National Diabetes Awareness Month

Today is the last day of National Diabetes Awareness Month!  This year the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) has created the annual campaign around "Knowing Your Family Health History"


Does Diabetes run in your family?  Take the Quiz:  Family Health History


More than 24 million Americans have Type 2 Diabetes and over 57 million Americans have Pre-Diabetes....I cannot even imagine the number of undiagnosed Pre-Diabetics!


If you have a family history of Diabetes take action with the whole family by trying a quick healthy dish for people with diabetes and their families  when you gather for the holidays or plan to go on a family walk after a holiday meal.  The key is Prevention.  Delay the onset of Diabetes by being Aware of your risk.  Visit the NDEP for more information:  Diabetes Prevention

Monday Message

Kids love control and creativity. Get them involved in the kitchen making their own meals. Start with fresh tacos.  Here are some ingredient ideas for creating colorful "Fiesta" tacos:  Make a Meal
Red, Yellow and Orange Peppers.....they are sweet and kids often like them! 
Black beans, pinto beans, red beans.....add to tacos or mix them into the taco meat.
Grape tomatoes.....cut them in half and call them "Red Grapes"
Shredded lettuce.....choose a dark green leaf and cut into "shreds"
Sliced black olives.....make it a game and add "Rings" to your tacos.

Your teen athlete needs power and endurance for fall sports. What are the best foods for practice and the game?

Follow these tips for fueling your athlete: 4 Tips
Questions?  Please Ask!

Does Your Breakfast Make You Amazing?

Quaker has a new slogan and I definitely approve!  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and just so happens to be my favorite meal of the day.  A recent study from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that children and adolescents who skipped breakfast had a higher body mass index-for-age and a higher waist circumference than those who ate breakfast.
The benefits of breakfast are countless!  According to the Mayo Clinic, adults and children who choose a health breakfast are more likely to:

• Consume more vitamins and minerals
• Eat less fat and cholesterol
• Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
• Be more alert
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Miss few days of work/school
• Get more physical activity

AMAZING Breakfast begins with Quaker's New Oatmeal Campaign: "Announcing 3 new ways to start each day in the right direction each ready in just 3 minutes or less.  Mouth watering instant oatmeal varieties for  all ages at an Affordable 37 centers per bowl, there's just no reason to skip out on the most important meal of the day.  New flavors feature Zero trans fat and cholesterol and are low in saturated fat.  Inspired new varieties include flavors like Apple Cranberry Almond for adults and "Banana Slamma" for kids.  In addition, current favorites are Now made with 25% less sugar and a simpler list of ingredients.  Quaker products are Good sources of fiber from heart-healthy whole grains."
Oatmeal, regardless of the brand, has a heart health advantage with a high amount of soluble fiber (helps reduce cholesterol) and insoluble fiber (facilitates digestion).   It is also considered to be a low fat food and is loaded with whole grains as MyPyramid recommends that we eat half of our daily grains as whole grains.  If your oatmeal is made with milk, you will get a bonus serving of calcium and vitamin D as well as other vitamins, minerals and protein....plus it's creamier!  For the non-oatmeal lovers out there...here are some additional breakfast options to help your Breakfast Make You Amazing!

• High Fiber or Whole Grain Cereal with Milk and Fruit
• Grab a Fresh Fruit (the Fastest Breakfast there is!)
• Fruit and Low Fat Greek Yogurt or a Higher Protein Yogurt
• French Toast made with Whole Grain Bread and Cooking Spray
• Homemade English Muffin and Egg Sandwich (If you HAVE to run through fast food...order an egg-english muffin sandwich without cheese)
• Small Bagel with Skim Milk Cheese and Ham Slice or add a Tomato Slice
• Toast with Peanut Butter and Apple Slices
• Fruit and Cottage Cheese
• Omelet with Spinach, Tomato Slices and Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Bagel topped with Goat Cheese and Blueberries
• Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan Cheese + Toast
• Heart Healthy Pancakes Topped with Fruit
• Egg and Black Bean Quesedilla
• Homemade Bran Muffin and Banana
• Fruit, Greek Yogurt, Spinach - Blend to Make a Smoothie
• Cream of Wheat made with Milk and add Fruit
• Top a slice of Raisin Toast with Cottage Cheese
• Egg Scramble with Salsa and Soy Sausage
• Breakfast Quesedilla with Goat Cheese and Fruit Slices
• Glass of Milk and a Banana

Those are just a few to get you started.  When in doubt....grab a protein and a carbohydrate to keep you fuller longer.  The National Weight Control Registry has thousands of members who have lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for more than 5 years.  Nearly four out of five registry members eat breakfast every day whereas only 4% never eat breakfast!  Breakfast starts your metabolism for the day.  This means that calories start burning early and keep burning all day as long as we continue to fuel the fire.  Ideally, if we consume your calories during the busy waking hours, our body will be able to use them more efficiently and therefore require less food in the evening.  Set your alarm for a wholesome breakfast!
Share your favorite breakfast combinations with us.

Monday Message - Turkey Talk

Today's Monday Message is All About Thanksgiving!  View the website links below for information on Turkey Day Food Safety and Leftover-Makeovers.  Don't forget that leftovers should be reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid foodborne illness.

It's nearly Thanksgiving and time to talk turkey — turkey safety, that is! For your meal to bring only compliments, keep turkey flavorful and safe. Also make cleanliness a priority. Check out more information on how to prepare and cook your turkey at Turkey Talk.

Nothing tastes better than turkey with all the trimmings. But many times the question is what to do with the leftovers? Reinvent your Thanksgiving feast for a day or two later. Here are some interesting and delicious options: Leftovers?

Let's be Thankful for a Healthy and Happy Holiday!

Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit!

Nearly everyone knows this rhyme and unfortunately from the first day you hear it....beans get a bad reputation! (I'm assuming you know the rest of the rhyme)  In most countries, beans are actually considered to be in the fruit and vegetable family....which is why I only listed the first part of the rhyme.

I attended a lecture this week on the importance of dry beans in the American diet.  As dietitian, I have educated many clients on the healthful benefits of consuming beans but Dr. Bennick (my former nutrition professor at MSU!) opened my eyes to the lack of consumption in the US.  Did you know that the average daily intake of pulse is only about one bean per person?  Are you wondering what a "pulse" is?  Pulse is another word to describe legumes which encompasses the group of dried beans, peas and lentils.  Legumes or Pulses do not include green beans or soybeans which have less fiber and a different make up of carbohydrate.  The beans I'm talking about today include: garbanzo (chick peas), black, kidney, great northern, red, lentils etc.

Since we are only eating one bean per day on average in the US....we have a long way to go in order to achieve the 1/2 cup per day recommendation for achieving health benefits!  When many people think of beans they often think of chili.  This warm comfort food is packed with protein, veggies and fiber and often considered a low fat food.  Of course, you will find cans of chili in the grocery store labeled "no beans" however much of the fiber, carbohydrate and "low fat" claims are associated with the beans in chili so it would be best to choose chili with beans.

So, what else is good about beans?  Eating beans can help to reduce chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease as well as improve the immune status of HIV infected children.  Each 1/2 cup of beans has about 8 grams of fiber.  The recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 grams per 1500 calories consumed.  However, the average American intake of fiber is only about 15 grams per day....hence the lack of beans.  Beans are filling!  The fiber + protein + carbohydrate combination in each little bean is a powerful concoction of nutrients that increases satiety.  On another note, some might equate this satiety with "bloating" which can occur after a bean burrito meal when the body is not used to digesting such a large quantity of beans.  The unpleasant side of beans...(gas/bloating) can be counteracted by limiting the amount of beans consumed in one sitting and incorporating exercise and water after having a bean meal.

Meatless Mondays is a phenomenon that is being featured in cooking magazines, grocery store ads, meal planning websites and dietitian articles mostly due to the sustainable foods movement.  What better way to go meatless?  Incorporate beans!  Need some ideas?  There are many varieties of beans available to consumers.  Canned or Dried?  Start with what works for you.  If you have time to soak dried beans overnight or cook them in the crockpot...go for it!  If your can opener is ready...use it!

Have you ever heard of substituting mashed black beans in place of oil in your brownie recipes or white beans in a cookie recipe?

Here are some other ideas to try:

All Bean Chili
3 Bean Salad
Bean Burritos
Add Beans to Soups and Stews
Black Bean Burgers
Slow Cooker Baked Beans (use a variety of beans!)
Black bean Quesedillas or Tacos
Lentil Crackers
Garbanzo, Kidney or Black Beans on Green Salads
Hummus - Made with Chickpeas, White Beans or Black Beans

You could even test this Black Bean Recipe from Liz's Lemon Bowl to get you started.
http://lizslemonbowl.blogspot.com/2010/10/black-bean-dip.html

As Dr. Bennick said...."we just need to incorporate a couple of tablespoons of beans at each meal"

One half cup of beans is only about 120 calories, less than 1 gram of fat and nearly 8 grams of protein!
What are your ideas for meeting the recommended intake of 1/2 cup of beans per day?

Monday Message - Kids Eat Right

Monday Messages come to us from http://www.eatright.org/ by the American Dietetic Association.  This new initiative showcases a quality nutrition approach to childhood obesity prevention.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the American Dietetic Association Foundation (ADAF) have recently launched Kids Eat Right, an easy way to bring your family together for nutritious meals each day with three simple tasks: Shop — Cook — Eat! Visit http://www.kidseatright.org/ or find us on Facebook.

I am excited to be a Kids Eat Right campain volunteer!  Please check back weekly for Monday Messages....they may not always be posted here by Monday ;)  but I will plan to disseminate weekly advice to parents and caretakers on how to shop for healthy foods, cook nutrient-rich foods, and eat together as a family.