Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/DairyCouncilofCalifornia.

Many of us know the important role calcium plays in developing and maintaining strong bones, which is especially important for children. But do you know the benefits of consuming calcium-rich foods extend to all ages of life?  Whether you're 6 or 60, the importance of eating a variety of high-calcium foods is critical for many reasons, such as:

• Building strong bones and teeth. High-calcium foods help build peak bone mass and also slow the natural loss that can occur with age.
• Lowering blood pressure. A diet rich in low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains works as well as some medications to improve blood pressure.
• Keeping your heart healthy. Calcium is a mineral that helps contract muscles and regulate your heart beat.
• Decreasing your risks of some types of cancer. Calcium in foods may slow down the growth of cells that lead to cancer.
• Managing your weight. Getting 3 servings of milk and milk products each day may help you manager your weight and lower your body fat.
  

Sharing the benefits of calcium in our diets and helping ensure all of us are getting enough is extremely important, which is why we have recently revised our nutrition education booklet Calcium Connection- Healthy bodies one generation to another. This booklet is filled with age specific information about why we need calcium from adolescence through older adulthood. A simple calcium quiz allows you to see your personal 'calcium score', and also includes simple steps for helping you get enough if you aren't already. Enhanced with new graphics, a calcium-rich shopping list, recipes and even a calcium plan, this booklet is a must read for all adults! If you're a health professional or teacher, these booklets are available for you to provide for your clients or parents with whom you work. It's easy to request your booklets, and remember, if you work in California they are completely free! Health professionals and/or teachers residing outside California can request them for a nominal charge.

Since adequate calcium intake is important at all ages, planning family meals at home that include calcium-rich foods can help everyone meet their daily calcium needs. Eating together can be any mealtime occasion from breakfast to dinner. Benefits of family meals go beyond just knowing that your family is getting the adequate nutrients they need for optimal health, like calcium. Families who eat together also have time to engage in important conversation which helps builds self-esteem and healthy emotional connection.  So, the next time you pour milk into your kids glasses at dinner, enjoy a yogurt smoothie with lunch, or have a piece of broccoli and cheddar quiche for breakfast, think about all of the unique benefits you're getting, from healthy bones and beyond!

Subscribe to the Dairy Council of California blog, follow @Dairy_Council and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more Healthy Eating Made Easier.

Ashley Rosales, RD

Project Manager

This week we are celebrating the important role the National School Lunch Program has played in child nutrition. Our previous blog post shared the reason for its being, which was to provide hungry children the foods needed to be optimally nourished so they can learn and grow healthy. The National School Lunch Program has a long history of helping achieve this goal, and since the early 1900’s the dairy industry has also played a pivotal role supporting this effort. In fact, it was around this time that the founders of the Dairy Council of California, Sam Greene and Chester Earl Grey, saw the opportunity to bring the nutrition inherent in dairy products to California schools. They knew that they could provide a much needed service to the public that would benefit generations to come.

The Beginning of the School Milk Program: In the early 1920’s, Greene surveyed California schools to get a clear picture of the state of school nutrition. This survey found that on average 36% of children did not receive milk on a regular basis. This meant a significant number of children were missing out on milk's critically important nutrients needed for optimal growth and health, such as calcium, protein, vitamin A and D. The results of this survey were instrumental in adding milk to the school lunch menu. As a result of milk being served in the California school lunch program, by 1950 per capita milk consumption had increased 25%. And with the inauguration of the Child Nutrition Act and its Special Milk program, milk consumption in schools increased nearly 10-fold over the 23 year period from 1947-1970.

Dairy Industry's Commitment to Child Nutrition: The dairy industry has been committed not only to providing milk and dairy foods to students as part of a balanced, nutritious meal, but also to teaching them how to eat healthfully from all five food groups. Providing nutrition education about the health value of milk and dairy products was at the core of Greene’s vision for the creation of the Dairy Council of California. He believed that you could make a lifelong impact on the health of children if you taught them how to include nutrient-rich foods, like milk, into their everyday choices. This commitment to nutrition education and the desire to contribute to community health is the reason the California dairy industry has continued to support the Dairy Council of California for over 90 years.

