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Eat at least 5 portions offruit and vegetables a dayEating a diet that is rich in a range of vegetables and fruits lowersthe risk of coronary heart disease. Have at least 5 portions eachday. Try to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables of differentcolours so you get a full range of nutrients. Fruit and vegetablesare low in calories and are full of goodness.What’s a portion?Fruit1 portion 1 medium-sized banana12 grapes (or a handful)1 small mango1 large slice of melon2-3 tablespoons of canned fruit in natural juice1 glass (150ml) of fruit juice (Fruit juice counts only onceas a portion of your daily 5 fruit and vegetables.)Vegetables1 portion 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables1 bowl of salad (a cereal bowlful)3 tablespoons of beans, dhal or other pulses (These countonly once as a portion of your daily 5 fruit and vegetables.)Potatoes and other starchy vegetables – such as cassava, yamor plantain – are all good sources of nutrients, but they don’tcount towards your 5 a day portions. Fruit juice is nourishingbut is quite concentrated in calories and most of the fibre hasbeen removed from the original fruit, so it only counts once aday towards your daily 5 a day portions.Quick and easy tips Get into the habit of always having a side salad withyour meals. Slice a banana onto your favourite breakfast cereal. Grill some mushrooms or tomato (or both) and use as atoast topper. If you’re in a hurry, use ready-chopped vegetables orpre-bagged salads. Stuff pitta bread with roasted vegetables andchicken tikka. Make a raita using low-fat natural yoghurt anddiced cucumber. Create a spicy salsa with diced tomatoes, cucumber, chillies,spring onions and cumin seeds.When you’re in a rush, pack a piece of fresh fruit to munch on your way to work.If you’re watching your weight, keep a ‘snack attack’ box of raw vegetables such as chopped carrots, celery andcherry tomatoes.Freeze orange segments for those party cocktails Make a fruit smoothie using bananas or strawberries liquidised with semi-skimmed milk or low-fat yoghurt.Stuff an apple with dried fruit and cinnamon and bake it for half an hour.Eat vegetables and fruit lightly cooked or raw. If you overcook them they will lose much of their vitamin content.Summary1. Fruit and vegetables help to keep your heart healthy.2. Choose different colours of fruit and vegetables so that youget a variety of nutrients.3. Eat vegetables and fruit lightly cooked or raw, so that theyretain their vitamin content.14

Eat less fatIt’s a good idea to cut down on fried and fatty foods – especiallyif you’re watching your weight. Frying onions and spices in oilor ghee is a traditional part of South Asian cooking. But you cancreate flavoursome dishes using less oil, changing your oil torapeseed oil, olive oil or sunflower oil, and making the most ofthe wide variety of herbs and spices that add taste and aromato cooked foods. And there are some fats that are actually goodfor you, such as the fats found in oily fish. (For more on oily fish,see page 17.)The main types of fat are:saturated fats and trans fats monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats – avoid these where possibleSaturated fats are found mostly in animal foods such as fattymeat, and in dairy products such as butter, ghee, cheese, creamand full-fat milk. Palm oil, coconut oil, coconut cream andcoconut milk are also high in saturated fat. Saturated fats havebeen shown to have a major influence on blood cholesterol. Themore saturated fat you eat, the higher your blood cholesterol islikely to be.Many processed foods contain saturated fat or another fatcalled trans fats. Trans fats are formed when vegetable oils are‘hydrogenated’ and turned into solid fats to make processedfoods such as cakes, biscuits, pastries and some margarines.Foods that have ‘hydrogenated oil’ or ‘hydrogenated fat’ in thelist of ingredients are likely to contain trans fats. Trans fats canincrease blood cholesterol levels.GheeGhee made from butter contains a lot of saturated fat. Purevegetable ghee is made from hydrogenated vegetable oils soit is likely to be rich in trans fats. So it’s best to avoid using gheewhen you’re cooking.Monounsaturated fats – have these in small amountsThe main sources of these fats in the diet include olive oil,rapeseed oil, spreading fat made from these oils, avocadoes,and some nuts and seeds. You can get rapeseed oil from mostsupermarkets. It is often sold under a vegetable oil label, so lookcarefully at the ingredients to check that the oil is made fromrape seeds. Choosing monounsaturated fats instead of saturatedfats can help improve blood cholesterol levels.Polyunsaturated fats – have these in small amountsPolyunsaturated fats include vegetable oils such as sunfloweroil, corn oil, soya oil, and sunflower oil, spreading fats made fromthese oils, nuts, seeds, and also oily fish. (We say more aboutoily fish on page 17.) Polyunsaturated fats can help improvecholesterol levels.A diet that is low in saturated fat can lower your bloodcholesterol level and this in turn can reduce your risk ofcoronary heart disease.What is cholesterol?Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is mainly made in yourbody. It plays a vital part in how your body works, but peoplewho have a high level of cholesterol in their blood also havea higher risk of coronary heart disease. In most people, a highcholesterol level is caused by having too much saturated fat intheir diet.Some cooking oils are marketed as ‘cholesterol-free’ Butin fact most oils are cholesterol-free, so there is nothingspecial about these brands. It is the saturated fat in foodthat matters. So choose oils made from monounsaturatedand polyunsaturated fats more often.Hidden fatsMany foods contain ‘hidden fats’. These are fats that are lessobvious or less visible than those that you might recogniseeasily, such as butter or the white fat on meat. These hidden fatshave been added to processed or pre-prepared foods such assamosas, chevda, sev, ganthia, pakoras and crisps, or to sweetssuch as halwa, gulab jamun, barfi, cakes and biscuits. The fats inthis type of food are often trans fats. (see above)1

