An Apple a Day?

Written by Sydney Flippo
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is an old wives tale that we all heard from our mother or grandmother when we were young, but did they have it right?

Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals that help protect us from chronic disease. But, with so many fruits and vegetables to chose from, how are you supposed to pick the ones that are right for you?

Think color to get a wide variety of vitamins and minerals such as fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Apples, beans and lentils are good sources of fiber to add to your diet. Beans and lentils come in a variety of colors: brown, red, black, green, yellow and white. Folate is especially important for women to prevent neural tube defects and for overall health. Black eyed peas, cooked spinach, and asparagus are good sources of folate. Potassium can help maintain healthy blood pressure. Sweet potatoes, tomato products, beans, carrot and prune juices, and white potatoes are good sources of potassium. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infection. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, kale, cantaloupe and red peppers are good sources of vitamin A. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds, keeps teeth and gums healthy and supports overall immune health. Red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, kale, broccoli, oranges, mango and cauliflower are good sources of vitamin C. Try to choose some of these colorful fruits and vegetables to add to your diet. I try to add at least two different colors to every meal or incorporate them in snacks.

It looks like mom and grandma weren’t too far off when suggesting an apple a day. 

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Fruit and Vegetable Benefits. In Center for Disease Control. Retrieved from: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/benefits/index.html

Lauri, D. (Photographer).  (2006).  Marzipan fruits and vegetables at Harrods 2.  [Photograph].  Retrieved February 2011 from:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/slushpup/227350744/

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Keep it Colorful! The Benefits of Eating a Variety of Colorful Foods

Written by Kelly Lawson

Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Fruits and vegetables are always a good thing to consume. However, did you know that different colored fruits and vegetables have different sets of benefits? For instance, dark green vegetables tend to be high in fiber, and orange vegetables are high in Vitamin A. So, not only is it a good idea to consume your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but it is also beneficial to eat with color! Eating with color will not only guarantee that you receive more than adequate nutrition, but nutrition that your body will love. Fruits and vegetables have the ability to fill you up without added calories, sugar, or fat. Here are some colorful examples:

·       Red tomatoes contain lycopene, an important antioxidant that oxidizes free radicals within your body.

·       Orange sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin A that helps keep your vision the way it is.

·       Yellow bananas are filled with potassium to help prevent muscle cramps.

·       Green spinach is a great source of fiber to help fill you up.

·       Blue blueberries also have antioxidants.

·       Purple grapes are low in calories, but high in Vitamin C that maintains your immune system.

I’ve only listed a few food ideas. What others do you have to add? Do you have any ideas on incorporating color into the diet? Please feel free to comment and discuss!

References

Rainbow fruits/vegetables. (2010). [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://safefrommsg.blogspot.com/2010/05/which-are-leafy-green-veggies-bright.html

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A Surprise Masterpiece

Written by Lauren Pisano
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

True story:

A few days ago I had a lovely dinner at Hokie Grill on the Virginia Tech campus.  I stood in line, ordered what I wanted, took the plate to my table and sat down.  As I took the lid off my plate and revealed my piping hot meal – something looked odd. 

I was looking down at a plate of pure white!  White potatoes, white turkey, white gravy, and an (almost) white banana.  I stared down at the most lackluster of meals with a puzzled look on my face.

Could this be right? Why does this feel so… so wrong!?

I had read many times before that color is the key to good nutrition.  Filling your plate with dark leafy greens, bright red strawberries, and vibrant pink salmon is apparently the key to eating healthy.  The reds give you anti-inflammatory benefits, the greens give you antioxidants, the oranges protect your skin, eyes, and bones.

So I got up from my table and went back to get myself a spinach and romaine salad and I added every colorful addition I could find at the salad bar. Green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, chic peas, black olives, green peas! I felt like I was an artist painting a beautiful masterpiece! I drizzled olive oil over my salad like I was drizzling paint on a canvas.

I came back to my table and sat down, admiring my work of art.  I felt accomplished, I felt good.  I ate my colorful salad.  It tasted amazing and I felt great knowing that not only had I enjoyed my mealtime – but I had fueled my body with colorful, fresh foods bursting with flavor and healthy nutrients.

Think of each meal as a work of art – the brighter the yellows, the deeper the blues, the darker the reds, the more amazingly nutritious (and attractive) your meal will be!

