The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee established jointly by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) came out with a report this week. It is a lengthy report based on a lot of data. Most of their conclusions and recommendations are not really unexpected or surprising – cut down on fat, sugar and salt; manage total energy intake; engage in physical activity etc. We have heard them all one way or another.

What caught my interest was data on top 5 dietary sources of energy for children and adolescents, and in particular, for children 2-3 years old and 4-8 years old. Here is a portion of this table for these two age groups:

Grain based desserts include cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies, crips, cobblers and granola bars. 100% fruit juice does not include orange or grapefruit juice.

Nearly 30% of the average daily caloric intake for the two age groups is delivered by these top 5 food groups. A quick look at these food groups confirms the carb-rich diet of today’s children (and adults alike).

Another troubling fact is that 35% of calories in a typical American diet (both kids and adults) comes from added sugar and solid fats. This is more than double the amount recommended by different agencies.

There is no shortage of data to prove that our diets and eating behaviors are not so healthy. There is also no shortage of blame being passed around – profit-hungry food industry, aggressive food marketing to children, poor quality of school nutrition, lack of physical activity and high cost of healthful foods. Again we have heard them all one way or another!

The report recognizes the challenges in changing this pattern of unhealthy eating, but does little to emphasize the importance of personal responsibility. It seems to imply a command-and-control, top-down type of an approach rather than empowering individuals and parents to make small changes on a daily basis. Individuals can make a difference, but they seem to think that the system is far stronger than the individual.

What do you think? What small changes can you make to make sure your family and children do not fall into the average category?

Have a great weekend!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Greetings! I am on business travel this week. That is why I have decided to pull out a few noteworthy reader comments from my archives this week instead of the usual Five for Fridays.

I am constantly inspired by your comments and I learn a lot from them. I want to say thanks to those who spend time reading my posts and leave a comment behind with some advice, helpful tips or a question for further research. Some of them have their own blogs, which I highly recommend you to visit whenever you get a chance.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

1. When a reader asked about food sources of vitamin D, Dr. Joanna Dolgoff listed these on her Ask the Expert post about Vitamin D deficiency
   

Foods that contain Vitamin D include fortified milk, fortified yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, wild salmon, canned tuna, cod liver oil, sun-dried shitake mushrooms and egg yolks. I think the fortified milk, yogurt and breakfast cereals will work best for a toddler!

2. Nona Nita reminded us that dollars and sense is not everything in response to a Five for Fridays entry on home gardens:

Even if growing my own tomatoes will cost more, I like the idea that I am going to use heirloom seeds that have not been hybridized. I will be able to keep the seeds from my produce to grow more next year. Not only will I get tomatoes like they used to taste when I was a kid, but saving the seeds from the tomatoes to use next year will be a great lesson in the cycle of life for my grandchild. Hooray to the Obamas for being great role models! Hooray to you for a great blog!

3. Reiza was concerned about mercury in tuna when she read dietitian Janet Helms’s Ask the Expert article on sushi for toddlers

My kids have all eaten sushi since infancy. You raised some issues I never even considered. I don’t think we’ll stop (my twins are over 5, but not my son), but we’ll definitely be asking more questions.

One thing I want to know, though, is how much sushi with tuna would a child need to consume to be worried about mercury? I’ve always limited canned tuna, but I never thought mercury would be an issue with such small pieces like you find in sushi.

In response, Janet Helm added:

Thanks for your message. You’re right. The small amount of tuna in sushi should not be such a problem, since the recommended limit is 12 ounces per week. A 3-ounce portion is about the size of a deck of cards, so you can estimate the number of ounces your kids may be consuming.
So if you’re not eating tuna more than once a week, you’re probably well within the “safe” range for mercury.

4. Dr. Ayala offered her perspectives on healthy snacks and indulgences in response to a Five for Fridays entry on childhood obesity

I don’t particularly like the term “snack”, as it can mean a small meal, which could be very healthy, or, more commonly, a highly processed packaged food you can eat on the go anytime and anywhere.

I therefore don’t use “snacks”. No matter the name, I make the small meals between the other bigger meals healthy–fruits, vegetables, nuts, leftover food from yesterdays’ dinner. That’s what I serve my kids when they come home from school quite hungry and in between meals.

As for the indulgences that I do think should not be denied–I call them dessert, and my kids call them “junk”. A good time to eat them is after the meal. I think there’s a place for ice-cream, chocolate, cake or whatever indulgence one fancies, but the key to really enjoying those and eating healthily is moderation and great quality. A small dessert (when a kid isn’t too hungry) made of high quality ingredients is a pleasure. Snacking on chips, cookies and donuts (even if low-fat)is not particularly satisfying, doesn’t hit the spot, and is just a bad habit.

5. Alina shared her concern and hoped for better nutrition at schools in response to Ask the Expert article on managing concerns about daycare food

I like the idea of bringing food to daycare but unfortunately many daycares do not allow found to be brought in. Also, a toddler wants to eat what everyone else is eating since the kids all eat together. Improving the nutrition of daycare (and all school food in general) is a very important topic. It would be nice for policy-makers and law-makers to embrace the need for this change!!

Photo source: Robert Whitehead on Flickr
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

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

Greetings! In this week’s Five for Fridays, I will highlight a few interesting videos and articles related to toddlers and restaurant manners. I started the week with 7 ways to handle bad manners when eating out with kids, so this seems like an appropriate way to reinforce the message! Let me know what you think and share your favorite tips.

How dinosaurs eat their food

This video is sure to catch the attention of your little one because of the dinosaurs who show really bad table manners like burping,  belching, making loud and rude noises, throwing food etc. In a funny way, it can teach your child what not to do!

Needs first, manners second

A very interesting perspective is offered by Dionna in her article Mind Your Manners, where she suggests that we pay attention to the child’s underlying need behind the behavior that shows bad manners. It may be a physical reason such as hunger, fatigue or sleepiness. Or it may be psychological reason such as frustration, jealousy, anger or need for attention. Adults have these needs too – and if you think about it – they too do not show good manners and friendly behavior if they are feeling that way. In those moments, it is not helpful to lecture about good manners with a don’t do that, or a do this. Rather, you have to pay attention to the underlying need and find a way to fix it before a meltdown!

Toddlers and mealtime manners

Excellent tips on mealtime manners from the Better Health Channel of the Victorian Department of Health from Australia! A range of mealtime topics such as sitting down to eat, making a mess, wasting food, table manners and reward systems are covered and several practical suggestions are provided under each. I really liked their perspective on why getting angry or worrying whether your child has had enough to eat is not useful. Kids are very perceptive and usually reflect back your anger and anxiety through unruly behavior. Keeping your emotions in check is the key. Have realistic expectations which are appropriate for age and development level. Keep your cool, stay firm and be consistent. And by the way, persuading children to clean up their plate because there are hungry children in the world does not work!

Parents speak out on teaching children to behave at restaurants

I liked this discussion about teaching restaurant manners to children because of a range of opinions and tips from parents based on real life experience. Consensus opinions seem to be training at home, family meals, early exposure to restaurants, and being ready to leave when things get out of hand. One parent advises good luck, patience and understanding, while another suggests involving them in food selection and engaging in a conversation. Another interesting suggestion is to go out in a group with other friends and their kids. Lots of interesting comments here!

Can you teach my alligator manners?

