How many hands are behind your food plate?

Archive for the ‘Dietitians’ Category

How many hands are behind your food plate?

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

One of my favorite classes at Michigan State was Food Systems Management. The content left an imprint on me; we studied charts representing all the different parts of the food system. I found it mind boggling to see the many entities that milk went through to get from my cow to a person’s glass; the farmer is the first step in caring for an animal and producing the milk in a safe environment. However, there’s also a milk truck drive who picks up the milk and follows strict procedure, a milk inspector ensuring state regulations are followed and the people who test the milk when it gets to the plant. Then there are hands involved in the pastuerizing, processing, chemical analysis, quality control, distributing and retailing of that milk – all of which play an important role.

Some will say that food shouldn’t be that complicated; it should go from garden to plate with no one in between. The reality of feeding people 12 months out of the year intervenes, as does the economics of getting a variety of foods to the majority of the population. I’m giving thanks for the MANY hands behind the food on our plates this season; and would invite you to do the same. Some food jobs for you to remember:

Animal Geneticist
Animal Nutritionist; yes, cows have diets – theirs is more scientifically formulated than yours
Baker
Barista; have to love my non-fat chai tea latte
Bee Keeper
Biotechnology researcher; consider the ability to provide vitamins to the malnourished
Blogger
Boutique Crop Farmer
Butcher; it may not be pretty, but is important unless you like eating cowhide or turkey feathers
Chef
Cheese Maker; how smelly do you like yours?
Chief Financial Officer
Consumer Sciences/Home-Economics Teacher
Culinary School Teacher
Dairy Nutrition Specialist
Dietitian; this is the place you should go for unbiased and scientific info.
Enologist; have to love those grapes
Entrepreneur
Extension Educator
FDA employees
Fish Farmer; my love of seafood makes me very thankful
Flavor Chemist
Food Broker
Food Chemist; yes, there is chemistry in food – even the simplest food.
Food Inspector
Food Microbiologist
Food Plant Employees
Food & Restaurant Critic
Food Radio Host
Food Retailer; grocery shopping is not my favorite
Food Photographer
Food Scientist
Food Writer
Garbage Anthropologist
Grocery Store Manager
Herb Farmer
Historian
Honey Producer
Ice Cream Taster/Namer
Marketer
Mushroom Grower
Nut Grower; please pass the almonds, pecans, peanuts…
Nutritionist
Obesity Researcher
Packaging Specialists; remember that noise Sun Chips bag?
Product Demonstrator
Quality Control Inspector
Recipe Developer; this is kind of a hobby – it must cool to do it full time.
Restauranteur
Seed Scientist
Specialty Crop Farmer; mmm, love those lentils
Tasters
Tea Growers & Shop Owners; you keep me sane in the morning
Tree & Vine Fruit Grower
Truck Driver
Viticulturist
Waitstaff; bad service and good service usually mark your memories of an evening out
Wild Game Farmer
Wineries; thankful for the vino!

Won’t you join me and thousands of others giving #Foodthanks on November 23? Blog, tweet, Facebook about it. After all, don’t all of the hands behind your food plate deserve gratitude?

Tags: Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, Thanksgiving
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Dietitians, Food, Food & Nutrition | 3 Comments »

Should we focus on food apathy or grandstanders?

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

The 80-20 rule applies to food. 80% of folks likely don’t care unless someone relate directly to their concerns. 10% believe there’s nothing wrong and never will be, which I’ll label as the entrenched. The grandstanders, as I call them, are the 10% who do everything they can to draw attention to their position, often times creating a political quagmire on issues such as animal welfare, obesity, biotechnology, CAFOs, etc. It seems to me that we spend a disproportionate amount of time on grandstanders; responding to their nasty media campaigns and blog comments.

Are you focused on grandstanders or the 80% in the middle?

Meanwhile, the majority of the population moves on in food apathy. They know they should eat less, but really have no idea of how many calories that involves. Witness the IFIC Food & Health Survey, where 9% of Americans can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day for a person their age, height, weight, and physical activity. In a number unchanged from 2009 to 2010, 70% say they are concerned about their weight status, and 77% are trying to lose or maintain their weight. And even more concerning in 2011, 5% more report that their physical activity levels are sedentary – a significant increase from 2010.

The combination of a lack of knowledge of calorie needs and increase in sedentary lifestyles tells me there’s a great deal of food apathy. I’d love to see agriculture and nutrition professionals to work together to overcome people’s lack of interest in nutrition. Health professionals, such as dietitians, have been fighting an uphill battle in getting people to move from apathy to action. That spells opportunity! Perhaps agriculture can move some of its sights from the grandstanders to growing partnerships that will hit the folks in the middle.

