Healthy Start

Dietitians offer tips on adding whole grains to diet
A lack of whole-grain products in U.S. groceries is a factor in Americans' overall failure to eat enough of them, registered dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot says. Nutrition experts say easy ways to add whole grains to a diet include using whole-grain flours in stews and casseroles, baked goods and batters. Today's Dietitian (2/2013)
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Dietary Health

Rabbit is seen as latest sustainable-meat trend
Rabbit dishes are springing up on menus in the U.S., in part because of the meat's low fat and cholesterol content, but also its sustainability -- rabbits generally reproduce multiple times per year. "There was a time when customers were afraid, but now it's become the other white meat," says Matthew Accarrino of SPQR restaurant in San Francisco. "... A whole rabbit is just a few pounds; it's not like buying a 200-pound pig to get a whole animal. That makes it very manageable for a chef and a home cook." Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model) (2/21)
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FDA study cites danger in cheeses made with raw milk
Raw-milk-based soft-ripened cheeses are 50 to 160 times more likely to cause illness or death than are cheeses made with pasteurized milk, an FDA study says. The agency is accepting public comments as it considers whether a 60-day aging process is sufficient to protect public health. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (tiered subscription model) (2/20)
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Science & Research

Antioxidant-rich diet may not protect brain
Older people who ate the most antioxidant-rich foods were just as likely to develop dementia or have a first stroke as those who consumed the least, a Dutch study found. Brain scans showed no evidence that dietary antioxidants were associated with white or gray matter volume. Certain specific antioxidants still appear to have a protective effect, a researcher said. The findings appear in the journal Neurology. Reuters (2/20)
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Good sleep coincides with nutritious diet, study finds
Participants who slept seven to eight hours a night showed better food variety, which indicates a healthy diet, compared with those who slept for shorter or longer periods, a study found. The results appear in the journal Appetite. Medical News Today (2/20)
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Study: Organic tomatoes are smaller but more nutritious
Organic tomatoes tend to be smaller than conventional ones but contain more vitamin C and lycopene, a study found. Researchers say organic growing prompts the fruit to develop nutritious compounds to defend against pests. National Public Radio/The Salt blog (2/20)
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Fitness

Study: Promoting lifestyle programs boosts health
Residents in low-income areas that promoted physical-education classes and after-school programs that encouraged biking and walking showed improvements in physical activity, according to a study in the American Journal of Health Promotion. Healio/Endocrine Today (2/21)
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Lack of access to green spaces raises obesity risk, study says
Low-income children are more likely to live in neighborhoods that lack access to green spaces that encourage play and exercise, predisposing them to reduced levels of physical activity, a study in Social Science and Medicine says. The findings suggest that less access to such areas may contribute to obesity, researchers said. MedicalXpress.com (2/21)
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Institutional Foodservice

School meals take center stage in nutrition expo
The Thompson School District in Colorado recently held its first Student Nutrition Expo to educate the community about changes to school meals. The event included samples, including whole-grain pasta and educational presentations, such as "Nutrition 101" and "Food Safety." The Reporter-Herald (Loveland, Colo.) (2/17)
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Recipe of the Day

Meals in a mug
This collection features 18 recipes -- including blueberry muffins, mac and cheese and chocolate-chip cookies -- that you can microwave in a coffee mug. BuzzFeed
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Food For Thought

Don't be afraid to hide whole grains in other foods once in awhile. There's no harm in sneaking in whole grains when possible to increase consumption." -- RD Jennifer Seyler, as quoted by Today's Dietitian Share: