Food Facts

Our rolled and quick oats are made from Australia's finest grains. They undergo little processing to ensure most of the goodness and nourishment is retained in the grain.

Rolled and quick oats are a rich source of dietary fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer. Dietary (insoluble) fibre also helps to maintain a healthy digestive system. Soluble fibre, also found in rolled and quick oats, can help lower cholesterol absorption and control blood sugar levels.

Oats are also a good source of Vitamin B1, which is important in energy metabolism. Oats are also high in complex carbohydrates - the body's preferred energy source. One of Australia's leading nutritionists, Catherine Saxelby, recommends that 40-50% of our daily energy requirements should come from complex carbohydrates. Some nutritionists recommend this figure should be as high as 70%.

Carbohydrate foods are broken down in the body. The glycemic index (GI) measures the rate at which this occurs. The GI of rolled oats is low, therefore energy is released slowly, giving you sustained power for longer. Quick oats have a medium GI, releasing energy at a moderate rate.

Bran is the fibre-rich layer of cells located under oat and wheat husks.

While the Australian Bureau of Statistics states that the average Australian consumes 18-23 g of dietary fibre each day, nutritionists recommend we consume 30 g per day as it performs a range of important functions in the digestive system.

The bran in my mueslis comes from oats (not wheat) and looks like small flakes.

This grain comes from the Andes and was used by the Incas who called it 'The Mother Grain'. I love it because it has the highest protein level of any grain - and of a quality even better than the soya bean.

Amaranth contains high quantities of all eight essential amino acids not produced by the body and most of the 14 other non-essential amino acids. It also contains a rare group of Vitamin E isomers and phytosterols common in soya beans.

Amaranth is easily digested and gluten and cholesterol free. Its amino acid composition is ideal for human requirements and it has high quantities of quality carbohydrates and dietary fibre.

See what I mean? Amaranth is ace! That's why it's in my mueslis. You'll easily spot it as it looks like tiny bean bag balls.

A good source of calcium, iron, magnesium and copper, sesame seeds are very high in protein and were reportedly eaten in large amounts in Ancient Babylon as they were thought to enhance sexual prowess. Today, they're still thought to increase sexual vitality - and they're much cheaper than Viagra!

Sesame seeds come in white, yellow, red, brown and black, but these are not to be confused with poppy seeds. I use white ones.

Unshelled pumpkin seeds have a thin, white edible shell. Shelled pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas, are bright green. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, copper, potassium, niacin and folic acid.

Small and grey, sunflower seeds are a good source of thiamine, Vitamin E and folic and pantothenic acid. Rich in protein and fats, up to 45% of their weight is oil. That's why they're used to produce a delicately flavoured, pale yellow oil.

These brown skinned flattish nuts with the pointy end are delicately flavoured, belong to the same family as the apricot and cherry, have been cultivated since prehistoric times and are an excellent source of Vitamin E, magnesium, manganese and copper.

The biggest nut of all, the Brazil nut is, surprise surprise, native to Brazil! A great source of selenium, magnesium, copper and phosphorous, they have pale skin with brown markings and taste a bit like coconut.

Brazil nuts grow on enormous trees up to 50 m tall. Consequently, they're harvested by waiting for them to fall to the ground. Inside each fruit are one or two dozen nuts, each with its own woody shell. Though sold shelled and unshelled, they're tricky to shell at home.

A brown flattish nut with ridges, pecans are one my favourite nuts due to their sweet flavour. A few pecans with some dried fruit make a perfect afternoon snack. An excellent source of zinc, copper and magnesium, they comprise 87% unsaturated fatty acids so, like all nuts, watch how many you eat.

Pecans originated in North America from a hickory tree related to the walnut. Like the walnut, the pecan is a seed or kernel with two lobes encased in a smooth, oval shell. A regular nutcracker will get you past the shell and into the lovely flesh, whose flavour is milder than walnuts.

Small, round and pinky-greeny-purply: how can you resist something that looks so good? While pistachios are native to the Middle East, Australia also has a healthy industry. When mature, the shell encasing the nut splits, making it fairly easy to remove, though these days you can buy shelled pistachios. They're a good source of potassium, magnesium and copper.

