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Vegan food and live, 2030 Pyramid Valley Road, Cedar Rapids, IA (2026)

12/05/2023

To Toss or Not To Toss: What You Should Do If Your Food Is Recalled
By Food Insight
When it comes to feeding the U.S. population, it’s vital that our government prioritizes food safety and ensures that our food supply chain is safe. Documentaries such as “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food,” media headlines about wood fragments in cookies and E. Coli in spinach, and stories of social media influencers getting sick from Tara flour have helped lead to public uproar and a push for stronger food safety standards. But it’s important to know that generally, the food supply in the United States is known as “one of the safest in the world”—an assessment you can trust. One of the reasons behind this low level of risk is the consistent, standard monitoring practices exercised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These regular inspections quickly identify and correct violations in food safety standards that may lead to a food recall.

Food recalls can incite confusion and fear, but a product can be taken off the shelf for a variety of reasons. Food can be recalled from the national supply chain when the U.S. government has identified possible contamination with disease-causing microorganisms, the presence of a foreign object, or a lack of proper labeling of a major allergen. Usually, food recalls are voluntarily initiated by a food company, but the FDA and USDA may also initiate the process. The FDA oversees this regulation for most food products—with the exception of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, which the USDA regulates. The purpose of these recalls is to help prevent possible illness or injury, especially for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have weakened immune systems, are very young or elderly, or have other special health considerations that make them more vulnerable to foodborne illness. If you have consumed a product that has been recalled and you have symptoms of a foodborne illness, it’s advised to contact your healthcare provider immediately. In the case of an allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately or dial 911. It’s also encouraged to report the incident to your local public health department, and/or the company that makes the food product in question, to help provide data that shows the public-health impact of the issue.

When you first hear about a food recall, it’s important to check your pantry, fridge, freezer, and other food-storage areas for any amount of the recalled product. Recall notices are very specific, and generally include the product name, brand, container codes, and container size. If you have a recalled product, do not use the product or give it to others, including pets. Instead, manufacturers will allow you to return it to the store for a refund. If you prefer to toss the item right away, make sure to wrap the contaminated item before putting it in the trash. You can also take a picture of the product or bring the receipt to the store for a refund. For any surface that had been in contact with the recalled product, make sure to wash and sanitize the area and to wash your hands immediately after handling it.

Some companies strive to be especially transparent about recalled items. For example, certain grocery store chains often notify consumers of a recall through signage at the registers. Recalls can happen fairly often, but their severity varies. The FDA and USDA use the following recall classifications for recalls to better describe the level of health hazard.

Class I recalls mean there is a greater chance the product will cause serious adverse health consequences (or even death). When a food recall is due to a bacterial or chemical contamination, the symptoms may be more severe, and transmission can be harder to detect and monitor. Examples of Class I recalls include raw ground beef contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7, Salmonella in ready-to-eat foods, and undeclared allergens that can cause severe effects.
Class II recalls occur when the product may cause temporary or medically reversable adverse health consequences, or when there’s less of a chance of serious adverse health consequences. Examples of class II recalls include possible foreign matter contamination, undeclared allergens, possible norovirus contamination, and undeclared color additives.
Class III recalls happen when the product in violation is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences, but risk is still present. Examples of class III recalls include incorrect food labels, possible production in unsanitary conditions, and the presence of mold.
Market withdrawals happen when the product is removed or corrected due to a minor violation, such as not meeting some quality standards.
The good news is that there are many notification outlets these days that help the public become aware—and quickly—of any possible recall. Consumers can subscribe to the FDA subscription service; and the FDA enforcement report shows all FDA regulated product recalls. USDA-–regulated product recalls can be found at the USDA’s Recalls and Public Health Alerts homepage. There are also, sometimes, public warnings via media outlet coverage, but these don’t cover every recall. To help protect yourself, stay up to date on the latest recalls and check your food storage regularly for any recalled item. The nonprofit Partnership for Food Safety Education has an especially informative resource that describes what to look for on a food product to determine whether or not it’s part of a recall.

Practice these practical safe food-handling tips to reduce the risk of foodborne illness for you and your family:

Clean: Make sure to properly wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, and to clean surfaces often throughout the cooking process. Thorough cleaning includes washing your cutting boards, dishes, cooking utensils, and counters with hot soapy water.

Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods to help prevent cross-contamination. Use one cutting board for fresh produce and additional, different ones for other foods.

Cook: Know the safe internal temperature for any individual food and cook it until this temperature is reached. If you’re cooking in a microwave or oven, cover the food, stir it, and rotate it regularly to ensure there are no cold spots in the food in which bacteria could live. When reheating leftover sauces, soups, and gravy, bring them to a boil.

Chill: Put perishable food in the refrigerator as soon as possible to help slow the growth of dangerous bacteria. Make sure your fridge isn’t overfilled and that it maintains a constant temperature of 40oF or below. If you have food out for serving in your home, put it away within two hours (or within one hour if it’s a hot environment, like outside in the summer). To safely thaw frozen food, put it in the fridge, run it under cold water, or thaw it in the microwave—just make sure never to thaw food at room temperature!

The good news is that there are many notification outlets these days that help the public become aware—and quickly—of any possible recall. Consumers can subscribe to the FDA subscription service; and the FDA enforcement report which shows all FDA regulated product recalls. USDA-–regulated product recalls can be found at the USDA’s Recalls and Public Health Alerts homepage. There are also, sometimes, public warnings via media outlet coverage, but these don’t cover every recall. To help protect yourself, stay up to date on the latest news and information about food recalls from both USDA, FDA, and your retailer. Finally, check your fridge and pantry for products that may have been part of a food recall. Who knows? This small check of your fridge and pantry might help reduce your risk of getting sick.

This article was written by Debbie Fetter, PhD.

12/04/2023

What You Need To Know About Color Additives in Foods
By Food Insight
We often hear about how we eat with our eyes first—and it turns out there’s some truth behind this notion. The visual appearance of the foods we eat can influence our experience and affect the way we perceive, taste, and smell our meals. Perhaps the most prominent visual component of our food—color—has even been used historically to identify important nutritional and medicinal values in our produce sources. And color additives have consistently been used as a relatively simple way producers and manufacturers use to alter a food’s appearance and improve its palatability. In fact, humans have been using color additives for centuries to preserve and enhance our food’s appearance.

Color additives refer to any dye, pigment, or substance that gives color to a food. Color is used to enhance the attractiveness of a food by creating visual vibrancy, adding a new and appealing color to a food, or preventing a food’s original color from fading. Color additives can be made from natural or synthetic sources. Natural sources refer to those derived from nature and the Earth’s environment, whereas synthetic sources are chemically manufactured by specialized companies and food producers.

Natural substances including spices (e.g., paprika, turmeric, and saffron) and minerals (e.g., iron), have been used to alter foods’ appearances since the beginning of recorded history. Even wine has been found to be artificially colored since around 300 BCE. Unfortunately, some substances that have been used to add color to foods have misled customers and created unsafe side effects, and there has been historic documentation about food adulteration regulations at least as far back as the time of England’s King Edward I (1272–1307), when some bakers used lime, chalk, or crushed bones to create disingenuous white bread. Sadly, toxic colorants have also been regularly used in recent history, including copper to color pickles and dyes that contained mercury or lead to create vivid colors for candies and jellies.

Fortunately, new technology has increasingly allowed for safer food dyes. In the 1850s, a British chemist discovered the first synthetic organic dye—created by humans but from completely natural ingredients—a popular hue known as mauve. Soon other dyes were developed, becoming known as “coal-tar colors,” since they were made from by-products of coal manufacturing. Today, coal-tar colors are generally made from the raw materials of petroleum. At the time of their creation, these synthetic dyes were inexpensive, easy to make, and gave off a better color compared with natural and mineral dyes. Although these dyes were generally safer than the metal salts previously used, it wasn’t until 1906 that regulation of color additives truly began in the United States with the introduction of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates color additives in the United States to make sure they are safe for human consumption and properly labeled on food items. The FDA approves every color additive before it can be used in the food supply, and the list of all approved color additives is publicly available for consumers. Color additives can be classified as a certified color (synthetically produced) or an “exempt” color (naturally derived). There are nine certified colors, and these colors are required to be certified every time a new batch is produced, whereas “exempt” colors don’t need to go through batch certification. However, “exempt” colors are still approved by the FDA before they’re used in the food supply. Color additives are subject to a strict approval process and are not eligible for the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) exemption.

