IN THIS ISSUE:
-
News in Brief:
Celebrate National Nutrition Month
Americans and Food Hardship
Recent Studies of Interest
Recommended: Kids Eat Right
News & Views on Child Nutrition
For Parents, Educators, and Health Professionals
Editor: Connie Liakos Evers, MS, RD
Issue 78, March 2011
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
The 7th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (DGA2010) were released on January 31, 2011. This set of guidelines are most notable because they are written for an unhealthy population. Truth be told, Americans have largely ignored most of the Dietary Guideline advice over the years:
"Americans eat too many calories and too much solid fat, added sugars, refined grains, and sodium. Americans also consume too little potassium; dietary fiber; calcium; vitamin D; unsaturated fatty acids from oils, nuts, and seafood; and other important nutrients. These nutrients are mostly found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk and milk products." -DGA2010
The messages that were most widely reported included the following simple to understand (but not always simple to adopt) consumer messages:
Balancing Calories Foods to Increase Foods to Reduce Enjoy your food, but eat less.
Avoid Oversized Portions.
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals—and choose the foods with lower numbers.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
Four More Takeaway Messages
In case you haven't had time to read the entire report, I want to point out four more notable key messages from the DGA2010 Policy Document:1. Eat a nutritious breakfast every day. Not only is breakfast linked with school achievement and test scores, it may also be a powerful calorie/weight regulator. According to the DGA2010 (p.19):
Not eating breakfast has been associated with excess body weight, especially among children and adolescents. Consuming breakfast also has been associated with weight loss and weight loss maintenance, as well as improved nutrient intake.
2. What's on the other half of your plate? While fruits and veggies are vital, a variety of foods are needed for optimal health. The other half of the plate should be filled out with whole grains (think brown rice, multigrain/whole grain pasta, whole grain rolls, whole corn tortilla chips) and protein foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, seeds and eggs. A glass of 1% milk rounds out the meal.
3. Use "SoFAS" to enhance nutrient-dense foods. What are SoFAS? This acronym refers to solid fats and added sugars. We eat a lot of these! (Worse yet, we spend too much time sitting on our living room "Sofas!"). According to the DGA2010, 35% of our calories come from SoFAS and that is way out of balance. Instead of downing daily donuts, fried snacks and sugary beverages, the key is to pick and choose the fats and sugars that add to the taste and enjoyment of nutritious foods. As the DGA2010 puts it on pp. 46-47:
A few examples of nutrient-dense foods containing some solid fats or added sugars include whole-grain breakfast cereals that contain small amounts of added sugars, cuts of meat that are marbled with fat, poultry baked with skin on, vegetables topped with butter or stick margarine, fruit sprinkled with sugar, and fat-free chocolate milk.
4. Potassium counteracts sodium in the body. In addition to limiting sodium, increasing potassium can also go a long way towards preventing and controlling high blood pressure. Potassium can be found in many nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and dairy products. According to the DGA2010 (pg 40):
Dietary potassium can lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure. Other possible benefits of an eating pattern rich in potassium include a reduced risk of developing kidney stones and decreased bone loss.
Click here for more information on potassium, including a chart that lists common potassium-rich foods.
Choosing
Nutrient-Packed Foods
Select foods for your family that deliver the biggest dose of nutrition for the calories. This concept is known as nutrient density. The most “dense” foods are described below.
- While all grains supply carbohydrates and B vitamins, whole grains also supply fiber, trace minerals, and hundreds of disease fighting phytonutrients. Whole grains literally come from the “whole” grain seed, which includes the nutrient rich kernel and bran. Look for 100% whole wheat and other grains such as rye, oats, bran, triticale, spelt, whole corn meal, and brown rice.
- Fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C, folate, fiber, potassium, and more. In addition, most varieties of produce contribute dozens of health promoting antioxidants and other compounds.
- When choosing protein-based foods, include lean, fresh meats, poultry, eggs and fish over the more cured and processed varieties. Plant-based protein sources, including nuts, seeds, and legumes, also contribute fiber and phytonutrients to the diet.
- Rich in calcium, vitamin D, potassium, protein and a number of other important nutrients, low fat dairy products provide all the nutrition without the added fat and calories of whole fat forms. Choose low fat or fat-free dairy products such as 1% or skim milk, low fat yogurt, and lower fat varieties of cheese such as part-skim mozzarella or reduced fat cheddar.
Click the image below for a PDF copy of these recipes:
You may also
be interested in this Fabulous
Fruit Salsa recipe.
RECIPES: Dip It!
The following dips are kid-tested and packed with nutritious ingredients. Kids who help gather ingredients, measure and assemble these recipes are much more likely to "dip in" to these dishes.
Yummy PB Hummus
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans
4 tbsp creamy peanut butter, no salt added*
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice (squeezed from 1 fresh lemon)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
*If a child in the group has a peanut allergy, substitute tahini (sesame paste) for the peanut butter.
When making with children:
1. In advance, rinse and drain the garbanzo beans.
2. Clean and sanitize the table where the children will work. Make sure all children wash their hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
3. Begin by showing the children the garbanzo beans and then placing them in the bottom of a large nonbreakable mixing bowl.
4. Cut a lemon in half and allow the children to take turns squeezing the lemon juice into a bowl.
5. Begin mashing the beans using the potato masher. Allow each child a turn mashing the beans.
6. Gradually add the remaining ingredients and continue to mash until the mixture is blended and smooth.
7. Serve with raw vegetables or crackers, or spread on pita bread.
Servings: 10 (approx. 1/4 cup each)
Per 1/4 cup serving: 118 calories, 4 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 137 milligrams sodiumA-B-C Dip (Avocados, Black Beans, Cilantro Dip)
4-5 avocados, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt to tastePlace avocados, onions, garlic and lime juice into a bowl and mash until slightly lumpy. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and cilantro. Add salt to taste. Serve with baked tortilla chips or whole grain crackers.
Servings: 14 (approx. 1/4 cup each)
Per 1/4 cup serving: 127 calories, 3.3 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fat, 6 grams fiber, 60 milligrams sodium