Berries may reduce risk factors for metabolic disorders
Foodnavigator.com
March 2010
A diet rich in berries may reduce levels of inflammatory markers associated with liver health and metabolic syndrome, says a new study from Finland.
Daily consumption of a range of berries, including lingonberry, sea buckthorn, bilberry, and black currant produced a 23 percent reduction in levels of an enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), a well-established marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Fatty liver is reportedly on the rise in the US, with between one quarter and one half of Americans, and the prevalence of NAFLD has increased in line with the ongoing obesity epidemic.
Recent findings have also reported that metabolic syndrome, a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism, and linked to increased risks of both type 2 diabetes and CVD, does not develop at all without NAFLD.
Blazing a trail
The study, led by Dr Heikki Kallio from the Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry at the University of Turku, is said to be the first human trial linking berries to liver function and components of metabolic syndrome.
Kallio and his co-workers recruited 31 women with an average age of 43 and randomly assigned them to one of two groups: Both groups underwent a lifestyle intervention, and one group received a supplement of 163 grams per day of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), sea buckthorn berry (Hippophae rhamnoides, ssp. mongolica, var. Ljubitelskaja), bilberry (V. myrtillus) and black currant (Ribes nigrum). Berries were supplied as food products and intended to replace other snacks. Five Finnish food enterprises manufactured the products, noted the researchers.
At the end of 20 weeks, ALAT levels decreased by 23 percent in the berry group, which the researchers said could be regarded as “nutritionally significant by enhancing the liver function”. Furthermore, levels of adiponectin increased, said the researchers. Adiponectin is a protein hormone linked to various metabolic processes, and levels are inversely related to body fat levels.
Berry good potential
“This study showed that the daily consumption of more than 150 g of northern berries in various forms as part of the normal diet had a positive affect on ALAT and adiponectin levels, but the small amount of berries consumed as part of normal diet in lifestyle group was not enough to evoke such an impact,” wrote Kallio and his co-workers.
“Present study results indicate common northern berries and berry products as an effective component of lifestyle modifications aimed at decreasing development of metabolic syndrome and subsequent complications,” they added.
According to the Finnish researchers, the berries may work via non-antioxidative mechanisms, with studies showing no influence on the total antioxidant capacity of blood, but changes to markers of inflammation.
Magnesium-rich foods could reduce cancer risk
The Globe and Mail
March 2010
Research from Japan underlines the importance of the mineral in preventing colon cancer for men
Most of us don't pay much attention to magnesium, a mineral found in leafy greens, nuts and legumes. Yet it's been shown to guard against high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, migraines and osteoporosis.
Now, a study to be published in the April issue of the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the health benefits of magnesium extend even further. According to data from Japan, if you're male, boosting your intake of the mineral can help significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Previous research in animals demonstrated the ability of magnesium supplements to reduce experimentally induced colon tumors.
The current study followed 87,117 Japanese men and women, aged 45 to 74, for eight years to determine whether dietary magnesium could help prevent colon cancer.
Among men, those who consumed at least 327 milligrams of magnesium a day were 52 percent less likely to develop colon cancer, compared to those whose daily diets provided less than 238 milligrams. Magnesium intake was not associated with the risk of colon cancer in women, a finding that differed from earlier research conducted among Swedish and American women.
The 2005 Iowa Women's Health Study followed 41,386 postmenopausal women for 17 years and determined that a daily magnesium intake greater than 351 milligrams - versus less than 245 milligrams - reduced the risk of colon cancer by 23 percent.
The Swedish Mammography Cohort, also conducted in 2005, studied 61,433 women, aged 40 to 75 years, for nearly 15 years and found that women whose daily diets provided at least 255 milligrams of magnesium were 40 percent less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer compared to their peers who consumed less than 209 milligrams each day.
Magnesium is implicated in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It's needed to monitor and repair DNA and plays a critical role regulating cell growth and division. The mineral also helps cells fight harmful free radicals by maintaining their antioxidant status.
A greater magnesium intake may protect against colon cancer by minimizing free radical damage, reducing the proliferation of colon cells, and improving how the body uses insulin.
