Food As Medicine: Feed the family healthy meals with nutritionist Rue Radd’s book of 150 plant-based recipes

A VEGETARIAN diet has documented benefits but what if you don’t want to cut out meat? Sydney nutritionist Sue Radd says it’s possible to cook delicious meals that restrict animal foods.

Plant-based diets, which are not strictly vegetarian but restrict exposure to animal foods, can actively fight chronic disease. Picture: Dominique Cherry

YOU can eat your way to good health and enjoy it, according to Sydney nutritionist Sue Radd.

Radd is one of Sydney’s leading exponents of plant-based nutrition which attempts to pry us away from heavily refined and processed foods in favour of a diet with limited animal products.

“We’ve always known that vegetarians have enjoyed health benefits when it comes to chronic disease,” Radd says.

“But more recent research has revealed that other plant-based diets, which are not strictly vegetarian but restrict exposure to animal foods, can also actively fight chronic disease.”

Sue Radd shows us how to put into practice the latest medical research findings by cooking meals the whole family can enjoy.

Some of the standout super foods to boost your health include legumes, which encourage the growth of friendly microbes in the gut.

“Most Australians are lacking legumes and we need to boost our intake by 470 per cent according to modelling conducted for the latest revision of the Australian Dietary Guidelines,” Radd says.

Food As Medicine by Sue Radd features 150 plant-based recipes. Picture: Dominique Cherry

Nuts are rich in a substance that helps blood vessels relax. Picture: Dominique Cherry

“Nuts are rich in arginine, which helps relax our blood vessels, keeping them flexible as we age.

“A regular intake of nuts can help lower elevated cholesterol and reduce the risk of a heart attack.”

Nutritionist Sue Radd teaches how to set a ‘wellness kitchen’ and how to reduce the formation of toxic chemicals in your meals.

Dark leafy green vegetables can boost your intake of lutein and nitrate.

“Lutein gets preferentially taken up by your brain and eyes. In the eyes, for example, it acts as a potent antioxidant to protect against macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness,” she says.

Radd’s culinary search for healthy recipes has taken her all over the world. The result is Food as Medicine, featuring 150 plant-based recipes.

What food marketers won’t tell you

Food for thought

Legumes: Grow a healthier gut

Nuts: Great for your heart and blood vessels

Green vegetables: Keeps you young at heart

Berries: Pack a punch for heart disease, cancer and dementia

Extra virgin olive oil: A blessing for people with diabetes

The benefits of Omega 3