References
Dulan, Mitzi. America’s Nutrtition Expert. Color Your Plate. Retrieved from: http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2010/04/color-your-plate/

Taste Autumn with a Colorful Salad [Photograph].  (2008).  Retrieved March 25, 2011, from: http://www.yumsugar.com/Taste-Autumn-Colorful-Salad-2474933

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ORANGE You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Written by Heather Hopkins
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

We all know the joke…and as elementary as it may seem, it can actually give us some nutritional insight.  In honor of the ADA’s “Eat Right with Color” initiative and National Nutrition Month, let’s talk about the importance of the color orange and how it relates to eating well.  Here, we won’t be talking about oranges as a fruit, but the color orange in fruits and vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.  Carotenoids are a fat-soluble compound and are found in “orange” foods as beta-carotene, a Vitamin A precursor.  According to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (2010), beta-carotene is converted by the body for functional use to retinol, and is essential to human vision.  It also plays a role, as retinoic acid, in processes like cell differentiation and bone growth. 

In order to absorb beta-carotene properly, it needs to be ingested with fat-ingestion enhances the absorption. However, dietary intake still comes more highly recommended than supplementation.  In conjunction with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, adequate consumption of beta-carotene to maintain vitamin A levels is entirely possible.

While yellow is a close relative of orange on the color wheel, when it comes to beta-carotene consumption, yellow bananas-while good sources of other nutrients-simply aren’t what you’re looking for.   Add some orange to your plate with more servings of carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squash, and you’ll be consuming more beta-carotene in no time! Now ‘orange you glad I didn’t say banana?’

References

The Natural Standard Research Collaboration.  (2010, Dec. 1).  Beta-carotene.  Retrieved from:  http://www.mayoclinic.com 

[Untitled photograph of fruit].  Retrieved February 26, 2011 from:  http://farm4.static.flickr.com  

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Give White Foods a Chance

Written by Elizabeth Tankovich
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

What do you think of when you hear “eat right with color”?  Foods such as cauliflower and cabbage probably aren’t the first to come to mind; right?  But who said white isn’t a color anyways…it’s actually a blend of all colors!

White foods have been getting a bad rep lately. While it is certainly good to switch to whole grains (whole wheat flour, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.) rather than refined grains as much as possible, not all white foods are bad!  In fact, foods such as onions, garlic, white potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, parsnips, and pears, and mushrooms contain beneficial pigments called anthoxanthins.  Anthoxanthins are types of flavonoids that have antioxidant properties.  What does this all mean?  These foods can help our bodies fight everyday stresses from the environment and from our lifestyles.  Smoking, UV light, radiation, and lack of sleep are all examples of everyday stresses our bodies may encounter.  Foods with this white pigment are just one of the many sources of beneficial antioxidants (coffee, dark chocolate and red wine might be sources you are more familiar with). 

Eat “outside the box” and explore the benefits that food has to offer us; and try to color your plate with foods you may not intuitively think of!.

Cooking tips:

•           To keep your white vegetables a pretty white when cooking, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice/ other acid!
•          Steaming, stir-frying, and baking (rather than boiling) minimize loss of anthoxanthins to cooking water 
•           Prolonged cooking can turn white vegetables a dull yellow!

  

References

Bennion, M., Scheule, B. (2010). Introductory Foods. Upper Sattle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

European Food Information Council.  (2010, November). The why, how and consequences of cooking our food. Retrieved from http://www.eufic.org/article/en/expid/cooking-review-eufic/. 

Untitled photograph of cauliflower.  [Photograph].  Retrieved February 2011 from:  http://search.creativecommons.org/

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Where's the Color in Your Diet?

Written by Christina Caple
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Well, if you're like me, eating right and being physically active are huge priorities.  But again, if you're like me, you are busy, eating on the run, picky, and on a budget.  So how do I include a wide variety of fruits and veggies in my diet--how do I make my plate colorful?

Well, the cool thing is, my plate is usually secretly colorful!  So I’m super picky when it comes to veggies; which veggies I like, how I like them prepared, etc. I would even (possibly) go so far as to say that I generally don’t like vegetables. So you can imagine my excitement one day, as I’m walking through Border’s Bookstore, and I come across a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Of course, I’m immediately intrigued. Every single recipe in the book contains a deceptive ingredient; aka a vegetable puree. Everything from pancakes with cauliflower puree to chocolate chip cookies with butternut squash puree to enchiladas with carrot puree… It’s also really great because the recipes try to stay health-conscious by using whole-wheat flour, reduced fat dairy products, and try to keep the saturated fat to a minimum.

