Kelly Francis: Registered Dietitian SA

04/08/2025

Have your pasta and eat it too! Just add lean protein and plenty of veg. Choose wholewheat varieties or make sure your pasta is made from 100% durum wheat. Limit your serving of pasta noodles to 2 cupped handfuls, keep your protein lean and do not limit your veg. Sprinkle your dish with seeds or herbs for a nutrient boost and a gourmet flourish.

20/04/2025

Happy Easter 🐰

01/04/2025

My favourite quick and easy lunch ... a loaded open sandwich. One slice of high fibre bread/toast topped with protein [tuna] and veggies [lettuce, cucumber, onion]. Dress with pepper, seeds, olive oil, pesto or onion flakes. I love everything bagel seasoning! The options are endless. Sourdough bread in the 📸

My 'Loaded Open Sandwich' inspo guide is available in my shop. Link in the bio or visit www.kellyfrancis.co.za

25/03/2025

Happy 90th Birthday !! You are an inspiration in the food world and beyond ❤️ Love your recipes!

18/03/2025

Homemade Pasta Sauce for my freezer stash ...

800g jam tomatoes, roasted for 10 minutes in the airfryer
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Once roasted, blend the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients. This recipe makes 500 ml sauce.

I roasted my tomatoes yesterday while I was in the kitchen making dinner and I finished up the sauce today. This sauce can be added to mince or used as a pasta sauce for spaghetti and meatballs.

Additional vegetables can be added before reheating.(grated carrot, baby marrow, spinach).

I like to keep frozen spinach on hand, which I will add when heating up the sauce.

15/03/2025

You can look after your kidneys so that they can continue to look after you... worldkidneyday2025

World Kidney Day 🫘

Did you know that Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 people worldwide? This , let's focus on simple habits to keep our kidneys healthy! 🌟

Here are 6 Top Tips for Kidney Health:
1. Go Green (and colorful!) - Add more fresh fruits and veggies to your diet. 🥦🍓
2. Get Real - Cook from scratch with fresh, healthy ingredients. 🍽️
3. Be Choosy About Fats - Use healthy oils like avocado and olive oil. 🥑
4. Go Nuts - Include nuts and legumes for healthy fats and fiber. 🌰
5. Forget the Fads - Skip sugary Grinks, fast food, and processed meats. 🥤❌
6. Embrace Plant Protein - Swap red
meat for legumes, grains, or fish. 🥗

Small changes can make a big difference in protecting your kidneys. Let's make kidney health a priority! 💚

11/03/2025

Endometriosis does not feature on the South African Health Day Awareness Calendar. Since 1 in 10 women worldwide live with endometriosis, I am celebrating Australia's Endo Month in March.

It currently takes an average of 10 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis. This is due to poor awareness, misdiagnosis, and the fact that the only way to diagnose endometriosis is with laproscopy surgery. It is expensive and invasive. Here's to hoping there will soon be an easier way to diagnose patients at a younger age.

This is my story. I consider myself extremely blessed. For me, the timing of diagnosis was perfect because I did not experience the fear of infertility while single in my late 20's. However, this is not a gamble I would take in hindsight. I was extremely lucky that my fallopian tubes were free from endometriosis. This was amazing considering the amount and severity of the endometriosis that was removed.

05/03/2025

More on obesity ... World Obesity Day Materials [yesterday]

04/03/2025

Today is World Obesity Day ... there are many factors that play a role in the rapidly rising incidence of obesity. For the biggest positive change to happen, we need the systems that influence our health to make meaningful changes.

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03/03/2025

If you are not yet convinced on wholewheat pasta, try a mixture of 100% durum wheat and wholewheat pasta.

Getting 25 to 30 grams is not as easy as it might seem. High fibre foods contain 6 or more grams of fibre per 100 g ... check the labels of your favourite foods!

27/02/2025

I always add oats to my meatballs instead of bread crumbs. Every little bit of fibre counts towards your requirements. I always have them on hand, which is a bonus!

25/02/2025

I do not believe in strict restriction when it comes to my kids and sugar but I do believe in portion control, miniature fun foods and baking half batches.

These mini smores are too cute. Mini marshmallows + mini Marie biscuits + a few seconds in the microwave = perfect picnic pudding!

Also, my intention for this year is to mostly make fun foods from scratch with ingredients I can pronounce. I will also be able to reduce the sugar content when needed.