Wednesday, August 30, 2023

August is Kids Eat Right Month - Share the Message

Kids Eat Right is a joint initiative from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. The goal of Kids Eat Right is to educate families, communities, and policymakers about the importance of good nutrition.

August is Kids Eat Right Month, a nutrition education, information sharing, and action campaign created by Kids Eat Right, an initiative of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its Foundation.

Kids Eat Right Month spotlights healthy nutrition and active lifestyles for children and families, offering simple steps to help families cook healthy, eat right, and shop smart.





The Kids Eat Right website centers around the theme "Shop-Cook-Eat." The goal is to bring families together each day for nutritious meals by providing simple and easy-to-follow tasks.



 Share the Monday Message Campaign involves Academy member volunteers who distribute weekly advice through social media channels (such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.). The Kids Eat Right campaign provides resources to help Academy members become recognized leaders in childhood obesity prevention. Volunteers then educate the community on shopping ideas, cooking tips, eating right, and recipes.



Consumers, Caregivers, Educators, Journalists, Policy Makers 
To learn more about Kids Eat Right, visit Kids Eat Right

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
To become a volunteer, visit About Kids Eat Right 


   


Wednesday, August 23, 2023

National Water Quality Month - How much do kids Need?





When the water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans becomes polluted, the effects can be far-reaching. It can endanger wildlife, make our drinking water unsafe, and threaten the waters where we swim and fish.


The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the federal law that protects public drinking water supplies throughout the nation. Under the SDWA, the 
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for drinking water quality and with its partners implements various technical and financial programs to ensure drinking water safety.




The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's purpose is to ensure that: all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work; national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information; federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively; environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy; all parts of society - communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments - have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks; environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive; and the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment. So what happened in Flint, Michigan and are other communities are at risk?



Drinking Water in your Home
Many people choose to filter or test the drinking water that comes out of their tap or from their private well for a variety of reasons. And whether at home, at work, or while traveling, many Americans drink bottled water.

Resource
World Water Week, Stockholm International Water Institute.




Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Kiwi Raspberry Parfait




Makes 1 serving

Ingredients
2 cookies crumbled
4 oz yogurt, low fat
2  kiwifruit, peeled, dice
1/2c raspberries
 2-3 fresh mint leaves

Directions
Layer the ingredients in the following order:
  • Cookie crumbles
  • Raspberries
  • Yogurt, low fat
  • Kiwi
  • Garnish. Raspberry and Mint leaves
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.






Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Stuffed Pepper with Cauliflower Rice and Avocado

 



Stuffed Pepper with
Cauliflower Rice and Avocado


Serves One

Ingredients
1 cup Cauliflower, Rice with shredded carrots and peas
1 large Bell pepper
1/2 Avocado, small
1 Tbsp Blue Cheese


Directions.

1. Cook cauliflower rice. Measure one cup and refrigerate until it is chilled, about 1-2 hours.
2. Wash bell pepper. Cut the top off and remove the seeds. Cut a small piece from the bottom to make the pepper stand up.
3. Peel and dice 1/2 avocado. Add to cauliflower rice. Mix well.
4. Add cauliflower rice mixture to the bell pepper.
5. Top with blue cheese and serve.

Optional. Add protein source to make a meal.


Nutrition Facts.

Friday, August 11, 2023

National Julienne Fries Day
Baked Julienne Sweet Potato and Carrot Fries

Julienne is a cutting technique - to "julienne" is to cut veggies, potatoes or other foods into thin strips - matchsticks. 


Baked Julienne Sweet Potato and Carrot Fries
Yields 3 Servings (5 ounces)


Ingredients
1 Sweet Potato (peeled)
4 large carrots
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Cumin
Coarse Kosher Salt, to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Julienne the sweet potato and carrots.
3. Combine the cumin and cornstarch in a small bowl.
4. In a large mixing bowl, pour the olive oil over the julienne vegetables. Stir to coat evenly. Stir in the cumin and cornstarch.
5. Lay the veggies as flat as possible on a large baking sheet.
6. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, flip the fries halfway through. Watch to make sure they don't get too crisp.
7. During the last 5 minutes, use tongs to stir.