The International Consumer Attitudes Study shows that 95% of the global population are concerned about cost, taste and nutrition. Food costs are top-of-mind as Americans look ahead at a Thanksgiving meal that will cost $5.73 more this year on average and as the world faces growing numbers of people living in food insecurity. It’s a great time to create interest with food buyers by talking about ways agriculture work to keep food prices down – and why food prices are rising. Explain it on their terms, not yours and you might be surprised at the connection you make. You can do this in a 5 minute conversation in the church parking lot, a Facebook dialogue, blog post or phone call. There’s no right or wrong place.

While I’m a huge proponent of the reach of social media has in connecting farm and food, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to focus on the grandstanders in that medium. This is particularly true on Twitter. Why not make a point for the remainder of 2011 to connect with the middle? Find others interested in overcoming food apathy. Combine forces.

And maybe, just maybe we can make a dent with the majority. One of the great times to do that is with the U.S. Thanksgiving, where food traditions (and overeating) are top-of-mind. Foodthanks on November 23 is a great example of connecting with the middle. Won’t you join in – and then continue that focus for the remaining 37 days of 2011?

Tags: Agriculture, apathy, calories, Food, Nutrition, Thanksgiving, weight gain
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Dietitians, Food, Food & Nutrition, Nutrition | 4 Comments »

Pass the Cheetos & drop the Food Guilt

Monday, October 24th, 2011

I love Cheetos. I’ve been known to eat more ice cream than a 200 pound man. My sweet tooth sometimes results in a meal made of desserts. And look out if you ever wave a piece of milk chocolate in front of me!

My food. My diet. My lifestyle. My choice. I don’t need the guilt trip running rampant in food claims today. I also adore cucumbers, get really excited about fresh fruit and grow at least 10 kinds of vegetables in our garden. Our little girl delights in telling her classmates that her favorite food is raw spinach and keeps a cow employed with her milk consumption. We get fast food at times because it’s quick – and it’s better than being hungry. I refuse to accept the guilt trip that it makes me a bad mother. One fast food place we won’t stop is Chipolte’s – because they lay on the food guilt thicker than sour cream with their claims and labels that are an insult to our upbringing.

I also don’t need food guilt in the grocery. Food is natural, whether it’s written on a label or not – if you don’t know that Cheetos aren’t natural, more than a label is needed. By the same token, absence claim labels are ridiculous – they were started by retailers with an interest in niche marketing. Do you really think those labels are there with your best interest in mind or to create a seed of self-doubt? The self-doubt will lead to you feeling guilty that you’re not doing the right thing as a parent or “eating right,” resulting in a change of buying behavior.

Food should be fairly simple – you choose it, you eat it and you take responsibility for the results. In other words, if I eat like a cow and gain weight – I have to spend more time on the bike or throwing bales. My weight gain and health condition is not McDonald’s fault, it’s not the company’s fault who made the Cheetos (yum) and it certainly isn’t the corn, cane or dairy producers’ fault. The food on my fork is my responsibility.

Before you judge me as a food slob, consider this; I work out at least three times a week and am not known for sitting still. I serve home-cooked, low fat meals to our family and carefully monitor our balance of protein, fruits and veggies. Except when we’re on vacation; then we eat Cheetos with cookies on the side and ice cream for breakfast. Based upon conversations with my girlfriends, we’re fairly normal. You’re welcome to judge that all you want – but spare me the guilt.

October 24 was Food Day, put together by an activist group that specializes in guilt trips, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. How about this? We celebrate World Food Day by stopping the food guilt. Celebrate the opportunity for people to make food choices by saying no to the guilt thrown at us in every venue about food and farming. Unless you’ve visited modern day farm yourself, don’t call a farm a factory just because it looks different than your Charlotte’s Web book. Take responsibility for your own junk food addictions and don’t blame marketers or producers. If you don’t feel great because of your diet, learn more about healthy foods from a registered dietitian (thank you, American Dietetic Association for not endorsing any food guilt claims).

And consider that sustainable farms are those that can survive as a business – meaning it’s O.K. if they make money. I’d hope the most important measure of a sustainable farm and Food Day (#FoodDay) is meeting the needs of a growing population. 9 billion mouths is a lot to feed by 2050. It will take a variety of farms, a reduction in food politics, modern agricultural practices and less of the food guilt to draw in the folks “in the middle” who could likely make a real difference in a food movement. Join me in standing up against the food guilt!

Tags: Agriculture, diet, farm, fast food, Food, mom, Nutrition, Sustainable, World Food Day
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Dietitians, Food, Moms, Motivation, Nutrition | 20 Comments »

Our Children’s Food Plates

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

Have you ever been overweight? I was while in junior high and know the pain of being a “fat kid.” I learned that exercise and monitoring food intake worked to lose 20 pounds after my eighth grade year. It’s a lesson that has reminded me to stay in shape throughout my life. Burn off what you consume or face the consequences.

