

 

To receive updates on the latest health and nutrition research as well as GLNC news, please follow us on Twitter and join our growing Facebook community, where you can find nutrition tips and warming autumn recipes ideas.

 

Michelle Broom

General Manager

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New Healthy Eating Pyramid

In May 2015, Nutrition Australia launched the updated Healthy Eating Pyramid (Pyramid). There have been some changes in the design of the Pyramid but this does not reflect a change in the recommendations for the amounts or types of core foods to include in a balanced diet.. >> MORE

Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos on health benefits of legumes, plus a recipe from The Mediterranean Diet

 Legumes represent a major protein source in Mediterranean diets, particularly during religious fasting periods where vegan diets are followed.(1) Common legumes in the Mediterranean diet include lentils, cannellini beans, lupins, peas and peanuts. Fassoulada*, a traditional Greek tomato based soup with cannellini beans is considered the national dish of Greece. >> MORE

 

*Recipe included

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Keep your immune health on track with legumes   

To help keep our immune system on track this winter, many of us would benefit from taking a closer look at our lunch box or dinner plate before reaching for the medicine cabinet or the supplement isle. The science is clear that poor diet is a major cause of an impaired immune system, increasing a person's risk of infection and decreasing the ability of the body to fight infections.(1, 2)Here's the evidence on the role of diet and immunity and why legumes may be the missing weapon in your arsenal fighting against infection this winter. >> MORE

Watch your weight with legumes (and quality carbs) 

With winter approaching it may be tempting to curl up on the couch and give yourself permission to relax your healthy routine. But sadly, evidence shows that weight gained during short periods of over-indulging and reduced exercise like the "winter weight creep" can hang around for months and years to come,making it harder to lose weight and stay trim long term.(1) The evidence continues to support a focus on carbohydrate "quality" rather than "quantity" for a healthy weight, which is why enjoying legumes more often can make big changes to your waistline now and in years to come. >> MORE

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Changing consumer needs and McKenzie's SuperBlend range

We know that consumers are looking for quick and easy sources of nutritious foods, with foods high in fibre and high in protein being among the top 3 favourite claims consumers look for.* The McKenzie's SuperBlend products were developed with this in mind.

 

The McKenzie's SuperBlend range is making it easier for consumers to include quality carbohydrates, such as whole grains and legumes, into their diets. Available in three different varieties, each variant has been blended specifically to target a nutritional platform - Protein, Fibre and Energy. Ingredients include: lentils, quinoa, pearl barley, freekeh and quick-cook beans. >> MORE


*Source: Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council. 2014 Australian Grains and Legumes Consumption and Attitudinal Report. Unpublished: 2014. 

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Grains and Legumes Consumption Symposium  

GLNC launched the 2014 Australian Grains and Legumes Consumption and Attitudinal Study at a half-day symposium on 30 April at Centennial Parklands in Sydney.  GLNC presented evidence-based information on the health and nutritional benefits of grains and legumes to balance the hype of new dieting trends. The Symposium included speakers from GLNC, the University of Queensland, research agency Colmar Brunton as well as Sanitarium. Speakers discussed the latest grains and legumes consumption insights, how Australians are tracking compared to the Australian Dietary Guidelines and changes over time, a secondary analysis of the Australian Health Survey, as well as the nutrition and health impacts for those who are not meeting recommendations, particularly young women. GLNC thanks everyone who attended and made it such an informative day. For those who missed out, you can download a summary report on the 2014 Australian Grains and Legumes Consumption and Attitudinal Study here. 

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Events in June & July 2015

Australian Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition People's Choice Voting Closes - 14 June 2015

Whole Grains Summit, Portland, Oregon, June 24 - 26 

International Dietary Fibre Conference, Paris, France, 1-3 June 2015

Australian Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition Winner Announced - 27 July 2015 
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2015 World Pulses Convention Showcases International Year

The 2015 World Pulses Convention was held in Las Vegas, USA from 12 - 17 April 2015. A key component of the Convention was planning activities to support the United Nations 2016 International Year of Pulses (IYOP). GLNC is playing an active role in the 2016 program along with Pulse Australia. GLNC's Managing Director Georgie Aley and General Manager Michelle Broom travelled to Las Vegas to participate in the discussions as well as showcase what activities Australia is planning to recognise the year. 


The Australian National Steering Committee celebrating IYOP showcased the recent Signature Pulse Dish Recipe Competition, the 2016 Tasting Australia display, 2016 Pulse Health and Nutrition Symposium, and 2016 Student Product Development Competition as just some of the key initiatives. Australia is taking a very active role both locally and globally with Georgie Aley, GLNC's Managing Director, the Chair of the Global Creating Awareness Theme and Chair of the Australian National Committee. Michelle Broom, GLNC's General Manager, also represents Australia on the Global Food and Nutrition Security and Innovation Theme. 


The Australian National Steering Committee will be launching a range of activities in the coming months as well as providing a platform for interested individual and organisations to support the 2016 International Year of Pulses. For further information on the activities celebrating the international year visit
www.iyop.net or contact GLNC.

For further information on the activities celebrating the international year visit www.iyop.net or contact GLNC. 
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Heinz Beanz Creationz  

Heinz Beanz Creationz is a ready-to-eat range that will help make creating nourishing meals with legumes easy this winter. Heinz Beanz Creationz combines navy beans with a range of other legumes to provide a great source of dietary fibre and protein, and is equivalent to a serve of vegetables .
 

Heinz Beanz Creationz are available in the following 5 varieties, all of which have either a 4.5 or 5 Health Star Rating:

  • Spanish Beans  (navy and red kidney with tomato, paprika and chorizo)
  • Fiery Mexican Beans (navy and red kidney beans with a hot chilli tomato salsa)
  • Mild Curry Beans  (navy beans and chickpeas with mild curry spices)
  • Mediterranean Beans (navy beans and chickpeas with garlic, tomato and eggplant)
  • Medium Chilli Salsa Beans (red kidney beans with a medium chilli tomato salsa and corn).

For more information and great recipe ideas, visit heinz.com.au/beanzcreationz

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