Healthy Start

Study: Food stamps don't help improve nutrition for children
Whether or not they participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, most low-income children and teens failed to meet the national dietary recommendations for whole grains, fruits and vegetables, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Of those receiving SNAP benefits, researchers found that about 19% were overweight and 18% were obese, similar to the percentages of low-income children not receiving SNAP benefits. Reuters (3/7)

Dietary Health

Shoppers, retailers benefit from grocery store RDs
Hiring registered dietitians to work at grocery stores is an idea that took off about five years ago, and now customers are beginning to expect the services they provide, according to industry experts. Grocery store RDs are coming together through the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Food and Culinary Professionals division. Hy-Vee corporate dietitian Rochelle Gilman says the company sees a return on investment for hiring RDs and increases in sales linked to healthy promotions. U.S. News & World Report (3/7)

Small plates are out, family-style dining is in
Some of New York's trendiest restaurants are bucking the small plates trend and switching gears to offer family-style meals. Large plates of fried chicken, suckling pig and beef are dotting the tables at David Chang's Momofuku and April Bloomfield's Spotted Pig restaurants where hungry parties of four or more chow down on the bigger portions. The Huffington Post (3/5)

Science & Research

Study: People lose more weight when cash is involved
Participants who received financial incentives for shedding pounds lost more than 9, compared with 2.3 pounds for those who were not paid to lose weight, a study to be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology revealed. Researchers also found 62% of participants in the incentive group stayed with the health program, compared with 26% of those who were not paid. HealthDay News (3/7)

School-based gardening program expands children's palate
Children who attended kitchen gardening classes were twice as likely to sample new foods as those who didn't participate in the program, Australian researchers reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. While parents' feedback showed no evidence that the program boosted fruit and vegetable consumption at home, educators surveyed for the study said the children brought healthier snacks and bag lunches to school and were more adventurous in trying new foods. MyHealthNewsDaily.com (3/7)

Daily vitamin D intake may bolster heart health in diabetes
Type 2 diabetes patients who took 1,000 IU per day of vitamin D showed a lower central aortic augmentation index at one year compared with those in the placebo group, a study found. The results in Clinical Nutrition suggest that regular vitamin D intake may boost heart health in diabetes patients. NutraIngredients (3/6)

Other News

Fitness

More children engage in physical activity, report finds
A report by the Partnership for a Healthier America revealed more than 1,700 U.S. cities promoted exercise in 2012 to help boost physical activity in nearly 3 million children. Researchers also noted a growing number of established or renovated grocery stores in "food deserts," providing more than half a million people with access to fresh and healthy produce. Reuters (3/7)

Short bouts of exercise may improve cognitive function in youths
A Dutch analysis of studies involving 586 6- to 35-year-olds showed that short periods of moderately intense exercise was associated with significant improvements in higher-order cognitive function such as self-control. The impact of brief exercise on cognition could have relevance for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism, researchers said. The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. HealthDay News (3/7)

Institutional Foodservice

L.A. schools adopt meatless Mondays
School nutrition professionals in Los Angeles public schools no longer are serving meat on Mondays under a new program implemented last month. This Los Angeles Times editorial says "going meatless is a smart move" for ethical and health reasons. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)/Opinion L.A. blog (3/5)

Recipe of the Day

Apple cranberry cobbler
This warm, crumbly cobbler can be made gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. The Healthy Apple

Food For Thought

I don't find it surprising that even a really small financial incentive helps spur some weight loss. The challenge is how to help people lose weight in a way that is sustainable." -- Dr. Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness, as quoted by HealthDay News Share: