A New Spin on Hanukkah Foods
From Our KitchenHanukkah starts tonight. Also known as the festival of lights, the eight-day Jewish holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in ancient Jerusalem and celebrates the miracle of one night's worth of oil burning for eight nights. To remember this miracle, Hanukkah is often celebrated with foods that are fried in oil. Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts) are two of the more popular Hanukkah treats. But with eight nights to celebrate, there are plenty of opportunities to...
Holiday Eating for Kids
Nutrition, From Our KitchenThe tendency to indulge during the holidays is not a characteristic reserved only for adults. Visions of sugarplums--and cookies, cakes, and candy--can dance around in kids' heads, leading to over-eating, under-nutrition, and upset stomachs. Here are some ideas to help your kids navigate the holiday (eating) season. Help your kids understand moderation. At parties, ask them to enjoy the one thing that looks the most delicious or to take a bite of a few things that they think look yummy...
Fight Back During Cold & Flu Season
From Our KitchenGood nutrition plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods can help you and your family stay well through this cold and flu season. Here are a three simple tips to get you started on the right track: 1. Start the day with breakfast. A breakfast of whole grain cereal, milk, and 100% orange juice can supply 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake, 33% of daily calcium needs, and many...
The Great Pumpkin Season
Nutrition, From Our KitchenFresh pumpkins are in season during the fall and winter months, prompting restaurants and shops to serve dishes featuring this colorful squash. At home, pumpkins are great roasted, made into soups or, for the smaller pumpkins, filled with rice or bread stuffing and baked. Visit Local Harvest's website and use the search field to locate a nearby farm that sells pumpkins. Remember, certain varieties of pumpkins are preferred for baking vs. carving. Ask the farmer before you buy. Too much...
Food Day 2011
Nutrition, Sustainability, From Our KitchenThe first ever Food Day will take place on Monday, Oct. 24. Sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is a nationwide grassroots effort to encourage people to push Congress for healthy and affordable food produced in a sustainable and humane way. Whether through lobbying, participating in a community event or making a personal change, Food Day hopes to inspire people to transform the American diet. Though many of the goals for Food Day concentrate...
'Fat Talk Free' Week
From Our Kitchen"Fat Talk Free" Week is an idea started by the Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) sorority in an effort to end comments directed toward physical appearance. "Fat talk" is defined by the sorority as “all of the statements made in everyday conversation that reinforce the thin-ideal standard of female beauty and contribute to women's dissatisfaction with their bodies.” They note that "fat talk" also includes positive comments on body image. Tri Delta is a sorority that was established with...
Explore Meatless Meals During Vegetarian Awareness Month
Nutrition, Sustainability, From Our KitchenVegetarian diets have become mainstream over the last decade, with more people looking to improve their health or help the environment. Former President Bill Clinton's choice of a vegetarian diet even made the news! There are vegetarian recipes in magazines, veggie dishes in restaurants and even a dating website for vegetarian singles. So while the benefits of a vegetarian diet are obvious, what if you can't completely give up meat? October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, making it a great time...
Should Doctors Watch the 'Fat Talk'?
NutritionWith the obesity epidemic growing, more research is being conducted into the role the medical community plays in helping patients maintain a healthy weight. A recent study in the medical journal Pediatrics asked parents to give their reactions to various words used to describe weight, such as obese, fat and chubby. The researchers specifically wanted to know how the parents would feel if a doctor used these words to describe their child's weight. Parents rated the words "fat," "obese"...