November 2012 - Sensory Nutrition

Solar Panels Powered House: Pointers for Baking & Cooking

Preparing a holiday (Thanksgiving) meal using an electric stove provided a new twist for us this year. It turned out to be an eye-opening event. The stove’s performance was enhanced in an unexpected way! (Roof solar cell powered house photo ©2012 courtesy of DCH in conjunction with Sensory Nutrition.com)

Whole Food Focus Thanksgiving Preparations

Many people are considering the merits of a Whole Food focus basis for planning their upcoming Thanksgiving meal. Of course, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is truly the opportunity give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to share that sentiment while being able to spend time with family and friends, so any food choices should enhance that overall experience. Memories of Thanksgivings past are connected to our emotional perceptions of those times, so there are sounds, sights, smells/aromas, tastes, textures that all contributed to the sensory perceptions we have locked in our memory banks of those special

November 2012 Potpourri: Gluten; Diabetes; 2013 Women’s Heart Health

GLUTEN A summer issue of the Journal published by the Academy one of us belongs to had an interesting article on a new type of gluten-free pasta. The article title is: Green Banana Pasta: An Alternative for Gluten-Free Diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – July 2012 (Vol. 112, Issue 7, Pages 1068-1072, DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.04.002). The gluten-free flour pasta product is made from green banana flour, egg whites, water, and edible food source gum. Some people actually found the gluten-free pasta product more acceptable than pasta made from whole wheat flour. (Image of Green Bananas courtesy of johnnyberg at

Food Safety in the Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy (Part 2 of 2)

Severe Storms and hurricanes have so many direct impacts on those in their path, including coping with potential power losses, flooding and more. We’ve gone through such power losses in the past and from experience understand how frustrating their consequences can be. Once you know you and your family are safe, and your home is safe to be in, then it may be time to address the challenge of dealing with throwing out food which has spoiled and cleaning out previously cold food storage devices where unpleasant odors can linger. In Part 1 of 2 of this blog series, we

Food Safety in the Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy (Part 1 of 2)

When a severe storm of the magnitude of Superstorm Sandy is predicted, one can’t stress enough that you need a plan of action to keep food safe, which starts before, is maintained during, and continues on after the storm has hit your area. Unfortunately, it can be very trying to have to clean up after a severe storm has caused problems in your area when it comes to coping with power outages, flooding, and more. Hopefully you have already downloaded A Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety Severe Storms and Hurricanes from USDA’s FSIS (Food Safety Information Service) and/or the version Keeping Food Safe