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Potatoes have a bad rap, and it’s not their fault. It’s how we cook potatoes that make them a less healthy choice, not the potato itself.

Consider these nutrition bonuses from white potatoes:

-          Contain almost half the daily requirement for vitamin C; that’s more vitamin C than one sweet potato

-          One of the best sources of potassium and fiber in the produce section

-          A good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin B6

-          Only 110 calories in one medium potato

Eat the skin along with the insides of the potato, and you’ll get 4 grams of fiber and 620 grams of potassium. Consuming less sodium and more potassium is one of the best ways to lower blood pressure. Potatoes are also a source of resistant starch, a type of fiber that helps protect your colon and decreases insulin resistance.

Potatoes are a healthy choice for what they don’t contain:  saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol or sodium. To preserve the nutrients in potatoes, microwave or bake instead of boiling – and eat the skin.  Try these simple tips to enjoy potatoes as part of a healthy diet:

-          Top a baked potato with fat-free plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or butter

-          Roast pieces of chopped potato with garlic and rosemary; drizzle with olive oil

-          Make loaded baked potatoes with salsa, chopped onion and olives, and shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

-          Microwave a potato, cut in half, and top with your favorite chili for a complete meal

I bet your mom told you to eat breakfast, and you tell your kids to eat breakfast. But do YOU eat breakfast?

Research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that children and teens who regularly eat breakfast consume a higher intake of several important vitamins and minerals, are less likely to be overweight, miss fewer days of school, experience fewer behavior problems, concentrate better, and score higher on standardized tests. Yet 10-30% of our kids routinely skip breakfast. The top reasons for skipping breakfast include waking up too late, not hungry in the morning, and no one else in the family eats breakfast.

Try these tips to encourage your kids to eat a healthy breakfast every day of the week, and set a good example by making time for breakfast yourself.

-           Cut back on late-night snacking. Kids – and adults – often aren’t hungry for breakfast because they ate too much after dinner. Plan a small, healthy evening snack and you’ll be surprised how hungry you are in the morning.

-          Prepare a self-serve breakfast before you go to bed. Pour milk and 100% fruit juice into kid-size containers. Set out glasses, bowls, spoons, and boxes of whole-grain cereal.

-          Enjoy a fast breakfast:  a container of yogurt or a slice of whole-grain toast with peanut butter are prepared and eaten in minutes.

-          Make breakfast before you go to bed:  hard-boil eggs and combine peeled oranges and sliced apples so breakfast is ready without morning prep.

-          Dress first, then eat breakfast. You’re more likely to be hungry if you give yourself a few minutes to wake up.

-          Don’t like breakfast foods? Try a non-traditional breakfast like a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, warmed-up dinner leftovers, or cheese melted on a tortilla.

-          Drink your breakfast:  whip up a delicious and healthy smoothie by combining fat-free milk, yogurt, and fruit in a blender.

If you thought that fried Oreos or fried Twinkies were a bit over the top even for food at summertime fairs where excess seems to be the rule, read this article:  http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-06-23-fried-kool-aid_n.htm

It seems that throwing any type of food - or even beverage (deep-fried Kool-Aid has made its debut) - into the deep-fryer is the perfect recipe for culinary success at the fair. Some even make an attempt at being somewhat healthy by containing vegetables:  hot dogs wrapped in zucchini, dipped in batter and deep-fried.

I wonder if fairs will be required to post nutrition information for all of their foods? Do you think anyone would pay attention to the fact that one deep-fried Twinkie contains 360 calories and 43% of your total daily fat allotment? Or that ONE deep-fried Oreo cookie has 130 calories and 9 grams of fat?

As a child, I always looked forward to going to the county fair. We would walk all day, looking at the rabbits, sheep, and cows the 4-H kids worked so hard to raise and show. The carnival rides were a favorite treat, and we always tried our luck at the various games. Eating was a minor part of the whole experience, and we counted ourselves lucky if we were treated to cotton candy. After going on all the rides, our stomachs were too queasy for anything else!

I wonder what kinds of exotic food choices folks at the fair could invent without using a deep-fryer?

I love this quote:  food is the background music of our lives.

This is from Michelle May, MD, author of “Am I Hungry?” a wonderful book that teaches mindful eating instead of dieting. We often don’t realize how much food is a part of the fabric of our lives, and how entwined food is with everything we do throughout our days.

What are your thoughts after watching this short video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM49NfMus20&feature=youtu.be

Kids Eat Right is a national program aimed at improving the nutrition - and health - of our kids. In order for our kids to learn to choose and enjoy healthy foods, parents need to model health eating themselves. There’s a wealth of useful and practical information at the Kids Eat Right website. I particularly like this recent article by Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, LD on making time for breakfast:  http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442462528

Growing up, my entire family ate breakfast. I continued the same practice with our kids, encouraging everyone to sit down together and eat breakfast. Even when their lives became hectic and busy in high school, they still ate breakfast before leaving for school. Now they’re in college living in an apartment, and most of the time they eat breakfast. Developing healthy habits early can lead to a lifetime of good eating!

