The Family Fork

Thank You Down With the Kids for Carnival of Family Life

2007-09-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you Down With the Kids for this week's Carnival of Family Life featuring Andrea's post "New Slightly Revamped Recs to Fight Child and Youth Obesity". The Carnival of Family Life is a weekly collection of parenting related posts.

Southwest Recipe Nutrition Breakdown

2007-07-29T15:47:00.001-07:00

I went ahead and did the nutrient analysis for the Touch of Southwest Salad recipe from Friday's 7/27 post. The recipe makes about 10 full to overflowing 1-cup servings. Here is the nutrition breakdown for one serving of the Touch of Southwest Salad (and by the way, I am not crazy about the recipe name. I welcome any new suggestions): Nutrition Facts for one serving: -220 Calories-12 grams Fat...

Recipe of the Week: Touch of Southwest Salad

2007-07-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

In my office this week we had a joint salad potluck party that was a huge success. Of course this is totally up my alley and I had to set a good example, being the only dietitian in the office and all. So I went with an old favorite that is always a hit. And it was-my salad got rave reviews. Not that I'm bragging (well maybe a little). I thought I'd pass it on to you. It's similar to other...

Shaq: Lose Your Militant Trainer

2007-07-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching Shaquille O'Neal's ABC show "Shaq's Next Big Challenge"? It's pretty interesting, not because they are or aren't taking the right tactics to help 6 overweight children lose weight. The show really seems to me like a nationally televised social study in what not to do when dealing with kids who need to make changes in their lives. I do think Shaq's heart is in the right...

Recipe of the Week: Summer Colors

2007-07-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

This has got to be the simplest fruit salad you can make that will no doubt impress everyone. I made it for a friend's party once and she tells me she now makes it all the time. And it's an antioxidant powerhouse. I'm not psyched about the name Summer Colors and am open to other ideas. Please let me know if you've got any. In the meantime, here is: Summer Colors Ingredients:2-4 large mangoes,...

The Last of the Newsbites 7-14 volume 3: Sucrose vs. HFCS, Walk to School

2007-07-15T17:59:00.001-07:00

Phew! This is the last installment of foodie news for the week! Sugar (sucrose) no better at controlling appetite or energy intake than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - HFCS has been blamed for the rising obesity epidemic, but the true culprit is over consumption of calories, no matter where it comes from. Researchers report drinking a soda sweetened with sugar isn't any better for you than a...

More Newsbites 7-14 volume 2 - Fat Tax, Obese Kids Suffer

2007-07-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here is your next installment of the week's foodie news: British researchers urge the government to impose a tax on high fat foods - They claim such a tax will prevent 3000 cardiovascular deaths a year. Their findings are modeled after the resultant decreased consumption of cigarettes due to a Value Added Tax (VAT) in that country. Of course the food industry doesn't like this idea, but would...

Newsbites 7-14 volume 1 - Burger King Trans-fat Free, Teens and Asthma

2007-07-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of foodie news this past week that I couldn't resist writing about. But then I ended up with this reeeeaaaaaallly long post that I wouldn't even want to read through. So i decided to break it up into 3 posts to give your eyes a little break in between. I also thought I'd try my hand at some 'headlines'. Let me know what you think. Here is the first batch: Burger King...

Recipe of the Week: Cabbage Salad (Better Than It Sounds)

2007-07-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have to admit before I made this salad for the "Ask the Dietitian" program when I worked for the Los Angeles County Nutrition Program, I thought "yuck... I hate cabbage". But it was the recipe our program had decided on to demonstrate at the farmers' markets for that month. So I complied. And to my great surprise it was really good! I probably ate more of the recipe than I gave 0ut for samples....

More on Vitamin D

2007-07-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D stories are just spilling out all over the place. I received some great feedback from a reader after I posted Boning Up on D that I intended to respond individually. But given that vitamin D has gotten some more press this week I decided it worth another post cause this issue is just getting bigger and bigger. The reader relayed a real-life experience that spot on tackles the skin...

Recipe of the Week: Bell Pepper Chopped Salad

2007-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Now that sweet yellow bell peppers are more abundant and slightly more affordable I thought I'd pull out this recipe we used to make for the Ask the Dietitian at Farmers' Market program. Thank you to the Los Angeles County Nutrition Program for providing this refreshing summer salad. Bell Pepper Chopped SaladIngredientsDressing: 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp. Sugar 1 small garlic...

Grill It Safe this Holiday

2007-07-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

How could I post healthy grilling tips without posting the safety stuff too? Here goes.. for a safe grilling experience: Keep it clean. Always start with a clean grill for safer as well as better cooking overall. Then wash your hands thoroughly before handling any food! (I didn't really need to put that in there, cuz you knew that already, right?). Don't cross contaminate. Prep meat, pork,...

