Hi friends! It’s time for our weekly lunch date! Pull up a chair and let’s catch up on the latest news and best recipes. I’ve summarized the stores into bite-size bits. (An “*” indicates I either wrote or was quoted in that article).
News to Know:
Food, Nutrition & Health:
- *5 Ancient Grains You Need to Try – Health Magazine // Ancient grains like KAMUT khorsan wheat, amaranth, millet, spelt and teff are popping up in staples like cereal and yogurt, and they were all over the Expo West food trade show a few weeks ago. In this article, I cover 5 “supergrains,” plus how to use each one.
- Arsenic in Rice Crackers – The New York Times // My background (this one is a little long, but it’s worth reading): The FDA is currently exploring the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice (the most toxic form of arsenic) and whether it could pose a danger to humans. In the small rice sample they’ve analyzed so far, brown rice contained the highest levels, and brown rice pasta had more than other foods. While arsenic is naturally occurring, human activities like fuel burning, mining, and pesticide use have increased levels in the environment. Since rice is grown in water, and water takes in arsenic, we see greater levels in rice. White rice has less than brown because parts of it get removed in processing. The FDA is currently doing a risk assessment, so we won’t know their results for a while.
What the article (and I) say: Eat a varied diet, and be aware of how much rice you eat. If you have rice, especially brown rice, infrequently, that’s fine. But if most of your snacks, cereals, breads and pastas are made of brown rice, and there’s brown rice syrup in a lot of your snacks, cut back. Brown rice syrup (which is just a form of sugar) is commonly found in many health food products, so check the ingredients labels.
For more on arsenic and rice, check out these resources: FDA: Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products; FDA: FDA Explores Impact of Arsenic in Rice; and a blog post on the topic by Whitney English of To Live and Diet in LA
- Emotional Eating: Sad or Action-Packed Movies Inspire More Munching – Food Navigator USA // Skip the movie snacks if you’re going to watch a sad or high action movie, or you’ll likely mindlessly stress eat. Or, at least get the kid-size. If you’re home, you could try using these movies as an opportunity to add more produce to your diet! Snack on baby carrots, snap peas, jicama sticks and a little dip during the tearjerker. Or pop some non-buttered popcorn and dust with a little truffle salt or parmesan cheese. You could also stir up an onion or ranch dip with 2% Greek yogurt and sour cream dip seasoning.
Living / Home:
- 9 Lies You Tell Yourself About Cleaning – Good Housekeeping // I love this! “I don’t have to empty my vacuum’s bag or cup until it’s full.” – anyone else? 🙂
Special Section: The Kraft Controversy // Recently, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (The Academy) entered into an agreement with Kraft to put a “Kids Eat Right” logo on Kraft Singles, a pasteurized prepared cheese product. Kids Eat Right is The Academy’s campaign to support public education programs and projects that address the nation’s childhood obesity problem.
The Academy maintains that the seal is not an “endorsement,” or a “seal of approval,” but rather a way to identify Kraft as a supporter of the campaign and drive traffic to a website that offers information about calcium and vitamin D. However the logo was intended, it is being perceived as an endorsement.
As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and member of The Academy, I have closely watched the reaction to this partnership. Members found out the same day as the public, when The New York Times published an article on the topic, questioning the decision. We were not asked for our input or opinion, even though this decision has a significant impact on our professional integrity, and appears to represent our collective opinion.
The partnership has been lampooned by the press, and nearly 6,000 Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, students, interns, and supporters have signed a petition to “repeal the seal.” While I am still deciding how I want to personally address this situation, I am certainly in favor of my colleagues standing up for what they believe, making their voices heard, and asking the organization to be a consistently positive reflection of our work, and a voice of sound, evidence-based, forward-thinking health information.
Recipes Worth Making:
Breakfast
- *36 Ways to Eat Oats – Holley Grainger, RD
Snacks:
- Peanut Butter Trail Mix Bars – Prevention RD
Main Course:
- Easy Weeknight Quinoa Veggie Pasta Bolognese – fANNEtastic food // I gave it a fancy name, but Anne called it “what I ate the night before my half marathon” because it’s so simple and filling
- Vegan Korean Nourish Bowl with Barley (Bibimbap) – MJ & Hungryman
Dessert:
- Chocolate Covered Almond Clusters– Nourished Simply // I’d throw some raisins in there too
For ALL of my pinned recipes (this is just a sampling here), follow me on Pinterest.
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Caroline is a freelance writer, nutrition communication consultant, and counselor with a holistic approach to healthy living. 
No joke, after reading your grains article I went to hunt down what grains we DID have at our supermarkets- Looks like I need to hit up a health food store! As for the Kraft saga…damn marketers!