Kasia the Expert

     Fresh produce can take about 21 days to travel from the field to the supermarket, but only hours to get to the processing plant for freezing or canning.  As a result, processed products are often superior in nutrition and flavor.

     I enjoy a trip to the farmer's market as much as the next person, but relying on raw produce is not realistic for everyday life.  I feel great knowing that my family and I get nutrition from all forms of produce, and know that they will be available any time of year, thanks to food technology.  As Fergus Clydesdale, Ph. D., professor and Director of the Food Science Policy Alliance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst put it:

     "Instead of deriding technology, let's take advantage of it so that we can have a modern food supply...which includes both fresh and processed healthy foods...in a form that's appealing, convenient and safe."

      Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients to support life and health. How do you determine the amount of certain nutrients in your favorite foods? How does that amount fit into an overall diet? I think, often times we tend to forget that the answers to those questions can easily be found with use of the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) on the food label.

All packaged foods are required to display the NFP so that consumers can use it to determine the types and amount of nutrients per serving of food. However, to some of us, the NFP resembles an alphabet soup rather than a useful tool. Taking a little bit of time to learn the meaning of the Percent Daily Value (%DV) can be helpful!

Let's start with the basics. The %DVs listed on the NFP are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients for a 2000 calorie diet. Most people may not know how many calories to consume in a day, but still can use the %DV as a frame of reference regardless of the total daily calorie needs.

Here is my favorite quick guide to %DVs for the Vitamins A and C and minerals calcium and iron that must be listed at the bottom of every NFP:

5% = Low: 5% Daily Value or less may be considered a low amount of a nutrient.

20% = High: 20% Daily Value or more may be onsidered a high amount of a nutrient.

Added bonus, many NFP include an extended list of vitamins and minerals that goes beyond the mandatory vitamin A, C calcium and iron. Knowing how to interpret the %DV can be a quick way to determine how your favorite packaged foods fit your personal nutrient goals.

   It's already 4:30 pm; I'm ready to go home but not till I have an answer to what might be the most common question around that time of day: what's for dinner tonight? In my head, I quickly scan our pantry at home and decide, instead of following our weekly meal plan, I'd like to stop by one of my favorite restaurants on the way home and just order out.

Interestingly, I'm not alone. According to the National Restaurant Association, on a typical day in America this year, 133 million individuals will be foodservice patrons and more than half of adults say restaurants are an essential part of their lifestyle. I recall Harry Balzer, food industry expert, saying "Americans now use restaurants like their parents traditionally used grocery stores...Restaurants have become places to get food to eat somewhere else."

How can our favorite take out meal be a part of healthful diet? We've all heard about the recommendation to split large restaurant portions to save caloires, but sometimes I just want my own entree. With the convenience takeout offers, there must be another way to fit occasional restaurant food into anyone's meal plan.

From my own experience, planning our family meals is one of the most important strategies to a healthful diet. I know, at 4:30 pm, there is not a lot of time to plan a family meal, but with access to the internet, sensible meal planning (including take-out) is possible and here is how:

• Before placing your order, check the on-line nutrition information of your favorite restaurant. Use that information to make an informed decision about what food to order.
• If your specific restaurant doesn't offer on-line nutrition information, find a comparable restaurant that does. At least you can use the nutrition content of similar food choices to guide your decision.
• Personally, to save calories, I order an entree and then, if I'm really hungry, I use the "pick-two" rule: appetizer, beverage, dessert - I pick any two.
• Then if I choose to get a dessert, I find someone to share it with me. Usually by the time I finish my entree, only the first two bites of my dessert taste the best!

With these simple tips you can enjoy the variety and convenience take-out offers and feel good about your choices, too!