National Nutrition Week in India - The Indian Cuisine

National Nutrition Week in India

Vision
To achieve optimal nutrition of vulnerable segments of the population such as women of reproductive age, children, adolescent girls, and the elderly.

Mission
To enable food and nutrition security conducive to good health, growth & development and increase productivity through dedicated research, so as to achieve the national nutrition goals set by the government of India in the national nutrition policy.

National Nutrition Week (India)
Dietary Guidelines of Indians 

Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.  

Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious, in particular, Hindu and cultural choices and traditions. Also, Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences have occurred on North Indian cuisine from the years of Mughal rule. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation's cultural interactions with other societies.

Indian Chicken Curry with Rice, #EatingWell   

Historical incidents such as foreign invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role in introducing certain foods to the country. For instance, potato, a staple of the diet in some regions of India, was brought to India by the Portuguese, who also introduced chilies and breadfruit. 

Indian cuisine has shaped the history of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe's Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. Indian cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji, and the Caribbean.

Resources and References

1. National Nutrition Week (India) – Dietary Guidelines of Indians
2. Indian Cuisine, Wikipedia - Spices at a grocery shop in India   

3. Indian Chicken Curry with Rice, #EatingWell   

World Coconut Day - Coconut Products

Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Coconuts have been grown in tropical regions for more than 4,500 years. Unlike their name suggests, coconuts aren’t nuts. They form part of the drupe family, which are fruits consisting of a fleshy external part with a pit and seed inside. Drupes have three layers: the outer layer, a fleshy middle layer, and a hard layer that surrounds the seed.

Recently, coconut has gotten a lot of publicity as being a super-healthy food, but much of the information is not supported by science. There is a variety of coconut-derived products adding flavor to your food - from coconut oil to coconut flour and coconut milk. But can a food so high in calories and rich in saturated fat be healthy?

Coconut Oil and Coconut Butter

Coconut oil is simply the oil extracted from the coconut meat, while coconut butter is made from coconut flesh ground into a spreadable paste

Coconut oil is high in saturated fat and solid at room temperature. It is used in some packaged foods and for cooking and baking. Cook with coconut oil in dishes where you'll notice and appreciate the flavor, like curries, soups and even muffins.

Coconut butter is a rich and creamy product with a peanut butter-like texture. Unlike coconut oil, the butter actually contains the meat of the coconut so it is more solid and white. It is a common ingredient in the Paleo Diet and uses include replacing other nut butters in baking, spreading on toast, melting and drizzling on desserts, or just eating it straight.

It can be used as a vegan, dairy-free butter replacement, nut-free butter, as a base for desserts such as fudge and for frosting. Coconut butter is also known as coconut manna.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is made from a brew of coconut meat and water. It is rich and thick and more like a cream than milk. This plant-based milk has a delicious creamy taste and is great in smoothies, curries, soups, stews, desserts, etc. It’s very popular in Asian and Caribbean cuisine.

Coconut milk is a common replacement in recipes that traditionally call for cow’s milk. It’s also very popular among vegans and people who follow a dairy-free diet.

Coconut cream is the thick, creamy part of coconut milk that contains less water than coconut milk. It’s very suitable for desserts and in dishes requiring a rich consistency. You can also use it to make dairy-free whipped cream.

Condensed coconut milk is cooked coconut milk. The evaporation during the cooking process gives it a thick, creamy consistency.

Beyond the more traditional canned coconut milk, there is a creamer for coffee, yogurt in various flavors, and coconut milk ice cream. While it may be a good option for vegans and those with lactose intolerance, the low protein content and high amount of fat actually make it a poor nutritional replacement for cow's milk.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is known for being an alternative to sports drinks, the hydrating water has electrolytes, sodium, and magnesium to help post-workout recovery. Some brands have been found to have fewer benefits than listed on the cartons, so be sure to buy from a trusted source.


Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is gluten-free flour made from de-fatted dried and ground coconut meat. The high fiber content is nutritionally beneficial, but it can sometimes make it difficult to bake with. Coconut flour is a great way to add coconut flavor to baked goods. Coconut flour is popular with special diets, like Paleo and Keto

Coconut Meat 

Once the outer green husk of the coconut is removed, what remains is the seed and its rich inner white lining, the coconut meat. It is a creamy and healthy snack with a bite. It can be used in granola, fruit salad, or by itself. Coconut meat is the base for many healthy coconut products such as coconut milk, coconut oil, shredded coconut, coconut ice cream, coconut yogurt, coconut kefir, and coconut flour.

