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nutritionist

Behind the Plate

BEHIND THE PLATE: JACKIE NEWGENT

December 12, 2016

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Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN is not only a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, she’s also a classically-trained chef, and an award-winning cookbook author. Clearly a top-notch nutrition expert, Jackie has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, and The Food Network, among many others. Plus she’s a Foodstand contributor! Many thanks to Jackie for her continuing wisdom and tips.

Please tell us about what you do.
I wear lots of hats in the world of culinary nutrition. Some of what I do includes working as a recipe developer for national publications and websites including Rachael Ray Every Day, Livestrong, and Fitbit. I’m also a spokesperson for food companies, including KIND Snacks and Wonderful Pistachios; a recreational chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education; and a cookbook author. I do tend to spend a lot of time cooking in my kitchen and shopping at Whole Foods Market and my local farmers market … and I love that!

The holiday season is upon us. Any good-eating advice to avoid overindulging?
Incorporate plenty of exercise into your routine, especially before a meal if possible. Fill up half of your holiday plate with a non-starchy veggie, like a leafy salad. Then go ahead and allow yourself to enjoy a taste of all your favorites.

How do you define good food?
I define good food simply as that which is real, fresh, and plant-based.

How did you become interested in good eating, and when did you know you wanted to work in nutrition?
My mother was a caterer and showed me from a very young age where “good” food comes from and what it tastes like. That ranged from getting chicken from a certain farm on a Tuesday when it was freshest, to befriending produce managers who gave us special tastings, to plucking grape leaves from wild vines in northeastern Ohio where I grew up. I also was interested in the medical field. So, I combined these two passions and became a registered dietitian nutritionist. But I didn’t stop there; I then went to culinary school after college to learn classical cuisine techniques … to make sure the healthy cooking techniques I was creating were born from a solid knowledge base.

Countries across the world are taking action on their nation’s food systems—for example, Brazil recently added the right to food to its constitution, and introduced enviable and comprehensive good eating guidelines that include everything from nutrition to sustainability. What efforts would you like to see the US take to help the American people eat better?
With the new administration taking over, my major worry in the food arena is about the loosening, if not deteriorating, of environmental regulations and climate change goals. My hope is that industrial farmers and food companies will take action and do the right thing, not just aim to meet minimum government regulations. I’d love to see all cities step up and make composting simple for all consumers. I hope people take their own action and “vote” with their pocketbook, supporting natural and organic foods as well as food companies that share and follow a planet-friendly sustainability mission. And at minimum, I hope Americans become increasingly aware of food waste—and do their part to reduce their own. Small changes really can add up to make a big difference.

What three ingredients are always in your fridge/pantry?
Avocados, almost every nut in existence, and maybe a dozen different vinegars.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop better, long-term eating habits?
Eat more non-starchy veggies! Fill up half of every mealtime plate or bowl with them. And select them seasonally, as possible.

What’s your favorite healthy snack?
I’m a big fan of hummus! My mother was Lebanese, so I’ve actually been making and eating it all of my life—way before it was ever mainstream. I often scoop it up with English cucumber slices. But when I need a munchie treat, I enjoy it with organic blue corn tortilla chips. My mother certainly would not approve of this nontraditional pick!

How do you incorporate a variety of vegetables into your diet?
I could spend hours sharing all of the ways I incorporate vegetables into my meals. But, in a nutshell, I try to include them in practically every single dish that I make, including many desserts! For breakfast, I love sautéing up a seasonal hash out of any leftover veggies or veggie scraps I have—and topping it with a fried organic egg or two. For lunch, I’m a fan of a stuffed roasted or a grilled vegetable burrito. For dinner, I enjoy making major statements out of large vegetables, like heads of cauliflower or whole eggplant. And pumpkin purée, fresh herbs, zucchini and other vegetables may find their way into my desserts. Basically, I think of vegetables as the most versatile and playful foods in the kitchen!

Good eating habits need to be developed from an early age, not only to set the foundation for habits one keeps as an adult, but also to stop type 2 diabetes in its tracks. What do you think is the best way to educate our children about food?
The best way to educate kids about good eating habits is to have them get involved as soon as possible, including taking part in food shopping and preparation (as age-appropriate), as well as having them plant and care for of at least one vegetable or fruit of their choosing. That’s exactly how I was raised and wouldn’t change a thing about that!

How do you manage to eat well when traveling or on-the-go?
I think it’s important to have a healthful mindset. I don’t think of traveling or being on-the-go as anything “special,” but rather just a normal part of life. So, the only thing that really changes in these instances is I may dine out a little more and I need to be sure I have a planned, portable snack on hand. Vegetables and other healthful options are available all over the world; you just need to make it a point to choose them!

