Children who eat a Mediterranean diet packed with fruit, vegetables and nuts are less likely to develop asthma and allergies, say researchers. A study carried out on the Greek island of Crete found eating high quantities of traditional foods such as olive oil could protect youngsters from wheezing and other allergic symptoms.

Researchers found eight out of 10 children ate fresh fruit – and over two thirds of them fresh vegetables – at least twice a day. The effect of diet was strongest on allergic rhinitis which results in a runny or blocked nose, but it also gave protection against asthma symptoms and skin allergies. Children who ate nuts at least three times a week were less likely to wheeze, as well as those who enjoyed grapes.

But high consumption of margarine doubled the chances of asthma and allergic rhinitis, says a report published in the medical journal Thorax. Researchers believe the epidemic of asthma in developed countries could be linked to a move away from natural, fresh foods to fast foods – as has happened here since the 1970s. In recent years the Mediterranean diet has been thought to also improve heart health and stave off cancer because it is high in fruit, vegetables, fish and ‘healthy’ fats such as those in olive oil, while low in red meat and dairy products.

The key to planning and creating healthy meals on a limited budget is good forward planning and solid nutritional knowledge.

1. Always do a shopping list: Shopping without a sense of what you need – and don’t need – opens you up to all manner of temptation, and most of those tempting foods are not nutritious. In addition, picking up all those extra items can easily blow your food budget and leave you without the funds to plan those healthy, nutritious meals. A good trick is to keep a note pad near the table or refrigerator. Having the notepad within easy reach makes it easy to keep track of the foods you need to stock up on.
2. Never shop when you are hungry: The old advice to never shop when you are hungry is definitely true. Shopping when you are hungry is a sure way to give in to temptation, bust the food budget, and stock up on all the wrong foods.
3. Replace meat with pulses: Eating less meat and more beans and lentils is a good way to save money on your food budget while still getting the protein you and your family need. Eliminating meat also reduces your saturated fat intake. Try experimenting with some vegetarian recipes for interesting ways to use these non-meat alternatives.
4. Stock up on staples: One trick is to keep the refrigerator and the pantry well stocked with staple foods. Essential staple foods, such as wholemeal flour, rice, and pasta may often be on special offer. Stocking up on these essentials when prices are low is a great way to stretch any food budget. Keeping a good supply of staples on hand will avoid unnecessary trips to the shops. When staples such as bread, wholemeal flour, peanut butter, tinned organic beans, tinned organic tomatoes etc. are on offer be sure to stock up.
5. Stock up on fruits and veggies: Fruit and vegetables (excluding exotic / imported ones) are surprisingly cheap. An average piece of fruit costs less than most bars of chocolate or a bag of crisps – and provides more in the way of nourishment for fewer calories. Always best to choose fresh fruit and vegetables in season, not only are they cheaper they will also be most flavoursome and at their best. Markets also tend to be cheaper than supermarkets. Alternatively opt for supermarket branded tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables.

There is a strong and frequently repeated argument that we should be able to get all the nutrients we need from ‘a well balanced diet’. Yes, we should. The problem is, all too often, we can’t.

Food rich in nutrients needs to be grown in soil rich in nutrients, but much of our soil has been over-farmed to the point that it no longer contains the nutrients we need. Pesticides and other chemicals reduce the nutrient content of the food, and as food is processed it is stripped of its key nutrients even more. The additional chemicals in our processed food put an additional strain on our bodies, increasing our need for more key nutrients.

Nowadays it is not easy to get everything you need from your diet. With the dominance of supermarket shopping, there’s no way of knowing the freshness or nutritional content of our food. A Which? Report found, for instance, that one pack of sliced green beans contained only 11% of the vitamin C it should have done. And a recent national study showed that 74% of women were falling woefully short on nutrients in their diet. The National Diet and Nutritional survey published in 2003 which looked at adults aged 19-64 showed that only 15% of women and 13% of men actually ate the five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables. With vitamins and minerals, 74% of women failed to achieve the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI – this term replaced the old RDA, Recommended Daily Allowance) for magnesium, 45% for zinc, 84% for folic acid and 15% for vitamin D.

So food supplements can be helpful if:

• You don’t eat well: If you eat less than five total servings of fruits and vegetables daily, it may be difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Also, if you eat only one or two times a day, you may be limiting the number and variety of servings you eat from the various food groups.
• You’re a vegan: If you’re a vegan you may not consume enough calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins B-12 and D. You can get these nutrients naturally from non-meat sources, such as, green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole-grain products and nuts. If you aren’t able to regularly consume these foods, food supplements can be helpful.
• You consume less than 1,200 calories a day: Low-calorie diets limit the types and amounts of foods you eat and, in turn, the types and amounts of nutrients you receive. Unless monitored by a doctor, a low-calorie diet isn’t recommended.
• You’re a postmenopausal woman: After the menopause, women experience a drop in oestrogen levels, which increases bone loss. To keep bones strong and to decrease bone loss, you need calcium as well as vitamin D – the vitamin essential for absorbing calcium. Women who don’t obtain enough calcium and vitamin D through foods could benefit from taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D.
• You have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs, uses or excretes nutrients: If your diet has limited variety because of food allergies or intolerance to certain foods, you can benefit from food supplements.
• You’re a woman who has heavy menstrual bleeding: If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, you may need additional iron to replace the iron depleted by blood loss. Iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, a condition in which blood is low in haemoglobin, the substance which carries oxygen to tissues. Symptoms of anaemia can include exhaustion, shortness of breath, dizziness, sore tongue and headaches. If tests suggest that you are iron-deficient, take extra iron (as amino acid chelate or citrate). Vitamin C is essential for the body to absorb iron, so for maximum absorption take vitamin C with your iron supplement on an empty stomach. Avoid taking iron and vitamin C alongside any other supplements you may be taking.

Avoid taking iron in the form of ferrous sulphate (also called iron sulphate), which is less easily absorbed by the body. Only 2 to 10 percent of the iron from this type of iron supplement is actually absorbed by your body, and even then, half is eliminated, causing blackening of your stools and constipation.

Ferrous sulphate is classed as an inorganic iron. Organic irons are much more easily absorbed and do not affect the bowels in the same way. Look for iron in the form of ascorbates, malates or amino acid chelates.

• You’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant: During this time, you need more of certain nutrients, especially calcium, zinc and folic acid. Folic acid is needed very early in pregnancy to help protect your baby against neural tube birth defects, such as incomplete closure of the spine (spina bifida).
• You smoke: Tobacco decreases the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium and calcium. But dietary supplements can’t make up for the major health risks caused by smoking. The safest option is to stop smoking.
• You drink excessively: Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can impair the digestion and absorption of several vitamins and minerals, eg the B vitamins, including folic acid, iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. In addition, you may be substituting alcohol for food, resulting in a diet lacking in essential nutrients. Excessive drinking is defined as more than two drinks a day for men under age 65 and more than one drink a day for men over 65 and women. Taking food supplements can be helpful but they can’t make up for the major health risks caused by excessive alcohol consumption.