September 8, 2011
When I was in school, we referred to the unknown meat items on our lunch tray as mystery meat. Did you? What other names do you recall? Remember when ketchup was considered a vegetable? School lunches have been blasted routinely over the years…sometimes fairly and sometimes not.
No wonder many of you Moms and Dads doubt if your child can get a decent, nutritious lunch at school. But times, they are changing and for the better when it comes to our school cafeterias.
Joining me this week on my podcast is Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine. Many of you may not know that Regina is a former school lunch manager. She recently attended the Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids Leadership Summit at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonia and feels that we all need to be part of the solution when it comes to school lunches. Regina shared various specific ways that you can easily get involved:
1. Educate yourself about your school’s food-service program by checking the district’s or school’s website. For details about the federal National School Lunch Program, click on the Program Fact Sheet.
2. Visit healthykids.ciachef.edu/ for resources, interactive tools and doable advice for assisting your school in implementing positive changes in the lunchroom.
3. Emphasize activity along with food choices. Fuel Up to Play 60, fueluptoplay60.com, an in-school program sponsored by the National Dairy Council, encourages a one-two punch of good nutrition and at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Thanks to student ambassadors helping spread the word, this program reaches two-thirds of the schools in the U.S.
Each month Family Circle shares a recipe from their kitchen. Be sure and try this month’s recipe: Rainbow Chard and White Bean Casserole
*** Don’t forget: register to win a BBQ Roll-Up Tool Set ***
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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August 25, 2011
Did you hear that a study from the University of Texas published in the journal Pediatrics tested over 700 lunches belonging to preschoolers and found that 98% of the perishable products such as meats, vegetables and dairy products were in the unsafe temperature zone or rather the zone for growing bacteria? This danger zone is from 40-140 degrees so room temperature falls in this range.
What does this mean? If you’re packing lunches and they remain at room temperature for over two hours the food may become a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s a must-do to include a couple of cold packs and freeze items such as grapes, juice packs or bottles of water that will thaw as the day wears on. All of these tricks matter when it comes to keeping food safe.
Let’s scrub up on food safety:
1. If your children or you take a packed lunch, first find out if there is an option to put the lunch in a refrigerator. If not, the best lunch box choice is one that’s insulated plus will hold several cold packs. Cold packs tucked around the perishable items sounds like overkill but it’s the safe way to go. Freezing items such as grapes and juice boxes also helps keep perishable items cold. What items do you freeze?
2. What about preventing food poisoning at home with produce you purchase for lunches? Wash fruit and veggies when you bring them home BEFORE they go in the refrigerator or fruit bowl. Why? Salmonella and other bacteria can be on the outside of your cantaloupe or kiwi and will contaminate the fruit when you bite or cut into it.
3. When you walk in your kitchen to make lunch for the kids or yourself or when you eat lunch at work for that matter, the first thing to do is wash your hands. You would think washing hands is a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people use their computer keyboard, cell phone, TV remote or other items known to be covered with bacteria and then touch food. This is a very easy way to cross contaminate or spread germs from one item to something else. Use a hand sanitizer if a sink isn’t available. No need to become germ phobic just be smart about what you do and you lower the risk that anyone gets sick.
As we’re getting ready for fall schedules, last weekend I made a batch of Banana, Date & Walnut Muffins and put them in the freezer. Some of my college roommates are coming for a visit and I want to have some breakfast and snack muffins on hand. The muffins are naturally sweet from the dates and bananas and make a nice lunch box treat.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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August 10, 2011
It’s back to school time, which means daily lunch duty. My girlfriend Petra is taking her two young girls to choose lunch boxes and buying small sizes in bulk of items such as energy bars, raisins, yogurt, cheese sticks…foods she includes in their lunch almost daily. This saves her time, money and lowers her stress level.
This week on my podcast, Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine brainstorms with me on ideas for lunch duty. And… don’t forget you can now find our podcasts at familycircle.com, keyword ‘podcast’.
Regina’s first piece of advice: getting the kids involved significantly ups the odds that they’ll eat what you send. Brainstorm some options together before school starts.
I agree…starting with input on the lunchbox, whether you shop online or in a store, let your children have a say. But remember Mom and Dad select a lunch box with room for food plus a drink container and cold packs.
Some lunch boxes have a built in option for the cold pack. You can find cool lunch boxes everywhere from big box stores to your grocery, Office Depot, Sports Authority, Target and endless places online.