Insulin resistance, a condition in which the body produces the hormone insulin but does not use it properly, is considered a risk factor for colon cancer. Insulin is thought to stimulate the growth of colon cancer cells. Genetics, excess weight and physical inactivity all contribute to insulin resistance.
The finding that a higher magnesium intake did not alter the risk of colon cancer in Japanese women, may be due to the fact that women in this study were leaner, more active and less likely to have diabetes than their male counterparts.
As well, alcohol intake was much higher for men than women. Since alcohol can interfere with DNA repair, men in this study were more likely to benefit more from magnesium.
In 2009, an estimated 22,000 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined. The following nutrition strategies may help lower your risk of developing the cancer.
Increase magnesium: Men and women, aged 19 to 30, require 400 and 310 milligrams of magnesium per day, respectively. After age 30, daily requirements increase to 420 milligrams for men and 320 milligrams for women.
Get your magnesium from foods, since they also provide other nutrients linked to colon health such as fiber, antioxidants and folate.
Add dairy: Many studies have found that a greater intake of calcium from dairy products and supplements is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. It's thought that once calcium is ingested, the mineral binds with bile acids in the intestinal tract, thereby preventing them from entering colon cells. (Certain bile acids, which are used to digest fat, are toxic to colon cells.)
Adults, aged 19 to 50, need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day; older adults require 1,500 milligrams a day. One cup (250 ml) of milk or yogurt delivers roughly 300 milligrams of calcium as does 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of hard cheese. Calcium-enriched beverages such as soy, rice and orange juice also provide about 300 milligrams a serving. Supplements can also help increase your calcium intake.
Take vitamin D: A number of studies have supported the notion that higher levels of vitamin D in the body help guard against colorectal cancer. Research even suggests that sufficient vitamin D blood levels at the time of diagnosis and treatment may improve survival from colorectal cancer.
The fact that very few foods contain vitamin D, and our skin doesn't produce the vitamin from sunlight in the fall and winter, makes it necessary to take a supplement. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends adults take 1,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D each day in the fall and winter. Older adults, people with dark skin, those who don't go outdoors often and those who wear clothing that covers most of their skin should take the supplement year-round.
Limit red and processed meat:The evidence is convincing that a high intake of red meat and processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Cooking meat at a high temperature forms heterocyclic amines, compounds linked to precancerous colon polyps in humans. It's also thought that nitrites, used as color additives and preservatives, in processed meats may form cancer-causing compounds.
Limit your intake of red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat) to less than 18 ounces (500 g) per week. Choose fish, chicken, turkey, legumes, tofu and soy foods more often than red meat. Eat very little, if any, processed meats, including ham, bacon, pastrami, salami, bologna, hot dogs and sausages. On sandwiches, enjoy tuna, salmon or fresh-cooked chicken and turkey.
Reduce alcohol: Alcohol is thought to increase colon cancer risk by stimulating the growth of colon cancer cells, activating cancer-causing substances and helping transform of polyps into cancer. Alcohol also interferes with the body's use of folate, a B vitamin needed for the repair of DNA in cells.
If you do drink, limit alcohol intake to seven drinks a week for women and nine a week for men, and increase your intake of folate-rich foods such spinach, lentils, asparagus, avocado and oranges.
Mediterranean diet tied to fertility treatment success
Reuters.com
March 2010
Women who closely adhere to a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, vegetable oils and fish may have a higher likelihood of becoming pregnant after infertility treatment, a new study suggests.
Researchers in the Netherlands found that among 161 couples undergoing fertility treatment at their center, women whose eating habits most closely matched the traditional Mediterranean diet were 40 percent more likely to become pregnant than those with the least Mediterranean-like diets.
The study, reported in the journal Fertility and Sterility, does not prove that the diet itself boosts the success of fertility treatment.
The study was "observational" -- where the researchers asked couples about their usual diets, separated them into groups based on their diet patterns, then followed the groups' outcomes after fertility treatment. Such studies cannot prove cause-and-effect.
However, the findings point to a possible role for diet in fertility treatment success, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Regine P.M. Steegers-Theunissen of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.
