Brenden Parker is a first year student in the nutrition program at South Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine. He also works in the Buxton, Maine Hannaford. As part of a class assignment, Brenden asked to visit with the Guiding Stars Licensing Company to learn more about the Guiding Stars program. We asked Brenden to share some of his thoughts for our blog.
We are thrilled to see that the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been released! The Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel was actively involved in reviewing proposals that led to the development of the final recommendations, and we are very excited to delve into the finalized details. These guidelines reflect the current consensus and are updated every five years to reflect the latest evidence-based findings about nutrition and healthy, which is why we rely on the Dietary Guidelines as we update and improve our own food-rating algorithms.
Have you heard the buzz about the film Fed Up? The film takes a hard look at America’s diet and draws some pretty strong conclusions. In a nutshell, the film points an accusing finger at the food industry and stirs a big ole pot about how what we eat is making us sick.
March is National Nutrition Month, a time to spread the knowledge of healthy eating and to encourage a healthy lifestyle. As the warmth of early spring gradually replaces winter’s chill, it’s also a good time to replace high-calorie comfort foods with nutritious and healthier food choices.
Choosing a healthy meal in college can be hard sometimes when you’re not sure how to prepare a meal on your own in the first place. By having the Guiding Stars program at UND, choosing a healthy “starred” meal is simple. Each dining center strives to put one “starred” item on their menu for every meal served. One star is good, two stars are better and three stars are the best nutritional value. These “stars” are located on the food item’s green label.
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month. It is well documented that folic acid plays a role in preventing neural tube birth defects. Whether you are pregnant or planning to become so, a consistent intake of enough folate (folic acid) can help reduce the risk of birth defects such as Spina Bifida. That’s not it’s only benefit, of course–folate supports good cell health for all people of all ages. With the Guiding Stars Food Finder tool, you can search for foods that are rich in this important nutrient. We gathered a list of 10 highly rated foods (and a few recipes) to get you started!
Meditation – just hearing that word can elicit a range of reactions. Many people have experienced a ‘meditative’ effect when engaging in an activity that involves concentration and focus. Often it is an activity that the person loves to do. When immersed in the activity, time seems to be suspended. Nothing else seems to exist except what is happening in that activity. These experiences are often random, and not necessarily possible to recreate on demand.
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