Quick and easy tips Choose oils and spreads made from monounsaturatedand polyunsaturated fats rather than from saturated fats.For example, choose rapeseed oil rather than palm oil.Or choose a polyunsaturated spread instead of butter. Use less oil when cooking. Instead of pouring oil directlyinto the pan, use a tablespoon to measure it. Graduallyreduce the amount you use. Every tablespoon of oil containsaround 120 kilocalories.Try using a spray oil to fry onions and spices. You can alwaysadd water or lemon juice if the onions stick to the bottomof the pan. You can buy ready-made low-calorie spray oil, oryou can make your own oil spray. Simply store rapeseed oilin a special kitchen pump-spray bottle which you can buyfrom good household stores. A few sprays of this oil willcontain much less fat than pouring oil from a bottle.If you must fry in oil, choose unsaturated oils such asrapeseed, olive or sunflower oil.Choose lower-fat cooking methods such as baking, roasting,poaching, steaming or grilling rather than frying? You canmake delicious grilled masala fish or roast tandoori chicken.Why not try our recipes for oven-baked chicken (page 38) orgrilled salmon (page 63)?Eat lower-fat dairy foods such as skimmed or semi-skimmedmilk, low-fat yoghurt or reduced-fat cheese rather than thefull-fat versions. Grating cheese makes it go further. And if you choose amature cheese with a stronger flavour, you may need to useless.Vegetarian diets are not necessarily lower in fat than nonvegetarian diets. Vegetarians still need to be careful abouthow much and what type of fats – both added fat and‘hidden fats’ – there are in their food.You can buy spreads, yoghurt and yoghurt drinks withadded substances called ‘plant sterols’ and ‘stanols’. Thesemay help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. But even if youdo eat these foods, it is still important to make sure youfollow a healthy diet.Summary1. Eat less saturated fats and trans fats. These are found in foodslike fatty meat, butter, ghee, creamed coconut, bought friedsnacks, cakes and biscuits.2. Avoid adding fat in cooking whenever possible.3. Use small amounts of monounsaturated fats such asrapeseed oil and olive oil, or polyunsaturated fats such assunflower oil.16

Eat oily fish at least once a weekEating oily fish regularly can help to reduce the risk of heartdisease and to improve your chances of survival after a heartattack.The oil in fish that has these good effects is a particular type ofomega-3 polyunsaturated fat. This is found mainly in oily fishsuch as salmon, herring, mackerel, pilchards, sardines, trout andfresh tuna. If you have previously suffered a heart attack, it iseven more important for you to eat oily fish.Quick and easy tips Choose oily fish for dishes such as masala fish, fish curry orfish biryani. For a quick snack, try mackerel, pilchards or sardineson toast.SummaryEat oily fish at least once a week. If you have had a heart attack,aim to have 2 or 3 portions of oily fish a week, to help protectyour heart.If you don’t like fish, you can try a daily fish oil supplement.It is best to discuss this with your doctor, dietitian or practicenurse. Vegetarian supplements are available. You can also getvegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids in seed oils such asflaxseed and rapeseed. However, we don’t yet know for certainif vegetable sources of omega-3 fats bring exactly the samebenefits as the omega-3 fats found in oily fish.17

