| Health Department launches online nutrition centre for healthy food |
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Authentic recipes for families enjoying South Asian, African and Middle Eastern food
 26 June 2009: The Department of Health has launched an online nutrition centre, which features authentic recipes for families enjoying South Asian, African and Middle Eastern food. The centre has been set up in partnership with head of the Ismaili Muslim community Aga Khan. Information and advice available at the centre is based on the traffic-light system of red, amber and green. Users can check the fat content of familiar recipes. For example, you may eventually find the lamb biryani you savour has very high levels, but lentil-based dishes, like a dhal, can be healthy. The site will suggest which ingredients can be replaced by healthier alternatives without losing the overall taste. This follows UK’s attempts to promote healthy food. The development is significant as only recently it was reported that people with origins in the Indian sub-continent have a 50 per cent risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular diseases. Leading Indian dietician and TV presenter, Azmina Govindji, said they knew there was an increasing incidence of certain conditions within the South Asian community, typically type-two diabetes and coronary heart disease. One of the ways to prevent these conditions was by providing healthy recipes for a diet traditionally eaten within the South Asian community. |
