Nutrition Viewpoint: August 2010 Archives

August 2010 Archives

August 12, 2010 5:24 PM

Why Is Food So Complicated?

My husband recently gave me a book that contains recipes from the 1950s and 1960s. What a trip down memory lane! I am a Clevelander and remember going to Higbee's Silver Grille for lunch. It was on the top floor of a building on Public Square. Little girls were given their lunches in containers that looked like stoves and little boys were given their lunches in trucks (no stereotyping there!).

As I got older, I loved Higbees even more. The food was wonderful, especially the muffins and casseroles like chicken and rice. While reading the recipes in my new book, I was struck by how simple menus were back then - no cream and very little butter (or "oleo" as it was called then), reasonable portions, not at all gourmet.

I think perhaps we need to take a look at how we cook today and put things back into perspective. For example, there are programs on the Food Network featuring recipes in which calories are way over the top, yet the host claims they are "family friendly"! Where have the good old-fashioned basics gone?

Bottom line: I think we just focus way too much on food. It's "on" 24/7. You ask people about their vacations and what do they tell you about? The restaurants and the food. And I am as guilty as the next person. I enjoy cooking tours and I love to watch the Food Network; nevertheless, when people are so preoccupied with food, I think we are over doing a good thing.

Surely there is more to do than to look forward to than the next good meal. Let's take our collective mind off food and while we're at it, let's take the spotlight off chefs as nutrition and health experts. They are culinary experts. Dietitians are the experts who belong in the role of nutrition advisors to the nation. Together dietitians and chefs make a great team - but let's make sure their respective roles are clear. And I exhort both chefs and dietitians: Focus on the basics. Keep your messages simple. Help us put food back into perspective.

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By Susan Finn on August 12, 2010 5:24 PM | No Comments

August 6, 2010 1:31 PM

Family Matters

The front-page headline on the August 3 Chicago Tribune caught my eye as I hurried through the airport: "Shared suppers a recipe for healthy families." Naturally, I bought a paper to read on the plane. The article reported on a recent Tribune poll showing that, on average, Chicago-area families surveyed ate dinner together at home five out of seven nights.

The article points out that research has linked regular family dinners to positive behaviors in children, including improved academic performance, less likelihood of suicidal thoughts, and avoidance of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. All good news - but something's missing: Research also shows that families that eat together eat more healthfully.

Let's not forget that the family dining table is another important front in the fight against obesity. In fact, given the influence we know parents have on their children, it may be the most important front.

Earlier this year, the Food Marketing Institute demonstrated that it recognizes the role of the family health promotion. FMI's new slogan - Feeding Families and Enriching Lives - says it all. Supermarkets like Giant Eagle ("Your grocery, cooking and lifestyle destination") and HyVee ("Making lives easier, healthier, happier) are deploying in-store registered dietitians to advise shoppers - who are usually menu planners and cooks as well - how to put healthy meal on the table.

As we focus on schools, the workplace and communities, let's not forget what I believe is fundamentally the most important nutrition learning environment of all - the family dining table.

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By Susan Finn on August 6, 2010 1:31 PM | No Comments