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Posted by: Erin DeSimone, MS, RD, LDN, FAND, Katie Brown, EdD, RDN and Mary Anne Burkman, MPH, RDN on Monday March 8, 2021 In 2019, the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) Board of Directors approved a name change to Nutrition Educators in the Food Sector (NEFS) as requested by members of the Nutrition Educators Working with Industry Division. The NEFS division is made up of members from many food sectors, including food production (farmers, food processors), various food environments (retail, schools), and consumer service segments (clinical care, public health). The NEFS reflects expertise within e (...)

Posted by: Ellen Schuster, MS on Tuesday March 2, 2021 Plant-based continues to have a high profile in foodservice and food retail. The term appeared in the 1970s and Merriam-Webster traces the use of plant-based in the popular culture from then to now. BIPOC communities share some of the drivers of plant-based eating as the general population (improved health, concern about the environment, more options available at the grocery store/restaurant, influence of social media/peers) yet they have other influences as well. Best plant-based food ret (...)

Posted by: Ellen Schuster, MS on Wednesday February 17, 2021 Created by the Caffeine Awareness Alliance formed in 2003 to advocate for a caffeine-free industry, this caffeine awareness observance is a good time to spotlight caffeine. The recent 2020 - 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans report makes a few references to caffeine. These are current recommendations for caffeine: the FDA identifies 400 mg/day as GRAS (generally recognized as safe); there is no established safe amount of caffeine for children/avoid drinks with caffeine for children un (...)

Posted by: Chelsea Singleton, Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN and Whitney Fung Uy, MS on Monday February 15, 2021 Hunger is a pervasive problem that affects more than 35 million Americans.1 This public health issue is primarily attributed to poverty and food insecurity, both of which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.1,2 Individuals experiencing hunger are at greater risk for adverse health outcomes (e.g., chronic diseases, depression, nutritional deficiencies).3 Unfortunately, communities of color, particularly Black communities, have disproportionately higher rates of hunger – la (...)

Posted by: Rachel Daeger, CAE, IOM on Monday February 15, 2021 Who hasn't taken a picture of a gorgeous meal and shared it on social media? Or looked for recipes based on how the dish looked in a photo? We've come a long way in food photography, but maybe we take it a little for granted. An article published in 1976 described a program in which older adults were encouraged to tell their food story by taking photos at home. The topics within the program varied, but participants were also photographed and shared later as a way to reinforce key messages and (...)

Posted by: Ellen Schuster, MS on Tuesday February 2, 2021 The digital grocery shopping environment is evolving. More shoppers are online seeking healthy foods. Concurrently, retailers are already using/developing new ways to increase online impulse buying and adopt voice-based technology for shoppers. Online grocery shopping trends... Before the pandemic, Nielsen and FMI market data predicted 70% of grocery shoppers would be online by 2024. A 2018 online survey of 1,000 adults identified 3 groups most likely to look at online nutrition inform (...)

Posted by: Ellen Schuster, MS on Wednesday January 20, 2021 A new year...a new beginning? There’s limited research on the success of making New Year’s resolutions stick but setting goals happens all year. Read on... What the experts say... Largest study on New Year’s resolutions says add good behaviors instead of dropping bad ones (the research article about this Swedish study - the intro includes the limited research on New Year’s resolutions). Dr. Laurie Santos on making resolutions offers a timely mindset for behavior change in thes (...)

Posted by: GetVisualz on Tuesday January 12, 2021 The following was written as a follow up to a virtual presentation and cooking demonstration at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences conference in September of 2021. Visualz (formerly Learning ZoneXpress) has successfully written and published several cookbooks over the years. The Farmers Market Cookbook, published in 2017, features simple recipes using fresh fruits and vegetables - perfect for food tastings and cooking demonstrations at the farmer’s market. (...)

Posted by: Ellen Schuster, MS on Tuesday January 12, 2021 Does everyone has a list of 2021 food/nutrition trends? It seems so, there are more than a dozen here. As you read these 2021 trend forecasts you will see the footprint of the pandemic in many of them - in some cases  the pandemic accelerated some changes that would have occurred further down the road. Note: some trend lists rely on data analysis, others are based on observations, others rely on expert input and some are a mix. Enjoy a look at the year ahead in food/health/nutrition/fitness! (...)

Posted by: USDA on Tuesday January 12, 2021 Grouped into three sections by education level, the FNIC Nutrition and Food Safety Education section offers both lesson plans and activities appropriate for each stage of development. The Pre-School to Elementary School level lessons and activities are hands on and active ways to discover how food helps healthy bodies grow. The Middle School to High School level lessons incorporate lessons on math, science and history including lessons on reading the new food label. Lastly, the General an (...)