Let’s continue to celebrate this commitment by supporting the efforts made on behalf of the National School Lunch Program and take the time to teach nutrition education in schools.

Ashley Rosales, RD
Project Manager

There has been a lot of attention on the national school lunch program recently, and for good reason. School lunches play an integral part of child nutrition, nourishment, and helping children to grow healthy. The week of October 10-14 marks the celebration of National School Lunch Week. One of our longstanding partners, the School Nutrition Association (SNA), has announced the theme, “School Lunch: Let’s Grow Healthy” in partnership with the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP). In order to honor the accomplishments of the National School Lunch Program, let’s reflect briefly on its reason for being, look at the strides that have been made to improve the health of children through school lunches, and lastly, reinforce the positive direction all of us are taking to ensure children grow up healthy.

History of the School Lunch Program: In 1904 Robert Hunter published a book called Poverty, which had a very strong influence on the U.S. effort to feed hungry, needy children in schools. Hunter shed light on the epidemic of hunger plaguing American children from impoverished families. He brought attention to the fact that “learning is difficult because hungry stomachs…are not able to feed the brain. The lack of learning among so many poor children is certainly due, to an important extent, to this cause.” In the years that followed, and with motivation to resolve this problem, cities around the country began experimenting with school feeding programs.

School Lunches Help Children ‘Grow Healthy’: Since President Truman began the National School Lunch Program in 1946 it has served our nation admirably for over 60 years through advanced practices and nutrition education. Every day, the National School Lunch Program serves over 31 million children with nutritionally balanced, healthy meals. And just like 60 years ago, they are addressing major public health concerns through this program. We have watched as school lunches helped diminish an epidemic of rickets caused by malnutrition back in the early 1900’s, and we are now helping address an epidemic of childhood obesity. Today, all meals provided are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which means they are served in appropriate portions and limited in the amount of calories from fat. They also provide one-third the Recommended Daily Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. But for all that the National School Lunch Program is doing to help address childhood obesity, they are still fulfilling their founding mission, to provide hungry children the foods needed to be optimally nourished so they can learn and grow healthy. For that let us all say “thank you”, as feeding our nation’s children is one of the most important jobs there is.

Ashley Rosales, RD
Project Manager

Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians, educators and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/DairyCouncilofCalifornia.

When was the last time you sat down for a meal with your family? Was it last night, last week or last month? For some families, eating together is reserved for special events and holidays, like birthdays or Thanksgiving. These special occasion meals allow families to connect with each other, strengthen family ties and pass on family cultural traditions.

But family meals don’t have to be reserved for special occasions. Family meals can happen any time of day, any day of the week!  If the words “I’m too busy” pop into your mind, you’re not alone. You probably even hear this from the parents you know or work with. Like so many people, my days revolve around juggling work demands and parent responsibilities. But I’ve learned that family meals can fit into even the busiest of schedules. By planning ahead and getting the whole family involved, you reap a host of benefits:

Children who eat with their families are better nourished, have lower rates of obesity and higher vocabularies. These factors can have a positive impact on classroom behavior and academic performance. And when it comes to improving the health of our children, family meals are a great way to instill healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. As a Registered Dietitian and mom to an almost-2-year-old, these benefits are truly important to me. That is why I’ve made balanced family meals with foods from all of the food groups a priority in my home.

This fall, Dairy Council of California is helping families start or strengthen a commitment to family meals with the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge! Visit Facebook.com/DairyCouncilofCalifornia to take the pledge and sign up for recipes, meal suggestions and tips on how to balance meals with foods from all five food groups. Check back here for our Eat Better, Eat Together blog series with family meal tips, resources and stories from Dairy Council of California Registered Dietitians and guests. Be sure to follow @Dairy_Council on Twitter and look for the #EatBetter2Gether hashtag.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.