In an e-mail to Reuters Health, Steegers-Theunissen suggested that couples considering fertility treatment eat a balanced diet that includes healthy doses of vegetable oil, vegetables, beans and fish.
The study included 161 couples undergoing fertility treatment at the university. Two-thirds underwent in-vitro fertilization (IVF), while the rest underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI. The latter is typically used when the man has a low sperm count or poor sperm quality. It involves isolating a single sperm from the man and injecting it into the woman's egg; if fertilization is successful, the resulting embryo is transferred to the woman's uterus.
Before treatment, the couples completed detailed questionnaires on their eating habits over the past month. When the researchers analyzed the data, they identified two common diet patterns among the women: the Mediterranean diet, defined as high in vegetables, vegetable oils, fish and beans, but low in snack foods; and the "health-conscious" diet, which was high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and fish, and low in meat and snack foods.
The researchers found that the one-third of women who scored highest in adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a pregnancy rate of 30 percent following IVF or ICSI. The pregnancy rate was 25 percent in the one-third of women with the least Mediterranean-like eating habits.
When Steegers-Theunissen and her colleagues considered several other factors -- including the women's age, body weight, and drinking and smoking habits -- there was no relationship between the so-called health-conscious diet and rates of pregnancy.
In contrast, the group that most closely adhered to the Mediterranean diet was 40 percent more likely to become pregnant than their counterparts whose diets were farthest from the Mediterranean pattern.
The researchers did not assess pregnancy outcomes, so the diet's relationship to the ultimate success of fertility treatment is not clear. But "this is the first step," Steegers-Theunissen said.
The Mediterranean and health-conscious diets had many similarities, but there are a few potential reasons why the former might affect fertility treatment success, according to the researchers.
One is the high intake of vegetable oils in the Mediterranean diet. The omega-6 fatty acids in these oils, the researchers note, are precursors to hormone-like substances in the body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins, in turn, are involved in the menstrual cycle, ovulation and pregnancy maintenance.
In addition, the study found that women who most closely adhered to the Mediterranean diet had higher levels of vitamin B6 -- higher than both women whose diets were least Mediterranean-like and those who scored high on the health-conscious diet.
One study, Steegers-Theunissen and her colleagues note, found that giving vitamin B6 to women who were having difficulty getting pregnant increased their chances of conception.
Still, diet is part of a person's overall lifestyle, and the study could not account for all of the factors that could explain the connection between the Mediterranean diet and pregnancy rates.
Proving that the diet itself offers benefits would require a clinical trial where women were randomly assigned to follow either a Mediterranean diet or a comparison one.
"Unfortunately," Steegers-Theunissen said, "this will be hardly feasible."
Limited Supermarket Choice Affects Obesity Risk: Study
Progressive Grocer
March 2010
A Kansas State University study has found that fewer supermarkets in small cities raised the risk of obesity for low-income female residents of such areas. The finding suggests that policies to encourage healthful eating might have to be tailored to various geographic locations.
Researchers looked at the availability of food stores for low-income women in Kansas to determine whether there was a link to obesity. According to the study, limited availability of grocery stores didn’t contribute to higher obesity risk in metropolitan or rural areas, but was related to an elevated obesity risk in micropolitan areas, which are cities with fewer than 40,000 people.
“This study was one of the first to look at supermarket availability across the urban-rural continuum, and the findings suggest that policies to increase healthful food availability may need to differ depending on urban influence,” said David Dzewaltowski, Kansas State University professor and department head of kinesiology.
Authored by Dzewaltowski and Paula Ford, assistant professor of public health sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, the study appeared in the January issue of Obesity, a research journal. Ford led the project as a doctoral student at the university.
According to earlier research, a lack of nearby food stores carrying nutritious products contributes to higher rates of obesity for shoppers. Studies also have shown that low-income residents eat more healthfully when larger grocery stores and supermarkets are accessible to them, as such stores often provide consumers with healthful foods at a lower cost than small grocery and convenience stores are able to.