Dried Shredded Coconut / Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

This is dehydrated coconut meat and it’s typically used in desserts, baking, and fruit salads. Coconut flakes are a tasty, healthy snack on their own or combined with nuts, seeds, and other fruit. You can buy them as flakes and chips. Prepackaged dried flaked coconut or dried shredded coconut is the most convenient to cook or bake with. Choose unsweetened dried shredded coconut or coconut flakes over sweetened dried coconut, which has 2 teaspoons of added sugar per ounce.

Coconut Sugar is made from the sap of the coconut flower rather than the coconut itself. In comparison to granulated sugar, it has a darker color, deeper flavor, and some versions come with added flavors. Coconut sugar has a rich taste with a hint of caramel. It’s not to be confused with palm sugar. Nutritionally, it's very similar to granulated and can be substituted 1-for-1 in baking or other cooking.

Recipe:

Vegetable Fritters with Green Chile-Coconut Chutney
recipe from Sara Moulton‘s cookbook Home Cooking 101 

Resources

1.  5 Impressive Benefits of Coconut, Anne Danahy #RDN
2.  What Is Coconut Meat, and Does It Have Benefits? Lauren Panoff #RDN

3. The Health Benefits of Coconut: Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, Coconut Flour & More, Karen Ansel #RDN  Is coconut healthy? 

Labor Day Picnic Ideas - Food Safety

USDA Joins Grill Sergeants For Safe BBQ Advice

History of Labor Day

Resource
1. Eating Outdoors, Handling #FoodSafely  #FDA  http://bit.ly/2PlRids

International Bacon Day - Bacon Bonanza

International Bacon Day is an unofficial holiday observed since 2009 on the Saturday before Labor Day in the United States. Bacon day celebrations typically include social gatherings during which participants create and consume dishes containing bacon, including bacon-themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and drinks.

Bacon Bonanza

Bacon is the "B" in a BLT sandwich, the star of breakfast buffets, the garnish on a spinach salad, and the "pork" in pork and beans. It imparts a smoky flavor to many dishes. This ancient, cured meat now appears in modern forms as shelf-stable or refrigerated fully cooked strips, bacon made from turkey and/or beef, and organic meats.

The term "bacon" describes the cured belly of a swine (hog) carcass. If meat from other carcass portions is used, the product name must identify the portions where the bacon comes from, e.g., "Pork Shoulder Bacon." Bacon is generally produced from young animals (6 to 7 months old) weighing 175 to 240 pounds.

Bacon and Food Safety

Bacon is made with salt as a curing agent, and nitrite (but not nitrate) is the other most frequently used additive. Bacon may also contain other additives such as sugars, maple sugar, wood smoke, flavorings, and spices.

Under certain conditions not yet fully understood, the products from the natural breakdown of proteins known as "amines" can combine with nitrites to form compounds known as "nitrosamines." There are many different types of nitrosamines, most of which are known carcinogens in test animals.

Not all cured meat products contain nitrosamines; however, when present, they usually are in very minute amounts. Many variables influence nitrosamine levels: amount of nitrite added during processing, concentrations of amines in meat, type and amounts of other ingredients used in processing, actual processing conditions, length of storage, storage temperatures, method of cooking, and degree of doneness.

Researchers at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that the addition of vitamin C (ascorbate) and vitamin E (tocopherol) reduced the levels of nitrosamines in fried bacon and in nitrite-cured products. The findings led to changes in Federal regulations and industry processing to minimize consumer exposure to nitrosamines. USDA now requires adding 550 ppm (parts per million) of either sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate to pumped bacon. This addition greatly reduces the amount of free nitrite and, thus, minimizes the formation of nitrosamines. This regulation is found in 9 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 424.22 (b)(1).

Nutrition Information

BLT Sandwich

References

1. Wikipedia, List of bacon dishes
2. Eat Right Chicago, Is Everything Really ‘Better with Bacon?’
3. USDA, Bacon and Food Safety

An educated consumer has the knowledge to make healthy choices - Choose Moderation.

National Sandwich Day - Endless Possibilities

The sandwich was named after John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. During the 1700s, it is said John Montagu created the sandwich because he wanted to eat his meal with one hand.

