Greetings! The twins are turning 4 this weekend and we are having a birthday party! Should be a lot of fun.

Here are 5 nutrition related stories that caught my eye this week. Enjoy and let me know what’s on your mind.

Beware of this high tech coke vending machine

Called the Freestyle, a high tech Coke vending machine will soon allow you to make your own personalized beverage by selecting a combination of flavors injected on demand into carbonated water. In light of falling soda sales over the last 5 years, and an actual drop of about 2% in 2009, Coke is betting that by getting you to play with these machines, you will drink more soda! I say, watch out and don’t fall for it even if it seems free at your favorite fast food restaurant.

I am all for technology – and believe me, this new machine is really high tech – but this kind of innovation is misguided and reflects linear thinking. The logic is simple – get people to drink more soda so you can make a few more dollars (actually a lot more!) each year. And why worry about a soda tax when you can get the restaurant owners to pay up for these fancy gadgets!

If Coke wants to reinvigorate its brand and re-engage consumers, in the words of its Vice President in-charge of Freestyle, why not do something that actually makes them healthy? Surely they have no shortage of smart engineers and brilliant marketers. How long do they want to keep going with the same Open Happiness message?

Skip the soda fountain. Ask for water. Vote with your wallet and don’t fall for these gimmicks.

Consumers link food to health and expect food companies to do more

Nearly 1 in 4 consumers look at food as a means of health and about 1 in 5 consider it a way to connecting with friends and family. This according to a farm-to-fork survey by StrategyOne which randomly asked 1000 US adults 3 simple questions to understand their attitudes and opinions about food.

About 90% of these consumers expect supermarkets to focus on health, wellness and nutrition, but only 68% found it important for fast food companies. Over 90% want food companies to offer healthy products which also taste good, and offer more healthy food choices. They also expect these companies to help solve community problems such as childhood obesity and malnutrition.

The data is encouraging. Although the sample size is small, the message is clear.  When will the food companies begin to pay attention?

Choose organic to reduce risk of chemical exposure and cancer

The President’s Cancer Panel is raising a red flag on chemical exposure as a potential cause for cancer, which is becoming a growing concern especially in children. According to an Op-Ed in the New York Times, the cancer panel is about to release a 200-page report recommending better oversight, and possibly new regulation, to manage our exposure to chemicals. “Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals used in America have been tested for safety”, and “many known or suspected carcinogens are completely regulated”, says the report.

Although, it is important to be careful about chemicals, there is no reason to panic. I think a lot of has to do with the notion what you don’t know can hurt you, because of the very poor public awareness about chemicals. Modern life, and its conveniences, is a direct result of our success with using chemicals. Based on my personal experience I can say that the chemical industry takes its responsibility about chemical safety extremely seriously. Exercising caution is prudent, but there is no need to panic.

Since young children are most susceptible to the risks of chemicals, one easy action you can take is to rely more on organic foods, especially fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats. Organic certification on a food product means that it is produced without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and hormones. It may cost you extra, but there are ways you can buy organic on a budget.

Solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation

The White House task force on childhood obesity has a plan to solve this problem within a generation. They have issued a 120-page report with 70 recommendations for the federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector so we can get back to a 5% childhood obesity rates of the early 1970′s. Today we are at close to 20% and if these recommendations are acted upon, the task force believes that we can reach this goal by 2030.

I like the comprehensive research and the holistic perspective outlined in this report. This problem cannot be solved by a mandate from the government. Everyone has a role to play – parents, schools, community service organizations, food companies should take responsibility. I also like clearly defined benchmarks for metrics for success.

I plan to take a closer look at the report and write about it in future. Feel free to share your opinion on how this problem can be solved in our lifetime!

Make veggies interesting to eat, not just nutritious

Don’t sell the idea of health and the same old good for you when trying to encourage your kids to eat more veggies. Make it fun and exciting, suggests Dr Susan Robin, a holistic nutritionist, in her article Getting Kids to Eat More Veggies is More Fun Than You Think. I couldn’t agree more!

