Your shoppers are probably familiar with the MyPlate design of how to best construct a dinner plate. Here’s how to make it even easier for them – show them how to MyPlate a Shopping Cart, as they stroll through your aisles. Daisy Cottage Cheese has a new MyPlate for the Cart handout to help you show consumers how to make the best selections in the store, for healthier eating.

Download the handout here. And when talking about MyPlate in the store, remember:

• Translate the plate to the cart. Picture imaginary lines in the cart dividing it between grains and vegetables (largest shares), followed by protein, fruits and dairy.

• Linger in the produce aisle, making half of the cart fruits and vegetables. And in addition to fresh fruits, look for fruits that are frozen, canned (in water or 100% juice) or dried. Eat these throughout the day: at breakfast, top cottage cheese with bananas or strawberries. Choose fruits as snacks, salads, and desserts.

• Fill the vegetable section of your cart with a variety of colorful vegetables – red, orange, and dark-green veggies like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables all count.

• Make at least half your grains whole. When shopping, check the ingredients list on product labels for the words “whole” or “whole grain” before the grain ingredient name. Substitute whole grain choices, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice, for refined-grain breads, bagels, rolls, breakfast cereals, crackers, rice, and pasta as much as possible.

• Vary your protein food choices. Choose a variety of foods from the protein food group, such as seafood, beans and peas, and nuts as well as lean meats, poultry and eggs. Select meats and ground beef that are at least 90% lean.

• When it comes to dairy, choose skim or low-fat products. Skim and low-fat dairy have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole fat, but less fat and calories. Fill the dairy section of your cart with products like milk, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt.

Patty Packard, RD for Shopping for Health 2015 sponsor Vestcom, provided our blog post this week. Here is her recap of some FDA changes in regulations that are in the works:
 

Revised Nutrition Facts Panel

For the first time since 1990, the FDA proposed a revision of the NFP. Some notable proposed changes include:

• Increasing the font size of calories per serving and servings per container
• Required listed nutrients will change to iron, potassium, calcium and Vitamin D, with declared actual amounts of each nutrient
• The addition of declared added sugars.1

Over 200,000 comments were submitted to the FDA on these proposed changes. The FDA is in the process of reading these comments and will give their replies in the final ruling expected to be released spring of 2016.

Added Sugars

In July 2015 the FDA released a proposed rule for the addition of added sugars with a Daily Reference Value (DRV) to the nutrition facts panel. It has been proposed to change the current word for sugars on the NFP to “Total Sugars” with an indented “Added Sugars” beneath. The FDA proposes an adult daily value for added sugars to be 50 grams. Added sugars on the new NFP would be expressed as a percent of this 50 gram daily value (DV). The new Dietary Guidelines are reported to recommend added sugars should not be more than 10% of an adult’s total calorie intake. Based on of a 2,000 calorie diet, this would equate to 200 calories from added sugar per day. A gram of sugar has 4 calories each, thus the 50 gram recommendation.

Retail Calorie Labeling

Finally, there was a new ruling to require calorie labeling in the retail setting to begin

December 1, 2015. There has been much confusion over what needs to be calorie labeled in the retail setting. Many retailers provided questions to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in search of answers. On behalf of the retail grocery industry, FMI submitted these questions to the FDA.

Between the submission of these questions and the lack of clarity on retail labeling, the FDA has granted a one-year extension to retailers to allow more time and better understanding of the new regulations. The FDA states they will come out with a clarification on the regulations soon, but nothing has been released as of this writing.

Source:

Documents Regulatory Information/Labeling Nutrition/UCM387451.pdf Accessed August 25, 2015

We talked a lot about walnuts at Shopping for Health this year and with good reason: With more than 150 health studies on head-to-toe health conducted around the glove, the evidence supports walnuts as a leading nut for nutrition.

