Tag Archive for: nutrition

Better School Lunches

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Just about every day, more school districts are opting out of the U.S. National School Lunch Program—some because they don’t want the government to tell them what to do, most to save money because school districts are allowed to opt out if costs are too high. If you’re not familiar with this issue, read the messages in late December about the Kids Act.

One of the reasons some schools give is that kids won’t eat the required vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, creating more food waste. Judging by the combinations of foods some school cafeteria . . .

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Avocados: Nutrition Powerhouse

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Let’s finish up our look at avocados. I covered most of the micronutrients on Thursday but there’s one more group to go: the phytonutrients.

The avocado contains three classes of phytonutrients. The first ones are called phytosterols, plant-derived compounds similar in structure and function to cholesterol. Research shows that phytosterols may help prevent the absorption of animal cholesterol, and that can benefit our overall heart health.

Avocados are also high in carotenoid antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene. We tend to think about carotenoids in bright orange or red vegetables such as carrots or tomatoes. Those . . .

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Nutrients in Avocados

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Now that everyone who watched the Super Bowl has seen the ads for the avocado, let’s take a look at the nutrition profile of avocados without the pit and skin.

The first thing that jumps out is the fat content: 21 grams of fat in the average-size avocado. A close look shows only 3 grams are saturated fat; the bulk of the fat, 13 grams, is monounsaturated fat, the same healthy fat that’s found in olive oil. And even before you ask “Is avocado oil a good fat to use in salads and cooking?” the answer is . . .

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The Bottom Line on School Lunches

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Healthier meals in schools were proposed and opposed—what happened next? True to form, the federal government gave in to the food industry. They didn’t reverse the Kids Act, but they left it to the school districts to decide whether a switch to whole grains caused any hardship. They also suspended the target for lower sodium levels until there’s more research. Pathetic.

Here’s what I think as a health educator: there was no training for staff or students on what constitutes healthy nutrition. In most school districts, food is made in one central kitchen and shipped to . . .

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Feeding Kids to Support Their Immune System

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You can probably guess what kids should eat every day to keep their immune systems healthy: foods high in antioxidants, and that’s mainly fruits and vegetables. The research on the benefits to children’s immune system is beyond contestation (one of my favorite words).

Apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and on and on and on. How you present them is up to you. I would avoid fruits juices even if you juice foods at home; you want every vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient antioxidant you can give them, and the fiber helps feed the good bacteria that are important to the . . .

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