Coke does not sell nutrition in a bottle, they sell happiness. Food marketing is not much different, although a lot of health related claims are often mixed with the idea of fun, satisfaction and excitement. Take a page out of the food marketers playbook and turn it around! That is what I liked about Dr Robin’s article – they used a cool music video about making hummus to encourage kids to eat more chickpeas at a summer camp.

A word of caution though – I think it is ok to learn from the food marketers playbook, but don’t just copy it. Twist it around because there is no way you can win by doing what they do. They have more money to buy more star power. I have been thinking about the idea of creating your family’s personal brand about food and nutrition as you try to counter the overwhelming influence of major food brands. Not an easy task, but it is a very different approach and will surely take time. I plan to build on this idea in future. In the meantime, feel free to share your ideas.

Have a great weekend!

Photo: adactio on Flickr
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

McDonalds and Coca Cola are two powerful brands. Both kids and adults alike can recognize them and their products.

McDonalds tagline of “I’m Lovin’ It” and Coke’s “Open Happiness” seem to be permanently etched in our subconscious and their jingles resonate inside our heads all day long.

It was no surprise to me, personally, when I read that even 3 year olds can recognize brands and show a preference for them. Our twins are now able to spot a Starbucks or Panera Bread when we drive by them!

What was interesting, however, was the conclusion of this study that kids can also form strong opinions about them and the people who use them.

For example, 3-5 year olds in this study generally thought of fast food as fun, tasty and exciting! And they found soda brands as fun because bubbles are fun and lots of people like them. That is exactly how they are positioned.

Although, this shows how successful the food marketers have been, it is certainly a problem for many parents who are trying to encourage their kids to eat healthy.

Even though a  lot of people are calling for restricting food advertising to kids, I have been thinking of a few ideas I am planning to write about in future posts. For now, I have a question for you -

How do you manage the influence of popular food brands on your kids?

I would love to hear from you. Please share a comment below.

Greetings! Hope you all are enjoying the beautiful days of Fall. I simply love this time of the year. We are getting ready for Trick-or-treat and pumpkin painting, and the twins are excited! They are already dreaming of collecting candy – it is going to be an uphill battle trying to keep them from eating too much. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you their costumes this year yet, but will surely post a photo after Halloween.

Here are the 5 nutrition related news that caught my eye this week. Enjoy and drop me a comment to share your thoughts.

A new index to help you select affordable nutritious foods

A new food rating system called the Affordable Nutrition Index (ANI) was introduced this week at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Expo in Denver. The idea is to provide a score that takes into account the cost of a certain food item in addition to its nutrition value. A food item with a high score means that it is high in 9 nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamin A, C, E, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium), low in 3 nutrients (saturated fat, added sugar and sodium) and costs less on a per serving basis. Sweet potato, broccoli, green pepper, orange and banana scored high on the index (over 100) while packaged convenience foods scored lower than 100.

This index has been developed by Dr Adam Drewnowski, Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at University of Washington in Seattle. He used the Nutrient Rich Food Index (NFR9.3) which he previously developed and a price per serving information from food prices database, Seattle area supermarkets and industry sources. This research was sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company. Not surprisingly perhaps, many of the condensed soups from Campbell ended up with a high score around 100 compared to many fresh or cooked vegetables and even fresh fruits.

I am intrigued by this idea since we all want to select foods that have high nutritional value at an affordable cost. However, I don’t think that this is the only way to make that choice. I was disappointed to see that vitamin D was not included in the 9 nutrients to promote in the NFR9.3. Plus cost per serving is probably not the right measure of what a customer pays when buying a product. Also, you can manage cost by buying seasonal fruits and vegetables from local sources. Still, I think it is a good idea and I plan to write more about it in future.

Coke’s response to the debate on obesity is lame

Coca-Cola, the icon of sugary drinks is under attack! CEO Muhtar Kent wrote an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal on October 7th defending his company against proposals of soda tax. Coke Didn’t Make America Fat is what he believes; and quite arrogantly he points the finger to his own customers saying they lead a sedentary lifestyle! Well, Coke did make America fat according to my blogger colleague Dr. Ayala who wrote an excellent piece this week in response to Mr. Kent’s lame arguments.