Although the FDA has a rigorous color additive regulation process, across the globe there are other, different additive approval criteria, which can create inconstancies in the food supply. For example, certain color additives found in the United States have been banned in other places, and these discrepancies have raised concern among consumers. Recently, the European Union re-examined previously approved additives, including color additives, subsequently revising its approved list of additives and adding warning labels to products containing particular food dyes. These changes have encouraged some individuals in the United States to file lawsuits over the presence of certain color additives such as titanium dioxide.

In the past few decades there has been significant misinformation surrounding the health implications of color additives. For many years, there was concern about color additives causing adverse behavioral effects in children. Although certain people may be sensitive to color additives, there hasn’t yet been a body of high-quality clinical trials to support these claims. The health impact of color additives and behavioral effects in children continues to be studied by leading experts and state regulatory agencies. However, a few color additives, including naturally derived annatto and carmine, can cause an allergic reaction in some people, so it’s important to always read food labels and consult your doctor if you have questions about how color additives may impact you personally.

Overall, the FDA has a robust regulatory process to ensure the safety and transparency of color additives in the food supply. Further, the FDA routinely monitors any adverse reports concerning color additives. On the plus side, color additives help create a visually appealing plate, which can enhance a dining experience. Foods with color additives have been found to be safe for most consumers.

This article was written by Debbie Fetter, PhD.

11/30/2023

Not All Sugars Are the Same
By Kris Sollid, RD
Sugar, in one form or another, is an ingredient in many of our favorite foods and beverages. And while most of us know that sugars add sweetness and enhance taste, many may not know that sugars perform other important functions in foods and drinks, too. For example, sugars contributing to a food’s color, structure, and texture; balancing acidity; controlling crystallization in candies and chocolates; providing a medium for the growth of yeast in baked goods; and preventing spoilage by binding water to reduce its activity. These aspects affect how many classic foods (like bread, ice cream, and salad dressings) look, taste, and feel.

With a few rare exceptions, the types of sugars that we consume most often are nutritionally equivalent, with each providing about four calories per gram and being used by our bodies in similar ways. But not all sugars are the same; some have unique origins, and some kinds are specifically called for over others in recipes due to their unique characteristics.

Want to know more? Here’s a quick rundown of the most common added sugars found in foods and beverages.

Table Sugar
Table sugar, also known as white, or granulated, sugar, is probably the first sugar that comes to mind when we think of sugar. Table sugar is produced commercially from sugar cane and sugar beets. Chemically speaking, table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide made of two bonded monosaccharides: glucose and fructose.

Table sugar is a common ingredient in baking recipes that is used to provide sweetness, but it also helps to activate yeast and serves as a leavening agent. In addition, table sugar can be used to preserve homemade jams and jellies, along with being a common addition to coffee and tea.

Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is similar to table sugar, but with a little something extra: molasses. Although sugar beets and sugar cane are used to make table sugar, the molasses used to make brown sugar comes only from sugar cane. Molasses gives brown sugar its distinct color, flavor, and high moisture content. The moisture from molasses makes brown sugar useful in baking recipes when soft and chewy textures are desired.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup (sometimes shortened to HFCS) is—as its name implies—a syrup made from corn. However, HFCS is not to be confused with corn syrup, which is composed of 100% glucose. Instead, the most common form of HFCS is a monosaccharide mixture of 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Although HFCS is “high” in fructose when compared with corn syrup, it is not especially “high” in fructose when compared with other sugars like agave syrup, brown sugar, honey, simple syrup, and table sugar. Unlike these other sugars, HFCS is reserved for commercial use. It is not sold on its own in supermarkets, and instead is used during the making of pre-packaged foods and beverages.

Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is so simple to make that its production method may even be how it got its name. To make simple syrup, just add equal parts table sugar and water to a saucepan and bring it to a boil while stirring until the sugar crystals dissolve. Simple syrup is especially useful for sweetening cold drinks such as cocktails, mocktails, cold brew, and iced tea, because it blends better under colder conditions than other forms of sugar, like granulated table sugar or honey.