Regina suggests PlanetBox for an eco-friendly way to pack a variety of healthy bites and says that older kids will like the Go Green Bento Lunchbox or Easy Lunchboxes.
For quick prep, sandwiches are a given. Choose a whole-grain bread, which helps keep blood sugar remain stable throughout the afternoon. Try whole-wheat wraps or bagels to mix things up. Multigrain or whole-corn tortillas are also fun options (we like LaTortilla Factory) as are the popular whole-wheat sandwich rounds/thins. Have you seen the Pepperidge Farm whole-wheat sandwich bread shaped like goldfish? Kids love these. Watch for a sale, buy a couple of packs and freeze them. They will keep in the freezer up to about 3 months.
Also on Regina’s list is Aladdin’s Collapsible Salad Set which comes with individual containers, so it’s like a salad bar to go. Build a health salad with a base of greens and add toppings like nuts, tofu, beans and cheese. Leftovers plus salads prepped ahead on the weekend come in handy…especially pasta, tuna, chicken or egg salads, all of which are good salad toppers. I like to include fresh or dried fruit too.
Be sure to include a lean protein source, which will help keep your child feeling full and focused. Look for processed deli meats that are lower in sodium and have no nitrites added from companies like Applegate, Wellshire Farms, Dietz & Watson, and Boar’s Heads.
I keep baskets in my pantry filled with healthy selections including whole-grain cereal bars or nut bars, dried fruit such as cherries or blueberries, nuts, whole-grain crackers, peanut or almond butter, and pop-top cans or pouches of tuna. Every week I refill the fridge with cups of Greek yogurt, string-cheese, cut up fresh fruit and small pieces of whole fruit such as plums, pears, and apples….I buy what’s in season…says me time during the week and money on my grocery bill.
For a new spin on whole grains, try this month’s recipe for Wheat Berry Salad.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
April 19, 2011
Are you concerned that your children have way too much face time with a screen…TV, computer, cell phone, and video games? You’re probably right on target. According to the National Institutes of Health, children and teens spend more than four hours watching TV every day and more than seven hours using some type of entertainment media.
Needless to say, physical activity just isn’t happening which means that inactive children are more likely to be overweight. WeCan! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) is a science-based national education program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and helps children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight.
This week is Screen-Free Week, a great reason to scroll down screen time and replace it with physical activity.
So whether you’re a parent or health professional or both, try some of these easy ways to reduce screen time plus check out these tips for getting active that include ideas such as:
• Walk your children to school
• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV
• Play with your kids at least 30 minutes per day
• Dance to music with your kids
Do you have tips that work in your family to stay active and cut face time with a screen? Tell me. 
Win a Copy of “7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies“! Register for a chance to win a copy of “7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies”! We’ve got delicious, nutritious meals for your family… so register now to get cookin’!
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
February 9, 2011
Hi Everyone! It’s almost Valentine’s Day and we’ve posted an easy recipe from Family Circle magazine for Fruity Chocolate Clusters in case you want to make treats for someone special. Made in the microwave with fewer than 75 calories per cluster, what’s not to love?
But first, my girlfriends with children (regardless of their ages) are always time-starved. Guess whose healthy eating habits often get ignored? Moms!
Joining me on the podcast this week is a time-starved Mom…. Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine. Many moms worry about their children’s eating habits while letting their own slide. Busy moms…try these smart-eating tips:
Healthy Kid Habit for Mom: Drinking milk
Calcium is crucial for maintaining a strong skeleton as you age and preventing potentially debilitating fractures. Until age 50, you need 1,000 mg per day, which in real food is about three servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. Then your recommended intake jumps by nearly another serving.
There is also a tie to dairy consumption and fat loss. Research conducted by Zemel at The University of Tennessee indicated that consuming calcium-rich foods as part of a healthy weight loss diet actually increased the loss of that dreaded belly fat or muffin top (the mid-section fat that is tied to increased risk of heart disease.)
Add milk to smoothies, use it in pudding, or drink it warm with a little hot chocolate mix or vanilla flavoring. Use cheese in omelets, on sandwiches or with whole grain crackers for a power snack.
Healthy Kid Habit for Mom: Eating Vegetables
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on trends in fruit and vegetable consumption stated that only 26.3% of adults ate vegetables three or more times a day. Besides being loaded with vitamins and minerals, the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer effects.