This is a funny series on Playhouse Disney which features a young boy named Mikey and his alligator pal Al, who is fun and cute but has no manners at all! The music is catchy and animation fast paced to capture the short attention of young kids. The great thing about it is that it asks the kids to recognize when Al is being polite and when he is not by picking one of the two color-coded squares which show these behaviors. Very good reinforcement indeed!

In this particular clip about restaurant manners, kids learn about eating with a fork and not their fingers, eat without making faces or noises, and not burp!

The alligator series is one of our favorites; have you seen it?

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Easter! It is Friday again, which means it is time for the usual Five for Fridays! Here are 5 food and nutrition related stories that caught my eye. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

New health bill will require restaurants to show calories on the menu

Chain restaurants with more than 20 outlets nationwide will be required to display nutrient content and calorie information on their menus according to Section 2572 of the recent healthcare bill. Similar rules will apply to vending machines. Menu labeling has been already in place in New York City for over an year with mixed results. Studies published last year, which I wrote about in a Five for Fridays, reported that doubts were emerging about the effectiveness of calorie labeling. What was more worrisome to me was the fact that some restaurants were actually “cheating” by posting lower calories than actually present in certain food items when tested! Clearly, this should not be allowed.

I think calorie labeling on restaurant menus is a good idea. Not only that,  there should also be other nutritional information available, particularly on salt, sugar and fat. It may take some time before consumers are fully aware of the risks of salty, sugary and fatty foods, but clearly in the long run it will help them make better decisions. The problem is that now it will require some sort of policing to ensure compliance with the law. Already there are problems with the National Organic Program (see below) due to constraints in budget and inspectors . These new requirements will undoubtedly create a new bureaucracy and another cat-and-mouse game will begin between food marketers and compliance officers. Hopefully it will become a self-policing system if consumers begin to vote with their wallets at these restaurants.

National Organic Program lacks teeth to enforce rules

You pay extra for certified organic products. You have the right to expect that they are genuine and that they do not contain pesticide residues. You do not expect non-organic products sold with the organic label. Yet, it is not an absolute guarantee! Now, wouldn’t that make you mad?

This is exactly how I felt when I read a report in the New York Times which exposed serious gaps in federal oversight of the organic food industry. Turns out that they don’t have enough inspectors to spot check organic products for pesticide residue (required by law) and that bogus organic products were allowed to be in the market for over 2 years before any action was taken. The excuse? Well, demand for organic products has grown so fast that the USDA’s National Organic Program can’t keep up with its enforcement responsibilities!

Finally, they are making a commitment to enforce spot testing for pesticide residues. They are getting more money and more people. The bureaucracy is ballooning but don’t expect it work perfectly. It never does. Meanwhile, don’t give up on organic products; just do your research and buy from a reputable brand.

Pepsico wants to trick your tongue by “designer salt”

Don’t give up on the potato chips! At least that is what Pepsico would like you to do just in case you are having second thoughts after reading about the evil sodium in their popular snacks. Recently they announced plans to cut sodium content by 25% by 2015, saturated fat and added sugar by 15% and 25% respectively by 2020. Sounds like the responsible thing to do, especially now that there is a bright spotlight on the link between processed food and obesity.

The solution, at least for sodium? A new “designer salt” which has crystals shaped and sized so that they dissolve fast on the tongue delivering a rapid salty sensation. While an innovative idea, which Pepsico is sure to market as a “breakthrough”, I think it is still a great example of incremental thinking. The problem is not with salt folks, it is the chips that we need to cut down on.

And 25% reduction is not going to make these products “healthier”! Consider Cheetos, which contain a whopping 290 mg of sodium per 1 oz serving. A 25% reduction (in 5 years) will bring it down to about 220, which is still very high. Too little, too late? What do you think?

Spinach leaves enrich their vitamin content sitting on the store shelf

Worried about picking up that box of baby spinach close to its expiration date? Well, believe it or not, you may be actually getting more value for your money compared to a box that did not sit on the store shelves for this long!

According to researchers at the USDA, spinach leaves exposed to store lighting conditions continuously over 9 days had a higher level of folate, vitamin C, K and E compared to those kept in the dark. This fascinating research was recently published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. The researchers reasoned that the spinach leaves continued their photosynthesis (a process by which plants produce sugars using sunlight and carbon dioxide) under the store light, which also produces these vitamins. When the same spinach leaves were stored in the dark, photosynthesis did not happen.

This is interesting for sure, but remember that the vitamin content of vegetables also depends on how you cook them. Steaming and microwaving is good; but eating raw fresh veggies is even better.

Teaching kids to eat healthy the French way

Offer preschoolers a 5 course meal, make sure they eat at the table and keep the parents out is the French recipe for getting kids to build lifelong healthy eating habits. I was fascinated to read the Nursery School Gourmets in a recent TIME magazine, which explained how seriously the city of Paris looks at the matter of school lunches.

Clearly, it is a well-structured, heavily funded state program unlike what we have in the United States. The daily menu is planned in advance for 2 months with no repetitions. Every meal includes an hors d’oeuvre, salad, main course, cheese plate and dessert (yum!). Soda and snack machines are banned. Parents are given suggestions for what to serve at dinner based on the day’s lunch menu. Discipline is intense and kids are trained to eat at the table and keep quiet.

Should we emulate the French model to solve our childhood obesity problem? The topic of school lunch is center stage these days, and Jamie Olivers’ Food Revolution is on prime time. The French model is yet another benchmark for us to consider. What do you think?

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Valentine’s Day! The big news this week was the Let’s Move campaign launched by the First Lady Mrs. Obama to fight the problem of childhood obesity in America. I think it is a worthwhile and timely initiative and I am glad that someone of her status is taking it on to give it the visibility it needs. While the cause is noble, the intentions are genuine and the star power is undeniable, I believe that the approach taken by her campaign is fundamentally flawed. I have serious doubts that it would create a change at the scale needed to make any real impact in the long term health of our nation.

I don’t normally consider myself a glass-half-empty-kinda guy. Yet, today I find myself compelled to give you 5 reasons why this initiative is destined to disappoint. I do sincerely hope I am wrong!

It will not change the demand for cheap fast food in any significant way

I admire Mrs. Obama’s candor in her acknowledgment that she found it hard to balance her family’s need for a healthful diet and demands of hers and Mr. Obama’s careers. Just too busy, not enough time…being unable to cook a good meal for my kids…going to fast food…ordering pizza. She certainly reflects the feelings of many Americans; however the ideas proposed under her first pillar, Healthy Choices, are simply too stale. Here is why:

• Empower customers by front-of-box labeling – interesting idea; already much talked about and being practiced, although not in a standardized way. I believe food marketers will eventually find a way around whatever regulations are introduced and customers will tune out the front-of-the-box information just the way they have tuned out the detailed and really informative nutrition facts label at the back.
• Prescription for healthier living – doctors and nurses will be encouraged to track body mass index and offer counseling for healthy eating early on. Nice thought – every time I go to the dentist, they tell me to floss daily. I don’t, even though I want to. I don’t even feel guilty about it anymore. I realize, they are just doing their job.
• Next generation food pyramid – Guess what, the USDA wants to revamp the food pyramid and online interactive tools! Great news for the academics. A busy parent is probably already overwhelmed; besides if they don’t find time to cook a good meal, do you really believe they will tinker around with online tools?
• Empowering change – very novel idea of a food atlas to show you food deserts around the country. If you live in one, watch out your property value may decline! Just kidding. Again, I think this is a gadget for the academic in us!
• Let’s move start up tools – so you need to stop watching TV and get out there and get some exercise! We all know that and no new tools are needed to convince us or help us out. There are plenty of them out there already.