I have three favorite breakfasts right now:
1.  On mornings I’m heading out first-thing for exercise, I eat a mini-bagel with a smear of peanut butter and a big glass of water.
2.  2 hard-boiled eggs, a slice of whole grain toast topped with 50% reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese, and a piece of fruit (yesterday a clementine) plus a big glass of water.
3.  Greek yogurt mixed with cut-up fruit (clementine and pear this morning), a handful of chopped walnuts, and another  handful of Kashi Go-Lean cereal. I let this sit for 20 minutes while I do some morning exercises so the cereal becomes soft. My version of muesli!

What’s your favorite breakfast?

SoFAS aren’t couches, and let’s hope they’re not found in your living room. SoFAS stands for “solid fats and added sugars”.

Why do we care about SoFAS? Fats that are solid at room temperature - think stick margarine, solid Crisco, and animal fat - contain saturated fat which contributes to heart disease. Replace solid fats with liquid oils and you’ll not only consume less harmful sat fats, you’ll also increase the healthy poly- and mononsaturated fats that help protect your heart.

You may think identifying foods high in added sugars is easy - think again. The food label doesn’t differentiate between sugars that naturally occur in foods such as fruit and milk or sugars that are added to foods like cookies and cakes. Here’s my tip:  if the food doesn’t come in a box or can, it probably has no added sugars.

We get most of our added sugars from sweetened beverages, everything from soda to fruit drinks to sports drinks. Make it simple and drink plain water. Water doesn’t taste sweet, because it doesn’t need to be. We don’t drink water for the taste, we drink it to satisfy our thirst. If you want a sweet taste, eat a piece of fruit.

Tell your family you’re throwing out the SoFAS and see what reaction you get!

If the thought of parsnips, beets, and kale makes you turn up your nose, think again. Cooking Light just came out with 25 fantastic recipes that utilize winter veggies.

Several of my clients tell me that they just don’t enjoy eating cold vegetable salads during the winter. Who can blame them when it’s freezing outside? The beauty of these vegetable recipes is that they’re hot, nourishing, comforting, delicious - and really easy to prepare. They’re all perfect for leftovers, which helps make healthy eating much easier for busy families.

My personal favorites? Lentil soup and roasted vegetables. Try out some of these recipes or share your personal favorites.

“Hey Mom, let’s make stew together for dinner!”

These words from our younger son warm my heart, just as the soup will warm all of our bellies come dinner time. Nate loves to cook, and living in an apartment at college this year, he’s developed some new skills. While he was home recently, we made beef stew together, using this awesome recipe from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension program.

Things we love about stew:
- you can include a bunch of veggies
- we finish it in the slow-cooker, which makes meal prep a snap
- the leftovers taste even better the second day!
- it fits a college student’s grocery budget
- it’s filling, delicious, and healthy!

Making - and eating - soup together is a wonderful family activity. If you haven’t tried it lately, dust off your favorite family soup recipes or use these seven simple soup recipes Make sure you sit together and enjoy the finished product. You’re not only creating a healthy meal, you’re creating lasting memories.

Making changes to your eating habits to improve your health and manage your weight is always easier - and more fun - when you are part of a group. Finding the time to actually get TO a group can be daunting, and there may not even be a group available in your area.

Enter the Internet.

There are many online weight management programs, and each of them offers something a bit different. Check out several to find the one that’s the right fit for you. One of the online platforms I work with is Real Living Nutrition Services, who has a great promotion until January 4th. Check them out here

You’re reading my blog, so I know you utilize the Internet! Why not put the Net to work for you, to help you reach your health and fitness goals?

We’re in the middle of a classic Noreaster as I write this:  over one foot of snow (so far!), lots of wind, and temperatures hovering right about 15 degrees. In much of the country this time of year, locally grown fruit and vegetables just aren’t an option. Grocery stores stock a large selection of fresh produce, but in the middle of winter canned or frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh!

That’s because fruit and vegetables start to lose some of their nutrients as soon as they’e picked. The longer distance they travel from the farm to the grocery store to your table, the more nutrients are lost. Many frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are processed the day they’re picked, preserving most of their nutrients. Plus, canned and frozen produce is often more affordable than fresh.

This short and informative video from the American Dietetic Association tips on canned and frozen produce points out exactly what to look for when you’re at the grocery store.

I routinely stock my freezer with a variety of vegetables and fruit, and always keep cans of veggies and fruit on hand for quick, simple, delicious and healthy meals. Make your cupboards work for you as well!