Nutrition: Variety and Moderation

Variety and moderation really are the keys to good nutrition. The greater the variety of food we eat, the greater the chance of consuming all the nutrients we need.

Nothing in moderation will hurt us, and nothing in excess is good for us. The key is determining what is moderate and what is excessive! This can vary based upon our individual health status. If in doubt, discuss it with your physician and registered dietitian.

Nutrition in Long-term Care

For detailed information on nutrition in long-term care, please refere to these past postings.

• Therapeutic diets, http://farrelltraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/nutrition-therapeutic-diets-for-long.html
• Unintended weight loss, http://farrelltraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/nutrition-unintended-weight-loss.html

Food Packaging Dates

There can be some confusion on what the various dates on food mean. A summary follows.

• "Sell-by date." This is just the date that the store must sell it by. Buy it by that date, but remember is is safe to use past that date.
• "Best if used by date." This refers to quality. The product is still safe to use past that date, but it may not taste as good.
• "Expiration or use-by dates." This relates to food safety! Do not use product past these dates, as it may be harmful to your health.

Portion Control

Portion control is critical in our professional food service lives. It affects foods costs, nutritional adequacy, customer satisfaction, and regulatory compliance.

Portion control is also important in our personal lives. Most of us are trying to eat healthier and/or to eat less. One of the best things we can do is to follow portion sizes.

The only way to learn accurate portion sizes is to read the label and measure it, weigh it, or count it. If you do not already do this, start. You will be amazed!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Traditional Irish foods include Irish stew, potatoes, cabbage, soda bread, potatoes and cabbage, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, and did I mention potatoes?

Other traditional staples include grains (especially oats) and dairy products. Soups, seafood, and meats such as beef, lamb, and pork are also traditional staples.

Today, there is much more diversity in the Irish diet. As the Irish traveled to mainland Europe, they brought back the desire to eat other ethnic foods on a regular basis.

Nutrition: Diet Manual

The diet manual is the foundation for nutritional services in any health care setting. The diet manual provides the latest scientific research for normal and therapeutic nutrition.

The diet manual is the basis for the menus. This includes menu items as well as portion sizes.

For additional information go to http://farrelltraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/nutrition-diet-manual.html.

Registered Dietitian Day: Wednesday, March 9, 2011

This is the fourth annual Registered Dietitian Day! Registered Dietitian Day recognizes dietitians as advocates for improving the nutritional status of their patients and communities.

For additional information, please go to the American Dietetic Association website, www.eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id=5189.

Three Reliable Sources for Nutrition Information

There are many sources of nutrition information available! Many are reliable. Some are not. How do you know? The following are just three reliable sources.

1. American Dietetic Association, www.eatright.org.
2. USDA, www.mypyramid.gov.
3. Your local registered dietitian! You can search for a dietitian by location and specialty by going to www.eatright.org and clicking on the "Find a Dietitian" button in the upper right hand corner.

Nutrition: March is National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! This is a great time to learn more about nutrition and make a positive change in your eating habits. Today's Dietitian had a great article about focusing on foods to add rather than on foods to avoid in its February issue.

Remember, any change, no matter how small, will have an impact!