nutrition

Support Healthy Food, Nutrition and Environmental Conservation in the Farm Bill
Jeff Gangemi Jun 11, 2012 nutrition 0 comments
The Farm Bill is a hefty piece of legislation with incredibly broad implications for food accessibility, economic viability of small farms, and a host of programs that impact local food systems across the country. The Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) has brought together a long list of environmental experts, celebrity chefs, and other leaders to work for a better Farm Bill. Together, they have put together an open letter to Congress and delivered it to every member in anticipation of the Senate debate on the bill. They are urging Congress to cut crop insurance subsidies and redirect that money into vital investments in nutrition, healthy food and conservation programs. And they...
Three Checks! A New Food Labeling System
Natalie DiBlasio Nov 04, 2011 nutrition 0 comments
Check! Or hopefully three. A new point system, favored by the Institute of Medicine, would use a three check system to rate foods based on nutritional value. A report from the Institute of Medicine states that the group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to adopt this new food labeling technique to show whether the amounts of saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugars are below certain thresholds, according to MSNBC. The hope behind the system is to help busy shoppers make better choices faster. On the MSNBC Vitals blog, Art Caplan commented, "The food industry is using an ethical argument, claiming consumers don’t want the government telling them what to eat to defend a lack...
The Ultimate Farm to School Education
Siena Kaplan Sep 09, 2011 nutrition 0 comments
  The bustle of summer has quieted, the fall rains have arrived and the school buses are busily retracing their routes along the woodsy dirt roads in rural New Hampshire and Maine this morning.  Not all are headed to your typical school, however. In South Tamworth, New Hampshire, a few dozen students arrive each morning at The Community School (TCS), a sprawling 19th century farmhouse on a hill, surrounded by 310 acres of woods, marshes and fields. During the weekly school meeting, the 7th-13th graders  often hear from the resident farmer about what’s ripe on the farm and what needs weeding.  During mid-day breaks, groups of students can be found  in the gardens...
MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid
Chrissy Pearson Jun 06, 2011 nutrition 0 comments
Last week First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced that the food pyramid—the visual guideline that has influenced the eating habits of adults and children nationwide since 1992— will be replaced by a new visual icon called MyPlate. A press release issued by the USDA explains the reasons for the change.  “MyPlate will replace the MyPyramid image as the government's primary food group symbol as an easy-to-understand visual cue to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about...
Canned Inspiration
Susan Stuck Feb 24, 2011 nutrition 0 comments
It's still cold outside, even here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. So cold that no one has been out surf casting, which means there's not a fish in my fridge. The Ocracoke Fish House is closed for another month or so--at this time of year, the commercial boats ship their catch to a distributor in Wanchese or straight to restaurants in New York City. But there’s fish in my cupboard. Canned fish, wild Alaska pink salmon to be exact. A quick check of Seafood Watch reassures me that pink salmon is a Best Choice sustainability-wise. Canned salmon gets good marks nutrition-wise too. It’s rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats and bone-healthy calcium. It just needs a little tinkering in the...
Salmon Cakes, Thai-Style
FarmPlate Feb 24, 2011 nutrition 0 comments
from the FarmPlate Kitchen Serve with steamed rice, a simple carrot salad and Sunja’s made-in-Vermont spicy radish kimchi. One 14.75-ounce can wild Alaska salmon, drained 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro and/or scallion greens 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper 1 small shallot, minced from the FarmPlate Kitchen Serve with steamed rice, a simple carrot salad and Sunja’s made-in-Vermont spicy radish kimchi. One 14.75-ounce can wild Alaska salmon, drained 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro and/or scallion greens 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper 1 small shallot, minced 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger a dash or two of fish sauce ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste 1 lime 1 egg...
Three Chapters in an Eating Life
admin Aug 03, 2010 nutrition 0 comments
As a lifelong athlete and avid squash player, I have always been conscious of the fuel I put into my body. I grew up on a farm, eating grass-fed beef, free-roaming chickens and their eggs, and fruits and vegetables from the garden. That describes, roughly, the first 20 years of my eating life. The next 20 years saw less farm-fresh food and more processed, on-the-go foods. I ate institutional fare at college and grad school, and later, frequent restaurant meals with clients. At home with the kids, quick, processed foods like packaged snacks and instant (oversweet) oatmeal were the norm. We had Popsicles for sore throats and comfort foods like mac 'n' cheese. The fridge was stocked with my...
Healthy Food Awareness Continues to Hit Mainstream Media
FarmPlate Mar 30, 2010 nutrition 0 comments
Naked Chef Jamie Oliver's new prime-time reality show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution premiered on ABC last week to high ratings. The show chronicles Oliver's attempt to revamp eating habits in Huntington, West Virginia, a community that is one of the most statistically unhealthy in the U.S. Oliver is a Food Network chef, healthy food advocate and TED prize winner. In the first two episodes, he tackles the Huntington cafeteria lunch menu, quizzes elementary students on their knowledge of vegetable basics and attempts to break one family of their reliance on deep-fried foods by introducing healthy recipes. [caption id="attachment_2962" align="alignleft" width="279" caption="Jamie Oliver,...
Obama Administration Moves to Ban Junk Food from Schools
FarmPlate Feb 09, 2010 nutrition 0 comments
The Obama administration is making efforts to ban junk food from schools in an attempt to reduce childhood obesity through the overhaul of the Child Nutrition Act, the federal law that oversees school lunch and breakfast programs. Thirty-two percent of American school children are overweight or obese, putting them at significant risk for diabetes and other weight-related health problems as they age. The legislation, which will be introduced this week, would expel sugary foods and drinks from schools and require schools to offer more nutritious options. The nuts and bolts of the new legislation were going to be announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack last Monday at the National Press Club,...
The Power of Food Labels
FarmPlate Jan 26, 2010 nutrition 1 comments
Listing nutritional information on fast food could affect what parents choose for their children to eat, reports a new study to be published in the February 2010 issue of Pediatrics. The study, "Nutrition Menu Labeling May Lead to Lower-Energy Restaurant Meal Choices for Children," was conducted at a pediatric practice in Seattle, Washington. The 99 parents who participated in the study had children aged three to six years old. Participants were given photos of McDonald’s food and asked which menu items they would pick for themselves and their children. Half of the group was given menus labeled with the number of calories in each selection. Parents who saw the calorie-labeled food items...