RDA National Nutrition Month Activities 2008
Submitted by Elaine Smith, MS, RD, National Nutrition Month® Chair
National Nutrition Month® Resources are Available
You may know that National Nutrition Month ® is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually during the month of March by the American Dietetic Association. But did you know that ADA provides a wealth of resources for promoting the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits? Have you used any of the helps that ADA provides to promote registered dietitians and dietetic technicians to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information?
The theme this year is Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact and you don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” in order to carry out fresh events and promotions. I urge you to visit www.eatright.org/nnm to get help to do the following:
Order a variety of products for your clients and workplace (Catalog)
Download education flyers and healthy eating recipes (Nutrition Education Resources)
I have used several of the fact sheets ADA provides and have successfully adapted the Classroom Activities Teachers Guide to be used with seniors in group settings. I would be happy to share the resource (essmithrd@hotmail.com or 804-662-9319). Seniors as well as students can participate in these activities all year ‘round, not only in March!
Plan exciting events and download the Top 10 Nutrition Facts and National Nutrition Month® press releases (Promotional Ideas)
Using the samples provided by the ADA in this section made it easy for RDA to play a pivotal role in requesting a proclamation from Governor Tim Kaine recognizing National Nutrition Month and our first-ever Registered Dietitian Day, March 10, 2008. A letter requesting the proclamation was drafted by myself and submitted through VDA’s president, Lynda Fanning, and our lobbyist, Becky Bowers-Lanier. Look for more about the proclamation which will be showcased at the annual meeting and mentioned in Lynda Fanning’s message to membership on March 10th, Registered Dietitian Day.
Monument Avenue 10K Expo
RDA will again sponsor a booth at the 2008 Anthem Health & Fitness Expo which is part of the 2008 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. Even though the Expo is in April this year, this is one of our National Nutrition Month activities because this is a great opportunity to get the expertise of the Registered Dietitian and good nutrition messages out there. We’ve had a great response in the past as well as a great time!
WE NEED YOU—the RDA membership to help man the exhibit. Below is some basic information about the Expo. Please note that the location is NOT the Arthur Ashe Center as it was in prior years.
Show Location:
U-Turn Sports Performance Academy
2101 Maywill Street
Richmond, VA 23230
Show Hours:
Thursday, April 3rd
Set-up 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Expo Hours 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
*All exhibitors must be set-up by 2 p.m. on Thursday, so the doors can open early!
Friday, April 4th
Expo Hours 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Breakdown 9 p.m.-midnight
Time slots are available from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3rd and from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4th as well as on Thursday morning to set up.
Our booth is still being developed but generally it will provide information about RDA and dietetics professionals, sports nutrition, good general nutrition, and freebies and educational materials to give away. We also may have a gift basket to raffle and body composition analyzers to determine body comp of interested Expo attendees. More detailed information will be provided when you volunteer to help.
If you can give an hour or more promoting good nutrition and our profession at the Expo please call or email Elaine Smith at 804-662-9319 or essmithrd@hotmail.com
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Book Review:
“Deceptively Delicious, Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food" by Jessica Seinfeld
Valerie Waters, RD
As many parents struggle with keeping up with their children’s nutrition, especially if they are scared of the color green, it takes some creativity to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need to grow and excel. Well, that is exactly how Jessica Seinfeld felt when she came up with the cookbook “Deceptively Delicious”. This family friendly cookbook uses the concept of adding or “sneaking” vegetable and fruit purees into otherwise ordinary foods.
How did this book make it onto shelves and turn out to be so popular? This is how it started for Jessica, “As they became even more anti-vegetable, after my third child was born, I started looking for ways to defuse the situation. Then one day as my refrigerator was filling up with purees for my six-month old, I discovered that these purees could be incorporated into dishes the older children would willingly (and even happily) eat. It was, of course, an age-old technique, but it changed my life, making our meals more peaceful and less stressful, and making my kids healthier.”
Again, the idea of using various purees in food is not a new one, but the recipes in this book are fun, creative and truly kid friendly. Some of the recipes include chicken nuggets using broccoli puree, mac’n’cheese using cauliflower puree, even chocolate chip cookies with whole chickpeas! This is such a clever way to either add nutrients to foods that lack them or just simply give them an extra boost. Not many of us, dietitians or health professionals, can find fault in children consuming more fruits and vegetables whether they are disguised or not. Even if this concept seems like an “easy” way out of getting children to consume more fruits and veggies for some, it can be a godsend for others. What is more exciting is many mothers are even finding that this approach is helping their children acquire a taste for the real thing. So it is still important to continue putting the real deal onto lunch and dinner plates as much as possible!
The book is also endorsed by Joy Bauer, nutritionist for the Today’s Show on NBC. She wrote a chapter of the book providing helpful information and tips on nutrition for children, provided a nutritional analysis of all the purees, and of course gave the book her stamp of approval!
The book begins with several tips to make meal time and cooking “deceptively” an easy transition. These tips include how to equip your kitchen, stocking your pantry, how to make the purees, and lastly, start preparing the recipes! In addition, you will find helpful hints and testaments along the way to continue making progress with your children’s eating habits.
Start from the beginning and check out the foreword written by Dr. Roxana Mehran and Dr. Mehmet Oz… what a breath of fresh air!
While every recipe does not work for all families, the message is clear and whatever can be done to make life at the dinner table less of a battle and healthier is a step in the right direction!
