National Herbs and Spices Day Cutting Back on Salt

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.

How Do I... Store Herbs and Spices?

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


Cutting Back on Salt in Your Diet

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 of 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, bouillon, 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. 

   

June 10 Black Cow Day

A "Black Cow", also known as a root beer float, is traditionally made with vanilla ice cream and root beer.

We chose a diet root beer soda to avoid excess sugar and limit the calories. The amount of diet root beer is not limited because it has "zero" calories.

Beverage. Make sure you carefully combine the soda and ice cream. The reaction causes bubbles to form and a rapid rise in foam, which is part of the fun and can get messy.  Use 1/4 cup light vanilla ice cream. Add a straw and a spoon and enjoy.

Multicultural American Child Awareness Day

Today is a wonderful day to celebrate the many cultural foods that make up the American Cuisine. The diversity can be seen as we travel across the country. There are regional differences and the influences of immigrants from all over the world.

New England is known for seafood, particularly lobster, and creamy clam chowder. The Southern states are known for collard greens (leafy greens), chicken and dumplings, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. Grits is a popular breakfast dish in the South. The Midwest has traditionally been a beef and grain-producing area so meats, potatoes, and breads are foods found there. In the Pacific Northwest fresh salmon is a specialty and in the Southwest, the Mexican influence can be seen. California and Hawaii are both known for growing many different fruits, and Alaska is known for its fish and King Crab.

United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts and Recipes from Every State!

As a nation of immigrants, our foods have expanded to include worldwide cuisines, traditions, and religious influences. Many ethnic dishes are joining the American food culture and are seeing an incredible boost in familiarity, approval, and consumption.

Foods from All Over the World

Healthy Choices
Table of Cuisines (from Menu Solutions)