The fundamentals remain unchanged – we live busy lives; we are always on-the-go; cheap fast food is readily available; it makes us feel good and solves a real problem. None of these ideas will change consumer habits in a fundamental way. At best, they will make people feel guilty, temporarily at least, but don’t expect them to change their habits.

It will not change how we farm and what we grow

What we grow is corn and beans – lots of them.  We practice industrial agriculture which is dependent on fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modifications and consumes an unbelievable amount of natural resources. If you have doubts, pick up a book by Michael Pollan. We process meat in feedlots virtually shut-off to the outside world and raise cattle on a diet of corn. Chickens are no better and quality of seafood is getting worse; what with mercury contamination and salmon being raised on corn! We are constantly battling risks with food safety because of loopholes in inspections.

The wheel of supply and demand turns day and night, getting faster with each turn as the population grows and our appetite explodes. If demand does not change in a fundamental way, how can we expect supply to change? The so called organic movement and sustainable farming are like toddlers in the face of industrial farming.

Granted that one should not expect the First Lady to address such political hot buttons. But one should also not get too enamored by the marketing of this campaign to forget that our problems really arise out of the farm driven by consumer demand.

It offers no incentives for the food industry to innovate

I was excited to read:

Let’s Move is building communities by bringing together families, schools, private industry and government to make healthy living easier

I kept looking for what is expected of the private industry and the only example I found was how the beverage industry is answering the FDA’s call to post calorie information on the bottle! This is no innovation, only a marketing gimmick to appear responsible. There are no real drivers for the industry to innovate to produce healthful products. And believe me, the so called soda tax or twinkie tax is unlikely to effect this desired behavior.

Now you could argue about the definition of a healthful product. Surely, reducing sodium, trans fat and sugar is a step in the right direction. But the fact remains that these products do nothing to reduce the share of processed food in a typical American diet. In fact, this notion is contrary to the business model – after all, the food industry stays in business by selling more of their products, not less. I would love to see food companies create products (and services) that actually increase the share of home-cooked food in an average family. That would be real innovation.

It creates another food bureaucracy

A new Healthy Food Financing Initiative through a partnership between the departments of Treasury, Agriculture and Health & Human Services will invest $400 million each year to provide innovative financing to bring grocery stores to underserved areas. The idea is to increase access to healthy food, fruits and vegetables and to get rid of food deserts across the country. To me it smells like a new bureaucracy, unsustainable in the long run and at the risk of another budget cut. It addresses the issue of supply assuming that the demand will naturally be there. Really? Why not utilize the network of food banks and offer incentives to buy healthful products on food stamps? Do we really need a new system?

It will encourage schools to game the system

School administrators now have a new goal to accomplish – try to fit the mold of a healthier school with the Healthier Schools Challenge. The scorecard is simple – reduce salt, fat and sugar and increase whole grains. This is nutritionism at its best. It is probably not difficult to meet the standards – whatever they might be – over the 5-10 year-long time frame of the program. Does it mean that kids will start eating healthy? Maybe, but not a guarantee. With no real carrots and no sticks, my guess is that schools will simply game the system to generate a hype of healthfulness. And maybe they will figure out a way to correlate small drops in average body mass index with their efforts in the cafeteria! That will make it look really convincing – yeah, right!

I know, you are probably thinking that it is easy to be critical without offering an alternative. I agree – that is why I plan to write about a few out-of-the box ideas in future and invite a discussion on them. Stay tuned!

Enjoy and let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: baronsquirrel via flickr
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Greetings! Hope you have had another wonderful week in this new year and you are still on track with your resolutions (or priorities as I like to call them). I am saddened by the tragedy in Haiti. Every time I see a photo of an injured child waiting to be treated, I feel sad. It is encouraging to see an outpouring of support from the world community and I hope and pray that things will soon improve for the people of Haiti.

For this week’s Five for Fridays, I have compiled 5 excellent posts on recipes and tips from several blogs I follow. These are great bloggers and I encourage you to check their blogs out if you haven’t already done so.

Mushroom Rice Pilaf on KidAppeal

This is a very simple recipe, but more importantly, I like the way Jenna of Kid Appeal mixes nutrition information and tips on getting your kids involved in the cooking project. Kids love to make believe, and creating a plot involving the ingredients is a cool, creative way to get them engaged and learn about the good, the bad and the ugly of foods. As the article correctly points out at the end, this strategy is far better than the conventional “try one bite, it is good for you and you need to eat more”!

Tips for Homemade Yogurt on The Nourished Kitchen

If you are interested in making yogurt at home, this collection of practical tips will come in handy. Recent research is showing the health benefits of probiotics for all kinds of conditions. Yogurt is a great source of bacteria that are good for your system, but it is difficult to find products with low sugar. That is why homemade yogurt is such a great idea – not only can you save money, but you can also control what goes in your yogurt.

Vitamin D is often lacking from many yogurt products. This intrigues me because most milk has added vitamin D these days. Making yogurt at home using the milk in your refrigerator will ensure you get this vital nutrient in addition to the other benefits of yogurt (calcium, probiotics etc.)

It has been quite a while since I had homemade yogurt. We have gotten used to the convenience of buying different kinds of yogurts from the supermarket. Every week, we get a box of plain yogurt, about half-dozen small jars of fruit yogurts and kids yogurts. I am seriously considering trying the homemade option even if it means setting aside a few hours on the weekends to prepare it.

Feel free to share your tips if you make yogurt at home!

Gallo Pinto on A Life Less Sweet

Caty of A Life Less Sweet is one of my favorite bloggers not just because she is on a crusade against HFCS and a PhD Chemical Engineer, but also because of her very practical common-sense driven approach to food and nutrition. This recipe appeared in her Meatless Monday column, which is a great resource for those trying to cut down on meat from their diets.

Gallo Pinto is a dish made with cooked black beans and rice mixed with spices. This is an excellent – and an inexpensive way – to get a full supply of proteins in your diet. The recipe is very easy to make. I think you can also try it with red kidney beans, although we like to cook the beans and rice separately. Our favorite is Basmati rice, but you can also use brown rice.

Okra and Dal on Chow and Chatter

Rebecca of Chow and Chatter is the queen of simple but tasty Indian (South Asian) recipes. She also happens to be a Registered dietitian and a guest blogger on here, so you can be sure she knows her food!

This is a combo recipe to celebrate one of South India’s major festival called Pongal. Okra we all know, dal is basically a dish made from pulses (dried beans, lentils). These are simple and flavorful recipes which go very well with rice or naan, the Indian version of oven baked flatbread.

Okra recipe can be tricky to make because okra can very easily turn into a soft mush. If done right, the okra in this recipe should be crispy and relatively dry. Wash the whole okra prior to chopping it, and pat dry with a paper towel before you cut it.

Broccoli Parmesan on Raising Healthy Eaters

Broccoli is not a favorite of most people, us included. But I liked this recipe from registered dietitian Maryann Jacobsen because it is so simple and fast to make. I also like that the broccoli comes out crispy, and also the fact that they were a hit with her little daughter. Nothing like proven success to try it out yourself!

