Podcast 78: New Food Product News from FNCE 2009

by The Meal Makeover Moms on October 28th, 2009

Last week, we flew to Denver, CO for the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association (known in dietitian circles as FNCE — Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo).  The sun was shining in the Mile-High City as the nation’s top dietitians gathered to learn about the latest nutrition research and trends, to sample an array of healthy food products, and to talk fashion — an inevitable topic given that the 7,000 dietitians at the meeting were mostly women, and hip ones at that!

At the convention, we had a chance to hob knob with some celebrity friends including Oprah’s fitness guru, Bob Greene, Carolyn O’Neil, former host of CNN’s On The Menu and a columnist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Ellie Krieger, host of TVFN’s Healthy Appetite and author of the newly released cookbook, So Easy.

Suffice it to say the conference was terrific, which is why we devoted this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast to the Expo part of the conference where we nibbled our way through aisle upon aisle of yummy family-friendly foods.  Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the samplings:

Greek Yogurt Kid Style: Greek yogurts are thicker, creamier and higher in protein than traditional yogurts.  We’ve never seen a Greek yogurt designed specifically for kids … until now. Chobani’s new Champions line of 4-ounce Greek yogurts comes in four yummy flavors: Strawnana, Veryberry, Honeynanna, and Chocolate.  Made with 2% milk and real fruit, Champions is gluten free and is scheduled to hit stores in February.

 

Snacks with Benefits: We went ga-ga over Larabars. They’re made with anywhere from two to eight ingredients –smartfood-honey-multigrain2 things like nuts and dried fruit, have no added sugar, are gluten free, and appeal to kids  of all ages (Liz popped samples of the new PB&J Larabar in Josh and Simon’s lunch boxes when she returned). We also liked Smartfood Popcorn Clusters. Each package has just 120 calories, an impressive 5 grams of fiber and 20% calcium.

barramundicroppedSustainable Seafood: If you’ve never seen Barramundi at your local supermarket, don’t be surprised if you notice it some time soon. Dubbed a Lean & Green Superfood by our pal, Kate Geagan (she’s America’s Green Nutritionist!), this sustainably raised mild white fish is bursting with healthy omega-3 fats — almost as much as wild salmon — and your kids will love it.

Super Mushrooms: We don’t typically think of mushrooms as a good source of vitamin D, but now a company in California is selling mushrooms enriched with this super nutrient.  Through some pretty cool research, Monterey Mushrooms has discovered that mushrooms respond to light in much the same way humans do, by converting the sun’s rays into vitamin D.  By exposing their mushrooms to UV light (for just a few seconds), each 3-ounce portion becomes “enriched” with 400 IUs of vitamin D, the daily recommended amount.

Allergy Alert: Food allergies are on the rise — up 18% according to the US Department of Health and Humanallergygirlcover-wce-new-952wide Services.  Thankfully, there are lots of great resources out there to make meal planning easier for families. At FNCE, we met Lisa Lundy, author of The Super Allergy Cookbook and Lynda Mitchell, president and founder of the info-rich website, Kids with Food Allergies. Be sure to check them both out.

welchsgrapejuiceInside the Expo hall, we also had an opportunity to visit the Welch’s booth (they’re one of our new blog sponsors) where we quenched our thirst with some of their 100% juices including their new Grape Juice with Fiber and White Grape Juice – which, we’re happy to report, has twice the antioxidant power of apple juice.  At the booth, the Welch’s team set up a video station where dietitians could record their very own FNCE podcast.

On a final note, during this week’s show, we promised to share two smoothie recipes with you: one that we plan to create using white grape juice and the other for Blueberry Peanut Smoothie which we sampled at the National Peanut Board booth. We invite you to come back to the blog on Friday for those recipes!

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5 Comments | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Podcast 

5 Responses to “Podcast 78: New Food Product News from FNCE 2009”

  1. EatingRD on October 29th, 2009

    such a wonderful experience! I wish I could have made it this year, I’m hoping to save up for next year :) Loved the reviews, those vit D mushrooms sound great and i would love to try those popcorn clusters.

  2. Lynda Mitchell on October 29th, 2009

    Thank you for mentioning us in your blog post. I am glad we got to meet at FNCE! Regarding your question about replacing tree nuts in a recipes, sometimes roasted pumpkin seeds will work, depending upon the recipe and the person’s allergy issues.

  3. Judy Converse MPH RD LD on October 30th, 2009

    Was really impressed at FNCE this year for the showing on gluten free, allergy free, healthy fats/oils/omega 3’s, and choices that matter most to my caseload – all kids with special needs and special diet concerns. Loads of fantastic new options. I work with families nationwide and know they will be glad!

  4. Nicki Briggs on November 2nd, 2009

    We are so excited that you enjoyed Chobani Champions! Thanks for mentioning us in your always fantastic podcast. Champions hits stores early 2010!

  5. Carol Devine on November 12th, 2009

    Thanks for the shout out on sustainable seafood item Barramundi. We had a great time at FNCE and compiled a 2-minute video of nutritionists sharing why they’re excited about this new fish. Check it out! http://www.thebetterfish.com/our-fish/fresh-barramundi/health-and-nutrition

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