Five for Fridays – Aug 14, 2009

Greetings! It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another Five for Fridays! Here are 5 interesting nutrition stories of the week that caught my eye. Enjoy and drop a comment to let me know what’s on your mind.

Food industry turns sour on high sugar prices

If you ask me, more than a “fat” or “sugar” or “junk food” tax, I like the current situation better. A shift in global supply and demand of sugar, coupled with government policies that limit the import of cheap sugar in the US, domestic sugar prices are going through the roof and the food industry is crying foul! Some of the big food companies have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack threatening price increases and worker layoffs if import quotas are not raised. Some will argue that the current quotas are against the idea of free trade. In general, I do not favor them either. But in this case, it is better to have these quotas to manage the demand for sugar rather than have a tax to control the demand for the final product. Let the companies figure out for themselves how to manage the increased cost of their raw materials. If they increase prices, demand for their product will go down. If they layoff workers, then they would need to increase their productivity to meet the current demand. Either way, it will force them to innovate.

Another front-of-box labeling system claims to be “smart”

A new front-of-the-box nutritional labeling system designed by a coalition of nutrition experts, scientists, food companies, retailers and research organizations goes live this week. It is a very simple system with a green check mark indicating the “smart choice” based on current nutrition guidelines. Also the calorie per serving and number of servings in the package are clearly shown under the check mark. There has been some criticism of this initiative, mostly because it is sponsored by food and beverage companies. Although it is not perfect, it is yet another attempt to simplify the life of most consumers who are often confused by the full nutritional facts label and the ingredients list on the back. There are many other creative versions of these front-of-the-box labeling without any standardization.  A traffic light system of food labeling is getting popular in UK and Australia. Clearly, there is a need to standardize such labeling so it does not turn into a clever marketing ploy by manufacturers. Have you come across such labels on products in store? What is your opinion of them?

Link between food stamps and obesity

A new study finds that people on food stamps are likely to be more obese compared to those of the same socioeconomic background who are not on the program. This implies that those receiving food stamps make food choices which are not very healthy. Although I think the study is interesting, its conclusions are highly speculative. The main goal seems to be influence changes to the food stamps program so that it encourages the recipients to consume nutrient-rich, low calorie foods. One idea is to force these people to attend a course in nutrition before they can get food stamps. That is quite ridiculous in my opinion! We cannot teach nutrition to kids in school – how can we expect people trying to find their next meal to learn about nutrition by sitting in a class? Still, it is something to think about. The challenge is to link food assistance with healthy foods. If only we could find them in the supermarkets at an affordable cost! What do you think?

Encourage your kids to eat veggies by these market meal ideas

Hop over to Kidappeal for some interesting ideas for a quick summer market meal, green beans, tomatoes and eggs. Very simple recipes and the pictures look great. I really liked Jenna’s tip on taking the kids to the Farmer’s market and getting them to pick their favorite fruits and veggies. And then serving a “market meal” like the one described in this post. Over the summer, we have taken the twins to a local Farmer’s market a couple of times on Fridays after we pick them up from Daycare. Have not had much luck with fresh, organic fruits and veggies – in fact, our local Whole Foods happens to have a better selection, although their prices are way too high! But we have enjoyed some local pita bread and apple-stuffed pastry from the market. Most importantly, we can get the twins on a short train ride in the nearby Mall, which really makes them happy!

5 practical ideas for becoming a positive role model

Want to encourage your toddlers to develop healthy eating habits? Check out this guilt-free guide to becoming a positive role model by Registered Dietitian Maryann Jocobsen who offers 5 simple and practical tips. My favorite one – don’t try to be perfect! Food is not just nutrition and a set of rules, but also about enjoyment. It is important to help your child build a positive relationship with food. Also remember that it does not happen in a day, or a week or even a few months. This is truly a long-term project!

What are some of your favorite tips in getting your kids to eat healthy?

Enjoy your weekend! And let me know what you think.

Photo source -baronsquirrel on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

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Tagged as: Food Lables, Food Marketing, Food Stamps, Healthy Habits, obesity, Role Model, Sugar, Toddler Nutrition, Veggies