Showing posts with label NNM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NNM. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

From Garden to Plate: the Journey of Fruits and Vegetables





Keep healthy eating simple by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at mealtime. Eat fruits and vegetables when you want to have a snack. The more colorful you make your plate, the more likely you are to get the vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs to be healthy.

Remember that all forms count: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% juice. The next time you go shopping, choose veggies that may be new to you (try sweet potatoes, beets, or collard greens) and fruits too (try papaya, cantaloupe, or kiwi) to make your plate even more fun and exciting!

It’s easy to add fruits and vegetables to the meals that you’re already making:


  1. Breakfast is the perfect time for fruit. Try topping your cereal or oatmeal with bananas or peaches. Add blueberries to your pancakes. Or add fruit to your fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Blend frozen fruit, 100% juice, and/or yogurt to make a healthy smoothie.
  2. Lunchtime is a great time for a colorful salad. Add a variety of veggies, like corn, carrots, and spinach. A salad makes a healthy lunch if you don’t use too much dressing. Add a tangerine, banana, or grapes to your bagged lunch.
  3. At dinner, try meat dishes that include fruits and veggies, like chicken with apricots or kebabs with peppers and pineapple. Or make a meal featuring vegetables, such as veggie pizza or vegetarian chili with lots of vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables make great snacks and desserts:
  1. Keep cut-up fruits and vegetables like carrots, peppers, and cucumber or orange slices in the refrigerator for a handy snack.
  2. Dried fruits are tasty and easy to carry.
  3. Keep a fruit bowl in the refrigerator or on a table or countertop. Your family can grab and go!
  4. An apple is a perfect quick snack—and there are more than 7,500 varieties of apples to try!
  5. Fruit smoothies, fruit salad, and frozen 100% juice bars are better than high-fat, sugary desserts.




Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Food on a Stick Day


Food on a stick is thought to be among the earliest examples of human utensils. The “Kebab” is a dish consisting of small pieces of meat and vegetables threaded onto skewers and grilled. The kebab originated in Persia and later spread to the Middle East and Turkey. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on location and traditions, it may be beef, goat, chicken, pork, fish or seafood. Today the kebab is found worldwide. There are numerous variations of foods you can add to a stick and it's not just limited to meats.

Fun and Nutritious
Food on a stick can be fun and nutritious. Barbara Beery is a kids' cooking instructor. In the following video, Barbara shows how to make healthy foods on a skewer.


State Fairs and Food on a Stick
Putting food on a stick is popular at many state fairs because you can eat and walk at the same time. The food choices range from simple to bizarre, and many items are high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. The video below shows all 59 foods on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair from 2006.


Resources

Brilliant Recipes for Food on a Stick, Taste of Home 




Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Explore Eat Right with Colors - Taste the Rainbow

"Eat Right with Colors"  explores the health benefits associated with eating foods of many colors. "Eating a rainbow" includes color diversity in your meals and food choices, so as to enhance your intake of a wide range of nutrients. 





Recipe: Rainbow Veggie Flatbread Pizza
@gimmesomeoven 
Nutrition Profile by @DietitianOnline


Red and Pink Foods

Apples, Beets, Cayenne, Cherries, Cranberries, Guava, Kidney Beans, Papaya, Pink Beans, Pink/Red Grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Red Bell Peppers, Red Cabbages, Red Chili Peppers, Red Corn, Red Currants, Red Grapes, Red Onions, Red Pears, Red Peppers, Red Plums, Red Potatoes, Red Tomatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelons

Green Foods

Alfalfa, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli rabe, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, Chives, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Dandelion Greens, Edamame, Endive, Fennel, Green apples, Green Beans, Green Cabbage, Green Grapes, Green Olives, Green Onion, Green Pears, Green Peas, Green Pepper, Green Tomatoes, Honeydew, Kale, Kiwi, Leeks, Lettuce, Limes, Mint, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Pistachios, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Swiss Chard, Tarragon, Tomatillo, Wasabi, Watercress, Zucchini

Blue and Purple Foods

Blue Grapes, Blue and Purple Potatoes, Blueberries, Dried Plums, Plums, Eggplant, Pomegranates, Elderberries, Juniper Berries, Kelp (Seaweed), Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Cabbage, Purple Figs

