The Nourished Principles

15/08/2024

I loved having the opportunity to represent my client, the International Fresh Produce Association, on the The Alliance For Food and Farming Safe Fruits & Veggies Farm Tour in the Santa Barbara, CA area. Thanks to the support of IFPA, California Strawberries, and Western Growers, I spent a few days collaborating with fellow RDs, scientists, and researchers and learning SO much about how certain fruits and vegetables are grown, harvested, and distributed. We visited four farms and the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. Sharing a few highlights or things I learned from each stop:

Strawberries, we visited Good Farms and Golden State Farms:
🍓2.4 BILLION pounds of strawberries were produced last year in California -- 90% of strawberries in the US are grown in California (sorry, Florida)
🍓Harvesting is done by hand, with the average worker picking around 10-12 packages per hour and up to 1,000 lbs. per day per worker
🍓Cal Poly works with farmers to develop innovative practices and tools to make strawberry growing and harvesting easier, like a bug vac which is an attachment for a tractor that helps eliminate bugs

Lemons, we visited Limoneira:
🍋 The lifecycle of a lemon tree can be 100 years, and it takes 5-6 years for a lemon tree to be in production to pay for itself
🍋 They are starting to plant trees on garden trellises vs. in wide open rows to help with innovations in harvesting
🥑 They are also growing avocados and transitioning to grow more avocados than lemons

Bell peppers, we visited Terry Farms:
🌶25,000 acres of peppers are grown in California each year
🌶 All bell peppers typically start green then turn into their color
🌶 They use Kaolin clay on their peppers to prevent sunburn on the plants, and it can also reduce the risk of pests or fungus

07/08/2023

My [coffee] cup is full after an amazing trip with Bayer U.S. Crop Science and my RD colleagues to beautiful Puerto Rico! We started at the Bayer facility in Juana Diaz where we saw and from seed to plant. This soy breeding facility produces the vast majority of soybean seeds for farmers in all of the western hemisphere. They are constantly responding to farmer needs, including changing climates, and are often needing to quickly pivot to ensure farmers have the tools that they need to succeed. To see the technology and precision that goes into this process allowed me to have a whole new appreciation for research and development of our food supply!

We then visited a tropical fruit farm, Finca Don Manuel, where we saw the production of plantains, bananas, papaya, pineapple, and avocados. It doesn't get much more local than eating fruit grown on the farm just yards away from the fields!

Our last stop was Hacienda Tres Angeles, a 108-acre coffee farm. We were able to harvest beans from the bushes (and taste them!) and see the full processing and production of whole bean and ground coffee. They placed 12th in the WORLD at a competition in Europe for best coffee -- can confirm it really is that good! This husband/wife owned business takes their role in sustainability very seriously. They use absolutely everything from the coffee pod. With 100 lbs of coffee with parchment, they can produce energy for 9 hours vs. having to use natural gas.

A few things that stood out to me:
🌱 The process to develop genetically modified takes 10-15 years, costs ~$150M and is heavily regulated.
🍍 Those living in Puerto Rico consume only about 15% of their food domestically/from the island and the rest is imported.
☕ A coffee bush can last 100 years and takes about 4 years to produce. It is the second most consumed commodity in the world behind petroleum.

One thing you may not know is that those living in PR do not have the SNAP program, they have the Nutrition Assistance Program, which operates like a block grant program meaning when the funds run out, they do not receive more. This can change in the upcoming Farm Bill with a marker bill titled "Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act" which would allow PR to participate in the SNAP program. As families are still experiencing devastation from Hurricanes Maria and Fiona and the earthquakes, Puerto Ricans should be able to access the necessary food and nutrition assistance.

Huge thanks to the Bayer team for allowing us RDs to attend this immersion experience -- it was eye opening in so many ways!

17/10/2022

Yesterday was World Food Day and the theme this year was Leave No One Behind. My latest blog post for my client 1,000 Days outlines the progress that has been made from a US Government policy and advocacy perspective for global food and nutrition security, but sheds light on opportunities to continue to move this work forward.

https://thousanddays.org/updates/celebrating-progress-towards-leaving-no-one-behind-on-world-food-day/

On World Food Day 2022, we take stock of the hard-fought progress that has been made to strengthen nutrition during the first 1,000 days, and we renew our commitment to continue the fight.

