Eat Your Avocados

Hass Avocado Board (HAB) established a Nutrition Research program in 2010 to increase awareness and improve understanding of the unique benefits of avocados to human health and nutrition. Among ongoing studies, data published in the January 2013 issue of Nutrition Journal showed an interesting association with avocado consumption and better nutrient intakes and other positive outcomes. The findings, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), showed that compared to people who didn't eat avocado, avocado consumers had a better diet quality and beneficial nutrient intakes: lower intake of added sugars; lower body weight, BMI, and waist circumference; higher "good cholesterol" levels; and lower metabolic syndrome risk.

Silk and WIC

Silk, America's best-selling soymilk brand, has been out to make the world a healthier place with wholesome, nutritious plant-based foods that are good for you and good for the planet. Silk Original soymilk delivers 8g of soy protein per 8 ounce serving and 45% DV of calcium dairy milk. It's low in saturated fat, 100% cholesterol-free, free of dairy, lactose and gluten, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or high-fructose corn syrup.

Now, Silk Original soymilk is fully compliant with federal WIC standards. To find out if Silk soymilk is on your state's WIC approved food list, please contact your local WIC office. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a short-term intervention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted, high-risk population. Information received from WIC clinics includes nutrition education, breastfeeding support & promotion, healthy food options, screening and referrals for healthcare and social services.1 

[1] National WIC Association, WIC Program Overview and History. https://www.nwica.org/overview-and-history accessed November 20, 2013

Soy Foods for the Holidays

Following the holiday season, when trips to the gym have been less frequent, Soyfoods Association of North America has released a video on the Benefits of Soyfoods for Active Adults, demonstrating how soyfoods can help you stay fit and healthy in the New Year. In the video, nutrition and fitness expert Rebecca Scritchfield, RD shares her view that "stories in the media have some people confused over soy. The truth is men, women and children can consume soyfoods safely." In fact, not only are soyfoods safe, they provide important benefits to adults trying to stay active. Scritchfield continues, "Soyfoods are good for your heart. The FDA has approved a health claim that states eating 25 grams of soy protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease." In addition, eating soyfoods, especially when begun at a young age, is showing benefits in breast cancer prevention.   

Bringing healthier foods to the table can be easier - and more delicious - than you might think. When you incorporate soyfoods, the only complete, plant-based protein, you open up the door to a wide variety of tasty and nutritious meals.

Gluten-Free Muesli from Bob's Red Mill

Offering one of the largest lines of organic whole foods, Bob's Red Mill handles the production process for all its foods in-house, from processing to shipping the final product. It's a go-to source for a wide range of vegetarian and vegan-friendly products, including grains that are gaining in popularity, such as farro, teff, amaranth, millet, and kamut. The company has also been expanding its line of gluten-free products and has added a gluten-free muesli to get a single, unprocessed whole grain cereal to the millions of consumers who avoid gluten. Providing 100 calories and 3 grams of protein per � cup dry cereal, the muesli can be eaten as a cold cereal, cooked like a hot cereal, or soaked overnight.

Peanuts for Good Health

Are you eating your daily peanuts? The Peanut Institute shares results of a recent major study showing that eating a handful of peanuts daily can reduce the risk of death from multiple causes by up to 20%. It is the largest and strongest study ever done looking at all-cause mortality and nut consumption.  

Results were strongest when peanuts were eaten in small amounts daily, but results were also seen with any peanut consumption. Researcher Dr. Ying explains, "In all these analyses, the more nuts people ate, the less likely they were to die over the 30-year follow-up period." Compared to non-nut eaters, those who ate peanuts less than one time a week reduced risk of death by 7%; weekly eaters reduced risk by 11%; eating peanuts two to four times a week cut risk by 13%; and eating peanuts seven or more times a week cut risk by about 20%.  

When peanuts were separated from other nuts and looked at individually, strong results were seen. The study showed eating peanuts at least twice a week increased longevity and reduced death from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, infection, kidney disease, and respiratory diseases. The study also showed that frequent peanut consumption did not cause weight gain. In fact, those who ate more peanuts had lower BMIs and were less likely to gain weight.  

Researchers explain the nutrients in peanuts and nuts, including plant-protein, healthy oils, phytochemicals, and many vitamins and minerals, may offer cardio-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Peanuts have more protein than any other nut, are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, folate, phosphorus, thiamin, copper, and magnesium, and an excellent source of niacin and manganese.  

New Label From Del Monte