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 yogurt
2 T slivered almonds

Makes about 2 servings.. double or triple the recipe for more of course.

Instructions:
Mix together the grapes, apple pieces, marshmallows, yogurt, and almonds.
Serve in small bowl
Enjoy!

This yummy dessert is a good source of fiber, calcium vitamin C and adds a nice dose of needed potassium. I suppose you could also make this an afternoon snack. If you don’t plan to serve it right away, add the almonds in just before serving. Otherwise they get a little soggy.

Nutrient Facts per serving
Calories 230
Fat 4.5 grams
Protein 5 grams
Fiber 3.5 grams
Calcium 133 mg
Potassium 400mg
Vitamin C 13 mg

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

(photo courtesy of Dano)

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 muscles and bones - and osteoporosis in adults.

Traditionally vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because the body can synthesize it when the sun hits our skin. So theoretically we should be able to get all we need from the sun, as there aren’t a lot of food sources of vitamin D.

Unfortunately, sunscreen has been getting in the way of that source. History has also taught us to wear sunscreen to protect us from skin cancer. That practice, however, blocks out the suns’ ultraviolet rays that are needed to trigger vitamin D production in the body. There is a current debate amongst dermatologists and vitamin D experts over safe sun exposure. The dermatologists say sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen to protect protect protect our delicate skin from the suns’ harmful rays. While the vitamin D experts claim the risk from lack of vitamin D is much higher than the risk for getting skin cancer, so spend a little time in the sun

Ironically chronic vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a reduced risk of some cancers. And it doesn’t stop there; the big D appears to be protective against diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, perhaps even multiple sclerosis. The current recommendation for vitamin D ranges from 200 to 400 International Units (IU). But the consensus is that isn’t enough. To obtain the vitamins’ protective effects researchers advise 1,000 to 2,000 IUs a day. That’s a big jump.

Bottom-line: don’t be quite so afraid of the sun. The recommendation is to make sure you get adequate sunlight but of course avoid burning. So what does that mean? How much sun? It is longer for some than it is for others. The darker your skin the more time in the sun you will need, 2-4 times more than that of a pale skinned person. The general rule of thumb from Vitamin D enthusiasts is to get just enough sun before your skin changes color i.e. before you get pink if you are light skinned, about 10 to 20 minutes. If you live in the Northern United States the sun’s rays aren’t strong enough year round to trigger vitamin D production in the skin so make sure you get a little sun in this summer to carry you through the winter months. But do put your sunscreen on after you’ve been in the sun for a few minutes, and before you start to change color.

And of course there are a few food sources you can rely on; milk is a good source because it is fortified with vitamin D (most soy and rice milks are now too, but you have to read labels to make sure). Yogurt may or may not be fortified so again check labels. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, shrimp and tuna are excellent sources. Egg yolks and mushrooms have a little. Look for fortified cereals and orange juice to boost your intake.

You can also take a supplement. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 200 IU supplements for at-risk children and adolescents. There hasn't been an official updated recommendation for adults yet, but keeping it under 2,000 IUs a day is considered safe.

Go out and get your D!

(photo courtesy of keone)

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 that kind of approach.. but who knows, maybe a big celeb like Shaq can exert a positive influence. The show starts Tuesday April 26 on ABC. Apparently, as an appointee of the Florida Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Shaq hopes to take his crusade into the States' schools advocating more PE and nutritious lunches.

That I really am curious to see as we all know it is quite a challenge to dramatically change the inner workings of our school system given the pressures on them by such legislation as "No Child Left Behind" and lack of funding for higher quality meals. If he comes up with a solution I am all ears!

More on the marketing front: Food firms are being asked to take the lead of Kellogg's by further restricting advertising to children. The Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Senator Edward Markey, is calling on Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kraft, PepsiCo and McDonald's to step up and play larger role in "solving the childhood obesity problem through socially responsible advertising practices". The Democratic Representative held a hearing this week with the Subcommittee to determine if legislative or regulatory action should be taken to "safeguard kids from junk food ads" said Markey. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services will also hold a forum, Weighing In: A Check-Up on Marketing, Self-Regulation, and Childhood Obesity July 18th to further examine the food industries practices and if any progress has been made.

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 promotora is a community member who is trained to teach healthy habits within that community.

Ingredients:

1 lb cooked chicken breast, shredded (or chunks)
2 - 7oz cans of green salsa (tomatillo)
1 bag prewashed and cut romaine lettuce, (5-10 oz bag depending on how lettucy you want the salad to be)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
1 - 14 ½ oz can black or pinto beans, rinsed
½ cup low fat (light) sour cream
12 tortilla chips

Instructions:
1. Place chicken and green salsa in a pot or sauté pan and cook for about 5 minutes (you can simply mix the chicken with the salsa and skip the cooking part. Simmering it with the salsa helps lock in the flavors but if you're time constrained don't worry about it).
2. If you did warm up the chicken and salsa set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large salad bowl gently toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and beans.
2. Add the chicken and toss.
3. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and a couple of chips.
4. Serve immediately

Serves 6

You can find precooked chicken usually in the meat section of your grocery store. If you've got time on your hands and want to save money, buy raw chicken breast. To cook it, bring the chicken to a boil in a large pot. Simmer until cooked through, remove from the pot and allow it to cool for a few minutes (keeping food safety in mind - 2 hours is the limit for meat to be out of the refrigerator so don't forget about it). Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it or chop it up into chunks. Return it to same pot, add the green salsa and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from heat allowing it to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad).

The salsa in this recipe acts as the dressing helping keep fat and calories down, plus adding to your vegetable intake. Brilliant!

Nutrients per serving:

Calories: 339

Protein: 31 g

Fat: 12 g

Cholesterol: 56 mg

Sodium: 570 mg (that's if you cook the chicken yourself; precooked chicken may or may not have added sodium, check the nutrition facts label and ingredients)

Fiber: 7 g (wow!)

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Iron: 4 mg (nice)

Vitamin A: 325 RE

Calcium: 182 mg

Enjoy and have a fruit and veggie filled day!

(photo courtest of fonticulus)

2. Consume no sugar-sweetened beverages (nada!)

3. Eat a daily breakfast

4. Limit meals outside of the home (i.e. more meals at home and fewer restaurant/fast food meals)

5. Family meals should happen at least 5-6 times per week

6. Limit portion sizes

7. Parents - Allow the child to self-regulate his or her meals and avoiding overly restrictive behaviors (i.e. refrain from telling your child to "clean her plate")

8. Limit screen time to two or fewer hours per day

9. NO television in the room where the child sleeps

10. Engage in one hour or more of daily physical activity

(Photos courtesy of Vic Lic and Saynine)