One of the recipes TwinToddlersMom makes is a sauted mix of broccoli with Salmon mixed with a few spices. Again the broccoli comes out crispy and flavorful. We will post it soon after we make it next.

I hope you will enjoy these recipes and share your thoughts in the comments section. Also, visit these blogs for other great kid-friendly recipes!

Photo Source: Crystl on Flickr
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

There is something ironic about freezing cold weather in Florida! I know, I should not be complaining because rest of the country seems to be under a really bitter cold, but I can’t help myself. It is not supposed to be that cold here. I would not mind it so much if it got cold enough to get some snow and everything shut down for a day or so. That way, we could go out and play in the snow with kids. That would be fun, but this bitter cold with the sun shining on us at the same time is simply miserable!

Anyway, enough of complaining about the cold. I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season. I am just now getting in the groove with blogging again in the new year after a short break. Therefore, for this week’s 5 for Fridays, I am going to pick my personal favorite nutrition stories of 2009 I wrote about in this weekly column. So, here they are; let me know what you think about them.

Even Top Chefs Have Picky Kids (published Feb 20, 2009)

I have not seen the otherwise popular show “Top Chef”, but I really liked this interview with Chef Tom Colicchio in the New York Times. Despite his celebrity status, he appears to be quite modest and down-to-earth. Like most parents, he too struggles with his teenage son’s eating habits. I liked his ideas about wholesome food made from fresh ingredients and setting an example by eating healthy food at home. According to him, the choice of food is not between unhealthy and healthy, it is between good and bad! Although he acknowledges that people are busy, it is not really that hard and time consuming to make a healthy recipe (if you know what you are doing of course!). He proves that by giving an example of a 20-minute pasta dish with a yummy clams sauce.

Which vitamin is better – tablet or liquid? (published Mar 27, 2009)

There is an interesting debate going on in one of the LinkedIn groups on Nutrition. Does a tablet form of vitamin work better inside the body or the liquid form? Absorption of vitamins and minerals from a multivitamin supplement is not very well understood. In the absence of scientific data, all kinds of claims are made about liquid vitamins that they are better and they are absorbed quickly. In response to these claims, those who believe in tablets and capsules tend to make their own counter claims. It is all very confusing to everybody.

In response to my poll on multivitamins, most of those who used these supplements for their toddlers preferred the gummies or tablet variety. Very few favored the liquid form. Could be that liquid form of vitamins is not very common and tends to be more expensive.

I have been thinking about this topic lately and I intend to do some research before writing a post. In the meantime, feel free to share your opinion.

The sweet nothingness of artificial sweeteners (published May 29, 2009)

There are so many different types of artificial sweeteners available these days. And now there is all this buzz about Stevia, the real “natural” no-calorie sweetener. How do you decide which one of the white, blue, yellow and pink packets to go for as you try to grab your morning coffee? They are zero calories all right, but should you worry about possible adverse health effects, including the possibility of cancer, from some of these chemicals? And what about the fact that consuming zero calories sugary beverages does nothing to control your appetite and you might actually end up eating more even as you try to cut down on calories? Check out this very detailed article on artificial sweeteners which basically says that most artificial sweeteners are safe in moderate amounts. So go for the one that tastes the best to you. Overall, you will be better off going for just water instead of the sweet beverage and following a nutrient-rich diet including fruits and vegetables. Zero means zero after all!

30 states have 30% or higher childhood obesity rates (published Jul 3, 3009)

Scary statistics, and nothing to be proud of in my opinion. This data comes from a new report called F as in Fat – How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009 published by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Mississippi got the top honor for its 44% childhood obesity rate – that is nearly 1 in 2 children 10-17 years old is either overweight or obese. 8 of the 10 states with highest rates of childhood obesity are in the South. Another study of children 2-5 years old in low income families shows that nearly 15% of these children are obese compared to about 12% nationwide. It is not that we don’t know the reason for this trend – children eat junk food, they spend too much time watching TV or in front of a computer, they don’t exercise, and schools are not up to standard when it comes to providing healthy meals. Still, nothing is being done about it, and seems like we have no control over the expanding waistlines of our children. Clearly, childhood obesity is a problem we need to confront with all our creativity and resources since it has terrible implications for the long term health of our nation.

Watch out, eating hamburgers can paralyze you (published Oct 9, 2009)

I was shocked beyond belief to read the unfortunate story of 22 years old Stephanie Smith, who got really sick after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli. She was so sick that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks, after which she could no longer walk because she was paralyzed from the waist down. A very heavy price to pay for a cheap hamburger all of us assume safe for eating without much thought.

Turns out there are serious gaps in the food inspection system which is supposed to test packaged meat for E. coli contamination. Ground beef is produced by processors from beef trimmings and other parts which they buy from many different suppliers. Not all of these incoming supplies are tested for contamination before grinding. The result is that contaminated cow parts can sometime enter the ground beef supply undetected. Does not happen very frequently, but it does happen often enough to make the news. 8000 people have become sick from 16 E. coli outbreaks in the last 3 years.

No matter how many regulations and inspections are put in place, there is no way to be 100% safe because of the way meat is processed in modern plants. My advice – cut down on beef in the first place – it has been shown to increase the risk of various types of cancer. And if you do want to enjoy a burger, make sure you follow the safe handling procedures and cook it thoroughly so that the inside of the hamburger reaches 165 °F.

Photo source: dylinindustries on Flickr via everystockphoto
©2010 Littlestomaks.com

The media was abuzz this week with screaming headlines warning us of widespread vitamin D deficiency in kids. It followed a recent paper in the Pediatrics journal by researchers at the Children’s hospital in Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the University of Colorado. The paper presented their research based on the 2001-2004 NHANES survey and posed the question Do Children Need More Vitamin D?

That the mainstream media latched on this latest research and gave it prime time coverage is not a surprise to me. I have written about such attention grabbing headlines on vitamin D before. I am so intrigued by the popularity of this topic in the press that I decided to look at this week’s news in more detail for today’s Five for Fridays. I would love to hear your comments and concerns about vitamin D for your children.

Here are 5 reasons why I believe we don’t need to let the mass media engulf us in mass hysteria about vitamin D:

There is no consensus on healthy levels of vitamin D in children

The Pediatrics paper correctly points out that:

There is controversy, however, about what a healthy level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is for children and even what level of 25(OH)D should be used to define vitamin D deficiency

25-hydroxyvitamin D is what they measure in the blood to determine the level of vitamin D. Different agencies have defined vitamin D deficiency as blood levels less than 27.5 to 37.5 nmol/L. Many experts today believe that these levels are too low and should be revised to less than 50 nmol/L or even 70 nmol/L. By raising the number on the “safe” level, these experts suggest that a lot more people should be considered vitamin D deficient compared to current standards.

While there is some data to suggest various benefits of higher levels of vitamin D in adults (75 to 100 nmol/L), there is no such evidence and consensus for children. When even experts cannot agree on “safe” levels of vitamin D in children, I am not sure if it makes sense to raise a red flag based on this week’s report.

Average vitamin D levels in children are much higher than currently recommended

Amazingly, the Pediatrics paper reports that the average blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 70 nmol/L. Further, prevalence for levels less than 25 nmol/L was only 0.7% and that for levels less than 50 nmol/L was 15%. It is only when you consider a level of 70 nmol/L as the “safe” level that the prevalence goes up to 65%. Basically that means that most children have a sufficiently high level of vitamin D.

