Nuts as a healthy snack… January 30, 2011

This week I received the following question from http://foodpicker.org:

“I have diabetes and  love snacking on nuts (particularly smoked/flavored almonds). Are nuts ok to snack on and if so, are there certain types I should look for?”

Nuts are good source of protein, but are low in carbohydrates which makes them an excellent choice for snacking because they wont cause your blood sugar to increase.  Nuts may also help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and may help protect against heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids which provide benefits to the heart, but also make nuts high in calories. As with most foods, the key is moderation!! When eaten in moderation nuts such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts are a good source of protein which can increase satiety and prevent you from becoming hungry too soon.

The most important thing to consider when choosing nuts as a snack is the serving size, a little bit goes a long way! Typically a serving of nuts is 1 ounce which is about 18-22 almonds and cashews, 11 macadamia nuts, 20 pecan halves or 30 peanuts. Best choices when snacking on nuts are to choose varieties that have been smoked or roasted.  Avoid nuts with added salt or that have been coated in honey or chocolate as this will add sodium, calories and sugar to your snack. Peanut butter and almond butter provide another snacking option.

Happy Snacking!
- Katie Jo

On You Plate Nutrition January 11, 2011

Hello, Welcome to my very first blog post!

I am starting this blog as a fun way to share my passion for food and nutrition with you. Today we are inundated with information from the internet, television, newspapers and magazines about what we should eat and how we should be eating it. While all of this information is nice, it can be difficult to tell which information is credible and which is not.  So what makes my information reliable? I graduated from the University of Dayton in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. Following that I began working on my Master’s degree in Food and Nutrition at Bowling Green State University which i completed in August of 2010.  Since August I have been working as a Dietetic Intern at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio and I am looking forward to becoming a Registered Dietitian in the near future!  Along the way I have had the opportunity to work in several inpatient and outpatient settings. I really enjoy working with groups and individuals throughout the community to improve their food choices! My goal is not to be the “food police” but to help you learn to enjoy your favorite foods while improving health!

I am also a Nutrition Editor for http://FOODPICKER.org which is a website designed to help people with diabetes choose the best food for them. Therefore some of my posts will specific to individuals with diabetes, but I am looking forward to discussing all types of nutrition topics. The next time you find yourself questioning nutrition information, or the next time you overhear someone else discussing nutrition information – let me know! I’d love to give you my input along with passing along proven resources where more reliable information can be found! Im hoping that with your help, topics will come and I will have some helpful information to share.

I am new to the blogging world, so please bare with me as I figure out how to make my page a little bit more festive! If you have tips on how I can most effectively use my blog to share information with you, please let me know!!

On Your Plate Nutrition,

Katie Jo