ShopWell Blog

Spring cleaning? Don't forget your pantry: tips to get started today

Today is the first day of spring. Because many of    
you are starting your spring cleaning, I want to ask: when was the last time you cleaned out your pantry?

Here are a few tips and tricks to get your kitchen in shape, so you'll be ready to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Free your cabinets, fridge, and freezer of expired or contaminated food:

Take a first glance and throw out anything that you know is old, smells off, is turning color, etc. Look and smell each open container in the fridge and cabinet. Don't forget: when in doubt, throw it out.

Check the expiration dates on each food. Most food borne illnesses come from bacteria and other pathogens that you cannot see. Not sure how long you can keep a particular item? Type the food into this easy to use Food Keeper from the Food Marketing Institute to find out.

Use ShopWell to scan or search each food to see how well it matches for you. Seeing too many reds? Have food that doesn't match well for you, but is still safe to eat? Donate to a local food pantry. They will be able to portion it out to people who need it. Check here for a list of local food banks.

Mark each package you keep (markers, stickers, and stamps all work) with the date before you put it away. This way you can quickly see how long you've had the package next time you clean out your cabinets.

Restock with healthy options for you:

Take a look through the foods you have and sort them by food group: fruit, vegetables, protein foods, grains, dairy, and "other". Do you have options for each or maybe too many foods in "other"? Make note of the food groups you need to add to (the vegetable group is a common one that people tend to need more of) and search ShopWell to find a few more healthy options for your grocery list.

Many people have a list of similar foods they buy each week. Look at your ShopWell lists and upgrade a few of the foods you eat everyday. Need more whole grains? Try brown rice or a box of whole wheat crackers. Often low on dairy? Bring home some lowfat milk, cheese sticks, and non-fat, unsweeteded yogurt to add to any meal. Whole frozen and canned (rinse well) fruit, vegetables, and beans are great to have on hand for quick and easy meals.

Variety is also important when planning a healthy diet to keep you interested in food and to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need each day. Like brown rice and chicken, but tired of having it day in and day out? Find the food you eat most often on ShopWell and find more healthy options in the similar products section.

Farmers markets are starting up again. They are a great place to be inspired to cook more fruit and vegetables. Try one or two new items each time you go. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that should be available to your local farmers market very soon.

Don't forget hidden food:

Clean out and restock your hidden foods stashes: your desk at work, your car, or even on your coffee or gas runs can all be full of hidden, calorie filled snacks and treats. Do you have enough healthy snacks and drinks on hand to keep you going through out the day?

Sort through these areas just like your kitchen. Throw away old, open packages, check expiration dates, and scan or search on ShopWell to see how well the food matches for you.

Exchange the candy jar for a fresh fruit and nut bowl. Try the lowfat, no sugar added, or other healthier drinks. (Bottles and cans of flavored seltzer waters and fresh brewed unsweetened tea are great to have on hand.) Have grab and go healthy snacks ready to go for your commute. 

Start a fruit and veggie swap. Each week bring in some whole fruit and veggies and swap with your office mates. See who can make the tastiest roasted broccolli, grilled zucchini or the most inventive way to use the vegetable (avocado for breakfast?) to share the next day.

Need some more ideas? Here's a list of quick and easy office options. 

So what are you waiting for? Make for a healthier, less stressed you this spring: walk into your kitchen and open one cabinet to get started today!

Fun at the Noriega St Food Fair This Past Weekend!

What a great weekend!

This past Saturday we showed off our iPhone app and website to an excited crowd at the Noriega St. Food Fair in San Francisco, hosted by the Office of State Senator Leland Yee, PhD.

Despite the foggy weather, Brian, Marci, and our new intern Andrea were all on hand to demo ShopWell's grocery list enhancing features including Trade Ups and Shareable Lists.

 

Our Head Dietitian Marci gave a fantastically informative talk about "Maximize Your MyPlate: Getting Your Food Groups Into Every Meal". She even stayed around after to chat with people individually about ways to get more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your
diet. Missed the handout and want to know more? Download ShopWell Maximize Your MyPlate or check out her tips from last week's post.