Yellow and Orange Foods

Apricots, Bananas, Butternut Squash, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cheddar Cheese, Citrus Fruits, Clementines, Corn, Creamsicle, Garbanzo Beans, Golden Apples, Golden Flax Seed, Golden Raisins, Grapefruit, Honey, Lemon, Lemongrass, Mandarin Oranges, Mangoes, Nectarines, Orange Jello, Orange Peppers, Orange Tomatoes, Oranges, Papaya, Parsnips, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Saffron, Salmon, Spaghetti Squash, Squash Blossoms, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerines, Whole Grains, Yams, Yellow Apples, Yellow Beans, Yellow Peppers, Yellow Summer Squash, Yellow Wax Beans

White and Black Foods

White: Cauliflower, Coconut, Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions, Scallions, Horseradish, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Millet, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Quinoa, Shallots, Soy Products, Sunflower Seeds, Tofu, Turnips, White Beans, White Corn, White Sesame Seeds

Black: Black Beans, Black Cherries, Black Currants, Black Mushrooms, Black Olives, Black Quinoa, Black Raspberry, Black Rice, Black Sesame Seeds, Black Soybeans, Blackberries, Boysenberries, Prunes, Raisins, Seaweeds, Tamari (Soy Sauce)


Wellness News employs young adults with "Special Needs" (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy). My staff started the project in September 2010. Over the next five months, we would take over 600 photographs of colorful foods in order to create the March presentation for NNM. Many of the photographs are available for purchase with the proceeds going to special need young adults. Contact Dr. Sandra Frank for additional information (recipenews@gmail.com).

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with
Healthy Green Foods

 Shades of Green, a Symphony of Flavors. 

Celebrating Green Foods




Ways to increase Green Food Intake:
•Add spinach or broccoli when cooking pasta, rice, or soup.
•Freeze green grapes for a sweet snack.
•Add thin slices of green apples or zucchini to a sandwich.


Recipe

Spinach Pesto Pasta
by Alida Fischbach @alidaskitchen  



About Green Fruits and Vegetables.
Green in plants signifies the presence of the plant pigment chlorophyll. The nutrients found in these fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol levels, improve vision, enhance the immune system, and fight harmful free radicals.

Green fruits and vegetables are rich in many vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta-carotene (vitamin A). They contain phytochemicals such as luteins and indoles, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. They are high in fiber and support a healthy digestive system.

Definitions:
Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) are found in plants. They are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their colors. Phytonutrients help protect plants from diseases found in the environment and protect us in a similar way. Studies have linked an increase in fruit and vegetable intake by lowering the risk of specific cancers and heart disease. The following list describes how phytonutrients may also help protect human health.
1. Act as an antioxidant.
2. Improves immune response.
3. Improves cell-to-cell communication.
4. Destroys cancer cells.
5. Repairs DNA damage caused by toxins in the environment.

Antioxidants. As the body uses oxygen, there are by-products (known as “free radicals”) that can cause damage to cells. Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused by these free radicals and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants may also improve the immune defense and lower the risk of infection. Some examples of antioxidants include vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, lycopene, and flavonoids.


Kermit Sings Being Green

Artichoke Adventures. Unlock the secrets of artichokes:

Artichoke Adventures. Unlock the secrets of artichokes













A study conducted by the USDA shows artichokes contain a large amount of antioxidants, in the form of phytonutrients. Among the most powerful phytonutrients are Cynarin and Silymarin, which have strong positive effects on the liver. 

Artichoke Harvest

Serving an Artichoke

Resources:
Ocean Mist Farms. Since 1924, Ocean Mist Farms has provided multiple generations of customers with Artichokes and vegetables and is still family-owned. Called the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corporation until 1995, Ocean Mist Farms is headquartered in Castroville, California - “The Artichoke Capital of the World” and home of the annual Castroville Artichoke Festival.



Saturday, March 9, 2024

National California Strawberry Day

National California Strawberry Day   Strawberry is a delicious fruit rich in vitamin C, fiber and low in calories.