Cuisine Healthier Choices Limit Delicatessen Selections Extra-lean corned beef, pastrami, or roast beef, beef brisket, and turkey breast are best; whole wheat or multi-grain breads; chicken or tuna salad; chopped herring; chef salad; fresh fruit plate with cottage cheese; dry bagel; borscht or broth soup; tossed salad, sliced tomatoes, beet salad, or carrot raisin salad. High-fat meats (regular corn beef, hot pastrami, beef bologna, hot dogs, knockwurst, liverwurst, and salami); potato salad; mayonnaise-based salads; combo sandwiches (Reuben); smoked fish (lox); creamy coleslaw; chopped liver; excess cream cheese and cheese spreads; sauerkraut (high in sodium). Pizza Parlor Selections You cannot go wrong by ordering extra toppings such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomato slices, broccoli, and spinach. Other possibilities include chicken, crab meat, or shrimp.   Fat starts with the basic cheese, so avoid extra cheese and in particular mozzarella. Other culprits include bacon, meatballs, pepperoni, sausage, and prosciutto, as well as anchovies. Sandwich Shop Selections Both 100% whole wheat and pita bread are great choices. Good sandwich fillers are grilled chicken breast, ham, roast beef, and turkey breast. Instruct the server not to add butter, margarine, or mayonnaise to the bread and substitute with ketchup, mustard, or horseradish. Good salad choices include chef, garden, or Greek salads, but remember to ask for low-calorie dressings on the side and to omit egg or cheese. Broth-type soups are good, such as barley, beef, chicken, lentil, split pea, and vegetable noodle. Avoid croissants, cheese, excess mayonnaise, egg, and creamy soups. Beware of "diet plates" with big burgers and scoops of cottage cheese, which have loads of saturated fat. Omit cheeseburgers, cheese sandwiches, or grilled cheese "melts" over chicken and seafood salads; and cold cuts. Combo sandwiches with meat and cheese and club sandwiches are best avoided due to the large portion size. Remember that salad combos such as tuna, chicken, and crab meat have lots of mayonnaise. Avoid creamy soups such as chowders or cream of "anything." Submarine Shop Selections Order the smaller size roll or pita bread. Turkey, smoked turkey, ham, and roast beef are acceptable. Ask the server to go light on the meats, omit the mayonnaise or oil, and generously load up on the shredded lettuce, onion, peppers, pickles, and sliced tomatoes. Choose salads as alternatives when available, such as chef or tossed salads with perhaps a scoop of tuna, chicken, or seafood served with Italian or pita bread.  Omit meats such as bologna, Italian cold cuts, salami (hard or Genoa), and sausages. Stay away from cheeses and steak and cheese. Other items to omit include antipasto salads, fried eggplant, and chicken cutlets. Chinese Selections Order plain steamed rice; boiled, steamed, or stir-fried vegetables (ask for little oil to be used); moderate fish and shellfish; non-fried tofu; skinless poultry and egg roll (insides only). Anything fried (rice or crispy noodles), or with sweet and sour sauce; egg dishes or soups; salty soups; avoid duck and limit beef, pork and pickled foods; excess soy sauce; ask chef to leave out MSG and cut down the use of commonly used corn starch, sugar, and salt. Indian Selections Order chutney (except mango); curry sauce (yogurt-based); fish (omit butter basting); yogurt with shredded vegetables; basmati rice. Biryani (vegetable dish); chapatti or papadum bread; tandoori chicken; lentil or mulligatawny soups Creamy or high-salt soups; clarified butter (ghee); deep-fried meats; poori or paratha bread; fried samosa or pakora; ask to prepare dishes without excess salt and to omit coconut milk, if possible; omit garnishes with nuts or dried fruit. Italian Selections Order antipasto (no oil or excess meats); crusty bread (no oil or butter); broiled or grilled fish, seafood, chicken, and meats; garlic; plain or vegetable pasta; fresh unsalted mozzarella cheese; steamed leafy vegetables (kale and broccoli); salads; fresh tomatoes; zucchini; ices. Garlic bread; stuffed pasta (ravioli and lasagna); fried eggplant; meatballs or sausage; sauces with butter, cream, oil, and wine base; pesto sauce; cheese-filled or parmesan style dishes; spumoni or tortoni ice cream. Beware of risotto rice; polenta; and high-fat, high-sodium prosciutto ham and pancetta; veal cutlets and Caesar salads. Japanese Selections Order rice; steamed fish; sushi; sashimi; miso soup; raw vegetables; tofu; sukiyaki (stir-fried); yakimono (broiled fish). Tempura and other deep-fried food; excess peanut and teriyaki sauce; pickled foods; excess salt and sugar in sauces; excess salt in soy marinades and sauces. Mediterranean (Middle East) Selections Order couscous, bulgar, and pita bread; legumes such as chickpeas, fava beans, and lentils; hummus; grape leaves; yogurt. Phyllo dough dishes for sweet desserts such as baklava; feta and kasseri cheese; excess anchovies and olives; high sodium foods; feta, olives, and sausage; appetizers in general, except salads; excess fat from butter, olive oil, omelets, and tahini. Mexican Selections Order soft-shell tacos; burritos; fajitas; salsa; chicken enchilada; black beans or Mexican rice; grilled fish or chicken; salads without chips or shells; moderate corn or flour tortilla, using minimal oil; ceviche (marinated fish); gazpacho; chile con carne soup, with no cheese. Acceptable items include shredded lettuce; spicy meats; diced tomatoes; salsa verde; picante or tomato sauce; use Mexican salads as appetizers, with salsa as the dressing. Chips, nachos; super nachos; chili con queso; fried taco or tortilla shells; guacamole; sour cream; cheese; refried beans; beef and pork dishes; olives; items such as chilies rellenos, chimichangas, chorizo (sausage), and flautas. Thai Selections Order steamed rice; broth-based soups (tom yum koang and pok taek); non-fried proteins, such as chicken, seafood, and tofu; vegetables; satay or steamed mussels; salads with light dressings, made with Thai spices. Excess sodium; soy sauce and sugar; MSG; coconut milk, coconut oil; cream dishes, high milk, and sodium soups; many fried appetizers; curry or curry sauce; fried eggplant; cashew and peanut toppings.

June, Migraine & Headache Awareness Month Headaches and the Food Connection

 Headaches and the Food Connection

Elaine Magee, RDN, lists Ten Food Steps to Free Yourself from Headaches. Some tell you what to avoid and others tell you what may help.

• Keep a headache and diet diary.
• Avoid skipping meals. Eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're comfortable.
• Limit caffeine to a moderate and consistent amount daily or eliminate it completely.
• Avoid eating a high-fat diet.
• Switch to plant and fish sources of omega-3s when possible.
• Find out if NutraSweet is not so sweet for your headaches.
• Limit tyramine-containing foods if you appear to be sensitive. (Link to a Low Tyramine Headache Diet from the National Headache Foundation
• Avoid certain additives if sensitive (MSG, nitrate/nitrite).
• Beware of certain dehydrating beverages - those containing alcohol and caffeine. Stay hydrated as much as possible.
• Work a couple of magnesium-rich foods into your day if you have hormonal headaches. Examples of magnesium-rich foods: Almonds, whole-grain bagel, barley, black beans, black-eyed peas, bran cereal with raisins, Brazil nuts, 100% whole-grain bread, brown rice, bulgur, cashews, and Wheat Chex

Celebrate World Oceans Day

June 8th is World Oceans Day

The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network have helped coordinate events and activities throughout the world. In December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution making World Oceans Day officially recognized by the UN on June 8th each year.

Nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and the oceans have played a crucial role in the history and sustenance of all life.

World Ocean Day

“Together, let’s ensure oceans can sustain us in the future. Let us reflect on the multiple benefits of the oceans. Let us commit to keep them healthy and productive and to use their resources peacefully, equitable, and sustainable for the benefit of current and future generations.”      -Ban Ki-moon



From the Ocean Project: 
The World's Oceans...