If you could get the general population to change one aspect of their eating habits, what would it be?
Other than enjoying more non-starchy veggies, I encourage all to sit down, take your time, and truly savor your meals way more often than you’re likely doing right now.

Favorite vegan proteins?
Beans, hemp seeds, or pistachios are nearly always in my daily eating repertoire.

Favorite sweet treat with no added sugar?
I “crave” a juicy, ripe, super-sized wedge of watermelon … when it’s in season!

Many people (ourselves included) eat well throughout the day, but get into trouble at that nighttime snack hour when it’s easy to grab sugary cereal or ice cream. What’s your favorite better-for-you late night snack?
I often have a “see-food” late night snack! What I mean by that is I keep numerous see-through lidded bowls and jars of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits on my kitchen counter—where I can see them. I mix-n-match a small bowl of them to satisfy my need for something sweet, salty, and crunchy. And if I really need something on the sweeter side, I toss in a little surprise of a few chocolate chips!

What’s your favorite part about what you do?
I don’t think of what I do for a living as a “job”! I absolutely love what I do. That’s my favorite part—all of it… including knowing that in some small way I’m helping others improve their health. And you can’t beat getting paid to do what you love!

Good eating isn’t about perfection, it’s about habits and progress. From time to time we all eat something we don’t feel so great about later. What is your advice for those oops moments?
Be positive and forgive yourself! Instead of dwelling on what you did, focus on what you’ll do differently in the future.

Behind the Plate

BEHIND THE PLATE: BECKY RAMSING

October 24, 2016

Becky Ramsing, MPH, RDN is a Senior Program Officer with the Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work and interests cover the food system as a whole—from nutrition and public health, to farming and the environment, and have taken her all over the world.

Please tell us about Center for a Livable Future and your role.
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future works with students, educators, researchers, policymakers, advocacy organizations and communities to build a healthier, more equitable, and resilient food system. Our work is driven by the concept that public health, diet, food production and the environment are deeply interrelated and that understanding these relationships is crucial in pursuing a livable future.

I work with the Food Communities and Public Health program. I primarily oversee CLF’s role as science and technical advisors to the Meatless Monday campaign.

You were instrumental in formulating Foodstand’s ‘Eat Less Meat’ Challenge. Why is eating less meat important?
Meat consumption is a part of our culture. Yet, there are consequences to eating excessive amounts of meat. First of all, health. Diets high in animal products, particularly red meat and processed meats, are associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mortality. On the other hand, people who eat diets that are higher in vegetables and plant proteins generally have healthier weights and lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases.

Then there is the environment. Producing meat (raising animals for meat) uses up disproportionate amounts of water, land and resources, compared to plant foods. It takes 5-8 times more water to produce a pound of beef compared to a pound of beans. Additionally, 30% of the arable land on the planet is used grow animal food and raise animals. Sadly, Amazon rainforests and other land valuable to the health of our planet are being destroyed for this cause. And, producing animals for meat generates large amounts of greenhouse gases–14.5% of all greenhouse gases globally in fact. The Paris Climate Deal outlines goals to limit growth in GHG’s to under 2%, yet even with major changes in energy, transportation and even farming practices, we can’t reach this goal unless we eat less meat.

Finally, producing the amount of meat people demand has caused a shift toward concentrated facilities in which animals are raised in crowded, dirty conditions that lead to contamination issues and also spur the over-use of medically important antibiotics.

Countries across the world are taking action on their nation’s food systems—for example, Brazil recently added the right to food to its constitution, and introduced enviable and comprehensive good eating guidelines that include everything from nutrition to sustainability. What efforts would you like to see the US take to help the American people eat better?
The U.S. needs to separate science from industry. The Guidelines should be based on the science of nutrition but also on health, climate, environment and animal welfare. Again it’s operating within a system rather than in a vacuum. Because ultimately, our health depends on a healthy and productive environment with clean water, healthy soil and breathable air. If we can’t produce and access quality food, our health will suffer.

How did you become interested in good eating?
I have been in the food and healthy eating field for nearly 30 years. I studied nutrition in college after deciding that it was a skill I could use to make lives better wherever I ended up. It has been a fun journey, especially since good food is often a part of it. During college I worked at a food magazine developing, testing and publishing recipes. While this was enjoyable, it was missing the connection of food and health, so after graduation I moved across the country for a dietetic internship. After training and working as a registered dietitian for several years in Boston, I moved to Tanzania (East Africa) to work with a relief and development agency. I ended up working with the national Nutrition Center focusing primarily on diabetes. Partnering with local health professionals, we developed a training project to help patients understand their disease and how they could eat to manage their blood sugar. Patient-centered care was a new concept for them, and it was exciting to see the nurses and docs realize that patients did better when they had a better understanding of their disease, which was especially important because of the lack of medication and blood testing supplies.

