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Tag: nutrition

Healthy Holiday Cooking

Apple crisp
Apple Crisp Photo: Canva.com

Holiday party planning is in full gear to celebrate with family and friends. But all the tasty goodies can add more fat and sugar to your diet plan. With planning and simple ingredient swaps, you can still have tasty treats.

Instead of a sweet potato casserole, try roasting sweet potatoes with other root vegetables to reduce fat, sugar and calories. Replace sugar in sweet potato casseroles with some 100% orange juice to add flavor and reduce sugar content.

Do you struggle making pie crust? Make a crustless pumpkin pie or an apple crisp instead. It saves you time and reduces the fat content without a crust.

Get more ideas in Focus on the “Stars”: Cooking Healthy for the Holidays from K-State Research and Extension.

Recipes featured in this fact sheet can be found in the Leader’s Guide.

 

MyPlate is now on Alexa!

For those who use Alexa, there is a new option to receive MyPlate nutrition information straight to your home.

The MyPlate Alexa skill targets parents and caregivers of babies and toddlers to give science-based food and nutrition advice. More age groups will be added.

All information is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

Some topics include developmental readiness in 4-5 month babies, responsive feeding in 6-11 month babies, and added sugars for 12-24 month toddlers.

A Little Cup of Joe is All You Need

coffee
A hot cup of coffee helps to power through your to-do-list!
Photo: Alice Henneman

Do you crave that cup of coffee to give you a morning boost? Many do to get their day started. Caffeine has been a go-to source of energy for centuries.

Caffeine has some benefits. It is a mild stimulant and can improve brain function. It has some potential to lower risks for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Besides caffeine, polyphenols and antioxidants can also provide some protection to chronic illnesses.

But, while these benefits are encouraging, there are some risks. Not everyone reacts to caffeine the same. Caffeine consumption frequency can cause you to consume even more over time to get the same affect. Excess caffeine can raise blood pressure, cause insomnia, jitters, increased heart rate, headaches, nausea among other health concerns. Your weight and medications you take can also change how you tolerate caffeine.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine each day. This is equal to about four cups of coffee. Pregnant women should cut that amount in half.

Getting enough sleep can help reduce the amount of caffeine needed to stay awake. Adults should strive for seven to nine hours each night. Besides coffee, there are other choices. Check out this caffeine calculator to learn more.

Source: Food Insight, March 11, 2021

 

Can Apples Help with Digestion?

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), can be uncomfortable and disruptive to any eating occasion. Can apples calm down stomach acid issues? Possibly.

There are general guidelines to choose the best foods to treat GERD. Eat small portions for meals or snacks. Choose low-fat foods as fatty or greasy foods produce more stomach acid.

Fruits such as apples, grapes, cranberry, bananas and pears are good choices instead of citrus fruits and tomatoes. Steam, roast, stir fry or air fry vegetables instead of frying in fat or adding a cream sauce.

Foods that reduce problems with GERD help the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus relax which reduces acid production.

 

Food Safety and Nutrition Survey

Menu Labeling
Menu labeling at restaurants is required for businesses that own 20 or more locations.

Assessment of consumer behaviors in the areas of food safety and nutrition helps drive many public health issues. This includes the types of education and risk-management decisions to protect public health.

The 2019 FDA Food Safety and Nutrition Survey Report includes data collected in October and November of 2019 and had 4,398 responses via telephone interviews. Some key findings include:

  • More consumers think it is “very common” to get foodborne illness from food prepared in restaurants compared to home prepared food.
  • Consumers are more concerned about raw meat or poultry contamination compared to raw vegetables and fruit.
  • When consumers read a Nutrition Facts Label, the top four items they read include Calories, Total Sugar, Sodium, and Serving Size.
  • Most consumers have seen restaurant menu labeling and it has helped them avoid high-calorie foods.

 

CFSAN Education Resources

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has many education resources available through the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) website.

Most of these resources are available by download, but some printed copies are available to order in limited quantities for no cost. There are also links to videos.

Search these publications by audience, format, subject, and more. Many are translated into many other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

See the complete collection at https://epublication.fda.gov/epub/.

To contact CFSAN, email CFSANPublicationRe@fda.hhs.gov

Subscribe to the quarterly CFSAN newsletter at https://updates.fda.gov/subscriptionmanagement

 

National Nutrition Month® 2021

March is once again designated National Nutrition Month® sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The theme this year is “Personalize Your Plate.”

There is no one size fits all approach to a healthy eating plan. The weekly messages include:

  • Eat a nutritious variety of food daily.
  • Create a weekly meal plan.
  • Create tasty meals by learning new skills.
  • Consult a dietician for expert advice.

How will you “Personalize Your Plate?”

National Nutrition Month® has been promoting nutrition since 1973.

 

Kansas Nutrition Council Conference

Kansas Nutrition Council

The 2021 Kansas Nutrition Council (KNC) Conference will be held on April 22, 2021 in virtual format. Registration for the conference includes membership dues. CEU’s will be available. Sessions will be recorded and available until May 7, 2021.

See the conference registration website for scheduled speakers and conference times. Let KNC help you plant ideas for the future!

 

New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is the first set of guidelines that provide guidance for healthy dietary patterns by life stage, from birth through older adulthood, and for the first time, there are chapters devoted to each life stage, including chapters on infants and toddlers and women who are pregnant or lactating.

It is never too early or too late to improve your dietary pattern. Keep in mind this motto, “Make Every Bite Count.” This can be done with these four guidelines:

  1. Eat a healthy diet throughout every life stage.
  2. Choose nutrient-dense foods that fit your personal preferences, cultural traditions and budget.
  3. Eat foods from each food group that are nutrient-dense and within calorie limits.
  4. Limit added sugars, saturated fat, sodium and alcoholic beverages.

Following these guidelines can help reduce chronic diseases that affect about 60% of Americans.

 

Do a Dessert Flip!

Dessert FlipDessert is a fun ending to many meals. How about a dessert flip! And there is research to back up this choice.

With the continued push to eat more plant foods, why not add them to dessert! Sensory research conducted at the University of California-Davis and the Culinary Institute of America evaluated dessert choices of 118 college students. They wanted to see if increased amounts of plant food garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, would entice diners to make the flip. Instead of the conventional 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts combination, more participants chose a dessert of 80% fruit and nuts with 20% cake.

Making the dessert flip can also reduce the cost per serving while increasing fruits and nuts. It is as simple as cutting a smaller piece of cake and adding fruit to dress it up.

Will you do the dessert flip?

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.15462