MyPlate Winner

Whew-It’s been a busy National Nutrition Month!

Thank you to all that entered our MyPlate Giveaway on Twitter and Facebook! Everyone’s plates look nutritious and oh so delicious but we could only pick on winner.

Without further ado, the winner of the MyPlate Presentation Kit is…

Alice Henneman !

Congrats Alice! We’ll be in touch with details

Have a healthful end of National Nutrition Month!

Get Your Plate In Shape to Win!

Thank you to all that entered the Whole Grains for Busy People Giveaway! Unfortunately we could only pick one winner, so Annie G it’s your lucky day! We will be in touch to get the book out to you via email!

It’s National Nutrition Month! As health professionals we are helping our communities get their plates in shape!

To help Dietitians and other Health Professionals share this nutrition knowledge with their clients we have created a series of presentation kits complete with powerpoints, tipsheets and handouts. And this March we are giving away one of our MyPlate Presentation Kits! (an $80 value!!)

Enter to win by…

Posting a picture of YOUR Plate on our Facebook Wall or Tweet it to @SUPERMRKTSAVVY. Not on Twitter or Facebook? No Problem! Just email a photo to Linda@supermarketsavvy.com to enter!

This is what our plate looked like last night:

Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Send us what YOUR plate looks like? What about an endurance athlete? What’s a 400 calorie plate vs a 1000 calorie plate look like? Don’t just stick to “American” food either. Foods of all different cultures can fit in MyPlate. We can’t wait to see what your plate looks like!

We will pick a winner on March 30^th at noon! Send us your plates!

Ancient & Alternative Grains

Whole grains have become a priority for health conscious consumers due to the 2010 USDA Guidelines and the MyPlate program that emphasizes the importance of eating at least 3 servings of whole grains (48 g) each day. Wheat, corn, rice, and oats represent the largest market share of whole grain food sales. However, various ancient and alternative grains are gaining the attention of savvy
consumers and the food industry. These include amaranth, buckwheat, flax, Indian rice grass, millet, teff, quinoa, and sorghum.

Several of these ancient grains have become common on grocery store shelves in the form of flours and flakes although few consumers know how to prepare and incorporate these grains into their diet. More of these ancient grains are showing up in prepared foods such as bread, cereal, crackers, chips, and side dishes.

This month’s SUPERMARKET SAVVY Newsletter searched the grocery shelves for foods that contain these ancient and alternative grains and provides information on buying, preparing, and eating all types of whole grains. Read reviews of Nature’s Path Ancient Grains Granola, Progresso Barley Soups, Kashi 7 Whole Grains and more. Enjoy recipes for 10 Grain Yogurt Quickbread and Tangy Quinoa Salad among others. Find a Whole Grain Tip Sheet and Comparison Chart. Read more about the current issue.

Let me know your favorite whole grain product or give me a tip on how you get your family to eat whole grains and you will be entered into a contest for a free Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook: Whole and Healthy Grains for Every Meal of the Day.

Tips for Feeding Healthy Kids

1. Offer a variety of healthy foods. When children eat a variety of foods, they get the nutrients they need from every food group. They will be more likely to try new foods and t like more foods. This will make it easier to pan family meals.
2. Start with small portions. Offer children small, easy-to-eat amounts to make eating easy and more enjoyable. Use smaller bowls, plates, and utensils for your child to eat with. Don’t insist that children finish all the food on their plate. Let your child know it is okay to only eat as much as he or she wants. We are born with an internal mechanism that signals full—don’t mess with it.
3. Follow a meal and snack schedule. Regularly scheduled meal and snack times help your child learn structure for eating. Your child is more likely to eat healthy meals and try new foods if snacks are not offered too close to mealtime.
4. Make mealtime an enjoyable family time. Family meals allow your child to focus on the task of eating and give you a chance to model good behaviors. You may not be able to eat together every day but try to plan a family meal at least once a day. It takes a little work to bring everyone together for meals, but it’s worth it. Involve your child in the conversation. Ask questions like:
   - What made you feel really happy today?
   - What did you have to eat at lunch today?
   - What’s your favorite veggie? Why?
   - Tell me one thing you learned today?
   - What made you laugh today?
5. Make food fun for picky eaters. Picky eating is temporary so don’t get discouraged. Get your child involved in planning, shopping for, and preparing the food. Let them create snacks, salads, or desserts. Be creative with the food—try fun and interesting food shapes.
6. Set a good example. Your child picks up all of your attitudes and behaviors—including your eating habits. Children love to copy what their parents do. They are likely to mimic your table manners, your likes and dislikes, your willingness to try new foods, and your physical activities.

