Nutrition News: Tips, etc. Articles

We all know that parents and other role models, such as teachers, can influence a child’s lifestyle and food choices. Until recently little was known about the dietary habits of elementary-school employees, a key target group for improving school nutrition.

In late October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a strong warning that the agency was considering taking regulatory action against food manufacturers that make inaccurate and misleading health claims on product labels.

Men who want to lower their risk of developing hypertension may want to up their daily intake of whole-grain products, according to a study in the September 2009 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers who followed more than 51,000 men (aged 40–75 in 1986) enrolled in the ongoing prospective Health Professionals Follow-Up Study found that those with a higher whole-grain intake, especially total bran, had a lower risk of becoming hypertensive.

answer: Experienced athletes know how important it is to refuel and rehydrate after a training session. Following strenuous activity, food and fluids can replenish lost glycogen stores and help repair muscle tissue. After an intense workout, the best way to refuel would be to eat a mix of complex carbohydrates and lean protein, such as a whole-grain cereal topped with skim milk.

Veterinarians across the country are reporting an increase in the number of dogs poisoned by a common ingredient used in sugar-free products. The chemical xylitol is used in gum and other sugar-free foods and products, such as candy, baked goods, energy bars, muffins, brownies, Jell-O® pudding, ice cream and even toothpaste.

Fresh ginger is a tasty and healthy addition to all kinds of meals and beverages. But those knobby roots can quickly dry up, which can be frustrating—not too mention a waste of money. It’s easy to keep ginger fresh with this trick: as soon as you get fresh ginger home from the store, peel it and cut it into several smaller chunks. Put the chunks into a small plastic bag, and freeze the herb for use at any time. Not only will you always have fresh ginger on hand when you need it, but freezing the root makes it easier to grate.

These days, everyone is trying to find ways to cut corners in the household budget. One place to do that is in the kitchen. Here are some cheap tricks to try that will lower costs yet not sacrifice the quality of the meals you serve your family:

By now, even kids know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A new study provides yet another ringing endorsement for starting the day with that old breakfast staple, cereal: higher cereal intake during a girl’s childhood can directly affect her body weight and fat levels later in life.

By some estimates, dates may be the oldest tree crop cultivated by man. For more than 5,000 years, this healthy fruit has helped sustain the diets of people living in the Middle East and North Africa. Introduced to California in the 18th century by Spanish missionaries, dates have been dubbed “the candy that grows on trees.”

Researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently reported that local school districts can make a significant difference by adopting policies that govern the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on campus.