California’s Prop. 37

Hello Everyone!

It’s been quite awhile since we have been here! Michele and I have made a pact to post regularly, now that we’re both done with the internship and passed the RD exam, so please keep us accountable.

There is really so much that can be written about right now — new Consumer Reports/FDA publications about arsenic in rice, the Stanford organic foods study, a new idea in San Francisco regarding food trucks and serving those who are homeless/without kitchen access, the large soda ban in NYC, McDonalds’ big announcement that they’re adding calorie amounts to their menus (though let’s be real: they’re going to have to do it anyway with the Affordable Care Act), and the list goes on. What are some topics you would like Michele and me to discuss in the coming weeks?

 

 

Today, I wanted to briefly share about California’s Proposition #37, the GMO Food Labeling Act / “Right to Know” Act. I know many of the readers are not in California, but the results from this November’s election will likely impact the whole country.

There’s so many ads and campaigns, so I went to the official CA voter’s guide and copied the description here:

“Requires labeling of food sold to consumers made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways. Prohibits marketing such food, or other processed food, as “natural.” Provides exemptions. Fiscal Impact: Increased annual state costs from a few hundred thousand dollars to over $1 million to regulate the labeling of genetically engineered foods. Additional, but likely not significant, governmental costs to address violations under the measure.”

A Yes vote: “Genetically engineered foods sold in California would have to be specifically labeled as being genetically engineered.”

A No vote: “Genetically engineered foods sold in California would continue not to have specific labeling requirements.”

– from the California Voter’s Guide

 

Companies who genetically modify their products have said that they don’t believe there are any additional health risks – but then why are they the ones opposing this bill? Also notably are the many, many Big Food companies that are opposing this bill – companies that have organic food lines. KCET has a full list of funders, but this graphic below depicts some of the big ones in an easier-to-read format:

Source: Cornucopia.org

 

There have been dozens of articles/op-ed pieces on this topic, including Mark Bittman and Michele Simon, so I don’t really want to just repeat what has already been said, but please take a moment to read their thoughts on this subject!

If you’re not in California, what can you do to support GMO labeling?

1. Write a note (i.e. via Facebook) to express your feelings about the company’s support/opposition to Prop 37. I wrote a sad message to Silk the other day.

2. Avoid purchasing foods made by companies who were in opposition to Prop. 37. It can be a challenge if finances/availability of other foods are an inhibitor, but it’s definitely an idea, if possible!

3. Support local farmers, as well as the organic businesses that are in favor of GMO labeling.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone!

Many apologies for the lack of updates lately — Michele and I have been swamped with internship responsibilities.

It’s so hard to believe that it’s 2012 already!  A lot has happened this past year, and I’m excited to see what’s in store this upcoming year (specifically RD credential and hopefully first “real” RD job!).

Many people often make new year’s resolutions, but I’ve never really been that into making them. But, this year, I hope things will be a little different!  I have a few food-related new year’s resolutions that I’ll share here, and please feel free to keep me accountable.

1. Visit the farmer’s market more often.
I love the farmer’s market – there’s one a short MUNI ride away from my house that I occasionally visit on Sunday. It’s so fun to see the beautiful produce, families with strollers and dogs, and people excited about supporting local farms and businesses. It takes some careful budgeting and sacrifices, of course, for an intern getting a stipend that barely covers rent. But, it’s always fun to see what’s there, get to know some of the vendors, and enjoy the fun cooking projects that follow.

2. Cook more.
I’ve been trying to experiment in the kitchen more these past few months. I got a food processor, and have loved making hummus, shredding zucchini and carrots for bread, and making black bean burgers, among other things!  It’s been a good way for me to de-stress after a busy internship day. Of course, I really believe that dietitians should be able to find their way around a kitchen, too!

3. Post more frequently on the blog
No need for further explanation.  🙂

Finally, there aren’t any citations in this article (sorry), but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. It’s about the reasons to not diet, and instead the importance of adapting a healthy lifestyle in general. My preceptor and I were talking about how many people think that something like a gastric bypass surgery is a “quick fix” to their obesity issue, but fail to realize that whether they’re getting a surgery, or following a healthy eating pattern, it’s a lifelong commitment.