I am not suggesting that we should not worry about the 15% or so who had levels lower than 50 nmol/L. It is a cause for concern, but probably not as much as the rate of childhood obesity. The problem I have with these studies is that they tend to look at only one thing at a time and lose the big picture on our children’s health.

Perceived risks based on geography and ethnicity do not justify broad changes

We have all heard the usual reasons for low vitamin D – children do not get enough time in the sun which makes things worse for dark-skinned children of Hispanic and African-American background. Also children who live in the Northern altitudes do not get enough sun particularly in the winter months.

These observations are all true. However, aside from skin color and average sun exposure there is also an effect of poor nutrition in general. It is probably not a conincidence that children in these same demographic groups have also been reported as either overweight or obese. Under these circumstances, even if these children were put on vitamin D supplements, I am not convinced that it will do anything to improve their prospects of future health. I think that a narrow focus on vitamin D misses the big picture on children’s nutrition.

Based on these studies alone, I don’t think a sweeping across the board recommendation of higher vitamin D can be justified.

There is no evidence for preventive powers of vitamin D by large randomized clinical trials

A fascinating article appeard in last week’s Financial Times which posed the question To D or not to D? Recent research reports a link between higher vitamin D and lower risk of certain types of cancer. On the flip side, low levels of vitamin D have been reported to increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, depression and rheumatoid arthritis. One recent review of health records of over 13000 Americans found that people with the lowest vitamin D levels were 26% more likely to die in an 8 year period compared to those with the highest levels.

How can you not have the sense of urgency about recommending everybody to have higher vitamin D? It seems like a no brainer.

Not so fast say the international health authorities! Even the International Agency for Cancer Research of the WHO issued a report last year that basically concluded there was no need to raise vitamin D recommendations. The Institute of Medicine in the US also does not appear to be in any hurry to change the current recommendations.

The main reason for this reluctance is that the preventive power of vitamin D has not yet been proven by large scale randomized clinical trials. The Financial Times article provides a good understanding of why such clinical trials may never take place. There are some clinical trials going on for senior citizens, but nothing on the horizon for children or young adults.

I am impressed by the commitment of today’s vitamin D researchers. However, I think there ambitions are out of proportion with their findings. I have nothing against targeted intervention in high risk groups, but it is meaningless to stretch the recommendations to everybody across the board.

These studies imply relying on supplements instead of nutrition and active lifestyle

Finally, this is the main reason why I am not a big fan of these studies. The underlying implication is that we can easily solve this problem by vitamin D supplements. The Pediatrics paper asks the question:

Considering these prevalence data, would there be risks associated with recommending that all children have vitamin D supplements until the short- and long-term health outcome data are elucidated?

It does address the concern about vitamin D toxicity but suggests that it is rare and happens only when really excessive doses of vitamin D are taken. Clearly, their agenda is to promote vitamin D supplements for children:

As suggested recently by the Canadian Pediatric Society and a recent stateof-the-art review on vitamin D, higher supplement doses may be required for children to reach the safe and potentially healthier levels of 25(OH)D of <50 or <75 nmol/L.

I think there is a real danger in such linear thinking. Instead of promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity first, and nutritional supplements second, the supplements are considered a primary means to good health. I reject that notion even though these studies get very high profile coverage in the press.

I am glad that a few Moms I talked to on Twitter about this topic calmly suggested that the real solution is to get your children to eat well, drink plenty of milk and play outdoors. At least they are not falling for this propoganda!

Have a good weekend and do let me know what is on your mind.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Friday! 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.

Doubts emerging about restaurant calorie labeling

It has been a year since the chain restaurants in New York City started labeling their menu items with calorie content. A new report raises questions about its effectiveness in changing consumer behavior in the short term and solving the problem of obesity in the long run. New York City estimates that menu labeling will reduce the number of obese New Yorkers by 150,000 in 5 years and prevent 30,000 cases of diabetes. In a city of over 8 million people, these are small numbers; still many are questioning these estimates. Plus many restaurants seem to be “cheating” by posting lower calorie numbers than actually present in certain food items when tested. Does it mean that menu labeling does not work? I think it all depends on your viewpoint. It is not a silver bullet for the obesity problem; simply a step in the right direction. As long as it makes people think twice about buying the high-calorie food, it has a chance to change attitudes. Posting calories is just a start – in fact, complete nutritional information including salt, fat and sugar content should be made available if a consumer wants it. It takes a long time to change consumer behavior and we should keep taking small steps like calorie labeling. This is not a time to shoot it down!

Celiac disease 4 times more common today than 50 years ago

New research from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., according to a New York Times article, suggests that today there are 4 times more diagnosed cases of celiac disease compared to the 1950′s. Celiac disease is a serious immune system reaction to gluten (protein in grains such as wheat, rye, barley) which attacks the intenstines and disrupts the absorption of nutrients. A lot of early cases or gluten intolerance remain undiagnosed. Even though the headlines seems alarming, it is still a small number. I do not mean to diminish its impact, but there is no reason to panic and stop eating wheat or other grains simply because you experience digestive discomfort a few times. Surely, you should discuss it with your doctor who can do a complete checkup. I say this because there is a lot of hype about gluten-free diet these days. Lower your intake of processed foods, and eat more whole grains. Go gluten-free only if needed, and only after consulting with your doctor.

50% of food lost from farm to fork

Amazing, isn’t it? No wonder, the food prices are so high. Improving the efficiency of our food supply chain will not only be good for the environment, it will also result in lower food prices. It strikes me as ironical that when it comes to food prices, the farmer gets the major portion of the blame. Also, the focus is on fertilizer-hungry, high-yield crops which results into a massive over-production. If only we could focus on the supply-chain efficiency, then maybe we could have a more sustainable food chain. This, and other interesting quirks of our current food supply chain are included in this entertaining video from IBM social media – check it out!

Most physicians and nurses use dietary supplements – should you?

A survey of 900 physicians and 277 nurses sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) showed that about half of the physicians and nurses used dietary supplements regularly. Overall health and wellness was the most common reason given for using these supplements. They were also quite likely to recommend dietary supplements to their patients for a variety of reasons. I think the CRN, which is a trade association representing manufacturers of these supplements, can hardly be considered an unbiased agency for this type of a study. After reading the whole report, I can also say that their sample of physicians and nurses cannot be treated as random. Therefore, the high positive response in favor of supplements cannot be considered as representative of all health care professionals out there.

Having said that, I personally take a multivitamin on a daily basis because I know that even a fruit and vegetable rich diet today is not sufficient to provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Our industrialized farming methods have depleted the nutritional quality of the soil, and fruits and vegetables today are not as rich in vitamins in minerals as they were several decades ago. If you are not taking a supplement, discuss with your doctor if you should. Be careful while selecting the dietary supplement – they are not regulated by the FDA and there are many quality and safety problems. Don’t fall for the out-of-the-world claims for all sorts of miraculous treatments and cures; if they sound too good to be true, probably they are. Exercise the same caution when selecting a nutritional supplement for your toddler. For more tips, read Dr. Husbands answer about toddler nutritional supplements on my Ask the Expert column.