When we came back to the States, I went back to school to study public health (right here at Johns Hopkins) because I wanted to broaden my focus beyond nutrition. Since graduating in 1999 I have been involved in nutrition and health communication in the community, at the university level, in schools, work sites and with individuals. (I also spent another year in Uganda working with a local HIV/AIDs organization.) I have particularly enjoyed equipping families and teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to model and teach healthy eating habits, which most often includes hand on practice shopping and cooking.

Food systems became more alive to me while working with University of Maryland Extension. As I connected suburban residents with farms, children to the source of their food, and families to accessing and utilizing healthy foods, it was evident that the linkage to growing the food enhances the enjoyment and appreciation of food.  It actually takes nutrition out of the main conversation and puts food in the forefront. I find that when people make a food decision based on wholeness, taste and quality, it is ultimately a healthier decision!

While at UMD, I helped start and manage a project in Afghanistan helping marginalized women grow food for their families and income and also take responsibility for the whole process—planning, obtaining resources, managing a garden, preserving and cooking, pricing and marketing. Women became leaders and problem solvers in the food security realm. We also worked with universities in Ethiopia doing similar projects. The program has grown and has now been highlighted by USDA, USAID and several media outlets.

So, coming to CLF has been a culmination of sorts.  Here I can use knowledge, research and collaboration to educate about food and sustainability and to understand how to help people and their communities access fresh, healthy foods. This is especially important in the nutrition field. Registered dietitians are just now starting to understand that their recommendations are not in a vacuum. We need to think about the food we recommend, where it comes from, how it’s obtained, and how it fits in the larger food system.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop better, long-term eating habits?
Try new foods. Learn to enjoy vegetables. Cook at home. (I know that’s 3!)

Is there any aspect of your diet that you’ve been trying to improve? If so, how have you been trying to improve it?
I’m a distance runner, so I try to balance pre and post workout food to optimize muscle recovery and synthesis. It’s become a lot more important as I’ve gotten older and more injury prone. I spread out my protein, making sure I get more in the morning and after long runs. I also try to get a lot of phytochemicals from colorful fruits and vegetables. And, I focus on getting nitrates from foods such as beets and arugula to help with oxygen efficiency.

My worst habit is snacking. I keep nuts on hand because they fill me up. I also make sure I am not thirsty. Often I find we snack when what we really want is a drink of water!

What’s always in your fridge to keep you on track?
Almonds are my go-to snack! I also keep peanut butter, good whole grain bread, plain yogurt, and frozen berries. And, of course, lots of vegetables! (I garden and belong to a CSA.) I often roast a bunch of vegetables and use them throughout the week in salads, with grains, or in other recipes. I keep sparkling water on hand for a calorie free drink while I’m cooking and wanting to snack (or drink a glass of wine!).

What’s your favorite meatless dinner party recipe?
Polenta with red pepper sauce and grilled vegetables.

How has studying nutrition in conjunction with agriculture changed the way you envision a healthy food system?
I envision a healthy food system as one in which we can grow and produce diverse, nutritionally optimal foods. It’s not only efficiency or growing staples such as grains, corn, soy; it’s producing a variety of nutrients from a variety of vegetables, fruits, and even a small amount of meat, dairy and fish! And producing foods in a way that optimizes nutrients and the health of the soil without harming the environment or using unsafe chemicals. I also don’t see food as a single unit, or just something to get at the grocery store. When I recommend a food, I look at the environmental impact, the ease of access, even the packaging and processing involved.

Good eating habits need to be developed from an early age, not only to set the foundation for habits one keeps as adults, but also to stop type 2 diabetes in its tracks. What do you think is the best way to educate our children about food?
Get them cooking and trying new foods from the beginning! Let them make choices (but have them decide between two good choices). Don’t be overly strict, but model good eating and expose them to many types of foods early. Move beyond “kid-friendly” food because there really is no such thing! Kids can eat what adults eat in smaller portions!

And remember, you are raising children to be healthy adults—don’t fret if it doesn’t come together when they are 8. You are teaching them habits for a lifetime and modeling the ability to learn and try new flavors. That’s more valuable than always eating the right thing!

You worked on projects in Afghanistan and Ethiopia focusing on nutrition and food security. What’s one thing that experience taught you?
Even people who are poor and lacking resources need to figure out how to solve problems and look for the resources they need. If you just give them things, it fosters a sense of dependency that backfires when assistance is gone. Often people just need encouragement and reassurance that they are doing a great job!

What’s your favorite lesser-known vegetable, and how do you eat/prepare it?
I like Kohlrabi. It’s nice with roasted vegetables or in a salad. Fennel is also great thinly sliced in a salad. Not lesser-known, but I love roasted beets in a salad, on greens and even in chocolate cake!

Favorite meatless proteins?
Beans and lentils–from our years living in Africa, my family loves beans and rice! They are great on a budget and super easy to make. Lentils are really quick—only 30 minutes, so I can make them when I get home from work and serve them with rice or bread.

How do you manage to eat well when traveling or on-the-go?
I bring my lunch to work and carry snacks as much as possible on trips. When staying in a hotel, I will go to a grocery store to get yogurt and fruit for breakfast—or some peanut butter and bread. Then I can justify a better dinner. I avoid fast food as much as possible. When eating out, I look for vegetarian options with lots of vegetables. Ethnic restaurants usually have good options. I’m really happy when I can find a restaurant that serves fresh, locally sourced foods.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?
As a registered dietitian, I have been able to do a whole variety of things, which has been really fun. Right now I’m enjoying taking science and communicating it to people who are making decisions—whether it’s a major policy, a program, or what to put on the table for dinner!

Good eating isn’t about perfection, it’s about habits and progress. From time to time we all eat something we don’t feel so great about later. What is your advice for those oops moments?
If you backtrack or eat something you don’t feel great about, just make the next meal better.  Don’t try to punish yourself or make up for it, and don’t wait until tomorrow!

It’s not about perfection. It’s really about doing better. People get stuck when they think there’s only one right way to eat and then they don’t quite succeed. In fact, there are many ways you can obtain a healthy, balanced diet, and we have a lot of options here in the U.S. I find this is especially important for parents. If you are having trouble with family meals and manage to get a home cooked meal on the table twice in the week, that’s 2 days you didn’t go out! That’s progress!

Any parting words?
Eating less meat is not something people think about first when considering the environment or health, but reducing meat can open up so many new culinary possibilities and make a huge difference! I love that the food-world is catching on. Moving meat off the center of the plate has inspired some really delicious menus in restaurants, recipes, food blogs, etc. And it’s “icing on the cake” that it’s good for us and the planet!

Behind the Plate

BEHIND THE PLATE: ANDY BELLATTI

October 10, 2016

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Andy Bellatti, MS, RD, is a dietitian and health coach who focuses on whole-food-based, plant-centric nutrition. With a background in journalism, Andy’s interests in nutrition go beyond our daily practices into food politics, policy, and issues surrounding the way the food industry has shaped our relationship with food.

Please tell us about what you do.
My full-time job is in corporate wellness/corporate health coaching. Additionally, I am the strategic director of Dietitians For Professional Integrity, and I do freelance writing on various food system and nutrition topics.

How did you become interested in good eating?
My current interest in food developed slowly over time. The first significant event happened in 2004 when I watched Morgan Spurlock’s documentary, Super Size Me. I walked out of the theater wanting to learn more; so much more. Super Size Me went beyond the unhealthiness of fast food. It was also my first exposure to issues of food politics and the industry’s massive power and influence in shaping policy and the food environment.

I watched that documentary just days after graduating from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. That movie lit the initial spark that eventually led me to get a master’s degree in nutrition and become a registered dietitian.

If you could get the general population to change one aspect of their eating habits, what would it be?
Eat more plants. The average American falls woefully short of the daily recommended intake of fiber. That paints a very picture clear: we aren’t eating enough whole, plant-based foods (the only ones that contain fiber).

Talk a little bit about Dietitians for Professional Integrity.
Dietitians For Professional Integrity was founded in February of 2013. A few weeks prior, public health attorney Michele Simon published a report on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ food industry ties that garnered national attention. As a vocal critic of these ties, I saw an important opportunity to mobilize like-minded dietitians and create an organized movement calling for sponsorship reform.

Since our inception, the topic of corporate sponsorships within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics went from being relegated to the back of the closet to taking center stage as a “Mega Topic” at last year’s House of Delegates meeting. Additionally, the Academy created a sponsorship advisory task force. It’s progress.

How do you define good food?
There are many different definitions depending on the context. Above all else, good food promotes health and nourishes. While that relates to a food’s nutritional profile, it has nothing to do with one specific nutrient. Avocados, high in fat, promote health. So do pears, which are 96 percent carbohydrate. “Low-fat” and “low-carb” miss the point. “Low-processed” is more important.