What are your 2012 (or lifetime!) resolutions?

Food Day + Hospital Food Service

Last week, Monday, October 24, was the “first” annual Food Day.  In case you didn’t hear, Food Day (sponsored by CSPI) is meant for everyone who eats, and the purpose is “to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.”  Institutions across the country changed their menus for the day, and special speakers and events were scheduled in most major cities.

At the hospital I am interning at, there were a few special events – a local CSA had a table in the cafeteria, with a beautiful display of produce and encouraging people to sign up. There were special menu items, featuring more whole foods/meatless options (more than normal Mondays).  This hospital already practices “mostly” Meatless Mondays, meaning that the hot entrees are all vegetarian, and all specials (pizza, grill) are vegetarian.  The “standard” items at the grill/sandwich bar/etc are still present, but there are many more vegetarian options.

But then…on Tuesday, everything went back to “normal.”  How do we make the principles of Food Day a daily change versus an annual (or weekly, if Meatless Monday is observed) event?  In other words, how does a conscientious eating pattern become normalized?  And how does one encourage people to make changes at home?

During the past few months, I have been wondering about the role of hospital food service in promoting long-term healthy eating.  I recognize that many of the patients who are in the hospital are having trouble keeping their weight stable (e.g. they have unintentionally lost 50# in the past 1-2 months due to failure to thrive/cancer/etc) and many times are malnourished. I’m all for pushing the Scandishakes (900 kcal!) and Ensure to these patients, because of the caloric density and improved outcomes for the patient if they don’t keep losing weight.  But…what about the standard meals offered?  The “regular”/standard menu has an average of 4g of sodium/day, which is much higher than the recommended 1.5-2g sodium/day.  How do you balance making sure people eat when they are very ill, and providing the healthiest meals possible?  And how does one do this in mass production?

Patients at this hospital can typically eat a very balanced diet according to the Plate Method (half plate veggies, one-fourth protein source, one-fourth whole grains) if they make the proper menu selections. When I was entering in the menus, however, many of the patients were not doing that – most were not selecting vegetables, and most opted for the cake/pie (in the hospital’s defense, the dessert slice is literally about 3 bites) instead of the fresh fruit for dessert. The MyPlate image is even printed on the paper menus!  And for the pediatrics floors — is it okay to have hamburgers/french fries/hot dogs/chips/soda/etc on the menu, if it ensures that kids (who, remember, are in the hospital because they are very ill) are eating?  Is this making the assumption that kids will not eat healthier alternatives?

What are your thoughts?  Did you do anything to celebrate Food Day?

ADA Corporate Sponsorships

Images from EatRight.org

Anyone attending FNCE, the annual American Dietetic Association (*Update: Apologies, now it’s the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics) conference, this weekend?

Twitter has been going crazy these past few days with posts about FNCE – expressing excitement about going to beautiful SD, shameless plugs to visit sponsor booths, and anticipation for the knowledge to be gained this weekend.

Which brings me to the topic of corporate sponsorships.  Is it okay for the ADA to receive corporate sponsorships from companies like Coca Cola, Hershey’s, National Dairy Council, and Truvia?  Is it okay for FNCE’s corporate sponsorships to include Campbell’s, ConAgra, Nature Made, and Safeway?

I was at a state ADA conference earlier this year, and the program included a lecture sponsored by the beef council and a lecture sponsored by a watchdog group advocating for a vegan diet.  Can we be certain that the information presented is completely true, and not biased because of sponsorships?  Can we be certain that all of the research is indeed getting published, or is some research possibly getting denied due to conflict of interest?  I don’t know.  But it’s concerning to someone like me, who wants to know the facts about nutrition, not a skewed perspective of how great beef is just because the beef council is writing a check.