Hazelnuts are round and brown with flaky skin. They're an excellent source of magnesium and copper and the fat they contain is 88% unsaturated. Their flavours vary from milky and sweet to sharp.

These pale, crescent shaped nuts have very mild flavour, a soft texture and are an excellent source of copper, magnesium and zinc. So, have you ever wondered why they're always sold shelled?

They grow on a small tree which produces a red or yellow peduncle (don't you just love that word?). The cashew hangs underneath this in a hard double shell. Between the two layers is a caustic substance which is such a strong irritant that it's used to burn off warts!

Roasting cashews in this shell neutralises the irritants and makes the shell brittle enough to crack without damaging the nuts. It's quite a process, which is why cashews often cost more than other nuts.

Large and flat with wing-like sections, walnuts have been around for over 3,000 years. The Romans considered them food for the gods and, during the Middle Ages, walnuts were believed to protect against witchcraft, fits and fevers.

Today walnuts are a delicious, health giving food. Weight for weight, they contain as much protein as eggs. They're high in potassium, zinc, iron, copper and magnesium. They're also a good source of omega 3 oils, folate and Vitamins B 6 and E. Walnuts assist circulation and fatigue and are a friend of the heart!

These large, round cream coloured nuts are native to Queensland's subtropical rainforests. Interestingly, the trees were exported to Hawaii in the 1890s to shade livestock. An American saw the nut's potential and started selling it both to his compatriots and back to us! Indeed, many think the macadamia nut is native to Hawaii and, in America, it's actually known as the Hawaiian nut.

In 1995, we turned the tide when our local industry outstripped American production for the first time, making us the world's greatest producer. Macadamias fall to the ground when ripe, but you need a purpose built nut cracker to open them.

Apricots are called 'moons of the faithful' in China where they originated and 'the egg of the sun' in Egypt. I call them 'bloody delicious' and can't imagine my cupboard without them. Apricots are rich in potassium and very high in Vitamin A.

Peaches originated in China and are mentioned as early as 551 BC. The Chinese consider the peach tree the tree of life and its fruit a symbol of unity and immortality. Chinese brides carry peach blossom and peaches are always mentioned at birthdays.

ApPEARantly, men like soft pears and women like firm ones. Worldwide there are nearly 1,000 varieties, all with distinctive shapes and colours.

Though they look like sultanas, they're no relation. They're their own stand-alone species: Ribes nigrum.

Sultanas are dried grapes. Of the many varieties, I use jumbo sultanas because they're so big and juicy. In my research, I discovered that people have either strong dislike or an ambivalent enjoyment of the sultana. It's sultanas that people hand pick OUT of their muesli - so I've created a possible world first with a sultana-free muesli.

Mangos are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C. They're highly aromatic when ripe, but when they start to rot they smell like kerosene!

Mangos have been cultivated in India for 4,000 years and mango orchards were planted by Mogul rulers as a status symbol. Queensland has produced mangos for over 160 years. The most common varieties grown in Australia are Kensington Pride and Bowen, but over 200 varieties have been cultivated - ranging in size from an egg to a softball!

Explorer Sir Walter Raleigh described the pineapple as 'the princess of fruits'. It's an amazing tropical fruit because it's actually a composite of 100 to 200 berry-like fruitlets fused together.

In Australia there are two varieties - smooth and rough leaved. Pineapple acid dulls knife blades, so wash knives immediately after using them.

Sweet but tart, cranberries are vibrant red baubles imported from the USA. For centuries they've been food and medicine to Native Americans who often used them to cure blood poisoning.

Cranberries are a great source of iron, fibre and Vitamin C. They can help prevent infections and assist those who suffer from kidney stones.

The apple has made several critical appearances in history, starting when an asp gave one to Eve in the Garden of Eden. An apple a day really does help to keep the doctor away because it contains Vitamin C and fibre plus pectin which helps control cholesterol and blood sugar.