Tips for dining out with preschoolers

Dr. Kathleen Cuneo of Dinner Together, who wrote a guest post here, alerted me to this excellent article for tips on dining out with preschoolers. We have personally experienced this challenge because we have to manage two – not one – energetic toddlers while trying to enjoy our own meal. I think her advice of having realistic expectations from your toddlers is right on the money. We have to simply accept that most preschoolers cannot sit still the whole time. This article offers 7 very practical tips you can use with your little ones. One of our tricks is that we order something for our twins right away and request that they bring it within 5-10 minutes. That’s probably the most we can keep them interested in sitting at the table without anything to eat. Once their food arrives, we order ours and feed them while it is being prepared. Of course, if the service is good, we remember to leave a generous tip.

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

Photo source -The Wandering Angel on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy 4th of July! If you haven’t yet entered my Independence Day Giveaway, don’t miss out on a chance to win a $50 Target card! It is open until midnight EST tonight (July 3rd).

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.

30 states have 30% or higher childhood obesity rates

Scary statistics, and nothing to be proud of in my opinion. This data comes from a new report called F as in Fat – How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009 published by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Mississippi got the top honor for its 44% childhood obesity rate – that is nearly 1 in 2 children 10-17 years old is either overweight or obese. 8 of the 10 states with highest rates of childhood obesity are in the South. Another study of children 2-5 years old in low income families shows that nearly 15% of these children are obese compared to about 12% nationwide.  It is not that we don’t know the reason for this trend – children eat junk food, they spend too much time watching TV or in front of a computer, they don’t exercise, and schools are not up to standard when it comes to providing healthy meals. Still, nothing is being done about it, and seems like we have no control over the expanding waistlines of our children. Clearly, childhood obesity is a problem we need to confront with all our creativity and resources since it has terrible implications for the long term health of our nation.

Animal fats linked to pancreatic cancer

In another study linking saturated and trans-fats to cancer, researchers from the National Cancer Institute found positive association between pancreatic cancer and fats from red meat and dairy food sources. Why the cancer of the pancreas and not any other? One theory blames the enzymes produced by the pancreas in the digestion of these fats. Another idea is that diets high in saturated fats lead to insulin resistance and increase in the risk of Type 2 diabetes, which in turn increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. There is no reason to panic and stop eating fats – in fact there are healthy fats that I have written about recently. Unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids are good sources of fats and should be a part of your daily diet in the right amounts. Same goes for children since these healthy fats are needed to support their growth and brain development. Besides red meat and dairy sources, saturated and trans-fats are present in many of the packaged foods, so you should check the label carefully before buying them.

Walnuts can cut cholesterol

Researchers from Harvard’s Nutrition department analyzed data from published trials which compared the effect of walnut-rich diets against control diets to conclude that walnuts can decrease the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol(“bad”) even over a short period of time. Other benefits were antioxidant and anit-inflammation capacity without any negative effects on body weight. Granted that this is based on a limited number of trials and subjects, and that there may be other factors involved. Still, can’t argue with the fact that walnuts are an excellent source of unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids, so overall they are very healthy. We usually add walnuts to our salads at dinner each night, which is one way we have been able to include them in our daily diet without much preparation. Do you have a favorite walnut recipe you would like to share?

Try this nutty 4th of July fruit salad

I really liked this recipe for a coconut fruit salad from Jenna on her Food with Kid Appeal blog. The red (watermelon), white (coconut) and blue (blueberries) colors are quite appropriate for a July 4th celebration! Coconut meat (the white inside part of a mature coconut) is one of my favorites since I grew up on desserts made from it. It is soft, sweet and very chewy with a rich texture. Coconut milk is also very delicious; you may have heard about it being used extensively in Thai recipes. She provides a lot of great details about the nutritious value of coconuts even though they are high in saturated fats and suggests to use in moderation. Coconut oil is very rich in these fats; it is widely used for cooking and even skin care in India. Because of its nutritional value, coconut is part of almost every major religious ceremony in India and considered to be a a valuable fruit.

Good health comes in small bites

Another great article by one of my favorite bloggers and Pediatrician Dr. Ayala. In Small Bites for Health, she writes about a recent study which looked at the effect of bite size and the chewing time on the amount of food eaten in one sitting. Small bites resulted in lower food intake, in fact large bites resulted in volunteers eating nearly 100 g more (or about 100 extra calories in the chocolate custard used in the study) before they felt full. Also they ate more when they ate faster so that the each bite spent only 3 seconds in their mouth compared to the 9 seconds in the slow eating group. We are a fast-food nation where food is eaten on the go and big portions disappear in our mouths within seconds while driving at 60 miles an hour! No wonder an average American consumes 300 more calories today compared to 25 years ago. We seem to “need” to eat a lot more than actually needed before we feel full and satisfied. A simple trick like a small bites and good chewing can help us reduce the amount we eat. Grandma’s advice eat slowly with small bites is still so correct after all!

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

Photo source - Spiralz on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Friday! 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.

Clues to the Mediterranean diet

It is now well accepted that the Mediterranean diet has good health benefits. But why it works so well and how important are the individual components in providing this health benefit has not been so clear. In a new study Anatomy of the health effects of Mediterranean diet, researchers have found that low to moderate consumption of alcohol, low consumption of meat and meat products, high consumption of vegetables, fruits, olive oil and legumes are the main factors which contribute to the healthfulness of this diet. It is tempting to break down a diet into its specific components to explain why it works or why it does not work. That is what Michael Pollan might call classic nutritionism - a tendency to break apart foods into components to explain effect on health. But, diet is only one of the factors for overall health and longevity – lifestyle and culture, as well as good healthcare are also critical. Still, I think that studies like these are useful, as long as we don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Now a sweetness enhancer rather than an artificial sweetener

Consumers want low or zero calorie sweeteners, no after-taste and naturally sourced ingredients in their food and beverages. That is why there is a lot of buzz about Stevia extract,which is being touted as the real, natural sweetener since it is produced from a plant. But it does give an after-taste, something the food companies are trying fix by adding taste masking ingredients in Stevia formulations. Taking a slightly different approach, Redpoint Bio – a company I wrote about recently in my article on salt reduction technologies – has now discovered a totally natrual sweetness enhancer RP44 that can work with almost any type of sugar. What it means is that this new ingredient can allow a dramatic reduction in the level of sugar needed in beverages or baked foods. They still have to get FDA approval, so it will be a while before it begins to appear in processed foods. I am not necessarily thrilled by this invention because it does nothing to reduce our reliance on processed foods. But it does show that specialty food additive industry is busy at work trying to help the food processing industry meet new customer expectations.

Food industry asks Obama to create a Presidential Commission for fighting obesity

In a letter to the President, several organizations, industry experts and academics are urging a creation of a Presidential Commission on Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives to combat the obesity epidemic. The idea is to coordinate the activities of the Department of Human Health and Services, USDA and other agencies involved in food and health policy. Sounds like they want more bureaucracy on top of an already monstrous bureaucracy – this is insane! I feel bad saying this because there are some very decent organizations behind this – the American Diabetes Association, American Public Health Association, Shape Up America, United Fresh Produce Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and a few others. Food companies who are the purveyors of sugary-salty-fatty foods are notably missing from this list. I really don’t believe that more regulation will have that big an impact – I think policy should shift towards consumer awareness and incentives for prevention so that consumer demand forces food industry to innovate and move away from these unhealthy foods. It is beginning to happen, but not at the scale at which it can be sustained at the grassroots level.