Greatest Movie Sandwiches

August 29, More Herbs, Less Salt Day and National Lemon Juice Day

Instead of salt, use spices, herbs, lemon juice,
and/or vinegar to enhance the taste of your food.
The health benefits are life-long.

Wikipedia has provided an extensive list of culinary herbs and spices. The list does not contain salt (which is a mineral) or plants used primarily as herbal teas or medicinal herbs. Explore the different flavors and cultures.

Tips for Selecting and Storing
Herbs and Spices

Spice it Up with
Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD

Where does sodium come from?

Sodium comes from natural sources or is added to foods. Most foods in their natural state contain some sodium. However, the majority of sodium Americans consume comes from sodium added to processed foods by manufacturers. While some of this sodium is added to foods for safety reasons, the amount of salt added to processed foods is above what is required for the safety and function of the food supply.

Reading Labels
When you buy prepared and packaged foods, read the labels. You can tell the sodium content by looking at the Nutrition Facts panel of a food. Listed are the amount for sodium, in milligrams (mg), and the “% Daily Value.” Also read the ingredient list to watch for the words "soda" (referring to sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda), "sodium" and the symbol "Na" to see if the product contains sodium.

Salt and/or Sodium Descriptors

• Salt-Free:  Meets requirements for "sodium-free."
• Sodium Free: Fewer than 5 milligrams sodium per serving.
• Very Low Sodium:  35 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
• Low Sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving 
• Reduced Sodium:  At least 25 percent less sodium per serving.
• Unsalted:  Has no salt added during processing. To use this term, the product it resembles must normally be processed with salt and the label must note that the food is not a sodium-free food if it does not meet the requirements for "sodium-free".

The FDA and USDA state an individual food that has the claim "healthy" must not exceed 480 mg sodium per reference amount. "Meal type" products must not exceed 600 mg sodium per labeled serving size.

Sodium and Hypertension.
In order for a food to make an Allowable Health Claim, it must contain a defined amount of nutrients. In relationship to sodium and Hypertension, the amount is 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving.

American Heart Association (AHA)
The American Heart Association recommends you choose and prepare foods with little or no salt to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (less than 3/4 teaspoon of salt).
The AHA is working with federal agencies to identify ways to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply. The association is encouraging food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in foods by 50 percent over a 10-year period. AHA will help Americans lower the amount of sodium they consume by the following strategies:
 1. Reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply,
 2. Make more healthy foods available (e.g., more fruits and vegetables); and
 3. Provide consumers with education and decision-making tools to make better choices.

 Tips for reducing sodium in the diet
 1.  Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
 2.  Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas, and lentils.
 3.  Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
 4.  Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
 5.  Select unsalted, lower sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
 6.  Select fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses, and low-fat yogurt.
 7.  Use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food. 
 8.  Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables.
 9.  When dining out, ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
10. Don’t use the salt shaker.

August 27, Banana Lovers Day: Nutrition, Selection, Storage, and Recipes

Selection

Choose bananas that are firm and free of bruises. Bananas are best to eat when the skin color is solid yellow and speckled with brown. Bananas with green tips or with practically no yellow color have not developed their full flavor. Bananas are overripe when they have a strong odor.

Storage

To ripen bananas leave at room temperature for a couple of days. Once ripe store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. The peel may turn brown in the refrigerator, but the fruit will not change.

Recipes

If you love bananas, Eating Well has a collection of Banana Recipes you are sure to enjoy.

Chiquita Banana The Original Commercial 

Produced by Disney Studios in the 40's, this commercial appeared only in movie theaters, and for over 50 years kept us humming its catchy tune.

DOLE Banana Growing and Planting
Dole explains the growing and planting of bananas.

Banana Farm

The banana farm at EARTH University uses socially and environmentally responsible practices at every stage of the process. The farm plants trees along river banks to promote biodiversity and reduce harmful erosion. In addition, they do not use herbicides. The farm's eco-friendly practices produce some of the most flavorful bananas in the world.

August 25, National Banana Split Day - Fruit Festival

Ingredients
1 Banana, split in half
1 Kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
4 Strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup Cherries, sliced
1/2 cup Orange Segments
1/2 cup Low Fat Ice Cream, optional

August 24, National Waffle Day: Portion Control and Variety

Whole Grain Waffle with 
Crunchy Peanut Butter and
Blueberries and Strawberries

August 22, Eat a Peach Day - Nutrition, Safety and Presentation

Presentation. Transform a peach into an eloquent dessert by cutting it into slices or cubes and serving it in a dessert glass. The presentation somehow makes the peach taste sweeter and the experience more filling.