We here at ShopWell want to thank the Noriega St. Food Fair team for all their hard work in setting up this event. We were honored to be a part of it and loved sharing ShopWell with the people of San Francisco!

Want to see Brian and Marci demo ShopWell? Join us Wednesday night at 500 Start Ups for the “The New Food Chain: Investing in Food Startups" event! For more info, click here.

Maximize MyPlate: ShopWell's Headed to the Noriega St Food Fair

Are you in San Francisco this Saturday?

Come visit the ShopWell booth at the Noriega St. Food Fair 8/6 from 11-4pm. I'll also be giving a talk on "Maximize Your MyPlate: Getting Your Food Groups Into Every Meal" at 1:30pm.

Since this is such an important topic for all I want to share some of the info I will be discussing at the event.

Vegetables: 

• Wash and cut vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and celery when you get home from the store
• Add handfuls of frozen vegetables to sauces, stews, stir-fry, and even scrambled eggs
• Open a can of whole vegetables (rinse thoroughly) and add to sauces stews, stir-fry or even jazz them up with some hot sauce, lemon, or your favorite vinegar

Here are some lists to try: Great Veggies for Snacking, Good Vegetables for Roasting, and Vegetables that Microwave Well.

Fruits: 

• Add a handful of frozen fruit to hot whole grain cereal in the morning. Or snack on frozen fruit in place of dessert
• Keep a bowl of washed fruit on the table 
• Cut up an apple, pear, or other fruit and mix with your favorite sweet spice (cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg all work well) Microwave for a minute or so and stir so the flavors blend together

Here are some fruit-filled lists to try: Fruit to Cut Up for Fruit Salad and Fruit to Eat when on the Go.

Grains: 

• Make your pantry's grains whole grains by trading up your bread, tortillas, crackers, rice, cereal, etc. to whole grain versions
• Buy a new whole grain at the store and use it to make a whole grain and vegetable salad or side dish recipe each week
• Cook a portion or two extra of brown rice, whole wheat noodles, or other whole grain to cool and keep in the fridge for the next meal. Or better yet, cool and freeze in portion size containers or plastic bags for easy additions to any meal

Here are some whole grain lists to get you started: Whole Grains to Cook With and Whole Grain Snacks.

Protein:

• In addition to lean cuts of meat, fish and poultry, canned beans are an easy way to get your protein. Add them to salads, soups, stews, pasta, or rice
• Have hummus dip or peanut butter with vegetables and whole grain crackers
• Hard boil eggs and use them to top vegetable and grain dishes

Here are some protein packed lists to try: Good Sources of Protein (Non Meat) and Protein Rich Snacks.

Dairy: 

• Keep low fat cheese on hand. Try adding a handful of low fat shredded cheese to a cup of frozen vegetables. Microwave
• Keep greek yogurt on hand to mix into cereal, frozen fruit, tuna salad, etc.
• Drink a glass of milk

Here are some dairy filled lists to try: Good Sources of Calcium Starter List and Low in Lactose List.

A Few Other Things:

• Look for low sodium options of your favorite foods especially canned or packaged items.
• Reduce intake of sugary drinks by keeping a plate of cut fruit in the fridge to add to water or seltzer.
• Look for sale items to buy and try or to stock up on for the week.

Here is a list of examples to get you started incorporating this info into your daily life. Add or subtract items as needed. Or merge it with some of the other great suggested lists already in your account. 

Want to know how much of each food group to eat? Visit the MyPlate website for serving size and daily needs. 

Maximizing MyPlate Guidelines, Part 2: Watch Your Calorie, Sodium, and Added Sugar Intake

Last week, I introduced the USDA's new MyPlate program and discussed ways to choose healthy foods in each food group (check out the post here if you missed it). This week in Part 2 of Maximizing MyPlate Guidelines, I'll dive deeper into new recommendations for calories, sodium, and added sugar intake.