I don’t know if you heard, but there was recently a contest — if an ADA member wrote a blog about food safety, he/she would be entered into a contest to win a free iPad from ADA and ConAgra.  One blogger noted that this type of contest is basically saying that food safety needs to be a consumer issue, and that  food corporations (the cause of many food safety problems) like ConAgra are not taking enough responsibility.  As a member of the ADA, is this something that I really want to be encouraged?  Food safety in the home is very important, but so is food regulations at the corporate level.  Is it okay for ADA to turn a blind eye to that, even if just for a raffle competition?

On the other hand, though, what would it mean for the members of ADA if there were no corporate sponsors?  Dues are climbing each year (this year, RDs paid $245!), and that rate would be even higher if there were no corporate sponsors.  Are ADA members willing to pay even more?

I personally disagree with the ADA’s decision to accept corporate sponsorships.  However, I continue to be a member because I appreciate ADA’s efforts to lobby for things like licensure for dietitians, and I have appreciated the networking opportunities available.  It’s frustrating, though, because I also don’t want to be associated with an organization that is accepting sponsorships/therefore perhaps turning a blind eye to important issues.  I feel trapped with no other alternative, really.

What are your thoughts about this?

Summer Reading List + Interesting Links

Here are some interesting videos/links/articles that I have stumbled upon this week:
1. Chipotle ad, courtesy of Dr. Parke Wilde’s blog:

2. Minnesota State Fair ad, courtesy of Dr. David Kessler on twitter:

3. NPR article about SNAP (food stamps), courtesy of Bread for the World twitter.

4. Michele Simon’s post about one company’s lack of desire to limit advertising to kids.

5.  And from the CDC: 25% of US population gets 200 calories/day from soda. Courtesy of Marion Nestle’s twitter.

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This summer, I had lofty plans of reading about 10 books.  I haven’t even finished one (still looking at the Four Fish book cover…halfway done!).  Michele and I wanted to include occasional book reviews on here, but that means we need to read the book first!  Do you have any book recommendations for us?  What have you been reading this summer?  Would you be interested in writing a book review for this blog?

Let us know!  Leave a comment or email us at twofoodnerds(at)gmail.com

Soda Ban Denied

Have you read this article from the NY Times yet?  “US Rejects Mayor’s Plan to Ban Use of Food Stamps to Buy Soda” — http://nyti.ms/pG4X22

NYC Mayor Bloomberg had proposed not allowing soda/sugary drinks to be purchased with SNAP (food stamp) money due to obesity concerns for a two-year experiment.  The USDA, however, said that this would be too complex, and denied the proposal.

What do you think about this decision?  It’s definitely a very complex issue.  I think everyone can agree that the obesity epidemic is getting way out of hand — but now it’s a matter of how to best proceed.

I (Tina) have consistently sided with Joel Berg’s argument (in article) that “Instead of restricting the dietary choices of low-income residents, he said, city officials should reconsider how to increase the purchasing power of low-income residents so that they can buy food that is more nutritious.”  But how can this be done?  Is it realistic?  (Farm Bill 2012!)

At the same time, though, I don’t know how ethical it is on the part of the nation to use government dollars to support the purchase of soda/sugary drinks/other foods that contribute to obesity.  The USDA is really in a tough spot, because even if they did choose to limit the purchases of soda with SNAP dollars, the food industry would start fighting over the definition of “sugary drinks” (no 100% orange juice?).  Is this realistic?

Gluten-Free Labeling Standards

Has anyone noticed the deluge of products with a “gluten-free” label in the grocery store? Recently we’ve seen such products as Kellogg’s Rice Crispies, Rice Chex, Luna Protein Bars, and Subway sandwiches (?) sporting the gluten-free label. While this may seem to be a blessing for those of us with Celiac disease and gluten intolerance, it can actually make life more difficult.

There are currently no official standards regulating the term “gluten-free” on food packaging. In many European countries and Australia and New Zealand, “gluten-free” can only be used if a food has been tested and contains less than 20 ppm of gluten. In 2007, the FDA began a process to adopt these standards in the United States. But for the past four years, these has been no push to finalize the process.