Honey
Honey is one of the oldest known sweeteners. Bees are responsible for producing this popular sweetener by tirelessly collecting nectar from flowers, which they convert into honey back in the hive. Nutritionally speaking, about 50 percent of the sugar in honey is fructose and 44 percent is glucose, with a small amount of sucrose and other sugars making up the rest. A versatile and viscous sweetener, honey is a common ingredient in baking and cooking, and is also used on its own as a condiment. Honey blends best in warm foods and beverages like oatmeal and tea.

Agave Syrup
Agave syrup comes from the agave plant, a succulent that is native to dry regions in Mexico. Agave syrup is higher in fructose than most other forms of sugars, including most varieties of high-fructose corn syrup. Typically, about 80 percent of the sugar in agave syrup is fructose and 20 percent is glucose. Agave syrup is thinner in consistency than honey, and thus more soluble in liquids— especially cold beverages.

The Bottom Line
While all forms of sugar are not the same, sugars (like the ones discussed in this article) that are added to foods and beverages are considered the same when it comes to sugar consumption advice. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of total calories consumed, which is less than 50 grams for every 2,000 calories. Yet, most Americans consume more added sugars than experts recommend and would benefit from consuming less. If you’re trying to eat healthier and subtract added sugars from your diet, check out our article and video for four ways you can get started today.

11/29/2023

Consumer Survey: Climate Change Perceptions and Purchase Impacts
By Food Insight
Highlights
Three in four Americans are concerned about climate change.
Most Americans who are concerned about climate change are also concerned about the impact of human food production on climate change.
When it comes to considering the climate friendliness of foods and beverages, consumers most commonly always do so for fruits and vegetables, dairy, and beef.
Half of consumers have heard about the impact of food and beverages on climate change in the media.
Labels that indicate recyclable or reusable packaging are perceived by consumers as very meaningful labels when they are looking for climate-friendly food and beverage options.
Top Findings
Concern about climate change extends to concern about the impact of food on climate change. When those concerned about climate change in general were asked about their level of concern on a diverse range of food- and beverage-related factors related to climate change, at least half expressed concern for each of them. These factors include how crops are grown (with 74% at least somewhat concerned); what foods and beverages contribute to packaging waste (74%) and food waste (73%); what foods and beverages are frequently consumed (62%); and where foods and beverages are sold (58%).

Diving into demographic comparisons, those with college degrees were more likely to say they were very concerned about each of these factors, compared with those without college degrees.

Concern doesn’t always translate into action. Among those at least somewhat concerned about the impact of food on climate change, only 25% said their concern always impacts what foods and beverages they purchase. However, over half (57%) said this concern sometimes has an impact, while one in five (19%) say it never does.

What scenarios may impact these purchasing behaviors? Healthfulness and price play a role. Among Americans who said their concern at least sometimes impacts their food purchases, consumers most commonly reported adjusting their purchasing when a climate-friendly product was healthier (with 30% selecting this option among their top-two reasons) or when the cost was lower (30%).

Half have heard about the impact of food or beverage production on climate change in the media. In addition, one in five (19%) shared that they have heard or read a lot about it, while 34% said they have heard or read a little. The most popular issues within this topic were related to how food-producing animals are managed on ranches and farms (53%) and what foods or beverages contribute to packaging waste (52%). The survey also revealed that learning about these issues is impactful: Many consumers (61%) at least somewhat agreed that they changed their food or beverage consumption habits as a result of the content they had seen.

However, with the other half of Americans (47%) reporting that they have not heard or read about the impact of food on climate change, it is evident that there have been gaps in educating the public on this issue. Further exploring demographic differences among survey respondents, certain groups were more likely to have been exposed to food and climate change content in the media. Men, those under age 45, those with higher incomes, and those with college degrees were more likely to say they have heard or read a lot about this impact, compared with their respective counterparts. By contrast, those ages 45–64 and those who do not have college degrees were more likely than their respective counterparts to say they have not heard or read about this issue in the media.

Packaging is powerful. When respondents were asked about the extent to which different labels indicate climate friendliness to them, label statements about a product’s packaging materials were most commonly perceived to be very meaningful. In particular, 45% found “recyclable packaging” to be very meaningful when indicating a product’s climate friendliness, and 41% said the same about “reusable” packaging. Interestingly, slightly fewer found a more explicit “earth-friendly” label to be very meaningful, with 39% saying so.