Cut down on saltHaving too much salt is linked with high blood pressure, whichincreases your risk of developing coronary heart disease andhaving a stroke. Most of the salt we eat is actually ‘hidden’in processed foods and snack foods that are pre-prepared.Examples include chevda, ganthia, sev, puris, samosas, pakoras,crisps and salted nuts. (These snack foods are also high in fat, sothat’s another good reason for cutting down on all of these.)Cooking with saltThe recipes have no added salt. You can achieve more excitingflavours using the herbs and spices suggested.Also, avoid pre-prepared seasoning mixes that contain salt.Quick and easy tips Make the best use of whole and ground spices, freshherbs, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and other salt-freecondiments to flavour your food. This will help you to useless salt. If you do use salt, measure the amount you add on ateaspoon and gradually use less. Get to a stage where youdon’t need to add any salt to recipes, as with the recipes inthis book. Cut down on high-salt snack foods such as chevda, ganthiaand sev, and processed foods such as burgers, sausages,pies and ready-made meals.SummaryUse less salt. Try herbs and spices to flavour your food instead.18

And, eat some of theseSoyaSoya can help to lower your blood cholesterol. Soya products– such as soya milk, soya yoghurt, tofu, miso, soya beans andtextured soya protein – are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals.They are also low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturatedfats. So, eating soya as part of a healthy balanced diet is likely tobe good for your heart.NutsRecent research suggests that eating small amounts of nuts aspart of a healthy diet can have beneficial effects on your bloodfat levels. However, nuts are high in calories, so it’s importantto watch the amount you eat. A practical tip is to throw a fewnuts into a savoury dish, such as salad, dhal or pasta. However,if you are watching your weight, make sure you have no morethan a small handful (around 25 grams, or 1 ounce) a day.The exceptions to this advice are coconut and coconut cream– because coconut contains a lot of the unhealthy saturatedfat. So it’s best to avoid using these. The recipe for dry masalaprawns (on page 00) uses yoghurt instead of coconut milk.PulsesLentils and beans, which are abundant in the Asian diet, arefantastic sources of a particular type of fibre called soluble fibre.Soluble fibre has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. Asiancooking boasts a wide variety of different-coloured lentils whichcan be cooked in different ways and to different textures. Takeadvantage of the wide range of nutrients these foods offer, andthe tempting dishes you can create using these basic, cheapingredients. Try recipes on pages 54-58 for scrumptious waysto cook dhal.WholegrainsWholegrain cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, rice and oats havebeen shown to contain important nutrients that are good foryour heart.Quick and easy tips Try wholegrain bread, pasta, millet, basmati rice, couscousand bulgur wheat. Choose porridge or muesli for breakfast. Fill up on peas, beans and lentils.1

Steps to successTo help protect your health, and in particular your heart, youneed to: Eat healthily. Make a start by trying some of the recipes andtips in this book.Watch your weight and shape. It is estimated that at leastone in four adults in the UK will be obese by the year 2010.If you are obese, you are more likely to have high bloodpressure, raised blood cholesterol levels, type 2 diabetes, andcoronary heart disease. Losing even as little as a tenth of yourbody weight could help you enjoy significant health benefits.Your waist measurement is also important. Measure yourwaist and aim for it to be within the healthy range – lessthan 32 inches (80cm) if you’re a woman, and less than 36inches (90cm) if you’re a man.Do regular physical activity. Being physically active will alsohelp reduce your risk of heart disease, or if you already haveheart disease it can help you to manage your condition.Regular physical activity will also help you to control yourweight and reduce your stress. For more information seeour booklets Get active and Physical activity and your heart.Think about what type of lifestyle you really wantHow would you like your health to be? Are you ready to takethat first step to becoming a fitter, healthier you?Before you begin your new healthy lifestyle, make a list of all thepositive benefits it will give you. Your list may look somethinglike this: It will help me to fit into my good black trousers. I’ll be able to run for the bus (and catch it!) I’ll look and feel more confident.If you are clear about why you would like to have a healthierlifestyle, you will increase your chances of having a strong andlasting motivation to succeed. Once you realise the impact andbenefit the new lifestyle will have for you, the energy with whichyou move towards your goal will be vastly multiplied. And thenyou can take this learning to other goals you want to achieve.Start with the tempting recipes in this book. That’s a step in theright direction. As the old saying goes, “A journey of a thousandmiles starts with one step.”20

The recipesThese recipes have been designed so that they are lower in fat than standard recipes yet delicious!And they have all been tried and tested.The Nutritional information given for each recipe tells you how many calories, and how much fat,saturated fat and other nutrients there are in one serving of the recipe.* The figures are a roughguide only.* The calculations are based on data from McCanceand Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods, 6thedition, and from published supplements.Nutritional information given for fibre is based onEnglyst fibre. Foods mentioned in the ‘Tips’ sectionsare not included in the ‘per serving’ analysis.Abbreviations usedcmcentimetrefl ozfluid unce21

