"Fuel your body...Delight your senses"
Stephanie Brina-Herres, MS, RD, CDN
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Dec
31
2011
This is the 2nd blog post as part of a 2 part series we started on Dec 30, 2011 with the initial posting of “Healthy Eating Need Not Be Just a Fairy Tale” (which was Part 1 of 2).
In the USA and elsewhere, many people may be aware that on the BACK of packages, besides ingredient labeling, there is also nutrition facts panel labeling.
What they may not necessarily be aware of, is that additionally, on the FRONT of those same packages there may be some Point-of-Purchase (POP) nutrition labeling approaches being used both at the retail sales level and in some cases at the commercial and institutional food service settings level as well.
Such Front-of-the-Package (FOP) labels are placed with the hope of encouraging people to make on-the-spot purchasing decisions.
Consumers now need to look for nutrition label information on both the FRONT and the BACK of packages before making a buying decision.
The POP food labeling systems typically utilize some sort of either a threshold or scoring system to potentially influence decision making.
Some of these systems use “keys” aka icons, “stars”, “stamps” and more in their ratings.
Our last blog looked at 5 such programs including ANDI, AHA Heart-Check mark, GDA Counter, Guiding Stars, and Healthy Ideas. Today’s post addresses at least 6 more such POP nutrition labeling programs.
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Dec
30
2011
Italian families typically love eggplant dishes, and tend to be quite fond of pine nuts as well.
It turns out that combining eggplant with pine nuts is a perfect start for creating an appetizer to enjoy year round, and it can be quite delicious during the winter holidays.
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Dec
30
2011
Today’s blog title is adapted from a comment in the Albert Heijn Employee Magazine from 2009.
Each year, that grocery store chain in The Netherlands organizes “Gezonde Weken” or “Health Weeks.”
In 2009, the focus was on helping children to learn more about healthy eating in a fun way, so the chain handed out fairy tale place-mats for children. The fairy tale theme included “Wise Knight’s Facts” as well as “Princesses Tips” and was centered around the “Clover Land” theme, referring to the “Clover” logo based Point-of-Purchase Program designed to raise customer awareness of healthier food selection options in their stores.
That grocery store chain in The Netherlands talks about contributing to a “healthy and sustainable society” and further states that the company wishes to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy food in particular. Their former “Clover” logo program has been dropped as the Dutch Government asked that a national logo program be developed and adopted and that new logo for 2011 is shown here.
We’ll come back to this logo developed in that country in tomorrow’s blog offering, which will be part 2 of 2 in this series of blog posts focusing on what is called Point-Of-Purchase (POP) labeling found on the Front-of-the-Package (FOP) of various food items sold in many locations from grocery stores to vending machines and more around the world.
Do you know which FOP POP criteria are in line with your personal food and nutrition intake goals?
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Dec
24
2011
Sometimes a gift basket can be the just right gift to give to others at holiday time.
Santa Face with “Fuzzy Fleece” beard is the “Applique Santa” design (Single 3) from www.adesignbylyn.com used with permission. (Fuzzy Fleece is also sometimes known as Silky Fleece).
You can pick a basket size from small to extra large and include in it whatever suits your fancy and seems appropriate for the sentiments you wish to convey to the recipient at holiday time, no matter what the holiday may be.
Contents of a gift basket can be whimsical to practical to inspirational.
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Dec
22
2011 -
Dec
22
2011
Many holiday recipes, especially for baked goods, feature tree nuts in them.
Nuts can contribute wonderful sensory qualities as well as terrific nutritional value when used in moderation as part of a healthier diet.
That said, what’s up with nut prices this holiday baking season?
Are dramatically higher prices a one time fluke or are they here to stay for awhile?
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Dec
20
2011 -
Dec
16
2011
(“Merry Christmas with Santa Hat” Embroidery Design Image Courtesy of www.soniashowalterdesigns.com)
This year’s “Christmas Menu Ideas” list contains some hot links to many of the recipes, just in case you might be interested in any of those.
Italians also typically keep fruit bowls and also nut bowls around at holiday time with seasonal favorites. The fruits will often be citrus in skins or intact other varieties, while the nuts will be “in the shell” with the metal nutcracker and nut pick handy for shelling a couple or few at a time…
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Dec
16
2011
This particular cake recipe dates back to my childhood in terms of my own recollection, but the Yule Log aka BÛCHE De NÖEL has been a holiday favorite for centuries.Before moving out to the suburbs, my mother worked in the city–New York City to be exact.
There was a famous and unusual eatery there called the Horn & Hardart “Automat” where sometimes, for a splurge, on a vacation day she would go and get a rare lunch out, or sometimes just a dessert.
Other images of the Automat from that time can be found here. The last New York City based Horn & Hardart “automat” concept restaurant reportedly closed in 1991.
My mother had fond memories of a wonderful Yule Log treat she had enjoyed at the Automat and years later, after becoming a homemaker, she decided to re-create the treat, but with a twist of her own.
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Dec
15
2011
If you are making any type of drop sugar cookie recipes up this holiday season, here are some easy to remember tips to keep in mind…
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