The researchers looked at the availability of food stores — particularly convenience and grocery stores —within a radius of one, three or five miles of the women’s homes, which were categorized as being in a rural, micropolitan or metropolitan area. The first thing the researchers examined was the availability of such stores in the three area types
The findings revealed significant geographic differences in terms of the availability of supermarkets, although the majority of the women lived within a mile of a small grocery store. Additionally, the number and types of stores available differed in the various locales. Rural low-income women had 74 percent fewer supermarkets and 55 percent fewer small grocery stores available within a one-mile radius, vs. women in metropolitan areas, and the number of convenience stores per 10,000 residents was highest in rural areas.
The study additionally looked at how the availability of different food stores contributed to area residents’ obesity. Researchers found no link between the availability and density of food stores with obesity in metropolitan and rural areas. Contrary to previous research, however, the study did find that the presence of a supermarket doesn’t protect women from becoming obese in these areas. Women in micropolitan areas in Kansas had an 18 percent higher risk of obesity when they lived within a one-mile radius of a supermarket. The presence of small grocery and convenience stores also was associated with a raised risk of obesity.
Dzewaltowski noted the findings showed that the choice of supermarkets might be more relevant than their availability. The results further suggest that most of the low-income women studied live within the urban cluster of micropolitan areas and are therefore apt to be exposed to multiple fast-food restaurants and other such venues, which are often not present in rural areas.
According to the researchers, policies that boost the accessibility of healthful foods at small grocery stores could help reduce higher obesity rates in rural areas.
A healthy diet may trim breast cancer risk
Reuters.com
March 2010
A woman may not be able to change her family history of breast cancer, but she can typically control what she eats and drinks. And consuming more vegetables and whole grains -- and less alcohol -- just might trim her chances of getting the disease, according to an analysis of published studies.
"As the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise, with many of the risk factors for the disease non-modifiable, potentially modifiable risk factors such as diet are of interest," Dr. Sarah Brennan of Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, who led the analysis, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
It's estimated that more than 120 out of every 100,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, yielding a lifetime risk of about one in eight. The idea that diet might influence these numbers is not new; yet solid evidence for such a link has remained elusive.
"Even though we have hypothesized a relationship between diet and the risk of breast cancer, showing it has been very hard to do," Dr. Michelle Holmes, an epidemiologist at
Harvard Medical School in Boston who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health. Individual studies are often too small to uncover modest relationships; combining them, however, offers a better chance of detecting a diet's true effects.
After carefully reviewing the relevant research to date, Brennan and her colleagues pooled the results of 18 studies that enrolled a total of more than 400,000 people. Each study aimed to associate breast cancer risks with at least one common dietary pattern: the "unhealthy" Western diet (high in red meats and refined grains), a more prudent "healthy" diet (high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains), or varying levels of alcohol drinking.
Since foods and beverages are never consumed in isolation, this more holistic view of intake better reflects a person's diet than looking at particular nutrients, Brennan and her colleagues explain in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The team found an 11 percent lower risk of breast cancer among women in the highest versus lowest categories of the prudent diet, while those consuming larger amounts of wine, beer and spirits had a 21 percent increased risk -- a relationship that has been highlighted in many previous studies. Surprisingly, no overall risk difference was seen between high and low categories of the Western diet.
Just how a healthy diet might lower breast cancer risk is not well understood. Alcohol's link, on the other hand, is generally known: Estrogen levels are higher in postmenopausal women who drink alcohol, noted Holmes. And a higher lifetime exposure to estrogen has been tentatively linked to the disease.
Brennan stressed that these findings need to be interpreted cautiously, noting that there are inherent statistical problems in combining the results of multiple studies, in addition to the limitations of each included study, such as recall bias. She pointed to the need for more carefully designed studies in the future to further examine the diet-breast cancer link.
In the meantime, Holmes said: "Consuming a prudent, healthy diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a wise idea, because there is lots of scientific evidence that it prevents heart disease and diabetes. This study shows that an additional benefit might be a small decrease in breast cancer risk."
Eating veggies, fruit, soy cuts breast cancer risk
Foodconsumer.org
March 2010
A new study suggests that eating lots of vegetables, fruit and soy may cut risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
The study led by Dr. Lesley M. Butler, of Colorado State University and colleagues showed the Singapore Chinese women who followed a diet full of vegetables, fruit and soy products were significantly less likely to acquire breast cancer than those who followed a diet high in meat, starch, saturated fat, and sugar.