Keep in mind these fast stats about a fourth of a cup of walnuts (about 14 walnut halves):

• 190 calories
• 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber
• 5 grams of monounsaturated heart-healthy fats, and
• 13 grams of polyunsaturated fats
• 10% of the daily value of magnesium and phosphorus
• At least 10 phytochemicals, including melatonin

Here are some examples from studies concerning walnut consumption and cancer, infertility and cognitive health:

• Daily consumption of about 2.5 ounces of walnuts helps to improve sperm motility, morphology and vitality.
• To assist the brain and cognition, walnut consumption helps preserve or improves cognitive reasoning, balance/ coordination, learning ability and inferential reasoning.
• New research in the area of walnut consumption and brain health is exciting. A December 2014 cross-sectional study at UCLA showed that consumption of one-half ounce of walnuts increased performance across six cognitive tests.ᴬ
• In cancer prevention, walnut consumption is associated with reduction in size of tumors (breast cancer, prostate cancer) and tumor growth reduction in prostate cancer (speed of growth and size of growth).

The California Walnut Commission offers these tips to add tasty walnuts to your daily diet:

• Add a handful to morning oatmeal or Greek yogurt;
• Make a homemade trail mix;
• Sprinkle walnuts on salad;
• Bake walnuts into bread or muffins;
• Mix chopped walnuts into grain dishes;
• Make a pesto sauce using walnuts;
• Add walnuts to any stir-fry dish.

And check out the California Walnut Commission recipe site at www.walnuts.org for great recipes like this Dried Fruit and Walnut Granola:

Ingredients 

• 4 cups oats, rolled, quick cooking (not instant)
• 2 cups natural wheat bran
• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups raisins (or dried cranberries, chopped dried apples, apricots or other mixed dried fruit)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together oatmeal, bran, walnuts and sesame seeds.
2. In small microwaveable bowl, combine honey, and vanilla; microwave on high for about 20 seconds or until runny. Stir to mix; pour over dry ingredients and toss to coat well.
3. Spread evenly in large, shallow baking pan and bake at 300°F for about 30 minutes, or until golden, stirring two or three times. Cool completely. It will crisp as it cools. Stir in raisins and store in airtight container.

Serve for breakfast with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, or as a dessert sprinkled over ice cream.

From the American Egg Board, here are three easy ways to enjoy outdoor fall fun – eggs in a sandwich, to go! Note that when including eggs in a tailgate, hike or picnic, they should always be packed in a cooler on ice. Do not allow cooked eggs to remain at room temperature for longer than one hour, including preparation and service time.

Egg White & Turkey Wrap
Makes 12 wraps

Ingredients

24 oz. turkey sausage
36 oz. frozen or liquid egg whites
12 slices provolone cheese
1 1/2 cups bruschetta tomato topping, prepared
9 oz. (6 cups) spinach leaves, chopped
12 tomato wraps

Preparation

In a large sauté pan, cook turkey sausage until fully cooked, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Set aside and keep warm.

For each sandwich, cook three egg whites or 3 ½ ounces liquid egg whites in a spray-coated 8-inch nonstick sauté pan. Add in turkey sausage crumbles. Cook egg whites until firm and opaque throughout, with no visible liquid egg remaining.

To assemble wraps, cover center with scrambled egg whites, 2 ounces (⅓ cup) and turkey sausage crumbles, 2 tablespoons prepared tomato bruschetta, one slice provolone and 3/4-ounce (½ cup) chopped spinach leaves. Grill or fry wrap over medium heat just until cheese melts and heated throughout.

Hard-Boiled Egg and Blue Pimiento Cheese
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients for Blue Pimento Cheese

8 oz. aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced shallots
1/4 tsp. white pepper
8 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup red peppers, diced and roasted

Directions for Blue Pimento Cheese

Combine cheddar, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, shallots and pepper in a mixer and whip until well combined and fairly smooth (about 2 minutes). Slowly stir in the Gorgonzola and roasted red peppers and mix just until combined. The cheese spread will be chunky. Chill.

Additional Ingredients

12 slices peppered bacon, thick cut
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
3 cups baby arugula
12 whole-grain bagels

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place strips of peppered bacon on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until bacon is crisp and browned, about 15 – 18 minutes. Cut in half and keep warm.