I admit it…I struggle to eat enough vegetables. Do you? So I add them to a variety of dishes. For example, we make pizza on the weekends and it’s loaded with veggies; I add them to omelets and to scrambled eggs, dip them in hummus for a snack or slice peppers and cucumbers to go on top of a sandwich. Last week I made split pea and barley soup and added chopped spinach, carrots and onion.
To hear more smart eating tips for time-starved Moms…listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
January 26, 2011
In an interview with EatingWell.com, “The Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver talked about encouraging his daughters to try all types of foods plus be involved in selecting and preparing these foods so that ultimately they expand their knowledge of flavors and make better choices.
Joining me on the Straight Talk about Eating Smart podcast this week is author Nancy Tringali Piho who is also raising her boys to love to eat everything.
With almost twenty years in the food industry as a public relations and marketing consultant and mother of two young boys, Nancy developed a keen interest in relating her professional work to the question that millions of people ask themselves every day: What am I going to feed my family for dinner tonight?
Her book, “My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything“ addresses this issue from a food-lover’s point of view looking at taste and flavor.
Nancy says that thoughts and messages about food start at a young age and that it’s important to introduce variety, texture, flavors and food combinations early on.
Register to win a copy of ”My Two-Year-Old eats Octopus” at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center or on my FaceBook page.
In a recent “Letter of the Month” to Cooking Light magazine, the reader wrote that a ‘kid-friendly’ designation to a recipe gives the idea that certain foods are for grown-ups only and by avoiding this label, you can nourish better and healthier eating habits in children.
Nancy agrees that giving your kids so-called “kiddie foods” on a regular basis is detrimental to them becoming “good” eaters because it sends the message that some foods are designated for children and some for adults. Typically these “kiddie foods” are not the foods you want your children to eat.
When the toddler social scene begins with birthday parties, play dates and daycare, parents realize that many of their child’s food choices are out of parental control. Nancy says that when good rules are maintained at home, children learn to make good decisions and choices as they grow.
To hear my entire interview with Nancy Tringali Piho…listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
August 11, 2010
My cousin is a kindergarten teacher and started school on Monday! It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and school is back in session. That means it’s time to gear up and think about school lunches… ideas that won’t break the bank, are nutritious and that your kids won’t trade.
Check out this month’s Family Circle recipe for Maple Bran Muffins. Drizzle with maple icing and serve for breakfast or a snack.
Try these five tips to pack a lunch your kids will keep and eat:
- For your sanity, think about cooking and preparing for the week to come on Sunday. Go over your schedule for the week and think about what you can fix ahead to make the week less hectic. Consider meals that will provide leftovers for lunch the next day. Kids love leftover pizza, lasagna and manicotti.
- Get your children involved in the kitchen with you and bake oatmeal or peanut butter cookies.Cut up fruit, make trail mix with nuts, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, a mixture of their favorite dried fruit, and even add some mini chocolate chunks.
 Or try one of my several favorite mixes from Target’s Archer Farms line, Sunny Cranberry. Many of you know that I partner with Target as their nutrition & health expert and have come to rely on their Archer Farms products for my day-to-day meals and snacks.
- Kids love the power of choice so involve them in choosing from your healthy selections. Think about taking them to the grocery store at a time when you’re not rushed or tired…I know…when is that? You guide the decisions and choices but do allow them to pick an item or two.
This week on the podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine, joins me to talk more about lunches that will be keepers.
According to Family Circle, Meredith Corporation’s Motherboard surveyed moms and 84% were looking for new options to add to their children’s brown bag.
- Rethink the sandwich…switch from bologna with cheese on white bread. Try a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread…add a slice of low fat cheese or soy cheese.
Try whole-wheat tortillas or whole grain wraps as an alternative to bread and in addition to turkey, stuff with lean ham or beef and low-fat cheese, tuna, chicken, hummus or egg salad, and top with sliced veggies such as red peppers and cucumber. Peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter with banana or raisins works well too.
  Keep baskets in your pantry filled with healthy snack selections that your children like. Include whole-grain cereal bars (try blueberry almond flax), dried fruit such as cherries or blueberries, nuts, whole-grain crackers, peanut or almond butter, and pop-top cans or pouches of tuna.
Looking for a healthier chip alternative with less fat and calories? Margit suggests Pirate’s Booty as one option. Putting together a lunch is much easier when the choices are there.
For more ideas, listen to this week’s podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
May 5, 2010
If you have children or care for children, do you often feel confused about what and how to feed them? My guest on this week’s podcast, dietitian and mom Maryann Jacobsen, has useful tips you don’t want to miss.