dsf ds fd(Roti)BreadsUse wholemeal flour rather than white flour. Wholemeal flourcontains moremordsfibrefds fethanfibrewhitethanflour,whiteandflour,it retainsand it retainscertain certainvitamins and minerals that are lost during the manufacture of whiteflour. flour.whiteTo make the dough,drs treough,use veryuse hotverywater.hot water.This helpsThis helpsto keepto keepthe thechapati soft.The amount of water needed to bind the flour will varydepending on the type of flour used. A softer dough will makea softer chapati or naan, provided it is cooked on a moderate tohigh heat.Wholemeal 24Chapti or Rotikhasta roti 25(oven-bakedwholewheatbread)plain naan 26To prevent chapatis and naans becoming hard, wrap them in foilas soon as they are cooked, and eat them hot.stuffed 27parathasThe amounfds fgdsfst of water needed to bind the flour will varydepending on the type of flour used. A softer dough will make asofter chapati or naan, provided it is csdf sdfdsooked on a moderateto high heat.To prevent chapatis and naans becoming hard, wrap them in foil assoon as they are cooked, and eat them hot.theplas 28(Gujarati)

wholemeal chapati or roti8 ServingsNutritional informationIngredients:Per serving:225g/8oz wholemeal flourabout 150-175ml/5-6fl oz veryhot water1.Place the flour and water in a largebowl and mix with a spoon.2.Wet your hands and knead thedough for 5 minutes until smooth.Cover and leave for 10 minutes.3.Knead again and divide the doughinto 8-12 balls (depending on thethickness required) and roll out intocircles 15cm/6in across.4.Heat a shallow frying pan. Once thepan is hot, add the chapati. Turnit after 10 seconds, and then cookthe other side for 1 minute or untilcooked. Then ‘fluff up’ the chapatiover direct heat, placing the lesswell cooked side over the heat for30 seconds or until fluffed up andlightly brown.87kcalsenergy0.5gfat0gsaturated fat18gcarbohydrate0.5gtotal sugar3.5gprotein2.5gfibre(If you are cooking with gas you cando this by holding the chapati withtongs over a moderate gas flame.If you are cooking with electricity,place a wire mesh over an electrichob.) This helps the chapati tocook well and to remain soft. Serveimmediately without spreadingany fat.24

khasta roti (oven-baked wholewheat bread)10 ServingsNutritional informationIngredients:Per serving:500g/1 lb 2oz wholemeal flour, plusextra for dusting2 teaspoons caster sugar11 tablespoons ajowan seeds300ml/10fl oz cold water1.Sieve the flour into a bowl and stirin the caster sugar, ajowan seedsand 300ml/10fl oz cold water.2.Knead for 10 minutes into a firmdough. Cover with a damp clothand leave to stand in a warm placefor 15 minutes.3.4.216kcalsenergy4gfat0gsaturated fat38.5gcarbohydrate2gtotal sugar8.5gprotein4.5gfibrePre-heat the oven to gas mark 4,180oC (350oF). Divide the doughinto 10 equal balls. Dust with flourand roll out into circles 10cm/4inacross.Prick evenly with a fork, place ona baking tray and bake for 8-10minutes until light brown andslightly bubbly on the surface.This recipe is reproduced from Indiawith Passion, by Manju Malhi.2

plain naan5 ServingsNutritional informationIngredients:Per serving:175g/6oz self-raising flour50g/2oz self-raising wholemeal flour50ml/2fl oz semi-skimmed milk100ml-150ml/4-5fl oz lukewarmwater1.Mix the flours with the milk andenough water to form a soft dough.2.Knead well, then cover and leavethe dough to rise in a warm placefor 30 minutes.3.151kcalsenergy1gfat0gsaturated fat33.5gcarbohydrate1gtotal sugar4.5gprotein2gfibreDivide the dough into 10 balls, rollout to the desired shape and cookon a pan over a medium heat. Fluffup each naan over direct heat, justlike a chapati (see page 24). Keepthe cooked naans warm in foilwhile you cook the others.Tip: Serve these naans instead ofdeep-fried bhaturas.26

stuffed parathas8 ServingsNutritional informationIngredients:Per serving:For the dough225g/8oz wholemeal flourabout 150-175ml/5-6fl oz hot water1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, roasted1 teaspoon garam masala1 teaspoon green chillies, crushed2 tablespoons coriander leaves,choppedFor the filling450g/1 lb potatoes1 tablespoon lemon juice or amchur1½ teaspoons ginger, crushed1 medium onion, finely chopped1.2.Prepare the chapati dough,following the recipe for Wholeme

make recipes, you will see that choosing the healthy option can be easy and enjoyable. Taking some simple steps to eat healthily can help you live a full and active life. Make a commitment to yourself, as once you start to care for yourself, you are better abl