Hacks for healthy eating

Eating healthily is often seen as expensive, but that doesn’t have to be the case, especially if you understand basic nutrition and make simple changes to everyday cooking habits. That’s the belief of dietitian Mbali Mapholi, whose new book, Inkonjane: Nutrition Guide to Heart Health, draws inspiration from family, culture, and the everyday foods that South Africans love.

Mapholi’s book focuses on realistic, practical ways to make recipes healthier, without sacrificing flavour. This includes simple ingredient swaps and using less salt during meal preparation and cooking.

Mapholi says: "People often think the only way to eat healthily is if we eat foods that we're not used to. If you're eating a comforting dish you grew up with, oftentimes we're thinking about the nostalgia. We don't think that those food items have nutritional benefits. We always think that food with nutritional benefits is food that is introduced to us and not what we're used to.

"Healthy ating doesn't have to be expensive, if we understand the nutrition science as it is, without making trends around it. Take that information and apply it to what we have at home. We can create healthier meals."

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in South Africa, which is why Mapholi proposes simple adjustments, such as adding less salt.

"It has nothing to do with the food you're eating; it's become a habit without tasting dishes."

Poor heart health in South Africa is also linked to alcohol consumption, so there is a chapter in the book on how to realistically and practically drink less.

"There is a chapter in the book called Recipes Reimagined where I'm taking our favourite dishes, I'm not changing the dish itself, but reducing the saturated fat and salt in that dish so people can still enjoy their favourite foods but with those twists to help support blood pressure and help with cholesterol management."

To listen to Mapholi in conversation with Africa Melane on CapeTalk's Early Breakfast show, click below: