Can I make bread without using any sugar?
Yes, but rising times will be longer. As well as adding sweetness, sugar provides food for the yeast and contributes to the browning of bread. Adding even a tiny amount (as little as half a teaspoon) helps improve the quality of
the dough. You can substitute brown sugar, honey, golden syrup or treacle for white sugar, dissolving it in the liquid called for in your recipe.
Note that too much sugar can also slow down the rising of dough.
Is canned fish as good for you as fresh?
More or less. Canned fish such as sardines and salmon supply more calcium than fresh fish since the bones included are softened by the canning process and can therefore be eaten (crumble them first for fussy eaters). And when it comes to omega-3 fatty acids, most survive the canning process. Those in tuna are an exception, however - apparently because the fish is cooked before canning. So while fresh tuna counts as an oily fish, canned tuna does not.
If you have a food question email Glenys at glenyswoollard@clear.net.nz