This book is great because it tells you how to make the purees (which you can easily make in ECONOMY size, freeze and save for later; which is a great time-saver), gives you healthy meal ideas, and deceptively provides a great dose of added nutrition to keep your busy body working it’s best.  So, of course I can’t tell you all these wonderful things without sharing at least on of my favorite recipes: so here it is (with a few of my own variations)!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups reduced fat honey graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine, melted
2 cups nonfat (skim) milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup creamy reduced fat peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

How to make it:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and margarine.  Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and press crumb mixture into the bottom and sides to form a pie crust.

2.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk the milk, cornstarch, 1/3 cup of sugar, salt, egg, and egg white.  Stir occasionally.  When it starts to thicken, stir constantly to avoid lu mps.  Turn off the heat once it comes to a boil and is pudding consistency.

3.  Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.  Pour half the mixture in medium bowl.  Make the peanut butter layer by adding the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and peanut butter to one-half of the mixture and stirring to incorporate.  Add the cocoa powder to the other half of the milk mixture to make the chocolate layer.

4.  Pour the chocolate mixture into the pie crust, then top with peanut butter.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set.  (I like to garnish with a few chocolate chips!)






References
Caple, C. (photographer). (2011).  [Photographs], Blacksburg, VA.

Recipes modified from:  

Seinfeld, J. (2007).  Deceptively Delicious:  Siimple secrets to get your kids eating good food.  New York, NY:  Collins. 

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Create a Garden of Color on Your Plate

Written by Kirsten Rhoads
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative


In honor of National Nutrition Month and “Eat Right with Color”, I thought about the ways that I incorporate color into my meals every day.  I immediately thought of a salad, which seems pretty simple, but it is one of the easiest ways that I include color in my diet.  I’ve always enjoyed salads, but since coming to college, they have become more of a staple in my diet.  They are a great way to eat healthy when I don’t have a lot of time to prepare an elaborate meal.  I make sure to always have the necessary few ingredients (lettuce, tomato, cucumber & bell pepper), and have found additional ways to jazz up each salad differently.  I usually incorporate some sort of protein by adding a roasted chicken breast or leftover grilled meat from the night before.  Feta cheese and craisins can always top off the perfect salad to add the right finishing touch.  Fruit can also add the perfect twist to a salad.  Some of my favorite fruity additions include pears, apples, and mandarin oranges, but whatever is in season can work!  I have come to take pride in my salads and enjoy when my roommates tell me how good they look J  I encourage you to look in your refrigerator and pantry next time you’re looking to create something pretty for dinner.  What could you add to your salad?  One of my latest creations is shown below.  Enjoy!

References

Rhoads, K. (Photographer).  (2011).  Salad [Photograph].  Blacksburg, VA. 

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Restaurant Portion Sizes: Too Much Fat and Not Enough Color

Written by Edith Nault
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Can the government pass a law forbidding restaurants to serve large portions to overweight or obese people? Technically, I believe that the answer is yes. For instances, serving alcohol to an obviously pregnant woman at restaurants has been banned in some states.  How is this different from serving an obviously extremely obese man a 32 oz steak smothered with sautéed mushrooms and onions complemented with a loaded bake potato and several baskets of bread dripping in butter. Overconsumption of food can be as dangerous as overconsumption of alcohol in a pregnant woman.  Not allowing restaurants to serve obese people is an extreme view, but since larger portion sizes induces overconsumption, restaurant chains should be made to provide the option of smaller portions, or add more color to the plate such as vibrant vegetables or a selection of fresh fruit.  Also, restaurant entrées generally are lacking in the colorful vegetables, but  are high in carbohydrates and fats. The huge plate of steak, potatoes, and bread for example has very little color, mainly brown and white. When people are offered low prices on large amounts of food like Denny's Megabreakfast and Ruby Tuesday's Colossal burger, they get more than they can bite. I know that the number of people being overweight to obese has exploded compared to thirty years ago. Our genes haven’t changed over the past thirty years, so what has? What has changed is the environment and social norm that has evolved into restaurants serving larger portions sizes with very little healthy color. How much difference would the restaurant industry have on obesity if they were forced to use the correct portion sizes and follow ADA’s “Eat Right with Color,” theme?

References

Sooner Legends Inn & Suites (2008). Restaurant Food [Photograph]. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from: http://www.soonerlegends.com/Norman_Oklahoma_Restaurant/food.html

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Make the Bright Choice: Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

Written by Nicole Famularo
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

We can have almost any food we want all year long.  There is corn in April and apples in March.  Thanks to food processing methods like freezing and canning, short growing seasons no longer constrict us.   Fresh, frozen and canned products may differ in color, texture or taste, though.  The question is, in light of these differences, which product is best?  What is the brightest choice you can make?

