Author: Garrick Brown

As a Registered Dietitian, Garrick brings knowledge of nutrition and public health to Guiding Stars. Garrick develops, manages and coordinates nutrition and wellness programs and tools utilizing Guiding Stars for our clients and community. He is passionate about helping people lead healthier lives and making the healthy choice the easy choice. Garrick has experience in community, research, and clinical nutrition and most recently worked for the University of New England as the Senior Nutrition Program Coordinator for Maine SNAP-Ed. There he managed and trained nutrition educators in a statewide nutrition education program for low-income Mainers.

Garrick earned his bachelor's in Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine and his master's in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Rhode Island. Garrick grew up in central Maine and feels fortunate to be living and working back in Maine.

Local Fruits & Vegetables

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020 by Garrick Brown

Blueberries and other berries at a farmers market

It’s summertime and locavore living is easy. Just like in years past, an abundance of locally grown and produced food can be found at Farmer’s Markets, food co-ops, or through membership in a CSA. What’s new is that traditional supermarkets are sourcing an increasing amount of local fruits and vegetables and proudly installing farm stands in their produce departments. This appeals to shoppers who want to shop local, but value convenience most. Shoppers, farmers, and supermarkets all benefit from this budding relationship.

Why do some potato chips earn Guiding Stars?

June 17, 2020June 15, 2020 by Garrick Brown

Potato chips are among America’s most popular “snack foods” and sales spike during the summer months. There’s no wonder why, unless you’ve never tasted a potato chip. They are the classic high-fat, salty snack designed to make it hard to stop eating once you’ve started. Most Americans recognize that potato chips are a food that should be eaten in moderation. At the same time, due to shopper demands, there are an increasing amount of better-for-you chip options to choose from at the supermarket. For this month’s Surprising Stars, I’m going to explain why some potato chips earn Guiding Stars.

Fun Ways to Get Kids into the Kitchen

June 3, 2020 by Garrick Brown

Cooking with kids is an effective way to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits. When kids help prepare nutritious foods, they are more likely to taste and eat them. Learning how to cook safely also builds their confidence. Cooking is a source of pride for children when they can do it for themselves, their family or friends. Through cooking with kids, we can teach them many lessons and have a lot of fun along the way. Here are some ways to get kids into the kitchen this summer.

Baby and Toddler Foods

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 by Garrick Brown

The Guiding Stars algorithm for babies and toddlers reflects the specific nutritional requirements of children under the age of two. By selecting baby foods with one, two, or three stars, you’ll be feeding baby more vitamins and minerals and less added sodium, added sugar, and artificial colors.

Nutritional Gatekeepers

May 6, 2020May 7, 2020 by Garrick Brown

With Mother’s Day approaching, we want to celebrate all moms and recognize their hard but incredibly rewarding work in raising children. For this month’s Nutritious Nudge, let’s focus on moms and the role they often play as “nutritional gatekeeper.” This term refers to the person that purchases and prepares most of the food in a household. Thus, they control most of what their family eats. Right now, these gatekeepers are also navigating challenging and sometimes high-risk food-shopping situations, facing shortages of foods they may be used to leaning on, and in many cases, having to make creative adjustments while both working from home and caring for children without access to daycare or schools or even grandparents.

Click & Collect Success

April 15, 2020May 5, 2020 by Garrick Brown

Woman hand works in a laptop computer in the office.

To slow the spread of coronavirus, Americans are being urged to stay at home except to provide essential services or do essential things like grocery shopping. Ordering food online for curbside pickup is among the CDC’s recommendations to limit potential exposure to others and the virus. The demand for curbside pickup at supermarkets has surged to a level higher than ever before. Slots for this service, also referred to as click and collect, are difficult to secure. Many shoppers are also navigating this shopping experience for the first time. I want to share some tips here for click and select shopping success. I can’t help you snag a coveted slot (try ordering early?), but once you do, I hope you feel more prepared.

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

April 1, 2020May 28, 2020 by Garrick Brown

According to a 2018 Gallup poll, just 5% of Americans identify as vegetarian and 3% as vegans. However, there’s no denying that plant-based eating is becoming more mainstream, even among omnivores.

Healthy Ways to Support Your Immunity

March 17, 2020April 23, 2020 by Garrick Brown

With the growing number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in our communities, how to protect yourself from getting sick is in everyone’s search history. Of course, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. For this reason, health professionals advise that we practice social distancing as much as possible right now. Boosting our immune systems so we are less likely to get sick sounds super appealing right now. It’s widely circulating online, and some products and diet plans are being marketed to prevent or cure the Coronavirus. Is it even possible to boost our immune systems? Can we do it by improving our diet and eating certain foods? Are there vitamins or herbal remedies that we should consider? What else can we change in our lifestyle to get our immune systems in tip-top shape? Let’s tackle these questions as we discuss healthy ways to support your immunity.