Project Manager 

Workplace wellness has been a high priority for many organizations looking to improve the health and wellbeing of employees while also curbing the impact in the rising costs of healthcare. There are many ways to promote wellness in the workplace, but one of the most popular are employee wellness health fairs. I am often invited to attend such events and I always find that I leave them with a better understanding of the issues many working adults face in their efforts  to make healthy choices. I also find satisfaction in sharing information and resources to make the process of healthy eating easier.

Here are my "takeaways" from my recent event at the Sacramento County Child Support Services employee wellness fair:

• Most people want to make meals at home to avoid the pitfalls of last minute take out options. But after a long work day, driving children to and from after school events and running last minute errands, most people find it almost impossible. That's why I was excited to share our meal planning website Meals Matter, which has all the tools needed to make planning meals and eating at home simple. Many of the people I spoke with said that they could eat healthier if they learned how to plan their meals, stock their pantry with key staples, and prepare simple healthy recipes. A woman that I met from last years event recognized our resources and even shouted out to her colleagues, "You have got to try this website...I love it!"
• Many employees are parents, and although they are concerned about their own health, they also want more information on how to make sure their children grow up healthy. I love reminding them of my 2 top priority tips for parents 1) being a healthy role model is one of the best ways to ensure your children learn how to make choices that lead to lifelong health. 2) Eating meals together as a family is an easy way to ensure everyone gets the nutrients they need, especially when you serve foods from all five food groups. I gave many parents in attendance our booklets Making Meals Matter for Your Young and Making Meals Matter for Your School Age Child, which contain wonderful information on how to be a healthy role model and plan nutritious meals and snacks.
• Nutrition misinformation in everywhere, and many of the people I spoke with were confused on how to eat healthfully. They can't keep up with what foods are considered "good" and what foods are "bad". One of the favorite aspects of my job is showing people that healthy eating is not complicated and doesn't involve diets, fads or restriction. Eating healthy can be as simple as 1) consuming a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all of the food groups 2) balancing our intake of food with physical activity and 3) enjoying foods that are low in nutritional value in moderation. Our booklet Activity and Eating is a great way to learn how to incorporate these concepts into your everyday life.

Promoting health in the workplace is a wonderful way to help improve the eating and physical activity habits of adults. There are many ways that you can bring wellness into your work environment. Our free wellness toolkit makes starting a wellness program easy. And if your place of employment is planning a employee wellness health fair, you can count on us to give you the resources and information needed to make healthy eating easier.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

It’s hot outside and one of the best ways to keep cool is to quench your thirst with an ice cold beverage! Whether you’re blending up a smoothie for an afternoon snack, pouring some lemonade after a long day outside or enjoying a soft drink at a ball game, beverage options are plentiful. But navigating this wide array of choices can be difficult.

Our new narrated lunch and learn presentation, ReThink your Drink…Tips for Choosing Beverages, was designed to help guide you through the process of choosing a healthy beverage. Learn about why proper hydration is important and how much fluid we really need.  Get tips on the importance of portion sizes, why to consume more nutrient-rich beverages like low-fat milk, and how to avoid some of the common high-calorie/low nutrition beverage pitfalls. Share this 15 minute presentation with your clients, high-school students and work colleagues.

Take advantage of all summer has to offer and quench your thirst with delicious and nutritious beverages!  Follow these simple D-R-I-N-K tips:

Don't forget to consider nutrients when making your drink choices.
Reference the nutrition facts label on the back of your beverage.
Individualize your fluid choices based on your activity level, age, body size and climate.
Nosh on nutrient rich beverages like low-fat milk, water and 100% juice instead of soda, fruit drinks and energy drinks.
Keep track of portions, and limit those beverages full of calories and no nutrients!