4th of July Where the Grilling is Easy

2007-07-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

Having a 4th of July barbeque and firing up the grill? Turns out grilling is a pretty lowfat way of cooking and helps make the healthy stuff even tastier. Here are a few tips from me and the American Dietetic Association to help boost flavor without a lot of added fat and sodium. Marinate marinate marinate. For easy cleanup throw your meat, poultry or fish in a zip top bag with a reduced fat...

Newsbites June 30th: Good News Bad News

2007-06-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Chronic diseases in children are on the rise. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association obesity, asthma, diabetes and attention deficit disorder have soared in the last four decades. In 1960 1.6% of US children suffered an activity limiting chronic ailment, compared to 7% in 2004. Researchers blame increased screen time i.e. television, video games and other electronic media,...

Recipe of the Week: Green Treasure Salad

2007-06-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

I saw grapes on sale this weekend at the grocery and thought it was time for this easy dessert recipe. This one comes from The Network for a Healthy California Orange County Coalition (formerly The California Nutrition Network Orange County Coalition) Green Treasure Salad Ingredients 1 cup grapes (green, seedless) 1 green apple, chopped ½ cup miniature marshmallows ½ cup nonat lemon-flavored...

Boning up on D

2007-06-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

History has taught us to load up on calcium for bone health, but take note vitamin D is quickly emerging as the superstar bone nutrient. Vitamin D is in fact necessary for the absorption of calcium. So if we don’t get enough of the D, it won’t matter if we are getting enough calcium. At its worst vitamin D deficiency can result in rickets and stunted growth in children, osteomalacia -weakened...

Newsbites June 23: Shaq, Kid Marketing, TGIF's smaller

2007-06-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Are y'all gonna check out Shaquille O'Neal's childhood obesity themed reality series this week, "Shaq's Big Challenge"? I certainly am. In the six part series Shaq challenges 6 overweight tweens to adopt healthier lifestyles and increase their activity level. I'm very curious to see how his tough love and scare tactics panned out with these kids. Research and most experts don't really support...

Recipe of the Week:Easy Strawberry Dessert

2007-06-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Another easy yummy recipe from Dona Richwine, RD, MS. It's perfect for summer nights. Easy Strawberry Dessert Ingredients: 1 nine inch angel food cake 3 pints strawberries Instructions: 1. Cut angel food cake into 12 same size pieces. 2. Wash strawberries in running water and remove stems. 3. Mash strawberries until juicy. 4. Pour over individual pieces of cake. Serves 12 Nutrition Facts...

Is alli Your Ally?

2007-06-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

What's my opinion on alli? I would have to say mixed. alli is the weight loss drug approved to be sold over-the-counter by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It went on the market this week and has been selling like hotcakes. But make sure those hotcakes don't come with too much fat! Briefly, alli is the same as prescription Xenical but in a smaller dose. Both contain the drug Orlistat that...

No More Tony: No, not Tony Soprano, Tony the Tiger!

2007-06-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Did ya hear? Did ya hear? Tony the Tiger may not be so Greeeeeaaaaat anymore. The Kellogg Company made history today agreeing to adopt nutrition standards for their foods marketed to kids. But wait there's more! They're also promising to back off pushing their products in the media using kiddie characters like Tony the Tiger, Sponge Bob, Shrek etc. They have pledged not to use such licensed...

Recipe of the Week: Green Chili Chicken Salad

2007-06-14T04:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from one we used in the community when I worked for the Los Angeles County Nutrition Program. We took traditional recipes submitted by the Latino community we were working with, and revised them somewhat to reduce fat, calories and sodium without compromising flavor (as much as possible). This one was originally submitted by one of our promotoras, Idalia del Prado. A...

New Slightly Revamped Recs to Fight Child and Youth Obesity

2007-06-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

More official recommendations to treat and prevent childhood obesity that are pretty much similar to all other official governing bodies' recs. That's not a bad thing. It continues to reinforce the messages to parents, pediatricians and communities in general. The American Medical Association (AMA) convened a group of experts under the banner Expert Committee on the Assessment, Prevention and...

School Meals from Scratch?

2007-06-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of interesting news this week so I thought I'd tell you about a very unique charter school I took a tour of on Friday. I suppose "unique" charter school is somewhat redundant, but this one really is. The school is a middle school called LA Leadership Academy. What makes the LA Leadership Academy so unique is that the school lunches are all cooked from scratch. That is almost unheard of...

Recipe of the Week: Stone Salsa

2007-06-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

I just love summer fruit. I went to Costco yesterday and bought a flat of apricots and pounds of cherries. I am in fruit heaven. The nectarines made me think of making Stone Salsa with my dear friend Dona Richwine when we worked at the "Ask the Dietitian Program at Farmers' Markets doing food demos and giving out samples. People loved it! Stone fruits are those that have a pit, such as peaches...

The Food Label Can be Your Friend

2007-06-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting today with a local superintendent for Los Angeles Unified and he shared with me that he and his family have recently started trying to eat more healthfully. But like many people he is often swayed by clever marketing when grocery shopping. He shared a story with me about grocery shopping with his kids. They wanted him to buy a certain cereal and he felt an alternate type would be...