Friday, February 28, 2014

Family Nutrition: Zoom Out!

Last Saturday, we had our first Illinois Farm Families® tour, we met at the Ultra Foods grocery store in Wheaton, Illinois. The goal of the day was to learn more about food labeling and maybe learn how to shop a little better. For me, the most interesting part of the day was the workshop given by Jodie Shield, MEd, RDN, LDN, and President and Founder of Healthy Eating for Families, Inc.

Jodie is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist (RDN). She has been practicing for almost three decades and has a very long list of credentials, but the most interesting to me was that she writes for the “Good Eating” section of the Chicago Tribune and is the person who writes the recipes that I like to cut out of the paper. How cool is that? To start, she explained what RDN means. ‘First of all,’ to paraphrase, she said, ‘we are all nutritionists. We make decisions and plan our meals for the health of our families and that is what a nutritionist does.’ However, she is a “registered dietician,” which means she has had four years of an undergraduate degree, a year of internship, and she also has a Master’s Degree.  She said a registered dietician is a scientist, but, she said, ‘I teach people how to eat healthy foods. Not nutrients. Foods. Nutrients don’t taste good. Food tastes good. Taste drives why we choose the foods that we buy and eat.’

After listening to Jodie, I came away thinking that a family nutrition plan is a pretty important thing and every family should have one in the same way that we have a financial plan; and we should probably meet with a registered dietician to revise that plan at major points of change in our lives! The reality is that most of us probably won’t hire an RDN unless someone in our family has a particular nutritional need that has to be addressed. She shared with us a website called “MyPlate.gov.” I checked it out and it looks like a great resource that could help me make my own family nutrition plan and maybe make some healthy changes in the way we eat. Jodie also has a blog where she posts a lot of healthy recipes that sound tasty (healthyeatingforfamilies.com).

Jodie has a way of talking about food to feed our families that makes it all seem very simple, demystified, and straightforward. What I took away from her was this. Instead of zooming in our lens and focusing our time and attention on the buzzwords of the day (such as natural, organic (pesticides), GMO, Hormone Free, and grass-fed, to name a few), we should zoom out and re-frame our view to look at what matters so much more, the bigger picture, which is getting more fruits and vegetables onto our kids plates and cutting back on the sugar and saturated fat we put in their little bodies. Jodie’s professional focus is on childhood obesity and, in her talk with us, she reminded us that one in three children today, are (not “may,” but definitively “are”) going to develop type 2 diabetes. The number of young children who are overweight and obese is remarkably high.

When we zoom in on these buzzwords, we start to wonder (a little) and (maybe even) worry. Is some of our food is even safe to eat? What will happen if I buy the milk that doesn’t say Hormone Free? Should I buy beef with a label that reads grass-fed or, more importantly, can I afford not to? And, I really should be feeding my kids fresh locally-grown organic fruits and vegetables every day, right? But, it’s been 20 degrees outside in Illinois for almost 3 months and there hasn’t been a locally grown fresh organic anything here since November, maybe October! It seems an eternity ago and it seems so far off until we’ll have locally grown fresh organic spring peas and spinach again! What do I do? And then, there’s sugar – oh, the sugar. Why does so much of what I buy contain so much sugar anyway? Sheesh! Marketers are thriving on us. And our fears.

So, about feeding my kids fresh fruits and vegetables...and living in a cold winter climate…and having an hour, if I’m lucky, to prep for dinner… She told us straight up, in the winter months, buy canned or frozen! And actually, canned and frozen may be higher in nutrients than “fresh” produce shipped from California or foreign lands in mid-winter. That is because produce is picked at peak ripeness (which is when nutrient content is at its peak) and immediately flash frozen or processed for canning. If you look at the ingredients list on a can of vegetables, you should see few ingredients; hopefully, the main vegetable and water. She noted that the canned veggies often contain salt and it’s for flavor only; it’s not a preservative. She suggests rinsing the vegetables to remove that salt before you cook with them. If convenience, budget, or weather pushes you to the canned food aisle, that is OKAY! No guilt.