We here at ShopWell applaud the USDA for creating straightforward, actionable guidelines to help us reach our food and nutrition goals.  The information found at ChooseMyPlate.gov brings one's attention back to foods at each meal by asking Americans to fill a quarter of their plates each with vegetables, fruits, protein, and grains and have a serving of dairy on the side.

We are also proud to be a Community Partner in the USDA/CNPP National Communicators Network charged with "reaching consumers and helping them make meaningful, sustainable, healthy dietary changes, based on the Dietary Guidelines".

Take a moment and ask yourself: is my pantry stocked with the foods that meet these new guidelines and are right for me?

We'll show you how to make improvements.  Choose one of the following areas to improve and use the tips, searches, and lists to start trading up the foods in your pantry today.

• Calories: Know your daily number and the calories per serving in your favorite foods

Knowing the right amount of calories you should consume each day is important to maintaining a healthy weight. Also limiting empty calories from added sugars and solid fats can have a big impact on your health.

Use ShopWell's calorie calculator to personalize your nutrition label by clicking the link at the top of the Nutrition Facts Panel. Enter your height, weight, age, and exercise level to see the amount of calories you should stay under for the day. (If your dietitian or doctor suggests another level that is right for you, you can always click 'adjust' to enter the new number.)

Your daily calorie level will appear at the top of the nutrition facts panel as a reminder. Remember to read the calorie level and serving size amount on each label to see how much of the food you should eat. 

• Sodium: Look For Lower Sodium Food

 Use ShopWell's Trade Ups tables and Nutrition Facts Panels to see the sodium level per serving in your favorite foods. When choosing healhier options, pay attention to this number. In most cases a similar food with a higher ShopWell score will have a lower sodium number.

As a general rule, if a food is equal in other areas, choose the one that is lower in sodium. Here are some foods low in sodium to help get you started.

• Sugar: Swap Out Sugary Beverages for Water

A great tip to help you Trade Up your sugary beverages to water is to keep a plate of sliced fruit in the fridge and add them as needed to your water. Strawberries, pineapple, and grapes, as well as citrus fruits like orange, lime, and grapefruit all work well. Add some to your grocery list today.

When you would normally reach for a sugary drink, pour a glass of water (or seltzer water) and add a couple of slices of fruit. After a week or so, you will start naturally reaching for water instead of your sugary beverages.

Unsweetened flavored tea (full of antioxidants) like lychee, apricot, and mango can also be a good subsitute if you are looking for another beverage option to add to your list.

Remember it only takes one change to started. Pick the area that seems the easiet to change first. Then, when you master that one, choose another and so on. Over time your whole pantry and eating habits will change.

So what are you waiting for? Start trading up your ShopWell grocery list to make it more MyPlate friendly today!

(And don't forget to share your healthy lists and Trade Ups with your family and friends).  

Maximizing MyPlate Guidelines, Part 1: Find The Right Foods For You

Late last week, the USDA announced a change from the long running MyPyramid program to the MyPlate program, a simpler plan focused on portion sizes of healthy foods at each meal. The information found at ChooseMyPlate.gov brings one's attention back to foods at each meal by asking Americans to fill a quarter of their plates each with vegetables, fruits, protein, and grains and have a serving of dairy on the side while being mindful of calorie, sodium, and added sugar intake. We here at ShopWell applaud the USDA for creating straightforward, actionable guidelines to help us reach our food and nutrition goals.

Now that you have clear direction on how much to eat, take a moment and ask yourself: is my pantry stocked with the foods that meet these new guidelines and are right for me?

Want to make improvements? In Part 1 of the series on MyPlate guidelines, I'll start with suggestions for maximizing your vegetable, fruit, grain, protein, and dairy options. Next week, I'll dive into more tips around calories, sodium, and sugar.

To get started, choose one of the following areas to improve and use the tips, searches, and lists to start trading up the foods in your pantry today.

Grilling This Weekend? Add Some Veggies and Fruit

As summer is approaching, it is time once again to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. For many that means barbequeing. At the end of last summer, I posted some tips for grilling veggies and fruits which are chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals and important to a healthy diet. I want to share them again with you today. Happy Grilling!

Zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, pineapple, peaches, even apples are all great vegetables and fruit to try on the grill. 

Here are some tips to help get you started:

 Preparing for the grill-

Wash and dry fruit and vegetables to remove excess dirt.

For vegetables, trim away outer leaves or stems which may char on the grill and slice pieces on the angle (roughly half and inch thickness) to give a bigger surface area for fancy grill marks. For smaller items, clean and trim any bad parts, but keep generally whole.

For fruit, slice larger fruit much the same way as you might vegetables removing pits and trying keep slices with as much surface area as possible. Brush fruit and vegetables with a small amount of oil to reduce sticking.

Cooking on the grill-

Brush oil onto the grate before you place the food down. This action also keeps food from sticking.

Cook fruit and vegetables first. They take longer than meat items, so best to cook them first and have them waiting for the meat to arrive.

Place skinny items like asparagus on the grill on an angle or perpendicular to the grate to keep them from slipping through into the fire below. Or try a grill basket from your favorite housewares store which has smaller grates to keep the food inside.

Place items on the grill and leave them alone for a few minutes. Then turn roughly 90 degrees to get the nice cross hatch marks you see in restaurants. 

Keeping warm-

Have an oven safe dish or disposable foil tray to put the fruit and vegetables in when you take them off the grill and hold them in a warm (200 °F) oven until you are ready to serve.

Or start them on the grill to give them the lightly charred color and flavor and roast them in a 400 °F oven until fork tender.

Serving to your family and friends-

For vegetables, bring to room temperature. Add a small amount of extra virgin olive, walnut, or other flavorful oil, chopped herbs or nuts, and maybe a dash of your favorite vinegar (balsamic or other kind).

For fruit, serve them alone or with plain low fat yogurt and a touch of honey or simply a dollop of low fat whipped cream.

So, open your fridge, grab some fruit and vegetables and head outside to try on the grill. And don't forget to use ShopWell to make a list of your favorites to keep on hand this summer!

Follow the Rainbow to Your Own Pot of Gold This Spring: A Healthier You

Spring is almost here. With the new buds forming and the warm weather approaching, I want to take the time to ask, do you eat the rainbow everyday?

Fruit, vegetables, and other plant-based foods all have strong pigments, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important to our daily health. Called phytochemicals, these pigments are important in combating daily stress from both the environment and within and keeping the body in fighting health. From white to red to green to blue and all the colors in between, fruit, vegetables, grains, and legumes come in colors from across the rainbow. A great way to see if you are getting all the phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other natural substances you need is to count your colors.

Not sure which colors are missing from your diet? Keep track of all of the colorful fruit, vegetables, and legumes you currently eat. ShopWell's sharable list feature makes this easy. Just go to ShopWell and starting making a list of all the fruit, vegetables, and other plant-based food you have eaten in the past few days. Then go back once a day for three days and continue to add. 

Once you have a record of the food you are eating, scan the list and mark all of the red fruit and vegetables, then mark all of the orange, and so on through the rainbow. Which colors are you missing or
lowest on? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 recommend paying special attention to making sure you get enough dark green and red/orange fruit and vegetables, so make sure you get a few extras of these.

Now that you have a baseline. Set a goal to buy a nd try one new fruit or vegetable in a color you need each time you go to the store.

Want some suggestions? Here are some lists of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables to get you started.

Red Fruit and Vegetables like beets, raspberries, and radishes. 

Orange/Yellow Fruit and Vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, and orange peppers.

Green Fruit and Vegetables (the darker the better) like swiss chard, kale, and honeydew. 

Blue/Purple Fruit and Vegetables like eggplant, plums, and blueberries. 

White Fruit and Vegetables like garlic, onions, and mushrooms. 

Colorful Grains, Legumes, and Nuts like brown rice, pinto beans, and pistachios.

Also, browse the Fruit, Vegetables, Rice, and Nuts & Seeds categories to find more options. Fresh, frozen, even canned (rinse well) all work. The importance is to get a variety of different colors.