While volunteering at our school’s field day this week, I was saddened by how many kids apparently haven’t learned the necessity of being active. I’ve noticed a lot of overweight kids while volunteering at school, but had no idea how prevalent inactivity was. Rather than playing kickball (a childhood favorite) or several of the other outdoor activities, they’d rather sit in the shade. There was a marked decrease in interest in physical activity as the kids got older.

Everyone points to technology and television as the demise of young people playing outdoors. That has a lot to do with it, but I don’t think it’s the whole story. How about we take personal responsibility for teaching children about what’s on their food plate? What about physical education so children understand exercise isn’t just for the athletic kids? And when did we forget to teach kids about food?

Frankly, I think adults need to shoulder responsibility for overweight children. Many in our society have found it’s easier to park a child in front of the TV set or computer rather than spend time outside exercising. Before I go off on that mom tangent, I’ll simply say that setting an example teaches more than any words.

Overweight kids need nutrition & exercise

What do you think of USDA's new guidelines?

Understanding nutrition is perhaps an even greater responsibility than exercise because meals happen nearly 1,100 times a year. Today USDA released new dietary guidelines to try to help with our nation’s lack of “food literacy.” It’s a simple visual on needed food groups and portions. I hope you’ll share http://www.choosemyplate.gov with every parent you know. Suggestions for types of foods are also given, as well as examples of portions.

Some have tried to tell me that this plate doesn’t meet their dietary or specific health needs. I don’t believe it’s designed to be a fix-all, but Choose My Plate is a guideline. It’s impossible to come up with a program that is going to meet every single person’s need. How about we focus on the need to increase American’s understand of the types and quantities of food rather than our individual needs?

Food has become so contentious. I’d suggest that before parents worry about all of the labels and buying the “right kind of food”, they take a hard look at their children’s food plates. Our family doesn’t always get it right in our kitchen, but try to strike a balance. We had an ice cream dinner to celebrate academic achievement earlier this week, followed by a lunch of lettuce and spinach from our garden plus some exercise time.

Until our society can get nutrition right and get the next generation moving, I’m not convinced we should spend so much time arguing about organic, biotechnology, animal welfare, local, etc. How can you help a young person better understand their food plate?

Tags: children, Food, kids, mom, Nutrition, overweight, physical education
Posted in Agriculture, Consumer Trust, Dietitians, Food, Moms, Motivation, Nutrition | 5 Comments »

Leveraging 10,000 Farm & Food Voices

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

We all eat. We all need food for sustenance. And most of us genuinely enjoy food. Food doesn’t have to be a political statement, particularly when 1 in 6 people go to bed hungry. Isn’t it about time we leverage our commonalities, rather than bicker over our differences?

Leveraging has likely been the single most important thing I’ve learned in my career. Since cows have always towered over me, I first experienced leveraging on the halter to manage my animals. Early in my career at the National FFA Foundation, I found that leveraging executive networks could literally raise a building (the National FFA Center). And while I was in that capacity, I called on Tractor Supply Company and discovered how to leverage a cause; TSC turned their $1,000 donation into $100,000 for FFA by asking their vendors to invest in the same cause.

Is agriculture a cause? I certainly see it that way, which led me to found Cause Matters and start professionally speaking a decade ago. My greatest hope in the next decade is to leverage connections around the food plate. I created 10x Connect to challenge people to go beyond the choir and reach a hand across the aisle. Part of the challenge is in the 10 grants to creative food and ag organizations who can leverage their voice. Another part of 10x Connect is sharing personal success stories from individuals who rise to the challenge (not that success does not mean agreeing, it’s in the discussion). And some of it is a challenge to myself.

Since farming only represents 1.5% of the population, we have no choice but to leverage our voices. Consider theses simple actions; ask 10 people about their food concerns, volunteer with 10 organizations or spend 10 minutes in daily 10 conversations on Facebook. It doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult to go from one voice to hundreds. That’s the power of leveraging – and it’s absolutely necessary to build food literacy. What would happen if 1,000 people rose to this challenge? You’d impact 10,0000 new voices to help carry your message, which has the potential reach to 100,000. Now is the time – and here are some simple ideas to help you get started.

My vision with 10x Connect is to engage people in building a broader, more connected community around the food plate. Over the next year I’ll be looking back at the last decade of difference and plan to give some thoughts about the next ten years of the “agversation.” At the request of several folks, I’ll be sharing my own personal story of of giving back and the more about the organizations Cause Matters Corp. selects through the 10x Connect grant program.

Reminder; challenging yourself means your voice may be different than others at the table - and that's O.K.

Action inspires reaction. Will yours be to proactively build connections or wait until another stake is driven into the food plate? Our family makes choices that are best for us, both in the food we buy and that which we raise. At the end of the day, shouldn’t we all be having a conversation about the importance of the freedom of our choices as a commonality around the food plate? Go ahead… I challenge you to leverage your voice.

Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Dietitians, Farmer, Motivation | No Comments »