We talked about taking the fat out of our diets and drinking more milk. She suggests that after the age of two, a toddler should be taken off whole milk and be given a lower fat alternative, such as 2% or 1% milk. She couldn’t stress enough the importance of giving our children milk for vitamins and nutrients. She even said that if your child doesn’t like white milk, but will drink chocolate milk, then don’t be afraid to give them the chocolate milk! This is an example of making a trade-off where it is better to have the higher sugar in chocolate milk (versus white milk) than to not have milk at all. If chocolate milk is what your child needs in order to drink milk, then take sugar out of that child’s diet someplace else; that is OKAY. No guilt.

Jodie also addressed our concerns about some specific claims on labels. She said, as consumers, we have freedom to choose the food we buy and we should be open-minded and skeptical.

One label claim, in particular, that many of us were curious about was “Natural;” sometimes we see it on products despite a list of ingredients that we can’t pronounce. It doesn’t mean organic and, actually, doesn’t mean much of anything since most packaged foods are processed. The truth: The FDA does not have a legal definition for the term, but they do not object to its use if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.

She touched upon the organic label because there is a growing public concern for having organic products. Producing organic products costs more than conventional methods. It’s an emotional issue, but an important part of having freedom to choose. If a product is organic it must have the USDA organic seal on the packaging. She told us there is no scientific research that tells us that organic food is healthier or tastier than conventional food. The levels of pesticides on conventional produce has been tested and deemed safe. There is more to the organic seal than pesticides, but it is her opinion, as far as food safety is concerned, pesticides are not our worry in the grocery store; packaging is more the problem when it comes to food safety. She reiterated it is more important to get our children to eat more fruits and vegetables than to worry about pesticides.

We were reminded that, whether we purchase conventional or organic produce, we should always wash it thoroughly under running water. Apparently, there is a misconception that organic produce is cleaner and, the truth is, that is not the case. Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush. Microorganisms thriving on the grooved surface of a melon can transfer to your cutting knife and contaminate the flesh of your melon!

While on the topic of food safety, Jodie told us our biggest food safety risks are in our own kitchens! Surprised? She told us that we have the safest food supply in the world. The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) regulates meat and poultry food labels. The FDA (Food and Drug Association) regulates all other product labels. Seafood labeling is voluntary. Science governs the regulations and the terms on labels have legal definitions. The most accurate sources of information related to food are the FDA or USDA websites and also universities.

Some people have food allergies or health conditions which may prohibit them from eating certain foods. The legal definitions of terms associated with content claims, like low-fat or gluten-free for example, can be found on the FDA’s website.

I visited the FDA and USDA websites and they are actually very easy to navigate and extensive – it’s easy to get caught in one of those “sit down for 5 minutes and get up a half-hour later” searches. Their search engine is effective if you know what you need to find. You can also find “Safe Food Handling Fact Sheets” on the USDA’s website for everything from BBQ, to the color of meat, to washing food!  Check it out! Let’s see how your kitchen measures up!

Monday, February 17, 2014

What Our Family Buys

This entry is a snapshot of the food we consume as a family, as viewed through the lens of our grocery list.

I have to admit that my food and nutrition story has changed since becoming a mom. I met my husband at Syracuse University when we were studying architecture. We moved to Chicago after graduation and sailed along in our careers for over 10 years before we decided to start a family. We both worked in the Loop (downtown Chicago), so we commuted to work together. We usually had a breakfast/cereal bar in the car on the way in and we both ate lunch at someplace near our offices, like Potbelly's, on a lunch-run with co-workers. We didn't think about dinner until 6:30 or 7:00 in the evening on our drive home. When we got home, we were really hungry and made whatever was super-fast, like Rice-a-Roni or pan fried meat of some sort. We didn't eat fruits or vegetables very often because we just didn't have any on hand. Grocery store trips were usually unplanned on the weekend or last minute on the way home from work. We did not have a very well-balanced diet and relied on our lunches to bridge the gaps.

Now, we have two boys, ages 5 and 2, and after the first was born, I took my maternity leave and in that time-frame decided I wasn't going to return to my job. Our lives changed dramatically at that point for a whole lot of reasons, not the least of which was my ability to correct our nutrition. But, my leaving work also meant that our income was half of what it was previously. That happened in late 2008, and after the holidays of that year, we realized that we had to seriously tighten our budget. Since groceries were one part of our expenditures that we could control and reduce, I did research online to teach myself how to buy them cheaper. I learned a lot that year about how to shop for groceries from an economic perspective and it has helped us tremendously. They were important lessons I wish I'd known sooner!

