Great Chicago Event Coming Up!

In the spirit of National Nutrition Month, I just wanted to spread the word about an awesome upcoming event in Chicago. Ms. Career Girl is hosting their quarterly MCG Connect event where you'll get the chance to get inspired and make connections. This quarter the theme is, of course, Health & Wellness! I LOVE Chicago (and MCG) and so wish I could be there :(  Please attend in my place if you're nearby!

The event is scheduled for next Thursday, March 15 at Proof Chicago on Rush Street. You'll hear from expert panelists (including an RD) who will answer YOUR questions about health and wellness. And you'll get to connect with other passionate, motivated females while noshing on appetizers and champagne. The first 50 receive a free swag bag with gifts too!

For more information or to buy a ticket, click here. Tickets are only $20--what a steal! Hurry only 7 days left!

Just a few words about Ms. Career Girl:
I'm a female entrepreneur and just so luckily happened to meet Nicole, founder of Ms. Career Girl and MCG Media, over New Year's in Nashville. She inspired me with her energy, common interest and entrepreneurial drive. MCG is to dedicated to helping you find passion in a career you love. To read more and subscribe to their blog, visit http://www.mscareergirl.com/.

What's on MyPlate?

I've teamed up with the nearly 6,000 USDA partners to make today What’s on MyPlate? Day! As part of National Nutrition Month, this day is dedicated to heightening public awareness of the importance of choosing healthy foods to create a nutritious meal.

The MyPlate icon, unveiled last summer, is the fresh, new USDA food graphic replacing MyPyramid, and is designed to be a visual cue to remind consumers to make healthful food choices as part of a balanced meal. It supports the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, features the five food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy), and points users to ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn about and apply the Guidelines for themselves.

The goal of What’s on MyPlate? Day is to create nationwide attention by using the outreach strength of social networks to promote MyPlate and its related messages and resources that empower consumers with the how-tos to build healthier plates. Partners, along with the general public, can use the hash-tag #MyPlateYourPlate to aid in the recognition of this social media event.

As part of this effort, I encourage you to put MyPlate into action by taking a photo of your healthful plates to share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate. I believe people can be inspired by seeing what others are eating! Snap a photograph of a MyPlate-style breakfast, lunch or dinner to share on Twitter or with the USDA Flickr Photo Group  http://www.flickr.com/groups/choosemyplate.

Here's what's was on MyPlate last night:

Grilled chicken, whole wheat cous cous with sautéed baby bella mushrooms and
spring mix salad with homemade dijon vinaigrette. Yum!

What's on YourPlate? Share with me by commenting or taking a picture to share on Twitter @RDbyyourside!

Product Review: ECOlunchtray

I pack my lunch for work everyday--and I encourage my clients to do the same. But I've found that you've got to be a little creative in order for lunch-packing to remain non-wasteful. It's convenient to take disposable paper bags and plastic baggies, but all that waste can add up quickly! Luckily, there are cute lunch bags, reusable containers and "baggies" and also the ECOlunchtray.

ECOlunchtrays are made from 100% high-quality, unbreakable stainless steel that has been independently tested to be lead-free. It's also plastic-free, BPA-free and phthalate-free. Stainless steel won't retain odors, stains or residues like plastic, either. This product will last.

The ECOlunchtray is 7-inches by 8 1/2-inches with three compartments: one larger compartment for your entree (holds about 2 cups) and two smaller ones (about 1/2 cup and 1 cup) for side dishes. It's large enough to hold a full meal comfortably, but small enough to travel with ease. It's also great to help you keep your portions in check.

The only drawback with stainless is that it's not microwaveable (unless you want to see the sparks fly and catch your microwave on fire! Been there.). But it is dishwasher safe.

This is a really cool product. I love that it fits right in my lunchbox, helps cut down on waste and is BPA-free. I use mine at work. When I'm finished with my meal, I wash it and save it for the next day. It sure beats eating out of containers! You could also take the ECOlunchtray on picnics or camping trips. They're easily wipeable when you're ready to clean them up and take them back home.

The ECOlunchtray is also great for kids--anytime. It's a perfectly sized plate for the little ones and compartmentalized so each part of the meal stays separate. This is when the non-breakable part really comes in handy! It will travel well, so if you're out for a meal, you have a sanitary plate for the kids to eat from. And you know the plate will fly occasionally. You might have a mess, but at least it won't shatter!