Toast bagel. To assemble, cover bottom half of bagel with 3 tablespoons blue pimento cheese, then top with 2 half slices of bacon, ¼ cup baby arugula and a sliced, hard-cooked egg.
Cover with toasted bagel top.

Philly Quesadilla
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. (2 cups) red bell pepper, thinly sliced
12 oz. (2 cups) onion, thin sliced
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. basil, dried
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb., 14 oz. Philly steak slices (12, 2.5 oz. slices) frozen
24 large eggs
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper blend
24 slices provolone cheese (0.75 oz. ea.)
12 flour tortillas (8- to 9-in. size)

Preparation

Grill peppers, onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Sprinkle on basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss; keep warm.

Grill steak slices on hot grill until thoroughly cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes; keep warm.
Blend eggs, salt and lemon-pepper. Cook and scramble eggs in small batches, as needed, until firm throughout with no visible liquid egg remaining. Keep eggs warm.

For each sandwich, layer 2 slices cheese, 1.5 oz. onion mixture, 2.5 oz. cooked meat slices, and 1/2 cup scrambled eggs on half of one side of tortilla. Fold tortilla over; grill or cook on Panini press until cheese is melted. Cut in half to serve.

Did you know that the average American gets 24% of their total daily calories – or more than 500 total per day – from foods they call a “snack?”

“Snacks” sometimes have a negative image, as the source of unnecessary or poor quality calories. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Some people prefer to eat in a small-meal, snacking format throughout the day, rather than the more traditional pattern of three meals a day. And when eating in this way, it’s extremely important to think about the quality of the food eaten – making sure the snack is balanced with fiber, protein and/or healthy fats.

With that in mind, below are a few smart snack options from Daisy Cottage Cheese that will give your shoppers the nutrients and energy they need:

• Cottage cheese and berries. With 13 grams of protein per ½ cup, Daisy Cottage Cheese delivers the goods. Topping cottage cheese with the berries is an excellent combination of nutrients and fiber to fuel your customers throughout the day. To add a different flavor and texture, spread the mixture on top of whole wheat crackers.

 

• Hummus and Veggies. This is a favorite combination. The fiber, fat and protein in the hummus complements any veggie perfectly. To make it super simple, point your shoppers to bags of baby carrots so there’s no peeling, cutting or slicing.

 

• Hardboiled eggs and an orange. Whole eggs offer around six grams of protein per egg while the orange offers a few grams of fiber, in addition to a variety of vitamins and minerals. Together they’re very satiating and help “bridge the gap” to give a little dose of energy between meals.

 

• Nut butter and apple. This pair is like cookies and milk; nut butter is a perfect partner to the apple. The duo makes an ideal combination of protein, fat, and fiber. For those with nut allergies, sunflower seed butter works just as well.

 

• Trail mix. For the ultimate in on-the-go snacks, try homemade trail mix. Premade mixes are available, or you can encourage your shoppers to get a little creative and have better control of their nutritional intake by mixing up their own favorite combinations of nuts along with a little dried fruit. A 2:1 ratio of nuts to dried fruit works well.

Remind your customers that the key with snacking is that the snacks are purposeful, instead of mindless, and that they include the satiating combination of protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Supermarket RDs, check your in-box this week for the Fall 2015 Shopping for Health Newsletter. You will find promotion ideas, nutrition updates, recipes and photographs, and other shopper outreach tools for your in-store use.

This edition of the quarterly SFH newsletter includes sections of information from Daisy Cottage Cheese, the Tri-Lamb Group, Tyson Foods and Vestcom.

Shopping for Health would love to have your feedback on the materials provided, or know how you might use the information. Please comment here or send a note to nancy@shoppingforhealth.org.

One of the highlights of Shopping for Health 2015 in Napa was a fabulous dinner in the caves of Clos Pegase Winery, sponsored by Tyson Foods and prepared by their chef, Ashley Zulpo.

The supermarket dietitian guests in attendance saw first-hand how everyday Tyson convenience products like packaged Grilled & Ready Diced Chicken, Jimmy Dean Cooked Sausage and Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat can be transformed into an elegant meal.

