Our Blog : 03/24/10 - Jamie Oliver: The Revolution Will Be Televised : Slow Food USA

Our Blog : 03/24/10 - Jamie Oliver: The Revolution Will Be Televised : Slow Food USA


Here's another example of efforts to improve food in schools! Maybe we can all find at least a few tips to apply to our families or suggest to our schools. I've got the DVR set to record the program - hope you will watch to!

Rainbows and St. Patrick's Day

My daughter recently asked me if my favorite colors were green and orange. My first thought was that I look awful in those colors, but when I asked her why she picked those colors, she said that orange and green are colors of lots of fruits and vegetables and I remind her to have different colors of food on her plate and in her lunch. Wow! Has she really been listening? This conversation reminded me of a very simple way to make sure one is getting a nice variety of nutrients in a meal. Make your plate look like a rainbow! While this technique won't give your the statistics like % daily value of nutrients or calories, you can feel comfortable knowing that a rainbow plate has several food groups represented and you probably have a good balance of nutrients. For example: Lycopene can be found in red foods like tomatoes or watermelon. Beta-carotene can be found in orange foods like carrots and oranges. Antioxidants are in many colors of berries (blueberries, strawberries..) Green? Broccoli, bok choy, kiwi.... contain vitamin C and fiber. These are just a few examples, and by no means a complete list. Do you get the idea? If the plates on your dinner table(or in lunch boxes) look like a rainbow, maybe the pot of gold at the end will be your good health! So, I guess I do like orange and green -- just as long as these colors are on my plate! In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, when "we are all a little bit Irish", I challenge you to make a rainbow as part of your next meal and may your find a healthy pot of gold for you and your family! Lauri (aka Leprechaun!) P.S. http://www.mypyramid.gov/ is a great resource for finding colorful food ideas!

Take your family for a walk!

Spring is in the air in central Illinois! On our college campus, people are out in full force running, walking, playing games or just hanging out. It seems like this is the time of year that we all look for some reason to get out, enjoy the sun and get a little pep in our step. This is also the season for standardized tests for elementary schools, mid-terms for colleges and just cabin fever for many. Now is a great time to start a new family tradition, or renew one if it's been a while. Go for a family walk after dinner, or whenever you can! It doesn't have to be long, even 10-15 minutes is a good start, just MOVE! Doing this together could be a time to catch up on each other's day or just "decompress" and have some quality time away from our hectic schedules. Walking is a great activity that just about anyone can do. Take advantage of the changing weather and you and your family could have a wonderful habit established for summer!

Health, It Happens Everyday!

It doesn't really work to say, "From 11-12:30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'll pay attention to my health." It happens everyday (and all the time). You will find a collection of my thoughts, inspirations, ah ha's and oh-by-the way's that I have found helpful in my personal and/or professional life, as well as related research.