Now that you have your fruit and vegetables home, the key is to actually eat them. Try to get one or more servings of fruit and vegetables at every meal. Here are some great tips for getting more fruit and vegetables, of any color, into your diet.

For breakfast, add onions, peppers, and asparagus to eggs. Or add a side of black or pinto beans with a spoonful of salsa.

For lunch, try going to the local salad bar and make a salad of a variety of items-plant-based-one red, one orange, etc. Each time you go back try making a different combination to get a variety of different flavors, textures, and nutrients.

For snack, raw vegetables like carrots, celery, or even cold cooked vegetables from the night before all work well. Drizzle a little olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesean cheese, or dip in a mixure of chopped spinach and greek yogurt.

For dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables before you add your meat and starch. Roasting, grilling, or even making vegetable soup are all great ways to vary the taste.

For dessert, try snacking on frozen berries, pineapple, or even mango or heat canned peaches or pears in the microwave with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg and eat with some cool plain yogurt.

So start making your list on ShopWell today and see which colors you should be adding into your diet!

For more great ways to get more fruit, vegetables, and other plant-based foods into you diet, visit the ADA's Nutrition Education Resources page and read my blog titled Eat More Fruit and Veggies. Try Grilling Them! 

Registered Dietitians: Thank you for all of the work you do!

Happy Registered Dietitian Day everyone!

I just want to take a moment to wish every Registered Dietitian a wonderful day. Thanks everyone for the work you do getting people healthy and keeping them that way. 

I have had a wonderful past few weeks connecting with dietitians all over the country as part of the work I am doing for the ShopWell RD Network. I am honored to be amoungst such a dedicated and selfless group of professionals. I am also happy to work with such a great team here at ShopWell who really respect the
work of dietitians and take our expertise seriously. 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at the San Jose Dietetic Association's annual Trends Conference on the topic of Online Solutions to Help Enhance Your Practice where Brian and I discussed a wide variety of online nutrition tools and online branding tools that can help enhance your practice. We are continuing the discussion in our ShopWell RD Network Yahoo group, so make sure to join the ShopWell RD Network to get the slides and more info.

Then on Monday I headed up to Sacramento, California's state capitol, to join a core group of Registered Dietitian's from the California Dietetic Association to lobby California state legislators to support Assembly Bill 575-Licensure for Registered Dietitians.  Thank you Assembly Member Mary Hayashi for authoring this bill and Senator Mark Leno for your support. For more information on why Registered Dietitians in California need your support for licensure, please visit a Q&A on the issue from the Americian Dietetic Association and read History_of_Licensure_In_California. 

We have some other exciting events planned for this month and next. This weekend Brian will be in Austin at Tech Munch and Food + Tech Bytes Then at Health 2.0 in San Diego the following Monday and Tuesday, March 20-21st.

Then I am honored to be apart of the Oldways Supermarket Dietitian Leadershop Symposium in Santa Rosa at the end of the month and will head up to Reno on Saturday, April 2nd for the Nevada State Dietetic Association's annual meeting. 

We also are working hard on some really cool features to be released in the upcoming weeks, so keep checking in at ShopWell.

Are you a Registered Dietitian interested in knowing more about how ShopWell can be used as a free nutrition tool with your patients? Please sign up for our RD Network.

Interested in knowing more about Registered Dietitians and how our nutrition expertise can help you? Visit the American Dietetic Association.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010: Start making changes today using ShopWell

On Monday, the USDA and HHS announced the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. We here at ShopWell are excited by this focus on nutrition. We take guidelines like these seriously and incorporate them into our site, making them actionable. So take a moment and ask yourself: am I doing all I can to stay healthy?

If not, here are some great ways to use ShopWell to get you started making dietary changes today.

Calories in should equal calories out:

To maintain a healthy weight, it is helpful to know how many calories you burn each day, so you can know how many calories you should take in.

