Q: I thought that oatcakes were a healthy snack, but was surprised to see that the nutritional information on the packet shows them to be high in calories, fat and particularly saturated fat.  They are even labelled as red for fat under the traffic light scheme.  Should I avoid them and can you suggest any alternatives?

Wants to remain anonymous

A: Depending on the brand of oatcake they can include different ingredients.  Although they are a savoury food some will even contain sugar.  And then of course the fat content will change if cheese has been added to the oatcake.  In general, one oatcake is only 43 calories which is not a lot at all when you think that the guideline daily amount for women is 2000.  The oatcakes I have at home contain sunflower oil which is unsaturated but also palm oil which is saturated.  The guidelines for saturated fat is that a product is high (red traffic light) if it contains more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.  100g of oatcakes which is nearly half the box contains 4.4g per 100g, so it is on the high side., but it is also the amount you eat of that food that is also important. 

There has been controversy over whether the saturated fat in palm oil can increase the risk of heart disease but research has shown that palm oil on its own does not increase cholesterol. But if the diet also contains trans fats (as well as the palm oil) then total cholesterol increases along with LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol and HDL (‘good’) cholesterol decreases.

Oatcakes do have a low glycemic index , which means that they are release energy slowly and do not cause fast rises in blood sugar so I would suggest that you continue to eat them, but as with anything, in moderation. 

 

Pears are full of fibre, with 100g – roughly half of one large pear – providing 3.g, which is a generous 17% of your daily recommended amount. Fibre-rich diets have been shown to lower the risk of diverticulitis, an inflammation of the intestine that is extremely common as we get older, and epidemiological studies have identified an inverse correlation between vegetable, fruit and whole-grain intake, plant-food intake and the risk of rectal cancer. The soluble fibre, pectin, found particularly in the peel also helps to reduce ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and can lower the risk of dying from heart disease by around a third.

Pears are also an excellent source of copper, with 0.082mg/100g – that’s nearly 7% of your daily intake from just half a pear. Copper is an essential mineral which has an antioxidant effect in the body. It helps to produce red and white blood cells, triggers the release of iron to form haemoglobin, is important for the immune system and plays an important role in the operation of many enzymes.

 

One of particular interest is superoxide dismutase (SOD): this neutralises the superoxide radicals which are a by-product of metabolism and can damage cell membranes, but deficiencies in copper levels mean that SOD cannot work efficiently. Research has shown a link between high blood levels of SOD and protective effects of death from cancer, while scientists also think that low levels of copper could be a contributory factor in the development of colon cancer. Copper also needs zinc to function in the SOD enzyme, and pears provide 0.1mg/100g – 3% of your daily needs.

 

Antioxidant vitamin C is also abundant in pears. Just 100g of pear provides 4.2mg, which is 10% of your daily recommended intake, helping to boost your immune system and keep your bones, teeth and collagen healthy.

 

Pears have a low glycaemic index which helps to keep blood sugar and therefore insulin levels stable. Low GI diets can ward off weight gain and, in the long-term, conditions such as type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, a study which examined the effect on weight loss of adding fruit into the diet, found that women who ate three pears or apples a day had a ‘significant’ weight loss at the end of the three-month trial.

 

 

Because this dessert contains red wine, save it for a special occasion rather than an everyday dessert.  This recipe is taken from my cookbook ‘Healthy eating for the menopause’.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours’ soaking

Cooking: about 20 minutes

 

2 tablespoons of sultanas

1 tablespoon of cider vinegar

1 lemon

4 large firm pears

300ml/0.5 pint red wine

3 tablespoons honey

1 cinnamon stick

1 level tablespoon black peppercorns

Yogurt, to serve

 

At least two hours before you intend to cook the pears, put the sultanas in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar and the juice of half the lemon. Toss to mix well. 

 

Peel the pears and halve them carefully lengthwise, leaving the stalks attached to one half. Scoop out the cores.

 

Pour the red wine into a saucepan just big enough to hold the pear halves snugly. Heat gently and stir in the honey, cinnamon, peppercorns and 3 tablespoons of the remaining lemon juice. 

 

When the honey has dissolved, put the pears in the liquid and spoon some over their tops. Cover and poach at the gentlest possible simmer for 15-20 minutes turning the pears from time to time and spooning liquid over them, until the pears are translucent and tender but still quite firm. 

 

Remove the pears to a serving dish and strain the liquid. When the pears are cool enough to handle, stuff the cavities of four of the pear halves with a mounded spoonful of the macerated sultanas. Reassemble with the other matching pear half and wrap tightly in greaseproof paper.  Put the pear packages and liquid to chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

 

To serve, unwrap the packages and spoon over some of the reserving poaching liquid. Serve with some plain yoghurt flavoured with a couple of spoonfuls of the poaching liquid.