Author Archives: Kati

About Kati

Kati Mora, RD is a private-practice dietitian in Michigan. She has a master's degree in nutrition and dietetics. Kati specializes in realistic nutrition guidance for weight management, diabetes, cardiovascular health, and HIV/AIDS management. She is a proud mom to two little boys.

Healthy Sandwich Making 101

Sandwiches are a fast, filling and portable meal and, if you build it right, a great addition to your healthy eating plan.

To build a healthy sandwich, you need to make sure you are incorporating a few important basics. When these items are in place, you can’t go wrong.

Bread

For a really good sandwich, you need really good bread. Choose a whole grain variety to get an added fiber and vitamin B boost and control your blood sugar to avoid cravings later. Cracked wheat, oat bran, 7 grain, whole wheat pita, pumpernickel, American rye, and wheat berry all make wonderful options for the base of your sandwich.

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Posted on November 7, 2023 by Kati

People Don’t Read Food Labels as Much as They Claim

When making an attempt to eat healthy, you may feel bogged down with all the “rules” that are involved in improving the way you eat. This bogged down feeling may get even worse when you are forced to put your knew found nutrition knowledge to the test the next time you go to the grocery store.

Although food labels have been placed on the majority of  foods you may find there, they aren’t necessarily the most helpful. After all, you have to take additional time to flip the package around, scan the label for the information you are looking for, and then compare and contrast each individual nutrient with similar products around to make sure you are making the right food choice for you and your family.

Perhaps that’s why so many people forgo the nutrition facts label all together. According to a recent study by the University of Massachusetts, people don’t really look at the label as much as they say they do. In fact, of the 33% of individuals who stated that they almost always looked at the total calorie content, only 9% actually did based on eye-tracking data pulled from the study. Additionally, only 1% of study participants took the time to look at the rest of the label despite claiming that they did so much more frequently.

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Posted on November 1, 2023 by Kati

Energy Star Rating System May Make a Better Food Label

We’re used to seeing the Energy Star rating system on our appliances, but are we ready to see it on our food? With so much interest in how Americans are eating lately, it’s no wonder that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is proposing a change in the current food labeling system in an effort to declutter the nutrition claim overload seen on today’s food packaging.

The proposed labeling, which would appear on the front of packages and highlight a few top nutrients consumers are interested in, would allow consumers to more easily identify healthy options without having to spend too much time reading small print or interpreting the variety of health claims plastered on many of the products lining grocery store shelves.

Yet this isn’t the first front-of-package label to be introduced to consumers. In fact, the IOM’s label is just one of many new labels being touted as the “next best thing” in food packaging. Food companies have already begun to introduce their own line of similar labels designed to point out what makes their product better than their competitor’s variety. In fact, the IOM has quite the battle ahead as it attempts to put their unique mark on the foods we eat. Unfortunately, in the heat of that battle, consumers seeking better food choices may suffer in the short-term as they continue to make attempts to decode each unique food labeling system currently available.

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Posted on October 31, 2023 by Kati

Breastfeed to Protect Your Baby Against Childhood Obesity

For years we’ve been hearing how “breast is best” for both mom and child. From improved immunity to a better bonding experience between mom and baby, breastfeeding has many benefits that make it worth pursuing. Additionally, breastfeeding provides opportunity for the earliest obesity prevention possible. In fact, breastfeeding has been shown to impact weight throughout an individual’s lifespan, making the decision whether or not to breastfeed even more important as we see childhood obesity rates continue to rise.

Yet, why exactly is breastfeeding so important in preventing childhood obesity? And are there certain guidelines parents need to follow to help their child avoid all of the complications and risks associated with having an increased weight? Tammy Gold, owner of Gold Parent Coaching, answered some of our toughest questions about breastfeeding and the role it plays in preventing childhood obesity.

According to Gold, breastfeeding for as long as possible and knowing when to introduce solid foods are both important strategies in promoting healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

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Posted on October 31, 2023 by Kati

Pine Nuts Recalled Due to Salmonella Outbreak

Just when you thought your food was safe from foodborne illnesses, another salmonella outbreak hits! This time, the food in question is Wegmans Food Markets Inc.’s Turkish Pine Nuts which have been linked to the latest outbreak causing at least 43 people to become ill in seven states. No deaths have been reported at this time.

The pine nuts were sold in the Wegmans New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland based stores  between July 1st and October 18th and were found in unlabeled bulk containers and may be present in foods prepared at Wegmans including some baked goods, pesto, and salads.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Wegmans has voluntarily recalled over 5,000 pounds of their pine nuts to prevent further illness. The pine nuts are suggested to be contaminated with Salmonella Enterditis, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infection in populations considered to be at high risk. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with a compromised immune system are all considered to be at higher risk for infection. Individuals who are relatively healthy typically experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain after eating something with salmonella bacteria present in high levels.

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Posted on October 29, 2023 by Kati

Mineral Basics: Your Complete Guide to Phosphorus

Phosphorus is best known for the role it plays in bone and teeth development; however, getting enough is also important for many other things. It plays a crucial role in the body’s utilization of protein, fat, and carbohydrates so they can be used for overall growth, maintenance, and repair of the body’s cells and tissues. This mineral also helps with the production of ATP, adenosine triphosphate, which is an important molecule the body uses to store energy.