Grocery stores going back to basics for recession-struck shoppers

The middle aisles, where you find canned veggies, fruits, cereals, pasta and sauces, is bringing the dough for grocery stores and supermarkets in the current recession according to this Wall Street Journal story. Private label and store brands are selling well and filling more shelves in these stores as consumers go for basic food staples for dining at home. I was amazed to learn that a store can make nearly 70% of its profits from these middle aisles! They are also providing more coupons for items in these shelves and bundling ingredients for home-cooked meals. Seems like low cost packaged food is winning the race in this recession and the fresh produce along the outside aisles is falling behind. Have you noticed a change in your grocery store? How has your shopping changed in the current environment?

Six ways to get your toddler to sit at the dinner table

Here are some great tips from Pediatrician Dr. Joanna Dolgoff to get your toddler to sit at the dinner table with you and not run around the whole house or in the restaurant! We struggle with this problem too since our twins are now out of their high chairs and insist on enjoying their new freedom while we try to eat dinner. My favorite tips from her article are – bring activities to the table (coloring, reading), and engage your child in a conversation. Check out her post and share your tips in the comments below.

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

Photo source - Spiralz on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Happy Friday! This photo touched my heart and reminded me the value of nutrition and care for our growing children. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words!

That said, here are the 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.

Eco-Atkins diet

A low carbohydrate, high protein Atkins diet is popular for weight loss, but carries the risk of increasing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Now some researchers are suggesting that a vegan diet rich in protein from plants and nuts reduces weight and lowers cholesterol, by as much as 20%. In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, they concluded that a  plant-based low carbohydrate “eco-Atkins” diet resulted in about the same weight loss as a high-carbohydrate, dairy and whole grain vegetarian diet, but reduced the LDL cholesterol by a larger amount. Although the size of the study was small, it proves again the many benefits of a plant-based diet. Cutting down on meats which are rich in saturated fats and cholesterol is a good idea even though the specific results cited by this study may not be seen for everybody.

New FDA chief focuses on food safety

In an interview with the Associated Press, the newly confirmed FDA chief Dr. Margaret Hamburg put a high priority on restoring FDA’s credibility by using science-based information to drive decisions, and by implementing risk-based controls for early detection of food contamination in the farm-to-store supply chain. I don’t think there is anything earth-shattering here; this is precisely what the FDA is expected to do anyway. Also, this is what the public wants to hear in light of the peanut, pistachio, spinach, lettuce and tomato outbreaks. The public confidence in the nation’s food supply is shaken up, so naturally this is high on FDA’s agenda. What I would like to know is how she plans to fix the management system, improve visibility of problems and bring in a sense of accountability in the public office. Till then, these are simply nice sounding words and we will continue to remain one more outbreak away from another massive recall and public health scare.

Consumers want healthy food but unwilling or unable to pay more

According to the United Soybean Board’s 16th Annual Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition report, nearly 9 out of 10 consumers report wanting to buy nutritious and healthy food but only about half are willing to pay more. Of the remaining, about half say they want to but can’t afford nutritious food right now. A fairly large number of them also say that the food they buy is already healthy, and that the healthier version would not taste as good. There is a certain bias in this survey towards processed foods since that is clearly of interest to the soy industry. I don’t think they even considered asking questions about fresh vegetables and fruits and cutting down on meats. My guess is that the definition of healthfulness was limited to the nutrition facts label – the usual calories, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, vitamins and minerals etc. And the interesting fact about these labels is that even though most people do review them before buying, about half find the nutritional information confusing. With a limited definition of “healthfulness” and confusing nutritional information, how can we expect consumers to make the right trade-offs between buying healthy food and cost?

Challenges of reducing sugar in (processed) foods

I certainly cannot relate to the “challenges” faced by the food technologists in formulating foods with artificial sweeteners. Nor do I want to! But I found this podcast interview with the manager of sweetener technology at Tate & Lyle posted on the FoodNavigator site quite interesting. Turns out that sugar not only provides sweetness, it also affects the texture and feeling of the food. That is why, a simple substitution of natural sugar with artificial sweetener doesn’t work so well except in beverages. In ice cream, for example, reducing sugar or adding artificial sweetener can change its freezing point, and as a result, the consistency. In baked goods, sugar affects the color, taste, bulk and shelf life, which makes it difficult to reproduce with artificial sweeteners. So I guess they make these food technologists earn their paycheck after all! Anyway, this manager also commented that consumers want taste and choice, and for those wanting healthy foods with low sugar, it is a challenge to offer them all three. Tells me that her interpretation of what consumers want is incredibly – though understandably – quite narrow. What happened to fresh, natural, locally sourced, green, organic and wholesome? Guess they have decided not to listen to those customers since they will probably not be helping Tate & Lyle’s bottom line anyway!

Simplicity is the new message for “affordable” healthy food

My blogger friend and registered dietitian Janet Helm was recently interviewed by ABC News (Go Janet!) on the recent trend of going “back to basics” when it comes to food advertising. Janet has written about these trends on her blog Nutrition Unplugged in a couple of very interesting articles. So check out her blog and the ABC interview via her post Simplicity Sells in Tough Economic Times. Janet is also a contributor to my Ask the Expert where she recently wrote a very informative post about sushi and toddlers.

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

Photo source – Thiru Murugan on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Greetings! This week, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) held its annual meeting and food expo in Anaheim California. IFT is a nonprofit scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. In short, this is the event of the food industry where you can learn about the latest trends, products, technologies and policy directions. I did not go, but I gleaned together a few interesting items from the news media. If you are interested in more, check out Food navigator-usa or the IFT09 Live website.

Top trends – functional foods, naturally sourced, flavor and color innovation

Consumer lifestyle and attitudes are changing, and the food industry is paying attention. Many more new products marketed as functional foods, which promise nutrition-on-the-go, will soon show up on the supermarket shelves. Whether it is functional flax with omega-3 or  “rejuvenating” beverages with antioxidants and other exotic ingredients, there is a clear trend to package nutrition in a box (or a bottle) by mixing up a bunch of ingredients and market it with wonderful claims! Even meat is being positioned as functional food…go figure!

Naturally sourced is very much an oxymoron in my opinion. The idea surely is to give a sense of “naturalness” to food processed by a totally unnatural process. Nevertheless, this is a trend and you will see more claims about naturally sourced ingredients – sweeteners, beta-carotene, omega-3 acids, whey protein concentrates, stevia extract, dried veggies etc.

Flavor and color innovation is also big – the logic seems to be that if you cannot fool the mind (due to regulations about nutritional facts and ingredients) just fool the tongue by adding flavors to hide the true identity of food. I must admit that the science of flavors is very challenging and the research may actually lead to a better understanding of the food-brain connection someday. For now, the research is offering the food industry a great way to continue launching new products – cha ching!

Four award-winning technologies

I am a techie, so I found these award winning technologies quite interesting. Now more than ever, I am convinced that innovation is driven by market demand, and that if consumers demand that food be food and not processed ingesitble stuff packaged in a box, the industry will find a way to deliver. But I digress – here are the 4 worthy of our attention:

1. EnWave has developed a new dehydration technology nutraRev, which uses a combination of vacuum and microwave to dry fruits, veggies, meats and seafood. The advantage compared to the traditional freeze drying technology is that it fast, cheap and consumes much less energy. They claim improved retention of color and flavor. The first use of this technology is for drying blueberries which they say are “puffy” after drying and look very much like fresh blueberries!
2. A high pressure sterilization technology from the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST) is making it possible for our soldiers to enjoy shelf-stable mashed potatoes while on duty out there! Because of high pressure, it is possible to use low temperatures during sterilization, which does not compromise the taste and texture of food.
3. Ecolab Inc. has developed an sterilization additive for plastic bottles,which sterilizes these bottles at lower temperatures than hydrogen peroxide, thereby reducing energy. These bottles can be used for beverages to make them shelf-stable without the use of refrigeration or preservatives.
4. NOVATION starches from the National Starch company also received an award.  These starches can be used to manufacture products such as salad dressings with texture attributes and process tolerance that were only possible with modified food starches. NOVATION starches, which include certified organic versions, are derived from waxy maize, tapioca, potato and other sources.

