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Health For Mzansi

5 tips to eat healthy on a festive budget

by Pamela Madonsela
17th December 2021
in Conversations, Recipes
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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Chef Jabu Ndimande is on a mission to prove that healthy eating does not need to be bland and boring. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

Chef Jabu Ndimande is on a mission to prove that healthy eating does not need to be bland and boring. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

While festive family gatherings are incomplete without those hearty meals made with love, food should not be considered a reward, cautions Durban-based chef Jabu Nzimande.

Jabu
Chef Jabu Nzimande is on a mission to promote a culture of healthy living with healthy cooking classes in Durban. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

“We eat to live. We don’t live to eat. We need to understand that and respect our health so much that there’s no season that we indulge irresponsibly and then blame it on the season,” she tells Food For Mzansi.

To promote healthy living, Nzimande offers healthy cuisine cooking classes. She also promotes a healthy lifestyle that does not rob you of your favourites.

“Most of the things made can be made to be just as amazing but still healthy and nutritious, from burgers to pizzas to baked goods, there’s always a way to make it beneficial to our bodies,” she says.

It all started at high school

Nzimande’s food love began in the Mpumalanga township of eThekwini. She says that she had a list of careers but her food passion  landed her at Capsicum Culinary Studio.

“After matriculating, I went to Durban University of Technology (DUT) to study accounting which was my third option. My first was performing arts and technology and that didn’t end up well because my family didn’t believe in it.”

Chef Jabu Nzimande

Her food passion was sparked in her home economics classes in high school. “I would always look forward to going back home after the practical’s to go cook or bake the same thing we had made in class,” she says. “I would always try and add my own creativity in it and it was the most rewarding experience when it came out as I had desired it.”

The more she experimented, the more groceries her mother had to buy. “Some days it wouldn’t be so easy due to some budget constraints, but it taught me to work with what we had. Little did I know that it was training me to be versatile which is a blessing now and a great skill.”

One healthy meal at a time

Healthy food need not be boring, Nzimande believes. “You know in whatever I make whether cooking or baking, my first thought is to go think of the best and healthiest way of doing it.”

Health is wealth, she adds. “Healthy food is not bland food with no flavour; healthy food is packed with flavour and it leaves you feeling great, fuller for longer and rewards your body with great nutrients your body needs.”

It’s better to break your pocket eating healthy

Healthy eating
Healthy eating need not break the bank, says Durban chef, Jabu Nzimande. Photo: Supplied/Health For Mzansi

Healthy eating does not need to break the bank. It is better to spend on healthy diets than medication, Nzimande says. “The big question is what are you putting on your table? is it to give life or to take away life and then teaching them to be dependent on medication because of poor choices that could be prevented.”

How to save this season

Nzimande shares her five tips for saving on groceries this season:

Never shop on an empty stomach: “You will find yourself buying a whole lot of unnecessary stuff,” she says.

Early birds catch the fattest worms:  “Do your shopping in the mornings when shops open so you get to choose from fresh ingredients.”

Don’t overspend: December holidays are just few days!

Check the sell-by dates: Remember if the shops run out of food, they will load shelves again with fresh stuff so, avoid buying for next month this month.

Your health, your responsibility: “You can’t exercise away bad eating habits. What you sow to your body it will give it back to you. The right time to start taking control of your eating habits is now, it starts with a mindset, followed by a plan, execution and consistency.”

ALSO READ: Life-saver cooking tips for busy moms

Tags: Food medicineHealthHealthy lifestyleNutritionWellness
Pamela Madonsela

Pamela Madonsela

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HIV and initiation: Supporting boys through cultural rites Security fails as gangs target Eastern Cape clinics Dr Makanya blends spiritual healing with art therapy Canola oil: A heart-healthy choice for your kitchen No more pain! Tackle the torment of toothaches How smoking causes harmful bacteria in your mouth Discover delicious, healthy dishes that will make your heart sing Rediscover the joy of creamy pap with chicken livers