For the study, Dr. Butler and colleagues analyzed data collected during 1993 and 1995 through in-person interviews with 34,000 women aged 45 to 74 years in Singapore including information on diet, weight, education, smoking and exercise habits and hormone use.
They compared those who used the meat-starch-saturated fat based diet with the vegetable-fruit-soy diet which was characterized by high amounts of veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage and bok choy for their risks of breast cancer.
During a 10-year follow-up, 629 cases of breast cancer were identified. Those who ate highest amounts of vegetables, fruit and soya products were 30 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who ate the least amounts, the study found.
During a-5-year follow-up, the risk for developing breast cancer was apparently reduced by about 50 percent among the postmenopausal women who ate the highest amounts of vegetables, fruits and soybeans compared to those who ate low amounts.
The results were published in the Feb 24, 2010 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
If kids must snack, make it healthy
Newsobserver.com
March 2010
According to newsobserver.com, our kids may be snacking themselves into obesity. They're eating more than one-quarter of their daily calories between meals, with the bulk of the snacks coming from nutrient-poor foods, especially desserts and sweetened drinks.
Kids are snacking more than ever, a trend that has added 168 calories per day to their diets between 1977 and 2006, tracking with the rise in childhood obesity.
These snack facts were reported in the journal Health Affairs by UNC nutrition researchers Carmen Piernas and Barry Popkin. They analyzed national survey data representing the diets of more than 31,000 children.
Kids snack almost three times a day, according to the research. They are eating almost continuously. Why? Because the food is there.
Not all snacks are bad, but our kids eat too much, too often. Most children ages six and older need no more than one snack each day, and fruits and vegetables should figure prominently. Right now, they don't. In addition to desserts and sweet drinks, kids are also snacking on more candy and chips than before.
How can you help get a handle on your child's snack habits? Several strategies may help.
- Get into a reliable meal routine. It may reduce the need for a boost between meals and help reduce hunger-induced, impulse eating. To do this: start with a substantial breakfast. Whole grain cereal or toast with nonfat milk or yogurt and fresh fruit are good examples.
- Make sure your child eats a decent lunch. The standard school lunch isn't perfect, but it's not junk. Or pack your child's lunch, but make sure it includes fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and water to drink. No snack chips, soft drinks, candy or junk.
- Try to offer fruit between meals. Between lunch and supper, keep calories from snacks to a minimum. If cookies and chips are handy, that's what you and I will eat and so will our kids. Set out a bowl of colorful, seasonal fruit and then snack only from it.
- Sit down to dinner. Include plenty of vegetables and a salad. Research suggests that kids who eat meals with their parents have healthier diets.
- Next, reduce the number of snackable moments. Field trips, sporting events and meetings do not require food.
- Supply water - not soft drinks and sports drinks - at sports practices and games.
- Take a hard look at the quality of the snacks you make available, too.
Vending machines should be off limits to kids when they're away from home. Instead, redirect kids to better options to take with them when they're out or at home. Good choices include all fresh fruits, vegetable salads, whole grain breakfast cereals with skim milk or any fortified, nondairy milk, popcorn, hummus with pita bread, and nonfat yogurt.
Choose Cherries for a Powerful Phytonutrient Package
PRNewswire.com
March 2010
New research pinpoints specific cherry compounds that work together for an antioxidant advantage.
Food and nutrition experts agree that getting an antioxidant boost and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can provide important health and wellness benefits. But, scientists now understand that it's the unique phytonutrient profile of each fruit or vegetable that tells the whole story behind the benefits of these foods.
In fact, cherries' unique compounds may work synergistically to deliver a powerful antioxidant punch, according to a new study from the University of Michigan researchers published in Food Chemistry. The researchers isolated individual cherry phytonutrients and tested the antioxidant power alone, or paired together. They found that the "whole" was greater than the sum of its parts – specific compounds worked together to boost antioxidant power more than would be expected for any one compound on its own.
