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Local’s the Way to Go
If you’re a supermarket RD, you know of the growing demand for local foods, as many of you are helping to promote in-store programs and educate shoppers about their value within the community and to the environment.
In this month’s E-News Exclusive, Today’s Dietitian (TD) provides an overview of what’s driving the local foods trend, how retail dietitians are actively involved with introducing initiatives to help promote them, and the increased business opportunities available to farmers, ranchers, and local vendors.
After reading the article, visit TD’s website at www.TodaysDietitian.com to read the digital edition of the March issue, which includes articles on the health benefits of coffee, creative ways to increase produce intake, impacts of modern agriculture, and our ninth annual TD10 feature, which includes amazing profiles of the top 10 dietitians you helped nominate for their incredible work in dietetics.
Don’t forget to check out RDLounge.com where you can read and comment on blogs written by RDs for RDs on timely topics. We’re welcoming new guest bloggers, so if you’re interested in writing, please contact me at the e-mail listed below.
Please enjoy the E-Newsletter and give us your feedback at TDeditor@gvpub.com, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
— Judith Riddle, editor |
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How Grocery Stores are Promoting Local
By Esther Ellis, MS, RD, LDN
As the demand for local foods continues to increase, supermarkets are taking note. Many retailers are making changes to appeal to “locavores” by initiating new programs that call more attention to local foods, while maintaining the added benefit of being a one-stop shop.
According to Packaged Facts, a food industry research company, sales of local foods are expected to increase to $20 billion by 2019, up from $5 billion in 2008.1 While the trend of local is rising, reports from the USDA suggest that farmers’ markets are starting to experience a plateau; one reason may be that other retail entities such as grocery stores are claiming more of the share.2,3
Buying local foods comes with perks for consumers and the local economy. More of the money gleaned from these purchases goes back to local farms and businesses.2 Buying local also reduces environmental impacts, decreasing the distance between producer and consumer, subsequently cutting fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. Another environmental benefit is a reduction of waste from packaging and processing. The reduced processing and travel time also may mean local foods have more nutrients and better flavor since they’re fresher at purchase.4 Consumers often are willing to pay extra for these benefits.2
“Buying locally grown also provides the opportunity to ask how food is grown,” says Shari Steinbach, MS, RDN, owner of Shari Steinbach & Associates, LLC, a nutrition and culinary communications consulting firm that connects food companies, health professionals, and consumers in the retail setting. “Families can visit farms and become more familiar with how healthful, safe food gets to their store and ultimately their table.”
Full story » |
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ACSM Releases New Recommendations,
Warnings on Energy Drink Safety
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has released a new official statement regarding energy drinks, published in the college’s clinical review journal, Current Sports Medicine Reports. “Energy Drinks: A Contemporary Issues Paper” provides helpful guidance and warnings regarding these beverages because of the dangers they present to at-risk populations, primarily children, who are the most vulnerable and the target of marketing efforts.
“Energy drinks are extremely popular, and concerns about their consumption are coming from every sector of society, which is why we’ve published these recommendations,” says first author of the report, John Higgins, MD, FACSM. “Our review of the available science showed that excessive levels of caffeine found in energy drinks can have adverse effects on cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, renal, and endocrine systems, as well as psychiatric symptoms. More needs to be done to protect children and adolescents, as well as adults with cardiovascular or other medical conditions.”
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Online Nutrition and Wellness
Certificate Debuts
Cornell University announces in a press release the inception of its online Nutrition and Healthy Living certificate program for evidence-based health and wellness training.
Canada Proposes Front-of-Packaging Nutrition Labeling
The Canadian government seeks comments on proposed mandatory front-of-package nutrition labeling that includes statements about saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content, according to Forbes. |
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Becoming Our Clients’ Food Stylists
By Diana K. Rice, RDN, LD
“I was bad. I ate a burger and fries. I know I should have gotten the salad.”
How many of us have heard this from clients? And therefore we talk about how to frame the decision next time, how there’s no such thing as “good” and “bad” food, and how the foods we choose to eat aren’t a reflection of our own morality.
Yet I find that it can be difficult to help clients take this sentiment to heart when, as dietitians, we’re trained to know which foods are most health-promoting. Do we really believe that “good-for-you” foods—the foods we likely eat most often ourselves—aren’t in and of themselves “good”?
No other inanimate object is assigned moral value the way individual foods are by our culture. And so I wonder whether looking at food through the same lens as we do other items we rely on for daily living (eg, clothing) might help us and our clients understand that food is just food.
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In the April Issue
The Facts About Fermented Foods
Safety and Efficacy of Energy Drinks
Vitamin B12 in the Vegan Diet
Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk
Soy’s Heart Health Claim Under Fire |
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