Here is the complete menu, as created by Chef Zulpo. Some of our favorite recipes from the dinner follow*. For more ideas on cooking with these and other Tyson protein products, visit http://www.tyson.com/Meal-Ideas-And-Recipes

AMUSE BOUCHE COURSE PLATED*
Ham & Cucumber Toast Rye bread, avocado mash, black forest ham, cucumber ribbons

AMUSE BOUCHE FAMILY STYLE COURSE
Chicken Endive Tacos Endive, diced grilled chicken, red onion, italian parsley, roasted red pepper sauce

SOUP COURSE*
Italian Wedding Soup Turkey sausage, chicken broth, fresh spinach, escarole

SALAD COURSE
Garden Salad, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette Sping greens, cucumbers, tomatoes & carrots

DOUBLE ENTREE
Lemon-Herb Chicken Grilled Chicken Breast, Italian parsley, thyme, basil, Meyer lemon sauce
Rosemary Sausage Skewers Hardwood smoked chicken sausage, rosemary, red wine mushroom sauce

SIDES SERVED FAMILY STYLE
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Butternut Squash Parmesan Zucchini
Assorted Artisan Breads & Olive Oil

DESSERT COURSE
Frangipan Tart with Caramelized Pears & Shiso Syrup
Served with whipped cream and a florentine crisp

Ham & Cucumber Toast
Featuring Hillshire Farm Naturals Black Forest Ham Lunch Meat
Serves: 15 pieces

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) package Hillshire Farm Naturals Black Forest Ham Lunch Meat
15 slices (2×3”) thick rye bread, toasted
1 ripe avocados, mashed
½ tablespoon tahini
1 lemon, juiced to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
To taste kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
3-5 mini cucumbers, shaved lengthwise on mandolin
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

Garnish:
2 shallots, halved/thinly sliced
To taste Asian rice seasoning
To taste Crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:
• Combine avocados, tahini, lemon juice and oil in a mixing bowl; season with salt and pepper, refrigerate.
• Combine vinegar, sugar and water in a small sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil, make sure sugar is dissolved. Pour hot liquid over the cucumbers and cool in an ice bath.

To build the toasts: spread avocado mash on rye toast, 2-3 ribbons of pickled cucumbers, 1 slice of ham, shallots and garnishes.

Chicken Endive Tacos
Featuring Tyson Grilled & Ready Diced Chicken
Serves: 14 Tacos

Ingredients:
1 (22oz) bag Grilled & Ready Diced Chicken
6 heads Belgian endive, core removed/cleaned/leaves only
¼ cup small diced red onion
¼ cup Italian parsley leaves
1 cup fresh arugula
To taste olive oil
To taste kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 cup crumbled goat cheese

Red pepper sauce
2 red bell peppers, roasted/peeled/seeded
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves peeled garlic
2 tablespoons natural sliced almonds, toasted
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
¼ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt

Instructions:

• Blend all ingredients for the red pepper sauce minus the olive oil and yogurt, in a food processor or blender. While the blender is going, pour in the oil slowly until the color starts to change. Remove from the blender and combine with the yogurt, refrigerate.
• Toss onion, parsley and arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• To build the tacos: layer 3-4 pieces of chicken into the endive leaf, drizzle with sauce and top with salad and cheese.

Italian Wedding Soup
Featuring Jimmy Dean Fully-Cooked Turkey Sausage Links
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 boxes Jimmy Dean Fully-Cooked Turkey Sausage Links, cut into thirds
1 (32 oz.) box unsalted chicken stock
½ cup diced yellow onions
2 cloves peeled garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cup escarole, hand-torn/packed
1 cup spinach, packed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 egg
To taste kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Garnish shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Sweat onions, garlic and celery in a stock pot until aromatic.
• Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, add sausage, escarole, spinach and herbs.
• Whisk in a small amount of the hot soup into a bowl with the egg.
• Add egg back to the soup and whisk until the egg looks creamy and not scrambled. Season with salt and pepper.
• Garnish with cheese.