Good food should also promote the health of our planet and the health of workers. A nutritious salad made with tomatoes picked by laborers who are not paid fairly is not “good food”.  Neither is a decadent and delicious chocolate bar made from beans picked by child slaves.

Countries across the world are taking action on their nation’s food systems—for example, Brazil recently added the right to food to its constitution, and introduced enviable and comprehensive good eating guidelines that include everything from nutrition to sustainability. What is one policy effort you would you like to see the US take to help the American people eat better?
Get corporate money out of politics. Many of the policy decisions that influence what we eat are voted on by politicians that receive financial contributions from powerful food industry lobbies. It’s a tangled web, and I can’t say that I have a step-by-step plan of how to do that. Voting for politicians who do not have a record of being in the pocket of industries is a good start.

What’s always in your fridge?
A variety of plant-based milks (the differences in flavors and textures make some a better fit for coffee, and others perfect for cooking oatmeal), broccoli, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds.

Is there any aspect of your diet that you’ve been trying to improve? If so, how have you been trying to improve it?
I have become more mindful of my omega-3 intake. I realized that I ate almonds and pistachios on a daily basis. Of course, they are healthful, but I noticed that they displaced plant-based omega-3 fats. So, I now have two to three tablespoons of hemp, chia, and/or ground flax several times a week. They are so easy to sprinkle over a variety of dishes.

How do you incorporate a variety of vegetables into your diet?
The key, as I tell my coachees, is to make vegetables taste good so you crave them. So many people equate vegetables with mushy peas and carrots or bland salads. Blegh. I love lightly steamed broccoli with a drizzle of hemp oil and a few shakes of nutritional yeast and cayenne pepper, roasted root vegetables (the caramelization brings out their flavors, and a pinch of salt adds the perfect contrast), dipping cucumbers in hummus, adding arugula to homemade pesto, and sautéeing lacinato kale in olive oil and garlic (goes great with whole wheat pasta).

Good eating habits need to be developed from an early age, not only to set the foundation for the habits one maintains as an adult, but also to stop childhood-onset type 2 diabetes in its tracks. What do you think is the best way to educate our children about food?
Lead by example. I recently had a coachee who was in awe that, once she made it a point to serve vegetables with family meals, her toddlers started eating vegetables. She told me she didn’t think much of it before because she didn’t think her children would want to eat them. By simply offering vegetables with meals—and never requiring her children eat them or bribing them with dessert—she normalized the behavior.

Good eating is more than what you eat, it’s also being mindful about how you eat it. What is your favorite way to enjoy a good meal?
Of course a meal with a few close friends (I don’t like large group meals) is always fun. That said, I live by myself, so I’m totally guilty of eating dinner while catching up on vacuous reality television (sometimes it’s Rachel Maddow though, so cut me some slack).

How do you manage to eat well when traveling or on-the-go?
I usually travel to large cities where healthful food is widely and easily available, so I can’t say I have to put forth a lot of effort in that sense. If anything, the part that requires some forethought is airports, but I bring snacks with me. My go-to travel snacks include roasted chickpeas, low-sugar snack bars, and dark chocolate.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?
Seeing the tangible results of improving one’s diet. I have been a health coach for almost five years and can think of many people who, as a result of simply eating better, improved all sorts of biomarkers: triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. Many of them even halved their medication dosages or gotten completely off of them.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to someone trying to develop better, longterm eating habits?
Identify one particular habit that you think currently gets in the way of your health goals, and focus exclusively on that goal—on a daily basis—for at least 60 days. Then, and only then, should you even begin to entertain adding another goal. One very common mistake many people make is simultaneously trying to eat more fiber, cut back on sodium, cut back on added sugar, and go from a sedentary lifestyle to working out six days a week. It’s a recipe for frustration.

Good eating isn’t about perfection, it’s about habits and progress. From time to time we all eat something we don’t feel so great about later. What is your advice for those oops moments?
I always tell my coachees to keep the 80/20 or 90/10 rule in mind. What ultimately determines your health is what you do 80-90 percent of the time. That leaves the remaining 10-20 percent for special occasions, celebrations, indulgences, and times when your life gets turned a little upside down (consider how much your eating gets disrupted when you move, for example). If you want to eat well 99% of the time, more power to you. But that isn’t the only way. When you think of the big picture, you realize that enjoying a cupcake at a baby shower is a non-issue. Of course, I also think it is important to differentiate between savoring and truly enjoying treats, as opposed to turning to those foods to fill emotional voids.