Tag Archives: snacking

Three Reasons & Ways to PEAR More Often This School Year

By on

By Ashley Koff RD* An apple for the teacher? Why not a pear?! I love pears, so I get especially excited during this time of year. Pear season is kicking off (look for Bartletts, Red Bartletts and Starkrimsons!), and before I share some of my favorite ways to enjoy pears, I thought I would tell you a little about the nutritional benefits of this healthy, in-season fruit. Pears pack fiber – If you are trying to improve your fiber intake,** then pears are your better choice. A medium pear provides about 6 grams, which is a great way to help you meet your daily fiber goals. Plus, fiber helps you feel full and satisfied longer, so when it comes to smart snacking, fiber is a must. Pears have excellent skin – with pears it’s best to eat the skin for Continue reading →

February is Heart Health Month

Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD By on

There’s good reason as to why we have an entire month dedicated to heart health: heart disease is the number 1 cause of death for men and woman in the United States (National Center for Health Statistics, 2016). According to the CDC, this has been the case for upwards of 80 years now, with current numbers pointing to about 610,000 deaths in the United States every year. Translation: heart disease is to blame for 1 out of every 4 deaths in America! While statistics like this are shocking and scary, there is at least one thing you can start doing today to immediately lower your risk: improve your diet. The truth is, a healthy heart is directly correlated with a healthy diet. Studies show that fiber is excellent at preventing and reducing elevated cholesterol levels, which is a strong predictor Continue reading →

Snack Right to Stay Healthy Through the Holidays

Willow Jarosh MS, RD & Stephanie Clarke MS, RD By on

Office candy dishes, gifts of baked goods, parties, dinners, and extra-packed to-do lists all shuffle in with the holiday season. And increased stress levels can also follow suit. While we can’t do your holiday shopping for you, we can offer up a helpful tool for keeping your energy level stable, your mood happier, and your weight steadier during the holiday season… snacks. But not just any old snacks will do, follow these four tips to ensure your snacks are energy-boosting powerhouses. Use the Rule of 2: The combination of protein, high fiber/less processed carbohydrates, and fat is one that keeps blood sugar and energy levels stable for hours. At mealtime, make sure you have this triple threat (+ veggies!) on your plate. At snack time, aim for at least 2 of the 3…what we call the “rule of 2.” Examples: Continue reading →

Time to don your thinking cap!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

  Children and school buses have started roaming the neighborhood; I can’t believe we’re already back to school. No matter the age of the student, those of us in nutrition and education know that what fuels brain power is food! This means healthful meals, but maybe more importantly, healthful snacks throughout the day. All of us, but especially children and adolescents who are growing – yes, this includes college students – need to eat regularly to maintain proper blood sugar levels, aka energy, and essential nutrients that power the brain and body. Think about it this way: The body (and especially the brain) is generally like the engine of a car. The engine parts are proteins, fat is the oil that allows the parts to function together, and carbohydrates are the fuel that drives the engine. Just like the parts Continue reading →

Walnut Pesto Toast with Sliced Pears and Gorgonzola Cheese

Brittany By on

This recipe, courtesy of Dave’s Killer Bread and Lauren Kelly Nutrition, will expand your toast horizons. Perfect for breakfast or an after-school snack, this simple pear toast is anything but boring. Ingredients Pesto 4 ounces extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons walnuts ¼ cup parmesan cheese ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn Sandwich ½ USA Pear, sliced ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese Sliced walnuts for topping 4 slices of Dave’s Killer Bread Instructions Add ingredients to make the pesto to high speed blender or food processor in the order displayed. Blend until smooth. Toast bread until light brown. Spread pesto on toasts. Add sliced pears and top with cheese and walnuts. Serve immediately. yield: 4 servings Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Snacking Made Simple

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

I teach in a culinary school where some of our classes are six hours long, back-to-back. Some of our students (and faculty) are in hot, steamy kitchens for thirteen hours every day! Unfortunately, this scenario happens too often: A student who hasn’t eaten enough suddenly becomes lightheaded. We’ve all felt this way, often as a mid-afternoon crash, but there is a simple solution that prevents fatigue, improves concentration, and decreases money spent on that 3:00 PM coffee run. Eat a simple snack! Vending machine fixes, such as candy bars, chips, pastries, or soft drinks, are usually high in refined sugars that may give you a quick boost but eventually cause a crash that decreases performance. For snacks with real staying power, you may need to plan ahead – but I promise this will only take five minutes! Choose carbohydrates plus Continue reading →

Diabetes? Eat More Pears!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

This weekend I attended the American Diabetes Association’s Chicago Expo, a free educational event for those with diabetes. At the pear booth, I noticed the question we were asked most was “How are pears good for diabetes?” Just like any carbohydrate-rich food, grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, etc., the naturally occurring sugar in fruit is broken down in the gut and absorbed into the blood stream, causing blood sugar to rise. This is good and necessary! Every single cell in the body needs carbohydrate because it is the primary source of energy for the body. Think about how much you move every day. Your large muscle groups use a lot of energy from carbohydrate and fat. But, energy from carbohydrates is especially important for the brain and central nervous system. In fact, the brain alone requires at least 120 grams of carbohydrates Continue reading →