Peach, a Versitille Fruit

Peach Nutrition

Low fat; saturated fat-free; sodium free; cholesterol free; 

Good source of vitamin C.

From Fruits and Veggies, More Matters:
Peaches

How to Select
Choose peaches with firm, fuzzy skins that yield to gentle pressure when ripe. Avoid blemishes.

How to Store Peaches and Nectarines
Store unripe peaches in a paper bag. When ripe, store at room temperature for use within 1-2 days.

Resources.
Georgia Peach Council
Fruits and Veggies, More Matters. Peaches
Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Peaches 

National Tooth Fairy Day Nutrition and Your Child's Dental Health

Healthy teeth are important to your child's overall health. From the time your child is born, there are things you can do to promote healthy teeth and prevent cavities. For babies, you should clean teeth with a soft, clean cloth or baby's toothbrush. Avoid putting the baby to bed with a bottle and check teeth regularly for spots or stains.

For all children, you should
1. Start using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when they are two years old. You might start sooner if a dentist or doctor suggests it.
2. Provide healthy foods and limit sweet snacks and drinks
3. Schedule regular dental check-ups

Forming good habits at a young age can help your child have healthy teeth for life.

Resources
1. WebMD. Nutrition and Your Child's Teeth
2. National Institute of Health, Child DentalHealth

Growing Together: Connecting Generations Through Gardening & Healthy Eating National Senior Citizen Day

National Senior Citizens Day 

On August 19, 1988, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5847 creating National Senior Citizens Day to be August 21.

On this day, we are encouraged to recognize and show appreciation for the value and contribution of older people to home, family and society. It is an opportunity for us to show our gratitude for what seniors have achieved in their lives and their contributions to our communities.

Things to do with Older Adults
- Spend time together.
- Show our appreciation.
- Volunteer to help.
- Enjoy a walk together.
- Go out for dinner.

If you are a senior citizen, enjoy your day. Make sure to take advantage of senior citizen discounts and specials.

The goal is to help keep older Americans healthy and fit. 

Growing Together: Connecting Generations Through Gardening & Healthy Eating

Shopping and nutrition tips
for senior citizens
from Elisa Zeid, MS, RD

Resources and References

to Help Eating Well as We Age

Resources for Seniors from Nutrition.gov

National Potato Day

Potatoes are one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers. It is a starchy, tuberous crop. Potatoes are the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice.

Nutrition

One medium potato (5.3 oz) with the skin contains:
110 Calories; Vitamin C (45 % DV); 620 mg potassium; Vitamin B6 (10 % DV); No Fat; No Sodium; No Cholesterol; and Trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids and flavonoids.

About 20% of the potato’s nutrition is found in the skin.  Most of the vitamin C and potassium are found in the potato’s flesh, but fiber is found in the skin.  That’s why it’s best to enjoy every part of the potato.

According to MyPlate, Potatoes are a vegetable.  It counts toward the total recommended servings of vegetables. One medium-sized potato (5.3 oz.) counts as 1 cup of starchy vegetables.

Recipe

Rose, Gold, and Purple Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 Small Round Potatoes: 
  1 Honey Gold 
  2 Enchanted Rose
  2 Purple Splendor
Dash Curry Powder
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Italian Dressing, fat-free

Directions
1. Roast potatoes and dice.
2. In a bowl combine curry, mustard, and Italian dressing. Mix.
3. Add potatoes to the marinade and coat well.

Nutrition Information

Remembering Julia Child

Julia Carolyn Child was born on August 15, 1912 and died on August 13, 2004. She was an American chef, author, and television personality. Child is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and her television programs, the most prominent of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963.

In 1946 Julia married Paul Cushing Child. The couple moved to Paris in 1948. In Paris, Child attended the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and later studied privately with master chefs. She joined the women's cooking club Le Cercle des Gourmettes, through which she met Simone Beck. In 1951, Child, Beck, and Bertholle began to teach cooking to American women in Child's Paris kitchen, calling their informal school L'école des trois gourmandes (The School of the Three Food Lovers). For the next decade, as the Childs moved around Europe and finally to Cambridge, Massachusetts, the three researched and repeatedly tested recipes. Child translated French into English, making the recipes detailed, interesting, and practical.

In 1961 the Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published and became a best-seller and received critical acclaim. The book is still in print and is considered an important culinary work. Following this success, Child wrote magazine articles and a regular column for The Boston Globe newspaper. She would go on to publish nearly twenty titles under her name and with others. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, Child was the star of numerous television programs, including Julia Child & Company, Julia Child & More Company, and Dinner at Julia's. In 1989, she published a book and instructional video series collectively entitled “The Way To Cook.”

Child starred in four more series in the 1990s featuring guest chefs: Cooking with Master Chefs, In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs, Baking with Julia, and Julia Child & Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home.

Julia Child’s kitchen can be seen at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. She will be remembered for bringing French cuisine to the American public and her dynamic cooking style and presentation in the kitchen.

References.
1. Wikipedia, Julia Child
2. PBS, Julia Child

3. Julia Child's Kitchen, Smithsonian Institution

Preparing Safe Lunches

While children rely on teachers for daily lessons, making safe lunches falls squarely on caregivers. Unlike cafeteria workers who regularly take food safety training, most parents preparing lunch for their kids at home or taking it to school haven’t received any formal food safety instruction. Nutrition counts, too. The lunch you’re making satisfies the hunger pangs of busy kids and fuels their cognitive abilities. Studies have shown that proper nutrition improves students’ scores, memory capacities, motor skills, social skills, and language skills. Keep them well-fed and safe with the four steps to food safety – Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.

Clean: The best way to prevent many forms of illness, including foodborne illness, is with proper hand washing. Children should always clean their hands before eating, and parents should do so before and during lunch preparation. It’s easy to get preoccupied with busy schedules and rush through the five steps of washing hands; however, handwashing is vital to remove any germs that may be present. Hand washing should always include the following:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Rub your hands together with soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel.

Separate: Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry away from ready-to-eat foods. When preparing perishable foods that require cutting (for example, raw bacon and raw chicken you plan to cook for salad), separate these items from fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other foods to avoid cross-contamination.

• Cut up and prepare your raw ingredients to avoid cross-contamination when handling your ready-to-eat items for salads or other sides.
• Different colored cutting boards are a great reminder to prevent cross-contamination (you can use a green cutting board for fresh produce and another color for meat and poultry).

Cook: Have a food thermometer easily accessible to ensure you’re cooking to recommended safe internal temperatures:

• Cook whole cuts of meat, including beef and pork, to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and allow them to rest for at least 3 minutes before carving.
• Cook ground meats, like burgers and sausages, to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook all chicken and turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chill: When preparing lunch ahead of time, remember that perishable foods should not be placed in the Danger Zone—temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit—where bacteria multiply quickly and can make food unsafe.

• Ensure all perishable items are refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator.
• Discard food left out for more than two hours to prevent foodborne illness.
• If your child needs to carry their lunch, never pack perishable foods in a brown paper bag because they will be unsafe by lunchtime. Use an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag and add a frozen gel pack and a frozen juice box or bottle of water with the lunch.

These four steps – Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill – give parents and caregivers steps they can use to protect their children from food poisoning. Now that we’ve covered all the basics, you’re ready for the big test – hungry students!

August 14, National Creamsicle Day

Creamsicle® is a frozen dessert with vanilla ice cream in the center and a fruit sherbet on the outside. The classic Creamsicle® flavor is orange and vanilla, but today there are numerous flavors to choose from.

The term “Creamsicle” is a registered brand name owned by Unilever.

Creamsicles are available in several varieties, including 100 Calorie Bars, Low Fat Bars and No Sugar Added Bars.

GoodGuide is a business that provides information about the health, environmental and social performance of products and companies. Its mission is to help consumers make purchasing decisions that reflect preferences and values. GoodGuide includes a team of scientific and technology experts working to acquire and compile high-quality data, which then can be organized and transformed into actionable information for consumers.

GoodGuide Ratings (0 to 10, 10 the most favorable).

Creamsicle, No Sugar Added  5.9
Saturated Fat: Low
Cholesterol: Low
Sugars: Low
Sodium: Low

Creamsicle, Low Fat 5.3
Saturated Fat: Low
Cholesterol: Low
Sugars: Medium
Sodium: Low

Creamsicle, 100 Calorie Bar   5.1
Saturated Fat: Low
Cholesterol: Low
Sugars: High
Sodium: Low