As a stay-at-home mom, it is a priority to shop regularly, plan meals (to some degree), and bring a sense of balance to what we are putting into our bodies. My husband and I feel healthier than we did five years ago. My grocery list changes somewhat from week to week; but, for the most part, I have settled into a routine and the staples we buy are on the perimeter of the store and I shop the weekly ad's sales.

(As an aside, our Dominick's grocery store, my go-to store 5-minutes from our house, has closed as of December and my "smooth" routine is in a state of disarray. I haven't figured out my new go-to store; we have a lot of options, but I'm missing "my" Dominick's. I'm a little lost at the grocery stores these days.)

So, first I buy fruits and vegetables that are either in season and on sale or specific things that I want to use for the week. I consciously try to not dole out extra money for the out-of-season produce that is imported from foreign countries. The exceptions are the tropical fruits we love that either aren't grown in the U.S. or are grown in limited supply, like bananas, mangos, avacados, and kiwi to name a few.

Next, I buy meats that are on sale and I usually buy more chicken and pork than beef. It's cheaper and also, we feel healthier if we only eat beef once or twice per week. After the meats, we buy a lot of dairy. We eat a lot of cheeses, yogurt, and eggs; and we buy a lot of milk - about 4 gallons per week! I always look for the 2% milk that is on sale and we pay about $2.89, sometimes even $2.49 per gallon. I think that is really inexpensive compared to other places I've seen.

After the perimeter, moving to the aisles of the store, I regularly buy breads, frozen vegetables, snack crackers, nuts, canned vegetables, canned soups, Kraft Mac N Cheese, bottled juice, cereal (and more cereal), pasta, and rice. Occasionally, when they are on sale, I buy packaged frozen pastas or frozen Stouffers meals that I can have on hand for a quick meal, deli meats, chips, candy, and ice cream. I almost never buy soda, frozen snack foods, kids fruit snacks (not anymore), or individually wrapped snacks (not yet, anyways - I don't pack lunches yet). 

My mom gives us canned fruits and jams and I bake homemade cookies (with the exception of Oreos!). I buy real maple syrup by the gallon from a family within two miles of my parents farm and it is worth every penny!

I don't buy organic, unless it's the only choice like YoBaby yogurt, because it costs more. We have a grocery store called Caputo's that has nice produce and it's priced well. They have clear signage at all of the produce telling me price and country of origin and they always have locally grown in-season produce. I like that a lot. When my husband and I were both working, we would frequent the summer Farmer's Market in our town on Saturday and in the Loop on Thursday or Tuesday. I didn't realize what a luxury that was. When I started paying closer attention to prices, I realized the premium I was paying at the Farmer's Market. There are still a few things I prefer to buy there, like sweet corn, peaches, cherries, and fresh berries. Farmer's Market produce is definitely worth the extra cost if you can afford the expense. It is fresher and tastes better. It hasn't been picked prematurely and traveled for miles (and miles and miles).

As I said in an earlier post, every family makes their own choices and has a comfort level with those choices. For us, with a family, our grocery budget is at the front of my mind and I try to make the healthier foods the priority and limit the foods with little or no nutritional value. 


Friday, February 14, 2014

Field Mom "Farmer's Daughter"

There are several reasons why I wanted to be a part of the field mom program.

For one, I have a connection to farming. I am a "farmer's daughter!" My parents are third generation grape growers in the Lake Erie Grape Belt of New York and that life is close to my heart. Living in Chicago, I am physically separated from that. This opportunity will give me some time to be around other people who have a connection to their land and a passion for growing our nation's food. I'm also looking forward to learning about the differences between a small 40-acre grape farm and a 400-acre Mid-West crop farm. The average family farm in Illinois is right around 400 acres.