SAVVY KIDS at the SUPERMARKET

Serve up a healthy portion of food and nutrition education that will delight kids of all ages as they explore the supermarket and prepare foods. Savvy Kids at the Supermarket is a way to get kids involved in the food decisions. Find interactive modules on Power Breakfast, Fun Family Dinners, Tasting Apples, and Pizza Parties. Learn more about Savvy Kids at the Supermarket.

Frozen Fruit Bars Can Count as a Fruit Serving

Are you one of the people who average under 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day when 5 to 6 cups is recommended by the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines? On average only 8% of Americans consume the recommended servings of fruit per day.

Many frozen fruit bars can be counted as a serving of fruit because they contain real fruit, fruit juice, or fruit concentrate. But some only contain fruit flavors and sugar. Read our reviews of frozen fruit bars in the July SUPERMARKET SAVVY Newsletter and access a comparison chart of 4o Frozen Fruit Bars with SUPERMARKET SAVVY Picks for the healthiest bars. Here are some of the healthiest and our favorites–Jolly Llama Whole Fruit Squeezups, Del Monte Fruit Chillers, and  Jamba Sorbet Bars.  

Learn more about Frozen Fruit Bars with tips on purchasing and making your own.

Savvy Shopping at Farmer’s Markets

Summer is the time to find a local farmer’s market–the perfect place to get the season’s best produce at reasonable prices. Here are some tips for enjoying and benefiting from a farmer’s market.

Inspiration. There is nothing quite like the vibrant colors, fresh aromas, and fabulous flavors of a farmer’s market. Let the produce be the incentive for menu planning. Remember than the US Dietary Guidelines MyPlate program recommends that half your plate should be covered with vegetables.

Be Impulsive. A farmer’s market is one place where planning ahead is not recommended and impulse buying is recommended. Go to the farmer’s market with an open mind. Try new fruits and vegetables and let your mind consider new ways to prepare them and incorporate them into your family meals.

Support Local Farmers. Local, small farms need all the support they can get. You may find a local farmer that you want to contract with for regular deliveries of seasonal produce. Take the opportunity to discuss with the grower their growing techniques and what fruits and vegetables are in season. They are the experts–pick their brains. They will have suggestions for preparing their produce and may even have recipe suggestions.

Free Samples. Generally, farmers provide free samples of their produce. This is a great way to try fruits and vegetables that you are not familiar with. Get acquainted with different varieties of apples, peaches, and even corn. What makes each farmer’s produce unique.

Organic Produce. You will probably find some organic produce and products at a farmer’s market. Remember to balance the value of organic produce with the price. A farmer that is not certified organic may use some of the same green farming methods. Ask the farmers about their use of pesticides, etc.

Buy Seasonal Produce. Obviously, you can’t get any closer to seasonal produce than at a farmer’s market unless you grow it yourself. Research shows that the less time between picking and eating of produce, the more nutritious. Nutrient levels will decrease over time.

Take a Tour. Check out all the vendors and compare prices. Taste when you can and develop a discerning palate. Purchase only after doing some comparison shopping.

More than Produce. Most farmer’s markets also include local vendors of other products such as olive oil, honey, fresh baked bread and cookies.

What to Bring. Be sure to bring cash in small bills and your own bags with handles. Also plan time for tasting and visiting and bring an open mind for experiencing new produce and products. Enjoy the experience of fresh foods!

Click here to find a Farmer’s Market near you.

Find a Free Chart on Key Nutrients in Fruits & Vegetables

MyPlate Shopping Savvy

The Choose MyPlate program based on the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines can help you with shopping for health.  The spiffy new portioned plate graphic that allocates half the plate to fruits and vegetables and the other half split between proteins and grains can assist you in putting your shopping and eating in perspective.

Keep the MyPlate graphic in your thoughts as you travel the aisles of the supermarket. Visualize your shopping cart half full of fruits and vegetables–this means that you need to spend half your time in the produce section picking out the best fruits and vegetables.