So far, Coke’s response to the current debate on the role of sugary drinks in our obesity problem is rather lame in my opinion. They have announced that they will add calorie information on the front of Coke cans. They have given a large amount of money to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to develop consumer education content as part of their Consumer Alliance Program. They are also a part of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), a group of 40 organizations seemingly engaged in a collaborative effort to address obesity. And now in their latest move, Coke has announced that they will introduce a 90-calorie mini soda can so that people can limit their intake of sugary cola.

While I am no fan of the twinkie tax, I do not believe that these actions by one of America’s top brands are of the high caliber needed to solve one of America’s most challenging health problems. Coke needs to do more than just pay lip service and make lame arguments defending their products in public. They need to take a more grass-roots approach – building playgrounds in schools, sponsoring healthy lifestyle events, developing after-school programs, integrating nutrition and physical education, sponsor healthy nutritious school lunches just to name a few examples. They need to measure the effectiveness of these programs in reducing obesity and make the data public.

Coke’ 3Q financial results show that they generated $6.3 billion in cash from operations year-to-date in 2009. They spent $241 million buying back their own shares. A little more of that cash spent on real programs to solve our obesity problem will not make a dent in their profits! What do you have to say about that Mr Kent?

FDA puts the hammer down on front-of-box labeling

The Smart Choice program it seems was the last straw according to Marion Nestle who writes a blog called Food Politics! In a letter to the food industry, the FDA is openly questioning the arbitrary nutrition standards used by companies to develop these labels which end up showing their own products as healthy. FDA wants to develop a set of independent criteria which these labels will need to meet before companies can use them on their products. FDA also wants to understand how these front of the box labels affect consumer choice.

I say, it’s about time. The Nutritional Facts panel, usually at the back or the side of the box, is too complicated for most consumers to read and understand. Consumers are looking for something simple that allows them to quickly make a decision.

We are lagging behind other countries in this area. A traffic light based food labeling system developed by the industry based on government guidelines in UK seems to be working very well. Why can’t we do the same here?

Here is a good background information on different types of front of box labeling systems. What is your opinion? Have you come across a labeling system you really like?

Toddler diets a cause for concern according to the 2008 FITS data

Latest data from the 2008 Nestle Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) confirms the sorry state of a typical toddler diet in America. Most toddlers and preschoolers are not eating fruits and vegetables. They are consuming too much saturated fat and sodium. French fries are the most popular vegetable!

Good news is that the diets of infants and older babies are much better compared to the 2002 data. Mothers are breastfeeding their children longer and consumption of sugary drinks is decreasing. There is a risk of iron deficiency in some children.

Looks like parents and caregivers are following the feeding guidelines for infants. So why do things go south during the toddler years? Is it because of picky behavior? Or is it because toddlers eat what their parents eat? Or a combination of the two?

Not much progress has been made in the diet of toddlers since 2002. We need to make a deliberate effort to improve this situation.  Having dinner together, being a role model and encouraging fruits and vegetables is critical to solving the problem of childhood obesity. And in case you are struggling, here are some tips for picky eating.

Let us bring the school nutrition standards to the 21^st century

Can you believe that it was 1995 when the standards for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) were last revised? Yet the NSLP served lunch to over 30 million children and SBP served breakfast to over 10 million children in 2008! If we are serious about fighting the battle of childhood obesity, we need to revise these standards and bring them to the 21st century!

Well, the good news is that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has now issued its recommendations in a report titled School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children, which the US Department is going to consider as they revise these standards. Recommended meal requirements encourage more fruits & vegetables, whole grains, min and max levels of calories and limit saturated fats  and sodium.

This is good news! I hope they will begin to implement these recommendations by the time our twins start going to school. I think progress may be slow due to cost and bureaucracy, but at least it’s a good start.

Enjoy and do let me know you think. I would love to have you share your best tips in comments below.

Photo source -cambodia4kidsorg on Flickr via everystockphoto

©2009 Littlestomaks.com