You can pick up your own ECOlunchtray or ECOlunchbox at www.ECOlunchboxes.com or in the Around the Plate Boutique.

I received a complimentary ECOlunchtray to try in order to share my review with my readers. As in all my reviews, I provide my honest opinion and do not guarantee a positive review, just because I've had the pleasure of receiving the product free of charge.

Product Review: Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese

Who doesn't love cheese? Although it does have some health benefits, namely protein, calcium and vitamin D, consuming too much can also be detrimental to your health. Cheese is high in saturated fat, containing around 5 grams per ounce. That's 1/3 of the recommended amount to consume in one day! This is why I often recommend reduced-fat cheese to my clients and also the reason I often it eat it myself. But a tasty, reduced-fat cheese can be hard to find. When you remove the fat from cheese, it can lose its flavor too.

I had the privilege of receiving a complimentary sample of Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese. This was a brand I'd never tried before...you know, sometimes it's hard to branch out when you're unsure of what you're going to get. But I have been quite pleased with this product!

I've used my sample of Jarlsberg in a variety of ways so far: to snack on by itself, with a French baguette and on a toasted roast beef sandwich. 

Now, I'm certainly not a cheese connoisseur, but I have tried many specialty cheeses in the past. My favorites are the more strongly flavored, like blue cheese, brie, goat cheese and an interesting purple marbled cheese I tried the other night! Swiss was one of my first favorite cheeses and I particularly like it with apples or on sandwiches.

The flavor of Jarlsberg Lite Swiss was mild and slightly nutty. It is a softer cheese, softer than many other Swiss cheeses I have eaten. That made it delightful to snack on! I haven't tried the full-fat version for comparison, but the flavor seemed well-intact. It still tasted like a gourmet cheese, even though it was reduced-fat. It did not get that platic-like or waxy texture that many lower-fat cheese have. Like other reduced-fat cheeses, the melting properties were lost; meaning that when you heat the cheese it doesn't really melt and ooze, it just gets warm and softer. I didn't really mind and this was pretty much to be expected.

The Jarlsberg Lite has 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories than the original. Instead of 5g saturated fat, the lite loaf only has 2g. There are also only 70 calories instead of 100 per ounce. I'd say this is quite a savings. The reduction in saturated fat means it's something that I can enjoy more often! Per ounce, you'll also get 20% of the daily value (DV) for calcium; another big perk.

It was easy for me to find Jarlsberg in the specialty cheese section at my grocery. Some stores may even carry the pre-packaged deli slices too.

When I'm looking to buy a good Swiss again, I'll definitely consider Jarlsberg. I'm already picturing it as a perfect addition to my fruit and cheese tray at my next party!

For more information about Jarlsberg, click here.

March is the Nutrition New Year!

That's because March is National Nutrition Month! Today marks the start of the campaign, created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, urging Americans to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

The theme this year is, "Get Your Plate in Shape." The slogan refers to MyPlate, of course, the revision of the former Food Guide Pyramid that debuted in 2011.

I'm calling it the "Nutrition New Year." If you're like me, you still have a whole lot going on at the start of the real New Year. Come January 1, I don't really have a lot of extra time to start new projects...like dedicating myself to New Year's resolutions. Plus it's awfully cold outside, so I think it's tough to get a good exercise plan going. That's why I think you should start in March!

National Nutrition Month is the perfect opportunity to take some time out of your/your family's busy schedules to focus on nutrition. I think most of us would agree that we LOVE to EAT! But do you know enough about it? Often times, it’s not what you shouldn’t be eating, but what you should be eating. Healthier food choices and habits can help improve diabetes control, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and energy level. The month of March helps us focus on the wonderful variety of foods that are available and how an RD can assist you in learning more!

During NNM, there are many tools made easily accessible to the public on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' website. It’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of them! I love the tips sheets. Print some off and discuss them as a family, then make some goals related to health and nutrition. Also visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to start learning about good nutrition and to find some helpful tips.

If you're ready to set some goals for changing your nutrition habits, see your RD. We can help you make sure that your goals are realistic and target your individualized nutrition needs.

On a personal note, I've been a little more lax than usual lately myself (yes, it happens to us all) and unable to exercise due to a nasty flare-up of tendonitis in my ankle :( So I'm using March as a new starting point too! Join me. My "Nutrition New Year's" goal is going to be to start doing cardio before work again. I just hope the pleasant weather sticks around so I can do it outside!

What's your "Nutrition New Year's" goal? Tell me!