Strawberries and Brie on
Sandwich Thin with Strawberry Rose


Serves 1

Ingredients.
1 Sandwich Thin
1 Tbsp Brie
1/2 cup Strawberries
1 tsp Fruit Spread
Garnish: Strawberry Rose

Directions.
1. Using a mold cut shapes in the top half of the sandwich thin.
2. On the bottom, half spread the Brie and layer the strawberries. Add the fruit spread and cover with the top half of the bread.
3. Broil until the cheese melts. Cool slightly and serve.


Let’s Get Our Breakfast Plate in Shape
National Nutrition Month



Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Every Spoonful Tells a Story: Dive into the World of Cereal

Every Spoonful Tells a Story


Looking for ways to sweeten your cereal?
Try nature's sweetness - Fruit




  


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

National Frozen Food Day

Plan Meals in Advance





Freezing is an effective form of food preservation because pathogens causing food spoilage are killed or do not grow rapidly at reduced temperatures. However, freezing may only deactivate pathogens. Once the food starts to thaw, pathogens can become active and cause food poisoning. It is important to follow proper procedures for thawing and cooking frozen foods. USDA provides detailed instructions on how to thaw and cook foods properly.


Foods may be preserved for several months by freezing. Long-term frozen storage requires a constant temperature of -18 °C (0 °F) or less to maintain safety and quality. 



Grocery Store Tour - 
Fresh, Frozen or Canned
Tour Guide: Mary Wilson, RD 


Resources

1. Fruits and Veggies, More Matters. Fresh, Frozen, Canned, Dried, and 100% Juice
2. Food & Nutrition Magazine | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics5 Reasons You Should Be Eating Frozen Foods








Monday, March 27, 2023

Diabetes Alert Day
Take the Diabetes Risk Test


The American Diabetes Association is at the forefront of the fight to prevent, treat, and cure diabetes. They provide education, promote awareness, advocate on behalf of diabetes patients, and are the authoritative source on diabetes in the United States.



Resources
Check-up America: Diabetes Basics
National Diabetes Education Program  

To learn more about the American Diabetes Association and events planned for Diabetes Alert day, Visit American Diabetes Association Alert Day.


Tuesday, March 30, 2021

National Nutrition Month - Enhance Flavors with Spices and Herbs



Instead of salt, use spices, herbs, lemon juice, and/or vinegar to enhance the taste of your food. The health benefits are life-long.


Wikipedia has provided an extensive list of culinary herbs and spices. The list does not contain salt (which is a mineral) or plants used primarily as herbal teas or medicinal herbs. Explore the different flavors and cultures.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

National Nutrition Month 2020, Eat Right, Bite by Bite

National Nutrition Month® is celebrated each year during March, focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. 

The theme for National Nutrition Month® 2020 is Eat Right, Bite by Bite. The theme is designed to be fun, accessible, positive and kid-friendly, and to include and be adaptable to all eating patterns and cultures. The philosophy that every little bit (or bite!) of nutrition is a step in the right direction. Small goals/changes can have a cumulative healthful effect. Nutrition doesn't have to be overwhelming.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics looks forward to celebrating National Nutrition Month® with you! 








Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is also celebrated during National Nutrition Month®, on the second Wednesday in March. This occasion increases awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services while recognizing both RDNs and nutrition and dietetic technicians, registered for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.







Friday, March 1, 2019

National Nutrition Month 2019

National Nutrition Month® is an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is celebrated each year during the month of March, The focus is on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. In addition, National Nutrition Month® promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information.


Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is also celebrated during National Nutrition Month®, on the second Wednesday in March. This year it is March 13, 2019. The occasion increases awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN) as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services while recognizing both RDNs and nutrition and dietetic technicians, registered for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.


2019 NNM Campaign
In an effort to accommodate the diverse areas in which National Nutrition Month® is celebrated and allow greater flexibility in the promotion of healthful messages, this year National Nutrition Month® will be honored as its own theme. This will allow the NNM campaign to focus on its original purpose, which is: "To increase the public's awareness of the importance of good nutrition and position Academy members as the authorities in nutrition."