Second, I love to eat fresh food. I love to cook, bake, and preserve. I have a passion for gardening and appreciate the flavor of fresh picked fruits and vegetables. Growing up, we had pear trees and apple trees in our yard. We made McIntosh cider every autumn. Each year my mom had a tremendous vegetable garden. I remember it was lush and productive, watered, sometimes nightly in the heat and humidity of July, with water pumped from our pond. We ate fresh picked corn, carrots, green peppers, string beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and more! By the end of summer, our freezer and pantry were full of frozen and canned foods and we still had plenty of fresh to share with neighbors and family. I started loving food as a child. From the time I was small, I've thought my mom is a great cook. Growing up, we rarely went out to eat. My mom makes good comfort food and enjoys being in her kitchen. Some of my most vivid memories of family gatherings have food at the center of them. I remember my grand-mother's chuck roast for birthday celebrations - it was one of my favorite meals - and guess what, chuck roast happens to be my family's favorite meal today!

Third, I have been in food conversations with other moms on the playground about food labeling, which I hope to explore further, but currently know very little about. Labels such as, non-GMO, organic, natural, hormone-free, free-range, grass-fed - what do they mean exactly, why do they sometimes cost more, and are they really healthier for my family as the marketing would suggest? These are all questions I hope to answer.

I also love learning. I'm looking forward to stretching my brain to learn much more about food and farming this year!


Thursday, February 13, 2014

What We're Doing

I have been asked by the Illinois Farm Families organization to write three blogs for them to post on their website. I have chosen to write about the grocery store visit, the spring corn/soybean planting tour, and one "mom's choice" that I'll write in November. The "mom's choice" topic can be anything we are interested in. I don't know what my topic will be yet.

The reason for this program is to bring knowledge about farming back into urban conversation. Most people are at least two generations removed from farming. They hope that we will share what we've learned with family and friends and the groups that we belong to, such as our children's schools or PTO, our church groups, and our neighbors.

This opportunity to go to the farm and talk to real farmers and get my questions - and yours - answered is a unique opportunity. If you are reading this and have a question that you would like me to ask a farmer, please send it to me and I will do my best to get your question answered.

I plan to use this blog to share what I'm learning through my own research, as well as, reporting on what I've learned at the farm tours. This blog will follow the duration of this 2014 "Field Mom" program. When the program ends in December, so shall the blog!

I don't think there is one right food path for everyone. As a family, we make choices about the food we buy and we have a comfort level with those choices. My opinion, by the nature of a blog post (or journal entry), will come across in my posts, but it is not my mission to be persuasive. There are a lot of books, online articles, documentaries, and other forms of media that do plenty of that; some of which, I will be reading and watching as part of my research. I'm open-minded and will listen to a wide variety of voices. I may share some of that, as well, along the way.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

I'm a Field Mom!

I'm a Field Mom! I am very excited for this great opportunity and cannot wait to get started!

I have been receiving the Illinois Farm Bureau's Partners magazine that comes to me in the mail several times a year. It always has interesting articles about things going on in different places around the state and even helpful articles like how to take care of your lawn. I had seen several articles about the field moms program and immediately thought that was something I would love to do. I just happened to see a sidebar on "how to apply " in last fall's magazine - just in time to apply for the 2014 program.

In January, I was notified that I will join 23 other Chicago-area moms selected to be Illinois Farm Families "Field Moms." This will be the third year that Illinois family farmers are welcoming Chicago-area moms to their farms to answer our questions about how food is grown. We will tour four area farms and a northern Illinois grocery store between February and October this year to see how farmers care for their animals and the environment.

We will tour a pig farm, corn and soybean farm, dairy farm, and a beef cattle farm. We will ride along as crops are planted and harvested. (Yes, on a combine! My son is already wishing he could come along!)

Our first tour will be at Ultra Foods in Wheaton, Illinois, on February 22. We will have a chance to speak with Ultra Foods managers and staff and a registered dietitian, Jodie Shield, who will answer our questions about healthy food and nutrition.

We, field moms, will record our days on the farms by taking photos, videos, and journaling our observations. After each tour, we will share what we learned with other moms and consumers. My personal blog will be posted here and all of our blogs will be posted on www.watchusgrow.org. You may also follow us on www.facebook.com/IllinoisFarmFamilies and http://twitter.com/ILFarmFamilies.