It is also worth noting that the information on packaging itself is perceived to be a helpful resource. When respondents were asked about which sources they would seek if they wanted to learn more about choosing foods and beverages that are part of a climate-friendly diet, on-package information sources were most commonly cited—in particular, the ingredients list (with 22% selecting this option in their top-two choices) and labels on the front of a food package (22%) rose to the top.

Currently, consumers are mixed on how exactly to describe a “climate-friendly food or beverage.” Although specific indicators rise to the top when determining the climate friendliness of a product, consumers are split on the phrases that best describe what a “climate-friendly” food product is. When users were provided with a list of phrases and asked to rank their first, second, and third choices, there was no clear winner; phrases like “doesn’t generate packaging waste” (10% ranked this as their first choice), “has reduced carbon footprint” (10%) and “supports local farmers” (10%) were the most commonly selected as first choice options, but performed relatively similarly to many of the other phrases shown to respondents.

11/28/2023

What To Know About Preservatives in Food
By Food Insight
While many of us strive to cook meals using fresh ingredients, busy schedules over the course of our week often lead to home-cooking burnout and the desire for delivery or takeout—sometimes before we’ve used all the food we bought on our weekly grocery run. One food-industry invention that can keep items in our fridge or pantry fresher for longer. Preservation. Preservatives help maintain the taste and nutrition of many food ingredients by extending the quality and safety of those foods beyond what they would be capable of on their own. Read on to discover more about food preservation and how preservatives are used in our food.

So, what is food preservation?
Food preservation is defined as any act or addition that inhibits undesired bacterial growth or chemical changes in a food. And while that might sound high-tech, many kinds of food preservation have been around for thousands of years. In fact, you likely practice food preservation daily without even knowing it. There are two categories of preservation: chemical and physical. When you wash raw produce or freeze your chicken, you are practicing physical preservation. Curing and pickling, in contrast, are examples of chemical preservation, because they use salt and vinegar (acetic acid) to alter foods to keep them edible (and delicious) for longer periods.

Why are preservatives used in food? And what exactly are their benefits?
Preservatives allow us to keep food safe for much longer. In addition to older forms of preservation that use salt and acid, other, more modern preservatives can offer benefits like inhibiting oil from going rancid or helping a food product retain its original color.

One often-overlooked benefit of food preservatives is that they reduce food waste. According to estimates by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food waste in the U.S. is “estimated at between 30–40 percent of the food supply.” When we can extend the shelf-life of products, we reduce the need to throw food out: a win-win for both the environment and our pocketbooks.

Preservatives can also have nutritive roles as well. Take ascorbic acid, for example. Ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial compound that is added to everything from bacon to packaged apple slices to carbonated drinks. But did you know ascorbic acid is also an essential nutrient in our diets? Ascorbic acid—more commonly known as vitamin C! —can both preserve foods and directly satisfy some of our daily nutrition requirements. So, the next time you see the chemical name of this preservative on a label, know you are getting a dose of the sunshine vitamin!

In addition to nutrition, one of the biggest benefits of preservatives is increased food safety. Many natural and living microorganisms can produce toxins that can increase the risk of many foodborne illnesses. Ask yourself this: Have you ever heard of a friend getting ill from botulinum poisoning in sausage? What about catching tuberculosis from drinking milk? It may sound ridiculous, but these were both deadly diseases that were found in these food products at one point in history. Food preservation has been an integral part of why these particular foodborne illnesses have been mitigated. Specifically, the addition of nitrites to cured meat products helps stop Clostridium botulinum growth, and pasteurization (of raw milk) has effectively addressed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in fluid milk.

What are the names of some common preservatives?
Many times, preservatives seem to have intimidating names on food labels. In addition to ascorbic acid and nitrites, terms like BHA and TBHQ don’t exactly roll off the tongue—or necessarily sound natural. But an important thing to know is that usually, these more scientific terms are used for food ingredients we do know, like a salt (e.g., sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, or calcium sorbate), a vitamin (e.g., ascorbic acid or tocopherols), or an antioxidant (like BHA, or butylated hydroxyanisole; BHT, or butylated hydroxytoluene; or EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Keep in mind that each preservative has a highly specific function when it’s added, so do not fear!