 Check out the blog, Raise Healthy Eaters, founded by registered dietitian Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen. The focus is on three essentials to raising healthy eaters: what to feed, how to feed and how to be a healthy role model.
You’ll find useful information on what to eat during pregnancy as well as what to feed infants and toddlers. Plus find out how to outsmart a picky eater!
Maryann shares her insight on children and set mealtimes, the eating cues of hunger and satiety (feeling satisfied or full) and the roll of the parent.
 Here’s a quick bio: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen is a registered dietitian, mother of two and creator of Raise Healthy Eaters, a blog dedicated to providing parents with credible nutrition advice. Maryann has counseled overweight clients for years and understands the connection between how children are fed and the kind of eater they grow up to be. After having kids of her own, she decided to focus on prevention by helping parents learn how and what to feed their children.
Listen to this week’s podcast
April 14, 2010
 With the trend towards locally grown, eco-friendly, natural food, raw milk is touted as being more healthful, better tasting and nutritious than pasteurized milk…but is it? Proponents of raw milk say it’s safe to drink…but should you drink it and give it to your family
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. It’s milk from any hoofed animal including cows, sheep or goats. Because of the potential for raw milk to contain a wide variety of bacteria including such suspects as:
- Salmonella
- E. coli
- Listeria
- M. tuberculosis
- Campylobacter
- Brucella
Public health officials for decades have expressed concern over drinking raw milk. Symptoms of illness range from:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- abdominal pain
- fever, headache and body aches
However, people with weakened immune systems from HIV or autoimmune diseases or infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially sensitive and illness from raw milk can be very serious and result in death.
Joining me on the podcast to answer more questions about the raw milk movement is Dr. Ronald Schmidt, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida. Dr. Schmidt has authored more than 100 scientific publications and presentations in dairy/food science technology, food safety, and microbiology, and is co-editor of the book, Food Safety Handbook.
Dr. Schmidt delves into these questions that you have asked?
- First, I have to ask this same question that I asked Joe Wright, the dairy farmer who was our guest last week. Do you drink raw milk or pasteurized milk and why?
- Proponents of raw milk say it is more nutritious with additional enzymes and healthy bacteria that are destroyed by pasteurization. Is one milk more nutritious than the other?
- Does raw milk contain antimicrobial components making pasteurization unnecessary? What effect does pasteurization have on milk?
- Dr. Schmidt, advocates of raw milk point to some studies where children drinking raw milk have less allergies, asthma and eczema. Where does the scientific community come out on this debate on drinking raw milk and giving it to children?
- What about cheese made from raw milk? Is it safe? I see dairies selling it at farmers’ markets.
- Do you think raw milk will become legal in Florida and other states?
What’s your opinion on raw milk? Post your comment on my blog and I’ll share some of them on an upcoming podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
April 7, 2010
 dairy farmer Joe Wright Raw milk is touted as being more nutritious than pasteurized milk…but is it? Proponents of raw milk say it’s safe to drink…but should you drink it and give it to your family?
You don’t want to miss this week’s podcast. I dig into the questions about raw milk that you have asked and get answers from dairy farmer Joe Wright. Questions such as:
- Joe…you’re a dairy farmer. Do you drink raw milk or pasteurized milk and why?
- There is a large underground market for raw milk with people selling it as pet food yet humans consume it. Would you explain this?
- Some farmers sell both raw milk and pasteurized milk…is that correct?
- Can you really insure that raw milk or cheese made from raw milk is pathogen-free?
Joe has traveled a very interesting path from the firm to the farm. He grew up in Florida and attended the University of Florida law school. Ok, so I went to The University of Tennessee and he IS a gator…but I won’t hold that against him. While practicing law specializing in health care, he met his wife, the daughter of a dairy farmer. The rest, as they say, is history.
After spending time working with his father-in-law on the farm, he knew he could never go back to an office. Passionate about dairy farmers and active in their industry, Joe serves as first vice president of Dairy Farmers, Inc., Florida’s milk promotion group.
Raw milk has been making headlines lately from proponents who feel it’s not only safe to drink but boosts the immune system and shouldn’t be banned. On the flip side were reports in the media last week of an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in Michigan from raw milk with symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain.
If you ask 10 people if raw milk is safe to drink, you would probably get 10 different responses. So today and next week we’re delving in to what the evidence-based science says about raw milk and whether it’s safe to drink or a setup for illness which could be potentially deadly.
Listen to this week’s podcast
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