During National Nutrition Month®, help the Academy achieve its vision of a world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition.



Thursday, February 21, 2019

National Nutrition Month
Go Further with Food

National Nutrition Month® 2018 is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

2018 NNM Theme - "Go Further with Food". The foods you choose can make a real difference. Preparing your foods to go further, by planning meals and snacks in advance can also help to reduce food loss and waste. This year's theme for National Nutrition Month® encourages us to achieve the numerous benefits healthy eating habits offer, but it also urges us to find ways to cut back on food waste. Learning how to manage food resources at home will help you "Go Further with Food" while saving both nutrients and money. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics https://www.eatright.org/



National Nutrition Month, Preview

March is National Nutrition Month® (NNM), a nutrition education and information campaign created annually by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. The March 2011 theme for National Nutrition Month® is "Eat Right with Color."




The theme explores the health benefits associated with eating foods of many colors. "Eating a rainbow" refers to including color diversity in your meals and food choices, so as to enhance your intake of a wide range of nutrients. During the month of March, we will explore the colors of foods and their benefits.

Red and Pink Foods
Hosts: Robert (Red) and Pam (Pink)
Apples, Beets, Cayenne, Cherries, Cranberries, Guava, Kidney Beans, Papaya, Pink Beans, Pink/Red Grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Red Bell Peppers, Red Cabbages, Red Chili Peppers, Red Corn, Red Currants, Red Grapes, Red Onions, Red Pears, Red Peppers, Red Plums, Red Potatoes, Red Tomatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelons

Green Foods
Host: Grace (Green)
Alfalfa, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli rabe, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, Chives, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Dandelion Greens, Edamame, Endive, Fennel, Green apples, Green Beans, Green cabbage, Green Grapes, Green Olives, Green Onion, Green Pears, Green Peas, Green Pepper, Green Tomatoes, Honeydew, Kale, Kiwi, Leeks, Lettuce, Limes, Mint, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Pistachios, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Swiss Chard, Tarragon, Tomatillo, Wasabi, Watercress, Zucchini

Blue and Purple Foods
Hosts: Brooke (Blue); Betty (Light Blue); and Peggy (Purple)
Blue Grapes, Blue and Purple Potatoes, Blueberries, Dried Plums, Plums, Eggplant, Pomegranates, Elderberries, Juniper Berries, Kelp (Seaweed), Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Cabbage, Purple Figs

Yellow and Orange Foods
Hosts: Yoko (Yellow), York (Yellow) and Oliver (Orange)
Apricots, Bananas, Butternut Squash, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cheddar Cheese, Citrus Fruits, Clementines, Coriander, Corn, Creamsicle, Dill, Garbanzo Beans, Golden Apples, Golden Flax Seed, Golden Raisins, Grapefruit, Honey, Lemon, Lemongrass, Mandarin Oranges, Mangoes, Nectarines, Orange Jello, Orange Peppers, Orange Tomatoes, Oranges, Papaya, Parsnips, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Saffron, Salmon, Spaghetti Squash, Squash Blossoms, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerines, Whole Grains, Yams, Yellow Apples, Yellow Beans, Yellow Peppers, Yellow Summer Squash, Yellow Wax Beans

White and Black Foods
Hosts: Wendy (White) and Brian (Black)
White: Cauliflower, Coconut, Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions, Scallions, Horseradish, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Millet, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Quinoa, Shallots, Soy Products, Sunflower Seeds, Tofu, Turnips, White Beans, White Corn, White Sesame Seeds

Black: Black Beans, Black Cherries, Black Currants, Black Mushrooms, Black Olives, Black Quinoa, Black Raspberry, Black Rice, Black Sesame Seeds, Black Soybeans, Blackberries, Boysenberries, Prunes, Raisins, Seaweeds, Tamari (Soy Sauce)


My staff and I started the project in September 2010, when ADA announced the theme. Over the next five months, we would take over 600 photographs of colorful foods in order to create the March presentation for NNM. Many of the photographs are available for purchase with the proceeds going to special need young adults. Contact Dr. Sandra Frank for additional information (recipenews@gmail.com).

Dietitian Blog List