- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Sept. 2, 2009
Blog: Lunch boxes that pack a healthy punch
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
A new school year means new challenges, but packing your children's lunch boxes needn't be one of them. Use these tips to create healthy, kid-friendly lunches.
Think food safety
Be smart about food safety. Stave off food-borne illness with a few common sense precautions:
- Start with a warm up. If you plan to pack soup or other hot entrees, use preheated insulated containers. To preheat, just fill with boiling water and let stand a few minutes before adding the hot food.
- Chill and fill. Chill insulated containers with cold water before filling them to help keep perishable foods at a safe temperature.
- On the rocks. Before you hand off those lunch boxes, drop in an ice pack or two. Make your own ice packs by freezing water in reusable bottles. In addition, pack frozen foods that will thaw by lunch time. For example, use frozen bread for sandwiches.
- Made in the shade. Encourage your children to store their lunch boxes away from direct sun and any heating or cooling sources.
Pack the right stuff
To create nutrient-packed lunches, remember to cover the basics:
- Grains. Make whole-grain bread, pita or tortillas the basis of healthy sandwiches. Pack in a container that keeps them from being squished or crumbled.
- Fruits and vegetables. Make fruits and veggies easy to munch by cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Choose fresh, dried or canned. Send along a small container of yogurt for dipping. Again, pay attention to packing to protect food from unappetizing bruises.
- Protein. The standard PBJ is a great choice. If food allergies nix peanut butter, explore other protein-rich spreads for sandwiches. In addition to lean lunch meat, beans, nuts, cheese and tofu are great protein sources for growing children.
- Calcium. Send milk in a thermos or let your child purchase milk at school. If you child isn't a milk drinker, offer yogurt, cheese or fortified juices — all good sources of calcium.
Keep it interesting
If sandwiches are losing their appeal, try a twist to deliver the same great nutrition:
- Shape up. Cut sandwiches into fun shapes using cookie cutters to add pizzazz.
- Switch it up. Instead of bread, sandwich your protein, veggies or fruit between crackers, rice cakes, bagels, pita pockets or tortillas.
- Put in the subs. Try packing pasta salad with veggies; peanut butter dip for fruit; dry cereal mixed with dried fruit and nuts, or yogurt with fruit and granola.
Don't forget the personal touch
Brighten your child's day by writing a note and stashing it the lunch box. Or go all out and use a small amount of food coloring to "stamp" your child's sandwich with a secret code or symbol.
I've got you started. Now I'm going to call on you. What do you do to ensure that lunch boxes come home empty — and not because the healthy food you packed got thrown away?
Here's to a great school year,
Katherine
1 comment posted
- Keeping bag lunches safe. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Keeping_Bag_Lunches_Safe/index.asp. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
1 comment posted