Until now!

The FDA has reopened the comment period for gluten-free labeling standards. This (hopefully!) means that standards are right around the corner. Even more encouraging is the language from the FDA press release:

“We must take into account the need to protect individuals with celiac disease from adverse health consequences while ensuring that food manufacturers can meet the needs of consumers by producing a wide variety of gluten-free foods.”

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm265838.htm

There is a 60 day comment period which opened August 3. Let the FDA know how important these standards are for the health and safety of your clients, colleagues, family, and friends! The link above will take you to the official press release, and another link for leaving comments. Let’s make this happen!

“Healthier” Happy Meals

Many apologies for the lack of updates!  Both of our personal lives have been quite crazy lately, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t new food news!

Michele will be blogging about gluten-free labeling laws and the Salmonella tainted-ground turkey incidents in the near future, so please be looking out for those!

I was going to write about McDonald’s (and other fast food chains) decisions to make “healthier” happy meals.  In case you haven’t heard, McDonald’s recently declared that each happy meal will now come with 1/4 cup of apple slices, 1 ounce less fries, the option of low-fat milk (or soda) and the same hamburger/cheeseburger/mc nuggets entree.

At first glance, I was excited for this small change!  But then, after thinking about it some more, and reading articles by Bellatti, Nestle, and Simon, I have different thoughts:

1. 1/4 cup of apple slices is realistically probably just 2-3 small slices.  That’s really not much.  And, the default drink is still soda, not milk.

2. I think Michele Simon said it best: “McDonald’s ultimate goal is to make as little change as possible to get media attention (and praise from the likes of the first lady), while distracting policymakers from doing its job setting the boundaries of corporate behavior.”

3.  Bellatti also reminds us that it’s easy to get caught up in reduction of bad things — like less trans fat or salt, for example — but forget the importance of eating good things like fiber, potassium, etc.

What are your thoughts on McDonald’s new happy meal?  Should we support the small changes, in the hopes that will encourage larger changes in the future?

Did you know…

…that if you’re an ADA member, you can subscribe to the Daily ADA Knowledge Center emails?  They’re a fantastic way to quickly view the headlines of new food and nutrition news, read about latest research publications, and see how different ways that RDs are involved in the food world.  I don’t usually have time to read all the articles, of course, but they are all about hot topics in our field.

Log on to eatright.org
At the bottom of the page, click on the E-Newsletters icon (under “Stay Connected”) –> Manage Your Subscriptions
Subscribe to “Daily News”

Now, I know the American Dietetic Association often has a bad reputation because they receive corporate funding from organizations like Coca-Cola.  However, I believe it is very important to be part of the ADA if one is an RD/soon-to-be RD because this organization is the one that is working hard to maintain our rights as professionals.  They help to advocate for licensing laws (California and Washington, in particular, are currently working on this!), work with public policy groups, and so much more.  Even though we may not directly see the impact of the ADA in our day-to-day life, this organization is making our jobs as effective and valued as possible.

If you are a dietetic student or an RD: Are you a member of the ADA?  Why or why not?
And for everyone: What are your thoughts about the ADA, particularly regarding corporate sponsorships?

Food Security/Deserts News

Things have been quite busy around here, to say the least!  I was able to visit Michele on Wednesday, on my way down to SF, and it was so lovely to see the cherry orchards that she works at!  I learned a lot about the cherry growing process, and have an even greater appreciation for those who work on cherry orchards!  It’s so easy to think that food just appears at the store/farmer’s market, and to forget that the food needed to be tended by someone and grown.

I’ll just leave you with a couple articles about food deserts/food insecurity today:

Foundation offers $200 million to help California ‘food deserts:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/21/BU6E1KDCQE.DTL

Food security academy for youth in the Lower Ninth Ward by Our School at Blair Grocery:

Retailers pledge to open stores in ‘food deserts’:

What are your thoughts on these articles/news items?