• Think a rainbow of colors—including white when choosing produce. Variety is key!
• Celebrate the season. Buy fresh in season and canned or frozen when not in season. Choose fruit canned in 100% fruit juice and vegetables with “no salt added” on the label.  
• Buy small amounts frequently to assure you can eat them before they spoil.
• Buy in bulk when produce is on sale and you have plans to use it all. If you can’t use it all, cut up and freeze.

On the other half of the plate, grains should dominate and half of your grains should be whole grains.

• Purchase popcorn for a whole grain snack.
• Read the ingredients list and choose products that name a whole-grain ingredient first on the list. Look for “whole wheat,” ‘brown rice,” “bulgur,” “buckwheat,” “oatmeal,” “whole oats,” or “wild or brown rice”.
• Substitute whole grain flour for half of the flour in baking recipes.

The smallest section of MyPlate is for Protein. Start at the meat department for some lean proteins.

• Vary your protein choices. Besides lean meat include beans, nuts, soy and seafood. 
• Choose seafood twice a week. Include varieties that are higher in oils and low in mercury, such as salmon, trout, and herring.
• Have an egg. One egg a day won’t increase your risk of heart disease.
• Eat plant protein foods more often. Try beans and peas, soy products, nuts and seeds. Plan to include a couple of meatless meals a week.

The smallest part of the MyPlate graphic is Dairy.  

• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese.
• Check the amount of calcium and make sure your dairy selection contains at least 10% Daily Value of Calcium and Vitamin D.
• If you can’t drink milk because you are lactose-intolerant, try lactose-free dairy products, soymilk, or other dairy alternatives.

Teach your clients how to shop for health using the MyPlate Presentation Kit that includes a 50 Power Point slides, 4 SUPERMARKET SAVVY Tip Sheets, 20 MyPlate Tip Sheets, 15 MyPlate recipes, a sample Daily Food Plan, Sample Menus, and a Dietary Guideliens Brochure.

Click here to learn more and purchase.

Click here for a FREE MyPlate Shopping List.

My Sicilian Culinary Adventure

Chef Peppe Buffa, Chef Paolo Monti & Suzanne Kordish with my foodie friends

 This May I had the opportunity to travel with Suzanne Kordesh, MPH, RD, Chef Paolo Monti with Cucina Italiana in Lucca, Italy, and 12 friendly foodies on a culinary tour that exposed me to the unique culinary characteristics of Sicily. With its diverse history of  Turkish, Roman, North African, Spanish, Norman and Greek rule, Sicily is a paradise of citrus, almond, pistachio, and olive trees. Currants, grapes, pine nuts, honey, and aromatic herbs are also part of Sicily’s culinary heritage.

Capo Market in Palermo

 We started with a tour of historic Palermo and the “Capo” food market with its cacophony of sights and smells, and a tradition that dates back to the 9^th century. 

Then we travelled west to San Vito lo Capo stopping along the way to visit Segesta, a well-preserved pre Greek temple. On a visit to the fish markets of Trapani I experienced the vast array of Mediterranean seafood and the Sicilian emphasis on fresh (as in still breathing). We visited the famous Trapani Salt Flats where sea salt has been harvested for centuries, and wineries in Marsala.

Taking a gondola, we arrived in the medieval town of Erice where Maria Grammatico has a Pasticceria , world-renowned for marzipan and pastries, a trade she learned as an orphan raised by Sicilian nuns. Her experiences and recipes are described in the book “Bitter Almonds” by Mary Taylor Simeti and Mari Grammatico.

Maria's Marzipan and Sicilian Pastries

Maria Grammatico in her Pasticceria

In addition to all the touring, we enjoyed Sicilian cooking classes led by Chef Paolo Monti and Chef Peppe Buffa where we learned how to make couscous, Caponata, pasta dishes, fish and seafood (tuna, octopus, anchovies, sardines, swordfish, etc.). Throughout the trip we experienced the traditional family meals and friendship of the Sicilian people. 

You can learn more about shopping for and preapring healthy Sicilian foods in this months SUPERMARKET SAVVY Newsletter. Check it out!

Lunch in Erice

San Vito Lo Capo

Sauteed Wild Greens

Seafood Couscous