I grew up in a small town called Bexley, Ohio. My mom forwarded me a community newsletter detailing the positive changes the food service director had made for students in the cafeteria. I was impressed and wanted to comment further. So…I wrote a letter to the editor at the Bexley News. Here is what I said:To the Editor,As a pediatric registered dietitian in Laguna Beach, California and proud graduate of Bexley High School, class of 1990, I want to applaud the efforts of James Anderson, Bexley Schools’ Food Services Director, for the healthier food he is providing in the cafeterias for students (Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds in Checkpoints for our […]
I had a latte with Evelyn Tribole a few Fridays ago. Let me put this into perspective for you. This is like being a die hard Star Wars fan and having coffee with George Lucas. For a dietitian, this latte was a big deal.In the mid-1990s when I was studying nutrition I picked up a book Evelyn wrote with Elyse Resch called Intuitive Eating. At the time, I was interested in adult weight loss and wanted to begin work in a hospital setting and then start a private practice focused on the issue. At school I was good at designing the perfect calorie controlled diet to help any person lose […]
Take a look at school lunch in Paris! AMAZING! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6902333n&tag=mncol;lst;1
I wrote a letter to the CEO of General Mills, Kendall J. Powell, asking him to remove Trix, Monsters and Lucky Charms cereals from their product line. You can find the original letter posted at this blog entitled DEAR GENERAL MILLS. Below is the response from the company to me. I welcome and appreciate your comments on their response._____________________________________________________________ Dear ADA Member,As a long-time sponsor of the American Dietetic Association, we thought you may be interested to see the summary of our 2010 General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility report. It provides a quick snapshot of the progress we’ve made over the past year to live our mission of Nourishing Lives […]
Do your kids eat school lunch? Do you pack their lunches? Feel free to share your thoughts with me about what you do and why. Here is an article I wrote on the topic for our local paper, The Laguna Beach Independent.______________________________________________________ FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON LUNCHES published September 10, 2010 Laguna Beach IndependentYou might have read that the U.S. Senate approved the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which allocates $4.5 billion to feed more children and bring more healthful nutrition standards to schools. Would it surprise you to know that $4.5 billion equates to only six cents more per child per day? Current reimbursement rates give schools $2.68 for each […]
I was at the store reading a food label for Trix cereal. I went home and wrote this letter to the CEO of General Mills because he needs to hear from me. ______________________________________________________________________________September 7, 2010General Mills Kendall J. Powell Chairman, President and CEO 1 General Mills Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55426Dear Mr. Powell,As a pediatric dietitian, I want to thank you for some of the cereals your company sells. Because I provide nutritional counseling for children from birth through adolescence, I carefully consider each and every product I endorse based on my clients’ needs. These are the General Mills products I promote most often:Cheerios: This is a good source of fiber, […]
There is a television in the locker room at the pool we went to this summer. I estimate that I walked my children through that locker room 18 times in the six weeks we used the pool. More often than not, there is the same girl glued to that television watching The Tyra Banks Show. From now on, I will refer to her as Young Girl because she is one. I estimate she is 11 or 12 years old. Any thoughts or comments on this scenario so far? Here is what I predict the experts might say:Pediatrician: Why does this locker room have television? Shouldn’t Young Girl be in the […]
When people find out that I am a dietitian, they always ask me what I eat. I guess its similar to asking a dermatologist what her favorite potions and lotions are for her face or a trainer what his or her workout routine is. I respond that I eat most everything in moderation, but I am not a big fan of pork products, especially pork rinds. Lima beans are tough for me and green peppers on a pizza are not my vegetable of choice as a topping. I can be a committed vegan, but if you occasionally ask me out for chicken wings, I will not fight you on it.I […]
I am pleased to share the response I received from the letter (my blog entry: Crayola Colored Yogurt) I sent July 10th, 2010 to the CEO of Au Bon Pain. To catch new readers you up to speed, I wrote a letter to the CEO of Au Bon Pain about my concern with the artificial dyes they use in their yogurts. I will have you know, this conversation is not over. ____________________________________________________________________________________July 28th, 2010 Dear Ms. SilvermanThank you for taking the time to write to Sue. She sent along your note to me and asked me to get back to you. You are clearly a loyal patron of Au […]
Here is what supermodel and new mom Gisele Bündchen said to Harper’s Bazaar UK on August 2, 2010:“Some people here [in the U.S.] think they don’t have to breastfeed, and I think ‘Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?’” adding “I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months.” Here is the letter I am sending to Gisele: Gisele, Congratulations on your new baby boy Benjamin! I heard you had a home birth. And we all know you have chosen to breastfeed. Well good for you Gisele. Nice nutritional choice. Let […]