Free samples of future foods tell where industry is headed

Want to know where the food industry is headed in the near future? Just take a look at some of the free samples that were on display at the expo – the full list is posted on the IFT09 Live website:

• Healthier brownie for kids – fortified with omega-3 (who cares about sugar?)
• Omega-3 in OJ
• Beauty foods – whey protein based ingredient claiming to support skin health for drinks like OJ and other foods
• Nutricosmetic licorice – custom nutrient pre-mixes for skin care, ice-cream for boosting immunity, tonic for cognitive function
• Fiber in baked goods – beta-glucan concentrate with dietary fiber

Seems like there is virtually no limit to  combining a few nutrients with otherwise not-so-healthy foods and marketing them with glorious claims. I hope the consumers do not fall for this game for too long.

High oleic acid soybean claims the high ground

I wrote about these genetically modified soybeans from DuPont in a recent Five for Fridays – they are designed to have a high concentration of oleic acid, which does not require hydrogenation. Hydrogenation improves the stability of the soybean oil, but it also results in trans fats. Now the everybody in the soybean oil industry is jumping on the bandwagon because soybean oil is big business. This type of high oleic acid soybean oil will reach 1.6 billion pounds by 2013!

Other new soybean oil products on the horizon include high stearic, mid oleic/low saturate, and increased omega-3 fatty acid content. High stearic oil delivers a creamy texture, which is a plus for bakery products that require “hard stock” fats.

Who thought there will soon be an end to fried foods?

Fortified foods – could this be a solution to the world’s malnutrition problem?

Fortitech, Inc., a company specializing in custom nutrient pre-mixes for all kinds of food products thinks so. They have launched a World Initiative for Nutrition (WIN) through which they plan to distribute these formulations of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for use by local food processors in various countries. In partnership with NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), UN and Governmental agencies, they plan to provide fortified foods that are consistent with local cuisine and tastes. One of their focus groups is pregnant women and infants and young children at risk of malnutrition in low-income countries. I think this is a good initiative because malnutrition remains a major problem in many countries in the world. Whether this will be done for profit is not clear from their publicity material. Still, I hope it will allow the world’s children to grow up healthy and realize their full potential.

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

Photo source – tanakawho on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Greetings! Hope you all are having a great week so far. Here is another set of 5 nutrition related news and articles from this week that I found interesting. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

Getting out of the salt-fat-sugar trap

No doubt we have become a nation of fast food lovers. Certainly it is a marvel of modern technology which delivers a full meal in 10 minutes or less, costs you 10 dollars or less, and which you can enjoy driving in your car at 60 miles an hour. But the real magical formula behind its success is what Dr. David Kessler calls the trap of sugar-fat-salt  in his recent book “The end of overeating“. In an excellent review of this book, Dr. Ayala explains how we can end overeating and eat healthier by first recognizing what fast food truly is – highly addictive and of poor nutritional value. Develop a taste for simple, wholesome foods made from fresh, quality ingredients and you will actually feel more satisfied and healthier. Encourage your kids to develop this taste, and you can be sure they will make the right choices even when presented with these outwardly appealing foods. I don’t necessarily agree when Kessler draws a parallel between addiction to nicotine and fast food. But I do agree that when consumers begin to change the definition of what is acceptable as food, the food industry will innovate to satisfy that demand.

Recession is shrinking wallets but expanding waistlines

Compared to last year, we now have 5.5 million more people in America who are considered obese based on their BMI (body mass index). Blame it on the recession? That is what some researchers have concluded based on recent Gallup-Healthways data which has prompted the question “Is the recession making Americans fatter“? The theory goes like this – recession causes stress and price of healthy foods has gone up, so people are satisfying their appetites and improving their moods by reaching out for comfort foods, which tend to be high in fat, sugar and calories. There  a trend here as I commented in a recent Five for Fridays that this recession has a sweet tooth and candy sales are on the rise. Whatever the reason might be, the high rates of obesity can no longer be ignored. Four out of the top10 chornic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer) have clear links to poor nutrition and obesity. Blame recession all you want, but at the end of the day, we need to act and not just point fingers!

Going gluten-free? Be sure to get complete nutrition

Gluten-free diets are quite popular these days. New recipes and products claiming to be gluten-free are being launched almost on a daily basis. Sales of such products have more than tripled since 2004. Whether it is a new diet fad or because more and more people are being diagnosed with the celiac disease or gluten intolerance, no one can tell for sure. If you happen to be following a gluten-free diet, and reaching out for some of these new products, be aware that they may be lacking in dietary fiber and several B vitamins. In a very informative article Getting out the gluten, experts recommend eating foods made from the “super six” nutritionally balanced ingredients namely amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum and teff. These are rich in fiber, proteins and vitamins and do not contain gluten. I am not familiar with most of them except quinoa, which has become a regular substitute for basmati rice in our diet. Chicken with quinoa is one of our favorite recipes if you need ideas! Share your favorite gluten-free food or recipe if you are on a gluten-free diet.

No grapes, no nuts and now no place in the market for this jaw crusher

Amused as I was to read about the decline in market share of Grape Nuts, the news that this venerable cereal is facing crunchtime didn’t really break my heart! I have never been a fan of this brand, even though it has existed in the market for over 100 years. What I found intriguing about this story was not the changing fortunes of this product, but how processed foods are marketed to consumers. Grape nuts is people eating advertising is how one brand manager puts it as if to indicate a certain sense of pride in having fulfilled the requirements of the job description. Clever language can be used to convince consumers of almost anything it seems. But the fact remains that processed food can hardly be considered “food”, even though it is considred fit for human consumption. So far removed it is from the natural existence of its ingredients that it can be made to look, feel and taste almost anything the food scientist or the imagiative marketer desires. My guess is that the package costs more than the “food” inside it, which means that we are really eating advertising after all!

Teaching nutrition to children improves health behavior knowledge

Sounds logical;  if you include nutrition in the school curriculum, you should expect that it would improve their knowledge of healthy behavior. Reading Across My Pyramid is a nutrition literacy program targeting lower elementary school children of low income families in California. In a recent evaluation of its effectiveness, researchers found significant evidence that it increased the importance of exercise in the minds of children, knowledge that the heart pumps blood through the body, and knowledge that computer use and television watching are not exercise. Correlations were also observed between a child’s knowledge of healthy foods and parent reported soda consumption. Although on a lot of other items related to health behavior, no significant change was seen after implementing the program, these few positive results are encouraging in my opinion. Development of healthy eating habits is equally dependent on availability of information and healthy food in schools, and we seem to have neither of the two in our current education system. Is it a surprise then childhood obesity is on the rise and that Type 2 diabetes is now reported in children as young as 4 years old? How many studies will it take before we begin to see real change in our schools?

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo source – Eggz on Flickr
©2009 Littlestomaks.com