25 healthy snacks and other top headlines

Growing vegetables is probably easier than you think" was one line from one of the endless stories about vegetable gardening I read this week. Easy or hard, any vegetable garden of mine is doomed for failure. Perhaps I should give it a try and confirm my suspicions....

I was right that "Little Debbie" Zebra cakes didn't make the list, and this link takes us to a column published at Examiner.com that talks about National Nutrition Month and 25 healthy snacks.


Food, Glorious Food Myths NYT
From Cathy Erway

People always say that foods with the most vibrant colors are the ones that are most healthy for you. While this is certainly true to an extent (dark green leafy vegetables contain high concentrations of Vitamin K and other nutrients), some of our dullest-colored fruits and vegetables are commonly misunderstood as nutritionally bereft. I'll blame it on iceberg lettuce, the cheap underdog of salad greens. In any case, white cabbage happens to be one of the most nutritious foods for you, packed with Vitamins K, C, A, B and even calcium, iron and fiber. White beans? They've got as much protein and fiber as red or pink pinto beans. The oft-overlooked celery, with its greenish pallor has some calcium and protein in addition to Vitamins A, C and K, and is pretty low in calories to boot. Perhaps the palest produce of them all, white cauliflower is a dense nugget of antioxidant power (and don't forget to eat the stems, too). The list goes on, but the point's clear (or off-white), don't judge a plant by its color alone.

Change diet for better by choosing more fruits, vegetables Memphis Commercial Appeal
1. Eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Aim for two different vegetables at lunch and dinner. Fruits and vegetables are low-calorie "powerhouses" of vitamins and minerals.

West Side pupils learning healhty eating habits The Tribune Democrat

Ever since the beginning of the 2008-09 term, pupils have been participating in a Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program. In that program – funded through a government grant – each student receives a snack of a fruit or a vegetable each afternoon in their classrooms. Teachers schedule various activities in connection with the fruits and vegetables. The snacks do not interrupt classroom work, Arcurio said."The kids love it (the snack time)," he said.

Growing trend: homegrown fruits and veggies Fox KC

Pretty darn good for a few reasons, but the sale of fruits and vegetables definitely tops the list. Heartland Nursery has already told local growers about the increase in demand, in hopes they'll increase production so the nursery can keep up."Something they can plant themselves, have control of and enjoy, and at the same time save a little bit of money at the grocery store," said Keilig.

How to grow an edible garden MSNBC

Growing vegetables is probably easier than you think. If you plan it right, you can enjoy a beautiful garden full of the fruits of your labor — without having to spend hours and hours tending it.


Diplomacy, high level lobbying boost pistachio sales to Israel Miami Herald
An adroit lobbying campaign has cracked open the bountiful Israeli market for U.S.-grown pistachios.It took many years, false starts and dead ends, all in the shadow of the fraught relationship between the United States and Iran. Diplomats and politicians got involved, at the highest levels. The solution itself is a bit of bank shot. And yet, it's already paying off as pistachio shipments from California's San Joaquin Valley climb."This has been for us an issue that's been very frustrating, to say the least," Richard Matoian, executive director of the Fresno, Calif.-based Western Pistachio Association, said Friday. The historic problem, U.S. growers say, has been that low-cost Iranian pistachios were imported into Israel via Turkey. That stings, because Israel potentially is a lucrative market. The county leads the world in per-capita pistachio consumption.


Raw milk and Bill Marler Foodsafe list From Marler:
I would really like some comments and for you all to send this around to the public health community - it is time to step up and at least be honest that Raw Milk can cause illnesses.


Hydroponic lettuce in Georgia Macon.com

WIC program changing menu WBOC TV

Major changes are in store for one food assistance program in Delaware. It's getting healthier. The Delaware Women, Children and Infants Program is altering its menu for the first time since 1974.The program says the changes comply with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Now, with the vouchers they're given from WIC, women can buy a whole new range of products, including produce, whole-grain foods and low-fat milk which are items that weren't options before.