ChefSteps Tips & Tricks: 
Julienne Hella Veggies in a Flash







Tuesday, August 8, 2023

August 9, International Day of the
World's Indigenous People




"On this International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, I call on Governments everywhere to draw on the guidance of this international framework to improve access to education for indigenous peoples and to reflect their experiences and culture in places of learning. Let us commit to ensuring indigenous peoples are not left behind as we pursue the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.” - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on International Day of the World's Indigenous People.


            Indigenous Peoples can feed the world



UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

On 13 September 2007, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a major milestone with respect to the cooperation and solidarity between indigenous peoples and Member States.

The Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It embodies global consensus on the rights of indigenous peoples and establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for their survival, dignity, and well-being. It elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms, as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

Over the last decade, the implementation of the Declaration has achieved some major successes at the national, regional and international levels. Despite the achievements, there continues to be a gap between the formal recognition of indigenous peoples and the implementation of policies on the ground.


Article 42 of the Declaration explicitly refers to the role of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in promoting respect for and full appreciation of the provisions of the Declaration. 

Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.

In spite of these instruments, the right to education has not been fully realized for most indigenous peoples, and a critical education gap exists between indigenous peoples and the general population.

Where data exist, they show consistent and persistent disparities between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population in terms of educational access, retention, and achievement, in all regions of the world.

The education sector not only mirrors the historical abuses, discrimination, and marginalization suffered by indigenous peoples but also reflects their continued struggle for equality and respect for their rights as peoples and as individuals.

It is also a reminder of the responsibility of individuals as consumers, to understand that there is a story and a personal experience behind every food, piece of cloth, textile or artwork from an indigenous individual or community.


Eat Traditional Foods, Fight Diabetes



The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (Rome 2009) prepared a documentary, called the Food Systems of Indigenous Peoples.

This book seeks to define and describe the diversity in food systems, nutrition, and health in 12 rural case studies of Indigenous Peoples in different parts of the world as a window to global Indigenous Peoples’ circumstances.

A procedure for documenting Indigenous Peoples’ food systems was developed by researchers working with the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE) at McGill University, Canada, and the FAO. The procedure was adapted and applied in case studies located in Canada, Japan, Peru, India, Nigeria, Colombia, Thailand, Kenya, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The collective intent of this documentation is to show the inherent strengths of the local traditional food systems, how people think about and use these foods, the influx of industrial and purchased food, and the circumstances of the nutrition transition in indigenous communities. This research was completed with both qualitative and quantitative methods by Indigenous Peoples and their academic partners in the context of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted in 2007 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Resources:

Saturday, August 5, 2023

American Family Day
The Family Meal Time




Family mealtime is an ageless tradition shared by people all around the world. Eating dinner together keeps the doors of communication open. It's a perfect time to show your children they are your priority. Studies have shown children who eat dinner with their families are less likely to use alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs and more likely to develop good eating habits.
 


Family Dinner
Segment from World Report, April 2009
A recent family study conducted by Brigham Young University, quizzed more than 1500 IBM employees. The results show that families who spend time eating dinner together will encounter less conflict between family and work.

The BYU study appeared in issues of Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report and Slate magazine. Dr. Jacob expressed the hope for society to value dinner time, and not allow things to interrupt it.

In fact, a multi-national study cited by the marriage and family therapy program at the University of Minnesota and its director, reports family meal time has a more positive influence on emotional and intellectual development in children and teens than sports or additional time in school.

Nutritious Meals for Families on a Budget



Thursday, August 3, 2023

August 3, National Grab Some Nuts Day

Nuts once considered a high fat, high-calorie food is now being recognized as a Nutritious Snack with essential fatty acids, omega fats, protein, and many vitamins and minerals.