Many fresh foods are available all year, but can break the bank when not in season.  It is often cheaper to buy frozen produce when produce is out of season.  Fresh and frozen produce are high in nutrients and usually brighter in color than canned foods.  This is because canned foods have had more processing in order to make them shelf-stable. Canned foods are a great option, though!  They can be purchased all year long and are much cheaper than fresh or frozen produce.  This is great news for those of us on a budget!

When cooking fresh or frozen produce try using methods like steaming or stir-frying.  These methods will help maintain nutrients and texture, while boosting color!  When choosing canned fruits and veggies, try to purchase low sodium veggies and fruit in it’s own juice or water.  You can also strain and rinse your canned veggies to remove up to half of the added salt!

What is the bright choice, though?  Fresh and frozen produce may be brightest in color, but fresh, frozen and canned foods are all great choices.  They can help us get 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies each day, which is always a bright choice!


References
Famularo, N. (photographer). (2011). Fresh, frozen, or canned [photograph], Blacksburg, VA.  

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Just Eat a Rainbow!

Written by Roxana Ehsani
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Whenever I gloss over fitness, health, cooking, and beauty magazines or websites I always read the same headlines. The articles are always trying to capture my attention with their catchy slogans, like “10 perfect ways to get killer abs in 5 minutes”, “3 tips to make your skin glow just like J.Lo”, or “5 ways to lose 10 pounds within 24 hours”. Honestly, I think I have reached a point in my life where I understand that I really shouldn’t be looking at these magazines to earn life changing tips or ways to improve my external surface.  Although at times, I do give in and like to see if they really did find a new approach that was scientifically tested and has worked for 98% of the population however, I have yet to find any. However, today I am writing my first official blog post for the National Nutrition Month campaign to “Eat right with color” and implementing some of the strategies I learned from these glossy magazines headlines. To me, the ADA’s theme made me think of encouraging customers to eat a variety of foods that are colorful. Simple!  Here’s my approach, as a future Dietitian I would like to invite other confused magazine and health website readers to play a game called: JUST EAT A RAINBOW! Make it a competition between you and your friends: “Hey girl I got 3 different colors in my sandwich today, you only got 2. I win!” To participate in National Nutrition month, you and your friends should see who has highest number of colors in a meal. Will you be a winner and beat your friends at having the most amount of colors this month?

References

Getty Images. [Photograph]. (2005). Retrieved from: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/7845484/Comstock-Images

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It's Not Easy Being Green

Writtenby Chelsea Goodsell

Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about eating right with color is the color green. I try to eat something green with just about every meal, and not just because it is one of my favorite colors.  Green vegetables are rich in many nutrients that can have a huge impact your health. My favorite green food is broccoli. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and it is packed full with phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber that are important to your health. Broccoli is called a cruciferous (which means cross bearing) vegetable because during growth, four petals in the shape of a cross surround it. This vegetable is loaded with vitamins A, C and K and minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. Many people don’t think of broccoli as an antioxidant, but it is rich in sulforaphane, an antioxidant that has been shown to prevent heart disease. Sulforaphane may also prevent macular degeneration, an eye disease that can affect vision.  Broccoli has also shown the ability to prevent cancer. A study from Roswell Park Cancer Institute, revealed that eating broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables at least 3 times per month may reduced the risk of bladder cancer by 37 percent!  So next time you need to add a little bit of color to your plate, consider adding broccoli and reaping all of the health benefits that will come with this cruciferous veggie. 

References

CRUNCHY CANCER FIGHTERS. (2008). Good Housekeeping, 247(1), 36. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Deas, G. W. (2007). Eat broccoli … a cross that you can bear. New York Amsterdam News, 98(49), 32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Mennonite Central Committee.  Untitled [Photograph].  Retrieved March 24, 2011 from:  http://worldcommunitycookbook.org/

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Tired of Mediocre Breakfast Cereals? Add Vibrant Color and Electrify the Start of Your Day!

Written by Emily Root
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Although breakfast is the most important meal of the day, sugary cereals often provide us with a high calorie, sluggish start to the morning. Granola cereals, like Honey Bunches of Oats and Heartland, are a nutritious way to greet the day but are often bland, dull in color and do not provide high nutritional benefits even though they may contain some dried fruits. To brighten up your favorite breakfast cereals and give your body what it needs, add fresh blueberries, strawberries or bananas. Not only do they add color, but they are also packed full of health benefits that will rouse your body and jump start your morning.