Use ShopWell to help you get a sense of your calorie needs with our calorie calculator. Simply, enter your age, height, weight, and exercise level into the form when you sign up or when you click on "Personalize this Nutrition Label", and your calorie needs will be calculated for you. Hit "Save" and the top of the label of every product will give you a quick reminder of your calorie needs for the day.

Make sure you also look at the serving size and the amount of calories per serving when you are choosing foods to get a sense of how much of that food you can eat and still stay within your needs.

Eat nutrient dense foods, low in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat:

Let ShopWell do the screening for you. When filling out your profile click the things you want--like fiber, whole grains, and low sodium--and things you don't want--like added sugar, high saturated fat, and high sodium. The scoring system will then adjust to match you with foods that work for you and your individual needs.

Make sure to also look at the highlighting on the nutrition facts panel and ingredients list to see why a product may or may not work for you. Mouse over our "Stuff you want" and "Stuff you don't want" columns to enhance the highlighting and see which nutrients and ingredients match your preferences. This way you can understand why the food may or may not match your needs.

 

Eat whole foods:

Over the summer, ShopWell added in a variety of products using nutrition data from the USDA National Nutrient Database. These foods include whole fruits and vegetables, cuts of meats, fish, and seafood, as well as some nuts, legumes, and grains.

One tip to see these foods is to type 'USDA' into the search bar and sort by 'highest score'. Then you will be well on your way to finding whole foods that are right for       you. Remember, eat meats in small portions and get a         variety of fruit and vegetable colors each day.

Use lists as a food record and 'trade up' over time:

The most important part of any dietary change is monitoring your progress by keeping a record of the foods you are eating. Use ShopWell's sharable lists to help you keep track of the changes you are making. Make a meal list, make a recipe ingredient list, or even a favorite food list. Lists are a great way to get a snap shot of the foods you are eating and allow you to 'trade up' by trying new foods.

To start, make a list of all of the foods you are currently eating and save it as "What I Eat Today". Use the scoring system to choose a few foods to 'trade up'. For example, look at the list and click on a few red items. Sort through some "Similar Strong Matches" on the bottom of the page to see if you can find some alternatives that better match your needs. Then flip through the yellows and see if you can trade some of those foods up.

Remember, it is okay to have some yellows and a few reds on your list--unless of course they score 0 and marked with a hand indicating allergy or intolerance--but because yellows and particularly reds are less of a match for your needs, eat them in moderation (or sparingly).

Review your lists over time:

From time to time, make a new list of the foods you are currently eating, so you can get a snap shot of the progress you are making. You can also email or print out your lists to get feedback from others. Dietary change can be difficult, but remember just making small changes can add up to big results over time.

So start today by setting one small goal. 

When you reach it, set another, then another. Before you know it you will be on your way to significant change. And don't forget to let us know how ShopWell is working for you!

Visit ShopWell at FNCE Booth #3085

For the past few weeks, ShopWell has been hard at work preparing for the launch of our service to the nutrition community at the 2010 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Booth #3085. We can’t wait to arrive in Boston!

Like registered dietitians and nutrition professionals, we believe that shoppers equipped with the right nutrition information make better choices. We hope that ShopWell will be a great resource for nutrition experts to help further educate their patients. Our goal is to help patients make faster and more informed nutrition decisions.

With ShopWell, you can:

• Provide patients with personalized, easy to use tools to find healthy foods that match their dietary needs
• Instantly look up nutrition facts for nearly 50,000 food items including both packaged foods and fresh produce, meat, and fish
• Create shopping lists to help monitor, review, and adjust your patients' food choices
• Incorporate ShopWell tools into lesson plans to visually teach nutrition label reading to patients using food items familiar to them
• Be confident that the information the patient receives-whether in your office, at home, or on the go-is consistent with Institute of Medicine (IOM) Guidelines, USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, peer-reviewed research, and the expert judgment of Registered Dietitians

If you are attending FNCE, come by our booth #3085 to learn more about ShopWell and share your thoughts about how ShopWell can work for you and your patients.

See you soon in Boston!

(If you aren’t attending FNCE, but still want to learn more, please join our RD network for email updates.)