KTK-Nutrition

February was heart health month and March is National Nutrition Month, a campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.   Their theme this year is, “Put Your Best Fork Forward” meaning that each bite of food counts and even small changes in your diet can have big health benefits.   The overall theme of this nutrition/health blog has been small changes for a healthier you.   Recently, students in the nutrition class I teach wrote down everything they ate for 24 hours.   One student ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast.   I noted if they made just one change, switching to a General Mills cereal such as Cheerios or choosing oatmeal for breakfast, would be a huge change in their diet. Why?   By just switching to a healthier cereal, they would add a serving of whole grains, more fiber, and more nutrients to their day.   The student went to the grocery store, bought a new cereal, took a picture of the box and showed me the picture at the next class. Th...

What does eating “clean” mean?   Is it healthier eating, a fad?    Some people have confused clean eating with very faddish and sometimes bizarre recommendations.   Basically the term, “eating clean” means you are eating whole foods, foods from the farm with less added fat, added sugar and eating less junk food.    There actually is a book , Eating Clean for Dummies   that describe the principles of “eating clean”.    They even have an Eating Clean Cheat Sheet to provide the basic principles of “eating clean”.   So how can you “eat clean”?     Focus on whole foods , the ones that come straight from the farm.    Choose less processed foods.   Choose whole fruits, whole vegetables, and whole grains.   Fresh fruits and vegetables are good, but frozen is also a good choice, canned beans are a good way to add beans to your diet or buy Hummus.   Whole apple vs apple juice   Fresh fruit cup vs f...

      Many people start off on a diet, lose weight and then seem to stop losing.   Why?   SparkPeople had an interesting article on “8 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight” written by a personal trainer.   She said it is one of the most common questions she is asked.   She noted that those on a diet may thing they are doing “everything right” but still plateau.   So why are there no changes on the bathroom scale?   This week we’ll review 4 of the reasons and next week continue with the other 4 reasons.          Reasons for Not Losing Weight –   based on Spark People's 8 Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight and good nutrition advice from a registered dietitian.   You are eating back the calories you burn. Yes, working out is great but then eating everything in sight when you get home, is not so great for weight loss.   When I first started a spinning class, I would come home ...

School is starting soon and has started in some cities.   What should you pack for your kids’ lunch?   What are some of the more healthier options?   In Japan, they have these cool lunch packaging containers with compartments for essentially each food group.   When packing a kids’ lunch keep MyPlate in mind.    2 fruits/veggies – yes, 2 servings – one of each is good or 2 fruits, 2 veggies – carrot and celery sticks, a juice box and an apple     Grains – whole grains are best but it is often not easy to get a child to like whole grains.   They do have whole grain white bread or whole grain crackers.   They even have whole grain Goldfish.   Dairy – if it can be kept cold, yogurt is a great option as long as it is not the child’s versions loaded with added sugar and artificial flavorings.   Or have your child buy milk at school. Protein – lean meats, peanut butter, 2% cheeses. MSN, Healthy Foods That are Perfect for Sc...

Which carbs are good for your health?  Introduction:   In the nutrition class I teach, students were asked to respond to and prepare a convincing argument to counter the myth, Carbohydrates are bad for you .  One of those students, Jackie Kunstmann, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.  Her paper on The Case for Carbs is below. Carbohydrates, or “carbs,” have been given a lot of bad press lately.  Many people I know are very quick to jump onto the Atkins or South Beach Diets with their low carbohydrate ways when wanting to lose weight. I even had leanings this way until this Nutrition class.  The DRI Committee has determined that all persons need to have a diet composed of 46 to 65% of carbohydrates (with only 10 to 35% for protein and 20 to 35% for fat) to adequately meet their energy needs and reduce the risk of chronic disease.(1)  The USDA’s current dietary recommendation, My Plate , features the plate being filled with ove...

In the health class I teach, it is a challenge to get parents to serve fruit and veggies to kids.   Then when they do, they say the kids won’t eat the fruits and veggies.   Some of my students work in day care centers and the center tries to serve healthy fresh fruit and vegetables only to have the kids turn up their noses.   So how can parents, day care centers and others who work with kids, get the kids to eat more fruits and veggies?   For good health kids should eat a minimum of 5 A DAY – five fruits and veggies a day.   Many eat none.   So here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control: 10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits and Veggies 1.     Keep a bowl of fresh fruits on the counter.   Keep cut up fruits and veggies in the fridge in small bags to easy snacks.                           ...