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Tag: nutrition

Eating Out by the Numbers

An example of calorie labeling on menus. Photo: FDA

Beginning in May 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring certain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards. This is applies to chain restaurants and retail food establishments with more than 20 locations. These operations include:

  • Foods served at sit-down and fast-food restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and restaurant-type foods in certain grocery and convenience stores.
  • Take-out and delivery foods.
  • Foods purchased at drive-through windows.
  • Foods that you serve yourself from a salad or hot-food bar.
  • Alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine and cocktails that appear on menus.
  • Foods at places of entertainment, such as movie theaters or amusement parks.

Calorie information on menus and menu boards must be clearly displayed. For self-service foods, such as foods served at salad bars and buffets, the information must be clearly displayed so consumers can see it when they are serving themselves.

Learn more at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm423082.htm

 

CFSAN Resources for You!

The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has a large catalog of publications and videos on food safety, nutrition, dietary supplements, and more. Best of all, they are free!

The Education Resource Library is searchable by topic, audience, format, interactive and audio. Many are downloadable to print or you can order printed materials. There are many resources in a variety of languages. Sign up for CFSAN News for Educators to receive quarterly newsletters.

Go to https://epublication.fda.gov/epub/ for more information.

 

What is the Keto Diet?

With the new year underway, so are many types of diets to kick the year off in a healthy way. One of those diets is the ketogenic, or “keto”, diet. But is it a safe diet to use?

The keto diet is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate diet. It has been a treatment for those with epilepsy since the 1920s as it can help reduce seizures. Today, anti-seizure medications are more commonly used. The diet does not allow fruits, some vegetables, grains, potatoes, sweets, or other high carbohydrate foods. The main purpose of the diet is to create ketones to get fuel into your cells instead of glucose. Excess ketone production results in ketosis.

While the keto diet may help you lose weight, it is a difficult diet to stick with in the long run. You miss out on beneficial nutrients from fruits, vegetables and grains. Once ketosis sets in, a rapid loss of “water weight” occurs which is not successful weight loss. And, in the long run, this type of diet can lead to eating disorders.

To learn more about the keto diet, see “Keto Diet 101: What to Know Before You Commit” from www.foodinsight.org.

Science and Our Food Supply Curriculum

What captures the interest of students? FOOD! Yes, food can be used to engage students in inquiry-based science — really!

The Science and Our Food Supply Teacher Guides are challenging hands-on, minds-on activities that link food safety and nutrition to students’ everyday lives. They are crafted in a teacher-friendly modular format that easily fit into science, health, and other classes.

FDA in collaboration with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have created Science and Our Food Supply: Investigating Food Safety from Farm to Table, an innovative, interactive supplementary curriculum for use in middle level and high school science classes.

The topics include learning about bacteria, food storage and handling, pasteurization technology, the science of cooking a hamburger, DNA fingerprinting, and outbreak analysis. Nutrition topics include the Nutrition Facts Label, serving size and calories, sugar in beverages, sodium in snack foods, meal planning, and eating away from home.

 

Keep the Beat™ Recipes

Looking for recipe ideas for you and your busy family? The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute can help.

These recipes were developed in partnership with the National Institute of Health We Can!® program for children. The book gives ideas to involve kids in meal preparation. It also includes tips on meal planning, cooking, and nutrition for all. Recipes categories include main dish, pasta, lunch/brunch, vegetable side dishes,  grain side dishes, and snacks.

Download this publication at:

https://catalog.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publicationfiles/10-7531.pdf

 

Kansas Nutrition Council Conference

March is designated as National Nutrition Month®. Along with that, the Kansas Nutrition Council (KNC) is holding their annual conference.

This year the KNC is being held March 29, at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan, KS. Registration is now open! The registration includes membership to KNC.

A featured speaker will be Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietician in Kansas City. Her program is known as Street Smart Nutrition. She helps people rediscover joy in eating deeply nourishing food without restriction or fear. She shares her messages via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Register for KNC at www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-kansas-nutrition-council-conference-registration-40927209385?aff=es2. Early bird registration ends February 15!

 

Walk Kansas is Almost Here!

Get your teams together now! The KSRE Walk Kansas health initiative will be held March 17—May 12, 2018.

The goal of Walk Kansas it to help teams of six people be more active, make better nutrition choices, and walk away stress. For many, it’s a great way to get motivated to lead a healthier life.

Also, mark your calendars for the third annual 5K for the Fight to be held May 5, 2018 on the K-State campus in Manhattan, KS.

Sign up and Walk Kansas!

 

The Powerful Potency of Plant Foods

For years, nutrition experts have touted the benefits of eating plant foods to combat inflammation and chronic diseases.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered the power of plant foods rich in anthocyanins may have in preventing or reducing colorectal cancer cell growth. Anthocyanins are color pigments that include purple, red, and blue hues.

The research included in vitro studies. They found that the anthocyanin extracts induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. Apoptosis is essentially the destruction of cells so they die. Therefore, the growth of colon cancer is inhibited.

Foods rich in anthocyanins include blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, purple corn, red cabbage, red beets, and many more.

Source: www.ift.org/IFTNEXT/010918.aspx

 

Enjoy Cherries in February

Cherries have many potential health benefits.

While cherries aren’t harvested until summer, they are celebrated in February to enjoy the red color, popular in February, and to celebrate President George Washington’s birthday.

Cherries are found in a variety of forms including fresh, frozen, dried, canned, juice, and more! Besides a cherry pie, cherries are used in salads, as a topping for meat, poultry and fish, as a snack, in yogurt and smoothies, and even condiments such as a cherry mustard.

Need some recipes ideas? Check these out from the Cherry Marketing Institute at www.choosecherries.com/recipes.

 

Kicking Old Habits in the New Year!

Are you stressed, bored, or angry at something or someone? Do you find yourself standing in front of an open refrigerator for relief? Then you are an emotional eater.

Our brains learn by association. A trigger sets the craving in motion which leads to action. When this includes food, this leads to unhealthy eating patterns.

So, in the New Year, it’s time to re-train your brain! Replace that bad eating habit with a new habit that is more healthful. Here are some ideas:

  • Have healthful choices at the ready and easily available. Keep them in the front part of the fridge to grab first.
  • Relax with some good music, a hot shower, or a good book.
  • Get walking! A quick walk or jog helps clear your mind and pushes aside those food cravings.
  • Distract yourself with a hobby, do chores around the house, or get an extra New Year’s resolution checked off the list, like cleaning out a closet!

Happy New Year!

Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, December 2017