During this past fall, the USDA hosted a video contest for kids. The challenge: create a 30-second video with tips for making half your plate fruits and veggies, without busting the bank. We’re excited about all these kids and their great ideas. Kids motivating other kids (and adults!) to eat more fruit and vegetables is a three-star idea.
I probably say “It’s a marathon…not a sprint,” at least once a week to the people I speak and work with who want to make a change and achieve a healthier lifestyle. I don’t doubt that many of them, from the individuals that need to follow through on what their doctor has recommended to the parents that know they need better balanced meals for their family, really want to make positive change. The problem is that they can’t endure the long and gradual process. They want it to come fast, be permanent and of course be easy. I remind them that anything truly worth achieving doesn’t happen that way and that healthful eating is undoubtedly one of those things.
During this past fall, the USDA hosted a video contest for kids. The challenge: create a 30-second video with tips for making half your plate fruits and veggies, without busting the bank. We’re excited about all these kids and their great ideas. Kids motivating other kids (and adults!) to eat more fruit and vegetables is a three-star idea.
I realize that for most of you a trip to the supermarket involves racing around as fast as possible while hoping that you don’t crash into another cart and/or run out of things to bribe your children with. (Yes, I have those experiences too). As a dietitian working in a grocery store three days per week, I have the fortunate opportunity to spend A LOT of time spotting new foods on shelves and studying trends in our food industry.
Guiding Stars Consulting Dietitian Allison Stowell has some great tips about getting a nutritious diet on a budget. Frozen fruits and vegetables are available all year round in the freezer section for a great price.
You know the saying, Heidi Klum made it famous on Project Runway – “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” Heidi was referring to the world of fashion, and here I am referring to the explosion of interest in food and cooking in America. Fad diets, you are out! Eating healthy and delicious foods, you are in!
On January 25th I was invited to take part in a conference call preceding First Lady Michelle Obama’s announcement of the new National School Lunch Program standards. Hosted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Chef Rachael Ray, the purpose of the call was to update the media and other involved parties on the changes to the standards before the official announcement was made. These changes are a step in the right direction. As common sense as they seem, these improvements are truly revolutionary, and they will help ensure a higher standard of school food for the millions of children eating school lunches like these every day. But we should guard against allowing ourselves to think for one minute that our work is done or that the problem of substandard school food is solved.
