With just a few weeks left in the year, it’s time to reminisce and reflect upon 2019. The Guiding Stars program has been bustling with activity this year. To keep you informed, we’ve compiled a few key updates and some of our favorite pieces of content here. Thank you for your continued interest and engagement in Guiding Stars.
Leadership Transition
In March, Jim McBride retired from his position as director of Guiding Stars after over 13 years with the program. Jim is enjoying his well-earned retirement by spending time with family, exploring the outdoors and traveling. During Jim’s transition, we were delighted to announce Julie Greene as our new director. She’s a perfect fit to lead the future of Guiding Stars. As you may know, Julie was already part of the extended Guiding Stars family. She was with us when we launched and has been a fearless leader for health and wellness initiatives since then. We’re excited for Julie to share more of what she’s been working on for Guiding Stars in 2020.
Read more about Julie and the rest of our team.
Back to the Basics
We heard there is an interest in content that covers the basics of Guiding Stars. If you’re looking for an overview, Alli wrote a great post on Guiding Stars 101 and another on Guiding Stars for Kids.
Algorithm Update for Added Sugar
Integrity and relevancy are critical to the success of the Guiding Stars program. Therefore, we continue to monitor national and international dietary recommendations closely. In February, with the support of our Scientific Advisory Panel, the Guiding Stars algorithm was updated to align with FDA guidance on the consideration of juice concentrates as added sugars. This resulted in more discerning nutrition guidance for consumers on baby foods especially, where fruit juice concentrates are often used as a sweetener. However, this update impacted a variety of food categories. So, the stars are now even better at guiding people of all ages toward foods with less added sugar.
Read more about our algorithm update and its impact.
More Parenting Perspectives Coming
For years, we’ve enjoyed Alli and Kit’s blogs from their perspectives as registered dietitians with diverse interests and experience, but also as moms. With Elizabeth, Melissa, and I welcoming babies into our respective families this year you can expect to hear about our parenting experiences as well. Melissa already wrote a fantastic piece with the help of Alli on fighting pregnancy nausea with nutrition, I shared how partners can be supportive to a new mom, and Alli covered dads’ impact in the kitchen.
Binge-Watch Our Webinars
Alli and Kit covered some fascinating webinar topics in 2019. They discussed the science behind weight-loss diets, feeding infants and toddlers, and coping with hunger and taste changes in older adults. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit is still available for dietitians and diet technicians that watch the recordings. Stock up on your CPEs and learn a little while you have some extra free time over the holidays.
Fresh from Our Kitchen
This year, we continued to add delicious recipes with beautiful photography to our star earning collection. A team favorite is this Cashew Cheese Sauce. You’re sure to find it any Guiding Stars celebration.
Cashew Cheese Sauce
It also makes a great contribution to a holiday potluck, or print the recipe and give it as a gift with cashews, nutritional yeast, and a jar of red peppers.
View recipe »Contact us if you’re interested in partnering to feature our recipes.
Keep Up to Date in 2020
Guiding Stars is cooking up some exciting new things for 2020. We can’t wait to share our innovative ideas for helping make nutritious choices simple. Sign up for our newsletter to hear our news once we can share it.
Wishing you good health in the coming year!
– The Guiding Stars Team