• Blueberries--   contain vitamin C and iron which help protect your body from infection. These berries have the potential to help prevent cancer, heart disease and urinary tract infection. They are high in fiber and may also work to fight against memory loss.
• Strawberries--   contain folate and potassium. This delicious fruit is an excellent way to get the vitamin C your body needs. They help lower cholesterol, work to prevent constipation and may aid in the prevention of some cancers. 
• Bananas--    contain potassium, vitamin B_6, folate and fiber. They are an excellent way to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These yellow wonders provide some of the key nutrients your body needs to function correctly and contain tryptophan, which helps you relax.

So next time you rise to greet the day, liven up your body with fresh fruits

added to your Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes and granola type cereals. Here comes the sun, are you ready to meet it?

References

Ramos, Angelo J. (photographer), Summer Fruits, [photograph].

Schwarcz, J., Berkoff, F., Johnson, P., Wait, M., et al. (2004). Foods that harm, foods that heal: An a-z guide to safe and healthy eating (pages 54, 64-66, 96-97, 345). Pleasantville, New York: Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

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Hokies for Supper!

Written by Kyle Flack

Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Hokies for Supper!  Well… sort of.  Since Virginia Tech Hokie bird meat can’t be found in your local grocery store, the next best thing you can do to show your school spirit at your next meal is to eat Hokie orange! In keeping with EatRight.org’s Eat Right with Color month, in addition to March Madness, I say we show our Hokie sprit with the color orange on our plate!  There are also many health benefits to making orange foods part of your daily diet, benefits that can leave you lean and healthy for the upcoming summer months.  The orange color in foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and various varieties of squash comes from beta carotene. Beta carotene has been shown to be a cancer-protecting nutrient through its anti-oxidant effects.  So as the sun gets brighter and summer creeps up on us, you can be assured that your Hokie-colored dish is protecting you from all those the UV rays (at least maybe a little).  In addition, these orange foods are also low in fat, calories, and high in fiber, making them ideal weight-loss foods to shed those winter pounds!  Below is my own pumpkin creation to try, full of nutrients to keep you feeling good and fiber to keep you feeling full!

Kyle’s Hokie Orange Smoothie:

Blend together in a blender the following:

·         ½ 15oz. can of Libby’s pumpkin

·         6-8 skim milk ice cubes (just like ice cubes but made of milk instead of water)

·         1.5 tablespoons of natural peanut butter

·         2 teaspoons of cinnamon

·         .5 teaspoon of cloves

·         Dash of nutmeg

·         Skim milk to thicken as desired 

References

Students in Orange paint. [Photograph] (2005). Retrieved February 17, 2011, from
http://search.creativecommons.org/

Waxman, S., Gross L., Schriber C., Herbert V. (1995). Nutrition and Cancer. In V. Herbert, G.J. Subak-Sharpe (Ed.), Total Nutrition (pp. 486-487). New York: St. Martin’s Griffin

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Blogging National Nutrition Month

If you look in the upper right hand corner of this blog, you should notice a widget that appeared there about two weeks ago [Update:  widget was removed in April 2011, after National Nutrition Month 2011 passed].  When I added the widget, I wrote a post that briefly mentioned it, and indicated that I would write more about it in March.  Well, it's March, so I can now officially introduce the month-long project that this blog will be participating in.

March is National Nutrition Month (NNM), and, to celebrate/educate, eatright.org is hosting a variety of activities, one of which is a blog festival.  To participate, food and nutrition bloggers need to write posts that address the theme "Eat Right With Color."  Although Notes from Newman often contains information beyond food or nutrition, participating in the NNM blog festival seemed like a great way to get students involved in the blog-writing process, which is exactly what we've done.

A few weeks, ago, I talked with HNFE 3224:  Communicating With Food, about blogging and other types of social information.  Along with the instructor, Heather Cox, I developed an extra credit opportunity for the students to write and submit blog posts relating to the the theme "Eat Right With Color."  Throughout the month of March, Notes from Newman will be publishing these posts, each one attributed to the student who wrote it.  All posts will be tagged with National Nutrition Month and Eat Right With Color, along with two other tags that the students suggested based on the content of their post.  Additionally, eatright.org will put this blog on their NNM blogroll!

So, stay tuned for a very exciting month, here at Notes from Newman.  If you have other suggestions for guest posts, or series of posts, like we'll be doing for NNM throughout the month of March, just let me know!

To read more about National Nutrition Month and this project, visit the official site:  http://www.eatright.org/nnm/