*Generates most of the oxygen we breathe

*Helps feed us

*Regulates our climate

Celebrate World Oceans Day

Why the Ocean?

Goals of World Oceans Day

World Ocean Day encourages us to reach out to young people in our community and help inspire them. Discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.

Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.

It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. Please don't just leave memories of the wonders of the Oceans for our children and grandchildren.

Explore http://www.oneworldoneocean.com/ to learn more about the amazing places and critters
in the world's ocean habitats.

Ocean Facts

1. The oceans occupy nearly 71% of our planet's surface.

2. More than 97% of our entire planet's water is contained in the ocean. 

3. Fish supply the greatest percentage of the world's protein consumed by humans. More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. In 20 years, this number could double to 7 billion. 

4. Each year, some 70 to 75 million tons of fish are caught in the ocean. Of this amount, around 29 million tons are for human consumption. 

5. Eighty percent of all pollution in seas and oceans comes from land-based activities.

6. Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters cost the global economy $12.8 billion (US) a year. 

7. Plastic waste kills up to 1 million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals, and countless fish each year. Plastic remains in our ecosystem for years, harming thousands of sea life every day. 

8. Over the past decade, an average of 600,000 barrels of oil a year has been accidentally spilled from ships, the equivalent of 12 disasters the size of the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige in 2002. 

9. Although coral reefs comprise less than 0.5 percent of the ocean floor, it is estimated that more than 90 percent of marine species are directly or indirectly dependent on them. 

10. Species of fish endangered by overfishing are tuna, salmon, haddock, halibut, and cod.

Recipe: Crabmeat on Pita

Resource.
1. Ocean Conservancy
2. World Ocean Day

June 7, Chocolate Ice Cream Day Scoop Size Matters

Chocolate Ice Cream
Which one to choose?
What meets your needs and taste?
Test the Brands, Read the Portion Size,
Check the Calories and Fat.
Make an Educated Choice.

Scoop Size Matters

How to choose a healthier ice cream

with Heidi Diller, Registered Dietitian

"How to choose healthier ice cream"

Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, CSSD

World Food Safety Day

World Food Safety Day is an initiative developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which manages a Joint Food Standards Programme, the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) supports U.S.-based health and food safety educators with resources to promote World Food Safety Day in their communities. 

June 5, United Nations World Environment Day

United Nations World Environment Day 

Small Changes Make a Big Difference

World Environment Day (WED) stimulates awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and public action. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. Every year, a different city hosts World Environment Day with a different theme.

WED Mission: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

"Remember that it is people who propel social progress, develop science and technology, and, through their hard work, continuously transform the human environment. We are both creatures and molders of our environment."

These words are spoken directly from the 1972 Declaration on the Human Environment, adopted by the #UnitedNations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 16 June 1972.

Cheeses from All Over the World

Cheeses from All Over the World

Recipes: Gloriously Cheesy Recipes from Around the World, 

Saveur.

 Nutrition

Classic Sesame Street - How Cheese is Made

Egg Recipes from Around the World - Nutrition and Food Safety

History

National Egg Day's history is related to a poultry plague around 45 A.D. When the poultry and eggs were safe, the emperor issued a royal proclamation to the Roman people, dedicating the third day of June as the Holy Roman Day of Eggs.

Egg Recipes from Around the World

Recipes.
1. A Celebration of Egg Dishes from Around the World, Egg Farmers of Canada

2. Egg Recipes from Around the World. Skill Share

Vegetable Cheese Egg White Omelet

Egg Whites filled with Diced Tomatoes,
Zucchini and Feta Cheese

Ingredients
1 Egg White, cut in half
1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
1/3 cup Diced Zucchini
1/3 ounce Feta Cheese

Let's Talk about Safely Handling

and Preparing Eggs

June 2, MyPlate Birthday

MyPlate is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. This means:

• Focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.
  
  
• Choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
  
  
• Start with small changes to build healthier eating styles.
  
  
• Support healthy eating for everyone.

Eating healthy is a journey shaped by many factors, including our stage of life, situations, preferences, access to food, culture, traditions, and the personal decisions we make over time. All your food and beverage choices count. MyPlate offers ideas and tips to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your individual needs and improves your health.

MyPlate was launched on June 2, 2011.

May News, Events and Resources in Nutrition, Food, and Health

Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety, and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is updated daily. To view the entire Newsletter online click here.

May Highlights

Women's Health Care Month 

Older Americans Month Arthritis Awareness Month  Better Hearing & Speech Month  Lupus Awareness Month  Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month  National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month  National Celiac Disease Awareness Month  National Stroke Awareness Month Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month  National Physical Fitness and Sports Month National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month National High Blood Pressure Education Month National Family Month  May Food Events