Rather than counting calories, make every calorie count. Nutrient rich beverages make excellent snacks on hot days!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager 

Thursday morning was typical for most people, but for those of us who are nutrition professionals the day started a bit differently than usual. Here at the Dairy Council of California main office, many of us crowded together hunched over a computer, anxiously anticipating USDA’s public announcement of the new food guidance icon, MyPlate. Having worked intimately with MyPyramid for the last 5 years, it was hard not to compare the new MyPlate, just like many of us do when introduced to something new. Both of them have many positives, as well as some disadvantages, but really it’s like comparing apples to oranges (no fruit group pun intended). But the most noted difference between the two is that MyPyramid was intended to be a tool for nutrition education and diet planning, whereas the new MyPlate is more of a “symbol” for how we should be eating.

Earlier this year the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released, and this new icon was created to serve as a quick, simple reminder for Americans to make healthy, balanced food choices from all of the food groups based on these recommendations. Here are a few key points which are emphasized from MyPlate:

• The graphic is a “place setting” image of the nutrient-rich food groups that make up a healthy meal: fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy. 
• The plate is a universal visual that communicates the importance of optimizing each meal occasion, especially family meals.
• Dairy is depicted by the glass and beyond (e.g., milk, yogurt and cheese).
• Following MyPlate will help Americans close the gap between actual and recommended consumption of “under consumed” food groups like low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• The graphic offers simple solutions for consuming more of the ‘nutrients of concern” and can be as simple as pouring a glass of milk with meals or incorporating more whole grains.

It is important to realize that MyPlate is merely a symbol and only in-depth nutrition education can effectively teach individuals the skills needed to make healthy decisions. Thankfully, Dairy Council of California has the nutrition education programs and resources available to assist you in this effort. All of our programs for educators and health professionals align with the most recent USDA Dietary Guidelines and they play a vital role in teaching children and adults the necessary skills needed to make positive healthy changes.

Although what we put on our plates is important, it’s really the pattern of our food choices, commitment to family meals, and ongoing physical activity habits that matters over the long-term. Your dedication to teaching nutrition education will create lasting changes in the health of Americans!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

Earlier this month I attended the 19th Annual California WIC Association (CWA) Conference in San Jose. This year’s theme was ‘Getting Real about Going Platinum’, with the main goal being to equip WIC staff with the tools and resources needed to create a stellar WIC experience. The California WIC program has really risen to a level of excellence by providing California’s 1.47 million participants with top-notch services, which include the updated WIC food package, providing breastfeeding support, nutrition education, widespread community collaboration and innovative service systems.

Dairy Council of California is pleased to be a longstanding partner of CWA as we share a common goal of empowering Californians to make food and activity choices for optimal health and wellness. Every year we sponsor and exhibit at the conference, and this year we had some exciting experiences. Here are some of the highlights:

• We provided samples of a delicious fat-free yogurt smoothie donated by Sunnyside Farms. These tasty smoothie drinks are low in calories, packed with nutrients and included added probiotics, which made them irresistible! I couldn’t hand them away fast enough. Thank you Sunnyside Farms!
• Earlier this year we released our newly revised Activity & Eating booklet. WIC staff seemed to love the new look, lower reading level and addition of new graphics and concepts. CWA has been focusing a lot on workplace wellness and this booklet will be a perfect addition.
• Each year CWA does a raffle which requires participants to answer questions chosen by each exhibitor present. We decided on this question, “Milk and milk products contain 3 of the 4 ‘nutrients of concern’ addressed in the recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. What are they?” The majority of attendees were quick to answer calcium and vitamin D, but you would be surprised at the hesitation for the third nutrient. With so many nutrition professionals in attendance I thought this would be a given. I guess it’s pretty normal to think of calcium and vitamin D when you think of milk, but it’s also a great source of potassium, which is lacking in most American’s diets. Potassium helps us maintain a healthy blood pressure which is why milk and milk products are included in the DASH eating plan. We were glad to bring some attention to potassium as a superstar nutrient!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.