"This research tells a powerful 'whole' fruit story – there's something about the unique array of compounds in a fruit that is vital for the full health potential," said E. Mitchell Seymour, PhD, research scientist at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center and one of the study co-authors. "If you pull out any of the phytonutrients to stand on its own, you simply won't get the same power as the full combination you find in whole cherries."
The Phytonutrient Match Up, available at choosecherries.com, provides an at-a-glance look at how cherries unique package of phytonutrients stack up to other Super Fruits, including "gold standards" like blueberries and pomegranates.
A True Super Fruit
Known for their bright red color, cherries are particularly rich in anthocyanins – compounds linked to reduced inflammation associated with heart disease, arthritis and even muscle recovery post-exercise. In fact, the latest in a growing body of science linking cherries to powerful anti-inflammatory benefits shows that drinking tart cherry juice may help runners recover more quickly and effectively from post-race pain.
"What I love about cherries is that their powerful phytonutrient profile gives them a unique anti-inflammatory advantage which supports today's active, on-the-go consumer," said Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. "It's important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, but cherries are an ideal power-packed food."
In addition to pain and recovery benefits, previous research from the University of Michigan revealed that cherry-enriched diets in animals lowered multiple risk factors for heart disease. In 2007, researchers found that cherry-enriched diets in animals lowered total blood cholesterol levels and reduced triglycerides (fatty acids). And, in 2008, the University of Michigan researchers found animals fed a cherry-enriched diet saw reduced total body weight and fat by 14 percent, in particular the "belly fat" that is most often associated with heart disease risk.
Your Daily Diet: Powered by Red
With year-round availability as dried, frozen and juice, it's easy to incorporate cherries into the daily menu. Bonci recommends the following tips to help reap the powerful phytonutrient benefits every day:
- Brighten up Breakfast – Swap your typical berries for dried cherries and add them to your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt or pancakes. Just one half cup of dried tart cherries gives you one whole serving of fruit!
- Power Snacking – Keep a stash of dried cherries on hand for a phytonutrient-rich snack break. Buy single-serve packages or portion out those bought in bulk to keep in your purse, desk or gym bag.
Grab and Go – Get your antioxidants on-the-go with an easy "do-it-yourself" trail mix using dried cherries, almonds and whole-grain cereal. Or add dried cherries to ready-made granola.
Research Relates Intake of Multivitamins by Older Women to Breast Cancer
Topnews.us
March 2010
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, relates multivitamin usage and breast cancer. The study evinces that older women who consume multivitamins are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
But, the study does not prove that multivitamins are directly linked to the disease.
Researchers believe it is biologically possible that multivitamins could affect women in this manner and thereby they have established this probable link. However, the research requires further investigation before anything substantial can be established.
The result of the study is the outcome of a ten-year study that involves 35,000 Swedish women between the ages of 49 and 83. The participants of this study were free from cancer at the outset. However, over the span of the study, 974 of these women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Researchers discovered that women who reported of taking multivitamins at the start of the study were 19% more likely than non-users to develop breast cancer.
Researchers also considered factors like age, family history of breast cancer, weight, fruit and vegetable intake, and exercise, smoking and drinking habits taken while conducting the study.
Farm to School Program Has Third-Graders Scrambling to the Salad Bar
The Christian Science Monitor
February 2010
The Christian Science Monitor indicates a national initiative supports schools' efforts to serve locally grown produce and educate students in sustainable ways of eating.
Sharon Elementary (Vermont) third and fourth graders know where the veggies in their soup come from because they've visited the farms. They know the nutritional value of the carrots, onions, and cabbage because they've studied them in class, and they know how they're grown because they've nurtured them in raised beds out back.
According to the article, the 105-student school is part of the National Farm to School Network, aimed at getting healthier meals into school cafeterias, teaching kids about agriculture and nutrition and supporting local farmers.
About 40 states have farm-to-school programs, but Vermont is a leader in incorporating all three missions into its programs. The state also has backed the farm-to-school effort with funding to help schools buy equipment to chop or process the local food and buy meat from a local farmer. What started as a handful of pilot programs has grown into 45 Vermont schools getting grants and about 60 with farm-to-school activities. The funding is expected to dry up next year with budget cuts.