Most phosphorus can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, milk, and eggs. If you consume a diet that is rich in calcium and protein, you’re probably getting enough. In fact, most Americans have no problem getting enough of this micronutrient. Additionally, breads and cereals are often fortified with it; however, the form of phosphorus found in these products is typically not as absorbable by the body.

According to the Institute of Medicine, the average adult needs 700 milligrams of phosphorus each day. Requirements are based on age and vary for each age group. Children between the ages of 0-12 months need 100 – 275 milligrams per day, 1-3 year olds require 460 milligrams per day, 4 – 8 year olds need 500 milligrams per day, and those between the ages of 9 and 18 require 1250 milligrams per day.

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Posted on October 24, 2023 by Kati

Get Creative With Left Over Halloween Candy

Halloween is a special time of year. Ushered in by aisles full of candy and celebrated with a touch of imagination, it is a magical event where adults and children alike can be whatever they dream to be for one single night.

A part of the magical spell Halloween has us under is our diet. Although it is tempting to swear off candy or limit our children’s consumption of it when faced with bags of goodies captured after a night of trick-or-treating, allowing ourselves to enjoy it may not be such a bad thing. In fact, allowing kids to eat as much candy as they want may not even result in them eating everything they gather. In a survey conducted by KidsHealth.org, only 20% of the 1200 participating children said that they ate all of their Halloween candy and 60% of the participants said that it took them 2 weeks to finish it all off.

Instead of cutting out candy completely on Halloween, perhaps consider allowing your family to have a Halloween treat pass until the clock strikes midnight. This way your kids can enjoy the splendor of gathering as much candy as they can, but will also prevent them from extending the candy mentality into the rest of the year.

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Posted on October 23, 2023 by Kati

Demystifying the Health Halo: Food Claims Lead to False Sense of Health

If you have never heard the term “health halo” before, you are not alone. In fact, this buzz phrase is not used all that often in common conversation; however, it is something dietitians use once in a while to explain the effect certain foods have on our overall healthy meal perceptions.

The term “health halo” has actually been around for quite a few years. In fact, a few researchers from Cornell in 2024 brought up the issue of health halos and some of the fast food restaurants that wear them in an effort to identify why the obesity epidemic continues despite the fact that more “healthified” foods seem to become available by the day.

At first, you may be confused by what the term actually means, but when you think about it, it’s actually a clever way to identify foods that claim to be more than what they really are. For example, foods that carry a low-fat claim may cause someone to identify them as healthy – although this may not be the case. Whether this food is healthy or not, believing that it is may cause inhibitions to be lowered and result in eating more and underestimating calories all at the same time. Foods that cause this to happen are considered to be under a “health halo” and you want to watch out for these if weight loss or maintenance is a primary goal for you.

If identifying health halos seems like a challenge, don’t worry! There are many ways to not let that pesky halo get the best of you.

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Posted on October 12, 2023 by Kati

The Four Rules of Food Safety

Food safety isn’t a very glamorous topic; however, amid the more recent food recalls, being food safe is incredibly important.

For most individuals, food safety means washing your hands – a lot! Yet there is much more to food safety than simple hand washing procedures. As the holidays rapidly approach, getting food safe can be a critical component in keeping your loved ones healthy and happy. Don’t let them be one of the hundreds of thousands of people who get sent to the hospital each year due to food poisoning.

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Posted on October 8, 2023 by Kati

Arsenic in Your Apple Juice: Dangerous or Perfectly Safe?

If you are one of the many parents now second guessing your decision to pack a juice box in your child’s lunch tomorrow, you are not alone. In a recent episode of the Dr. Oz Show, national health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed that apple juice not only contains arsenic, but levels much higher than what is deemed safe for our drinking water.

According to an independent study conducted on behalf of the Dr. Oz Show, ten of the three dozen apple juices sampled came back with an arsenic level higher than the amount allowed in drinking water. Of these, Gerber, Juicy Juice, and Mott’s were three of the highest with 36 parts per billion, 22 parts per billion, and 16 parts per billion reported, respectively.

Yet, despite these results, the FDA wants you to feel assured that pouring a glass of apple juice is still safe to do. In fact, the FDA claims there is no public health risk associated with drinking apple juice and that they have been performing safety checks for years to ensure that what we drink is indeed safe.

A safety level for arsenic has not been set for juices and although this may seem alarming, the FDA states that the type of arsenic primarily found in juices is organic arsenic, an essentially harmless form. In the case of water, the primary source is inorganic arsenic which is the form typically considered to negatively impact health when consumed in large quantities.

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Posted on September 18, 2023 by Kati

Build Your Own Healthy Snack Station for Nutrition on the Go

After a busy day of learning and recess, children often come home hungry from school and ready for a snack.

Snacks are a great opportunity to provide your child with healthy options that can replenish their energy and hold them over until dinner. Of course, having a wide variety of nutritious snacks to choose from can seem like quite the endeavor to undertake; especially after a long day of work or running errands. Luckily, with a little forethought, having a wide array of healthy foods ready to go after school is quite easy to accomplish.

One of the simplest ways to go about this is by creating your own after school snack station. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just filled with some of your family’s favorite healthy snack choices. As the reserves run low, simply restock as needed.

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Posted on September 8, 2023 by Kati