Project Manager

Last week I attended the 61st Annual Conference of the California Schools Nurse Organization in Fresno. This years’ theme was “The Health of the Child is the Power of the Nation.” And with over 1400 active members of CSNO, I can’t imagine our children’s health being in better hands. School nurses dedicate their lives to improving the health of our children, and with the increasing numbers of kids they serve, it can result in less time available to focus on their own health. In order to show our appreciation for the work they do, Dairy Council of California provided the nurses who attended our exhibit booth the opportunity to receive a free bone density screening.

The bone density screenings were  provided by  Dr. Ken Howayeck of   Five Star Onsite Testing. It was definitely a success! Over 30 school nurses participated. Everyone received their bone density results and a print out to bring to their next medical appointment. The tests were easy and painless   (I know this because I was the first participant to get screened) and very accurate thanks to Five Star utilizing a top-of-the-line Achilles Bone Ultrasonometer®. Some of the participants commented that they thought it was a great way for us to show that we care not only about the health of the children, but their health too!

Bone health is a major concern for children and School Nurses know this better than anyone. About 2/3 of adolescent children do not get adequate calcium in their diets and do not meet physical activity guidelines, thus putting them at risk for osteoporosis later on in life. Adults, especially women over 50, should also pay close attention to the factors that can improve their bone health.

Dairy Council of California has several nutrition education resources available that can be used to teach the importance of bone health to adults and children of all ages. We were happy to share with the school nurses in attendance our free nutrition resources, which focus on ways to improve calcium intake and promote optimal bone health. But best of all, we were able to provide an opportunity for them to take a few moments to focus on their own health.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager

Since the release of the Dietary Guidelines a few weeks ago, you have probably seen detailed information about what Americans should do to improve their health. But have you thought about what these messages actually mean to your clients? One of the biggest challenges we face as health professionals is the ability to   translate these often “rigid” recommendations into practical pieces of advice that people   can actually aspire to. In a perfect world these guidelines would be released and people would say, “Wow, I have a lot of room   for improvement. I’m going to make all of these changes tomorrow!” However, that’s not the world we live in and to operate with that assumption is just unrealistic. There’s a much better way for us to use these guidelines to help clients make successful improvements to their health.

• Consider their perceptions. Food is often organized by the nutrients they provide. Our job is to help clients understand how these nutrients translate into food choices and dietary patterns. For example, a DASH eating pattern (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is based on a diet rich in heart healthy nutrients and relatively low in sodium, solid fats and added sugars- a message that can be very complex for most people to understand. That's why when we want to effectively teach clients how to follow this eating pattern we encourage increasing food choices of whole grains, low-fat milk and milk products, vegetables/fruits, legumes, nuts/seeds, seafood and lean meats. This approach works best because these are foods people can enjoy including into their daily food choices. There are many healthy eating patterns identified in these new guidelines and virtually all of them include these nutrient-rich foods from all of the food groups.
• Discover their barriers. In order to help our clients make lasting and impactful changes we need to discover the barriers that prevent them from happening. These could be behavioral, cultural, environmental or traditional. When providing nutrition education use resources that help identify and overcome these barriers and promote sustainable behavior changes.
• Beware of potentially unintended consequences. With the recommendation to shift to a plant-based eating approach, it will be extremely important to remind your clients that they still need to include foods that provide high-quality protein such as seafood, eggs, lean meats and low-fat milk and milk products. Think beyond using simple catch phrases like “focus on plant based foods” and instead provide them with a clear picture of what a balanced diet looks like. Be specific, so they truly understand what they should do.
• Inspire…don’t overwhelm. It’s easier said than done, but it really makes a difference if we can promote only one or two small changes at a time. By avoiding the all-or-nothing approach to healthy eating you can empower your clients to feel that their goals are achievable!

It will not be easy improving the health of Americans, but it is within our reach…if we all work together. To be truly successful we need a coordinated approach from parents, health professionals, teachers, food industry experts and others. Our recent Health Connections Newsletter provides guidance on how you can use the new dietary guidelines to take action. Our efforts will make a difference and I believe we are up for the challenge!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.
Project Manager