Happy Earth Day!
I wanted to let you know that I'm particpating in this great group intended to promote more healthy eating in children. One of the goals in writing the 101 Foods was to get my own, as well as other children, to eat more produce. So, as we observe Earth Day and look forward to the rest of spring, let's start thinking of how we can grow healthy children together!
- Start a garden with your kids
- Try to get your child to eat one new vegetable or fruit that they've never tried before
- Take your kids shopping and let them pick out their favorite produce
Produce for Kids(R) Establishes Expert Advisory Panel to Promote Healthy & Fun Family Eating Panel will encourage parents to give their homes a 'shelvic exam' -
REIDSVIILLE, Ga., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Produce for Kids(R) (PFK),
an organization that promotes the benefits of healthy eating and supports
worthy causes for children such as Children's Miracle Network (CMN)
hospitals and educational media content from PBS KIDS(R), has established
an expert advisory panel that will provide parents with the guidance, tips,
recipes and encouragement they need to improve their kids' diets. The
United States Department of Agriculture estimates that approximately 25
million children, or one-in-three kids, are overweight or are at risk of
becoming overweight, and that, as a result, many will develop serious
health conditions in later life including diabetes, heart disease, high
blood pressure and liver problems.
Heidi McIntyre, executive director of Produce for Kids, said: "As a
result of our partnership with PBS KIDS, we have received many inquiries
from parents asking for guidance to help them fit convenient, healthy meals
for their kids into hectic family routines. We have assembled some of the
most insightful children's health and nutrition experts in America, all of
whom can offer parents fun, useful advice that will make kids and families
healthier and happier."
The seven-member panel will assist Produce for Kids to raise awareness
of the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables by creating
educational materials to be posted online at
http://www.produceforkids.org/ , PBS
Parents (pbsparents.org ) and on participating PBS member station Web
sites. The panel is also participating in the promotion of Produce for Kids
initiatives, including a national research study on kids' eating habits and
produce marketing that will be released in May.
"Produce for Kids requires that parents be for produce," said Dave
Grotto, advisory board chairman. "Every home could do with a "shelvic exam"
to evaluate just how much healthy food is available to in the house for
children to enjoy."
The panel is comprised of:
-- Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FADA, a nationally known nutritionist
and an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the Albert
Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, where he has
maintained a clinical practice for over 20 years. Dr. Ayoob has
worked extensively in the areas of obesity, heart health, child
nutrition and family dynamics, and he specializes in motivational
counseling. Dr. Ayoob is the author of The Uncle Sam Diet, the first
book on the 2005 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and co-authored
the American Dietetic Association's position paper on food and
nutrition misinformation, published in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association -- on whose editorial board he also served for
four years. He has been a strong advocate against fad dieting and
nutrition fraud, and in June of 2004 he was invited by Congress to
testify about fraudulent claims made by manufacturers of diet pills.
-- Connie L. Evers, MS, RD, is a specialist in children's health and
nutrition education and the author of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids,
a book which is used in thousands of schools throughout the world as
a framework for nutrition education. She is also the author of the
Disney children's book, Good for You! Nutrition Book and Games.
Connie works as a nutrition consultant to schools, universities and
USDA child nutrition programs throughout the nation, developing
programs, writing materials and providing hands-on training to
educators, health care professionals and parents. She recently
assisted in the development of "Every Body Eats," an interactive
nutrition exhibit which is currently traveling to science museums
across the U.S. She is the editor of the Feeding Kids Newsletter, an
online publication available at www.nutritionforkids.com.
-- Claudia M. Gonzalez, MS, RD, a highly regarded expert in the fields
of nutrition and dietetics and co-author of Gordito Doesn't Mean
Healthy, the first book to offer information, strategies and tools to
prevent and manage obesity in Hispanic children. She has a consulting
practice in nutrition science related to health, medical disorders
and prevention, and also acts as a consultant dietitian for the
elderly, children, physician's offices, weight loss centers, and the
food industry. Gonzalez serves as a writer on health and nutrition
issues for several magazines including Univision Online, Shape en
Espanol, Healthy Kids en Espanol, Siempre Mujer, and 12 Meses, and
was as a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for six
years.
-- David W. Grotto, RD, LDN, president and founder of Nutrition
Housecall, LLC, a nutrition consulting firm that provides corporate
nutrition communications and personalized at-home dietary services.
Grotto was bestowed the Excellence in Practice award by the American
Dietetic Association's Nutrition and Complementary Care practice
group for his clinical work. Grotto has served as national media
spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for the past six
years and has been featured in numerous print, radio and television
interviews. He hosted the popular live radio program "Let's Talk
Health, CHICAGO!" for more than a decade and also hosted the
television program Health & Lifestyles, Weekly on COLOURS television.
Dave also serves on the scientific advisory board at Men's Health
magazine and is a chapter author of CRC Press' Manual of Integrating
Therapeutic and Complementary Nutrition. His book 101 Foods That
Could Save Your Life! was published in January 2008.
-- Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and a New York State-
certified nutritionist. For more than a decade, Elisa has counseled
individuals and families to manage their weight and various health
conditions including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Elisa is a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic
Association and is a contributor for msnbc.com's Chew on This column.
She has also written for Woman's Day magazine and Weight Watchers
magazine, and served as a contributing editor for Redbook magazine
and Seventeen magazine. She is also co-author of the new book Feed
Your Family Right! How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a
Healthy Lifestyle and So What Can I Eat?! How to Make Sense of the
New Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Make Them Your Own.
-- Dawn Ciccone, Senior Director, Consumer Products at PBS. Dawn
oversees the businesses of cause partnership and licensing at PBS,
where she creates differentiating platforms and integration
strategies that support the mission of public television and drive
new revenue streams. Prior to PBS, Dawn managed partnerships with
motion picture studios at Kodak in Hollywood. Dawn serves as an
Officer on the boards of SPLICE [Society of Product Licensors
Committed to Excellence], American Women in Radio and Television and
the Residences at the Ritz Carlton. She is also a regular speaker at
industry events such as Licensing Show, LIMA, Southern Exposure,
United Fresh and FMI.
-- Kari Volyn, marketing communications expert that provides
recommendations and execution support for clients in the fresh foods
industry on marketing communications activities such as brand
development, media relations, new product introductions and
influencer outreach programs. Prior to working for the Perishables
Group, Kari was at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., a global public relations
agency, where she managed consumer product launches, media relations
programs and special events for clients such as the Kellogg Company
and Gatorade. Kari also has extensive experience directing
communications programs for fresh foods, having worked as the
communication director for the California Strawberry Commission and
the public relations manager for the Washington Apple Commission
where she coordinated national public relations programs that
included retail and foodservice trade components as well as consumer-
driven initiatives.
About Produce for Kids
Produce for Kids(R) promotes healthy lifestyles for children by
educating kids and parents about the benefits of eating fresh fruits and
vegetables while also supporting worthy children's causes. Since its
creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more
than $1.4 million for local Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Produce
for Kids also partners with PBS KIDS(R) to educate parents on healthy
eating and raise funds for PBS. For additional information on Produce for
Kids, visit
http://www.produceforkids.org/.
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