The article notes that Sharon Elementary used its $13,500 grant to buy a potato chopper and a food processor, and also bought a salad bar, which has been a huge hit with the kids. The number of students buying hot lunch has jumped by 50 percent since the school added the salad bar, says Food Service Director LinAnn Perry. The salad bar is also used for tacos and stir-fries.
The students take part in lunch room taste tests to see what they like. Harvest soup, also known as cabbage soup, with and without beef, got rave reviews. The third and fourth graders who chopped up vegetables for the soup also tried to sell other kids on the meal. They hung up posters in the cafeteria that advertised the nutritional value and cancer-fighting properties of the ingredients, which they learned about that morning.
“The students are learning to eat healthier, and the focus on agriculture, local food and nutrition is paying off in the classroom,” says Principal Barrett Williams. “Kids are interested and teachers are given more diversity in the curriculum — they can work the food angle in science, reading and health classes.”
Mintel Predicts 2010's Trendy Flavors
Mediapost.com
November 2009
According to mediapost.com, Mintel predicts cardamom and sweet potatoes will lead the list of trendy flavors employed in food products in 2010.
The research firm expects the intensely aromatic Indian spice cardamom to crop up not just in ethnic fare, but many kinds of foods. Example: Cosmic Chocolate recently launched a chocolate bar flavored with cardamom and oranges.
Sweet potatoes will become "the new functional food" because of their high fiber, beta carotene and Vitamins C and B6 content and their preparation versatility (they can be candied, fried, baked or boiled), according to Mintel.
Other key flavors in the year ahead will include hibiscus (expected to become a common ingredient in beverages beyond tea, now that the USDA has said that it can help lower blood pressure); cupuacu (the "next big superfruit," offering more than 10 vitamins and antioxidants); rose water (becoming a common flavor in ethnic foods); and Latin herbs and spices such as cilantro.
On the scent front, "simple, clean" fragrances will dominate products ranging from body lotions to dish detergents and air fresheners, Mintel predicts. Scents that help reduce stress by eliciting memories of pleasant experiences such as vacations (piña colada) and the holidays (pumpkin spice) are also expected to be popular.
At-Home Meals Remain Popular Among U.S. Consumers
The Gourmet Retailer
October 2009
An article by The Gourmet Retailer states the hot new dining spot for Americans continues to be their own kitchen, according to a survey released Tuesday by McIlhenny Company, parent company of Tabasco brand products. The study, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that more than a third (38.2 percent) of U.S. consumers changed their dining habits, now eating at home more, since the start of recession.
Survey findings:
- Over half (57.1 percent) said their dining habits haven't changed at all
- 3.9 percent say they now eat at home less
- Consumers most frequently reported preparing meals at home between four and seven nights of the week (83.2 percent)
- 16.4 percent eat at home zero to three nights per week
- The majority of consumers (89.5 percent) plan to continue their current level of at-home cooking after the economy recovers
According to the article, more time at home has likely produced greater interest in cooking and at-home entertaining and that brands that cater to these simple pleasures are likely to benefit.
But "Supermarket Guru" and columnist for The Gourmet Retailer and Progressive Grocer, Phil Lempert believes that the gain would be better attributed to recent improvements, such as fewer ingredients and better packaging, in food manufacturing. "I think that the food world has really stepped up very rapidly to produce better-quality products than they have just a short period of time ago," he said. "And I think people discovered that it's not as difficult as they thought (eating at home and preparing at home)."
The recession also seems to have reignited consumers' taste for certain food staples as well as new flavors. Respondents reported that since the start of the recession they are now consuming more of the following:
- meat (39.2 percent)
- salads (27.8 percent)
- pasta (25.5 percent)
- eggs (18 percent)
- soups (13.4 percent)
- casseroles (12.2 percent)
- seafood (8.2 percent)
The article states that almost half (47.8 percent) expressed a willingness to experiment with new food options this year. Mexican (44.8 percent) was the most popular cuisine, followed by Chinese (33.1 percent), Southern (23.1 percent) and Cajun/Creole (19 percent). Least favorite were Thai and Indian foods, at 14 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.