09/06/2022

On Monday, I joined the Bipartisan Policy Center staff and members of their Food and Nutrition Security Task Force to volunteer at the Capital Area Food Bank. During our visit, we learned from their staff the incredible programs that they operate on a daily basis and how they are increasing food and nutrition security throughout the DMV area. Their staff also shared their policy priorities for improving federal nutrition programs which the task force will take into consideration as we work to create policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. Thanks again to CAFB for this experience!

12/05/2022

An exciting couple of days this week attending ‘s Policy & Regulatory Forum! The entire supply chain, from growers to retailers, is dedicated to increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.🍓🥕

And of course, no policy conference is complete without Hill visits! I led a team of fruit and vegetable advocates to talk with Members of Congress about the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and increasing fruits and vegetables through various ways in federal programs.

24/03/2022

Looking for new to-go meal options? 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️Search no further! USA Pulses has just the resources that you need for tasty to-go school recipes, which are great for emergency feeding, summer feeding or anytime! Shaker salads to hearty dips – pulses are a wonderful option for to-go meals. Check out the USA Pulses website for grab-n-go recipe inspiration and more resources to help you serve pulses in your café! 🌱

https://www.usapulses.org/schools


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21/03/2022

Are you interested in incorporating more plant-forward meals into your school nutrition program? 🍽️💚🌱 Join Healthy School Recipes as they share the ins and outs of creating nutritious and delicious plant-forward dishes with pulses for K-12 on March 23rd from 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT. Register for this special webinar using the link below and receive 1 CEU of Culinary Training. 🎁 One lucky participant will win a prize package! by USA Pulses

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6630334811133951499

10/03/2022

Over the next few years, schools are expecting to see a shift from traditional school menus to a more flexitarian style menu. 🌱🌿A flexitarian style menu contains mostly vegetarian meal options while continuing to meet all nutrient requirements from the USDA. Popular school meals could potentially be replaced by an alternative version containing a wide variety of pulses. For example, instead of a cheeseburger, students may be able to choose a pulse-based veggie burger instead. 🍔 USA Pulses

Check out this Asian-Style Sweet and Spicy Veggie Burger with Pineapple Slaw for inspiration! https://www.usapulses.org/resources/1316-asian-sweet-spicy-veggie-burger/file



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07/03/2022

How are you serving up pulses for National School Breakfast Week? ☀️Pulses provide the long-lasting energy that students need to fuel their growing bodies and minds. 💪📚🧠 With unique nutrient compositions, pulses can credit as a meat/meat alternate, vegetable, or fruit at breakfast. Check out my favorite school breakfast recipe featuring pulses: Breakfast Lentil Quesadilla! USA Pulses https://www.usapulses.org/resources/1314-breakfast-lentil-quesadilla/file

03/03/2022

Happy National Nutrition Month! 🥳👏📣As a Registered Dietitian, I look forward to this month all year long. So, this year, I am kicking it off with a few nutrition facts about the affordable, versatile, and balanced superfood, pulses:
🍽️Pulses fill student bellies! They are a good source of plant-based protein and an excellent source of fiber.
🧂Pulses are naturally low in sodium - helping you to meet and Guidelines.
🔑Pulses are packed with key nutrients - including potassium, magnesium, zinc, B Vitamins and more
🧠Pulses are an excellent source of Folate - the B vitamin essential to brain development and function
👍 2020-2025 DGA emphasizes that the “Beans, Peas, Lentils” food group is nutrient-dense, and it encourages the consumption of these foods throughout all stages of the life cycle

USA Pulses

28/02/2022

Does your school district participate in Afterschool Meals? ✏️📚 😊 This program provides an opportunity where students can engage in fun, educational activities with their friends and receive a delicious and nutritious meal. Pulses can be credited in the CACFP as a meat/meat alternate or a vegetable, but they may not credit as both in the same meal. USA Pulses

24/02/2022

that several varieties of pulses are available through the USDA Foods Available List, including canned black beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and canned and dried pinto beans. Other pulse varieties, like lentils and split peas, and pulse products like hummus, dips and pasta are available through your foodservice distributor. Pulses are one of the most cost-effective meat/meat alternate sources that meet the National School Lunch Program meal requirements. On average, pulses cost about 10 cents per serving. 💰
🌱 Access the USDA Foods list here.
🌱 Visit USA Pulses in Schools website at www.usapulses.org/schools for K-12 recipe inspiration using pulses from USDA Foods!

USA Pulses