Are preservatives safe for me and my family?
Absolutely! This is one of the most asked questions about many of the unfamiliar preservative ingredients that are used in our food. In fact, the U.S. FDA confirms the safe use of all the preservatives used in our food and beverage supply. Preservatives (whether they are artificially created or naturally sourced) must pass rigorous evaluation for their safe use—including a dossier containing a full scientific evaluation. Once the FDA has thoroughly reviewed and approved the data for any given preservative, that ingredient may be deemed safe and given a status confirming so to American consumers. This status is known as a “Generally Recognized as Safe,” or “GRAS,” certification, which means the ingredient is certified and managed as safe to eat by the FDA.

The next time you are at the grocery store or even browsing through your pantry, check the ingredients lists to see if you can identify any common preservatives in your food. As you now know, many safe preservatives can help extend the shelf-life of your food for the inevitable night when a good frozen pizza (instead of the meal you planned to cook) sounds way easier for the evening. The bottom line? Preservatives can be a reliable friend to lean on as you wait to find the vigor to cook again!

This article contains contributions from Jacob Farr and Eddie Orzechowski.

11/27/2023

Tips for Balanced and Healthy Eating
By Alyssa Pike, RD
Most of us want to eat in a healthy and balanced way that fits our lifestyle, schedule, and budget. But what does that look like, practically? While more information about healthy eating exists than ever before, many of us frequently encounter conflicting information about nutrition—especially online—which makes it hard to know what to eat daily.
While it may be tempting to test out the latest diet craze, research tells us that overly strict dieting does not lead to positive health outcomes. As boring as it can sound, eating with balance, moderation, and variety is sound nutrition advice and your surest bet for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as this dietary pattern ensures that we’re eating a range of foods and taking in all the micro- and macronutrients our bodies need. A balanced diet also helps us enjoy our food—which is important, too!
You might already have an idea of what kinds of foods work best with your lifestyle, and that’s great! But if you need a tune-up on general healthy nutrition advice, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s explore a few tried-and-true tenets of healthful and balanced eating.
1. Be flexible and use various forms of food to your advantage.
That might sound strange at first, but what we hope you understand is that nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, and our food choices often change from day to day. For example, if you’re on the go or short on time, you may want to choose a combination of packaged, frozen, canned and/or fresh foods to help simplify meals and snacks (while still meeting your nutritional needs). Maybe one day you cook your food completely from scratch, while the next you rely on canned or packaged foods to augment your meals. Most of the time, you may fall somewhere in between, and that’s okay! Check out these resources on shelf-stable, nutrient-dense foods and tips for navigating the center aisles of the grocery store.
2. Prioritize nutrient-dense foods and indulge in moderation.
An overall healthy diet means that you focus mostly on nutrient-dense foods with indulgences in moderation. If you’re looking for a place to start, try including several food groups like fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and protein in your meals and snacks. Generally, eating three meals a day plus one to two snacks is ideal. Keep your kitchen stocked with recipe-ready ingredients like fresh, dried, canned, and frozen fruit; veggies, beans, peas, and lentils; as well as low-fat dairy or fortified soy alternatives, lean protein-based foods, and shelf-stable nuts, seeds, and grains. Click the following links for more information about nutrient-density and tips for eating healthy without going on a diet. For more information about how to navigate indulgences, see the next tip.
3. Embrace mindful eating and pay attention to portion sizes.
We’ve talked about the “what” of a healthy and balanced diet, but let’s talk about the “how” — mindful eating. A mindful approach to eating helps us choose foods that are enjoyable and nutritious, pay attention to our hunger and fullness cues, and slow down while eating so we can notice the tastes, textures, and flavors of our food. To complement mindful eating, being aware of portion sizes helps us manage the amount of food and drink (including indulgences!) that makes us feel full, but not overly so. Nutrition professionals such as registered dietitians are great resources for helping us determine the portion sizes that are right for us, since calorie intake can be unique to every individual, and personal portions may be different from the serving sizes listed on Nutrition Facts labels. These resources on mindful eating and portion sizes can provide more information to help you make the best eating choices for you.
While nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, we hope these tips for balanced eating help you make more nutritious and enjoyable food choices.

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