American Heart Association gives the ABC’s of how to pack a Healthy School Lunch

Nashville, TN – It’s back-to-school time in Middle Tennessee! Here’s your first lesson of the new school year: how to pack a lunch that will keep the kids healthy and happy, increase the fruits and veggies, lower saturated fat, sugar and sodium – and fit your wallet.

The American Heart Association has budget-friendly, creative ideas to satisfy both kids and parents:

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Tennessee Department of Agriculture says Sudden Summer Sizzle Helps State’s Berry Crops Make Up for Lost Time

Nashville, TN – After a long, cool, rain soaked spring, Tennessee’s typical hot and humid summertime weather is here. The sudden shift is helping the state’s crops make up for lost time, which is especially beneficial to the farmers who grow much anticipated local berries, peaches, plums, apples and pears.

Tennessee’s berry crops, formerly in slow motion, have responded to ideal summer conditions by maturing at top speed, according to TDA’s agritourism and farmers market coordinator, Pamela Bartholomew.

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Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports Tennessee’s Apple Crop Down, But Still Delicious, Despite Challenging Season

Nashville, TN – Despite weather challenges in 2012, Tennessee apple orchards will yield about 7.5 million lbs. of apples for harvest before a hard freeze ends the season. Typically the state produces closer to 9 million lbs. of apples between June and the end of October.

This is good news for lovers of local, seasonal foods, who know that apples are one of the few foods that can be stored fresh through the winter.

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Eating Better on a Budget

Washington, D.C. – Food is expensive, but preparing your own meals can be healthier and less expensive than eating out.

Get the most for your food budget! There are many ways to save money on the foods that you eat. The three main steps are planning before you shop, purchasing the items at the best price, and preparing meals that stretch your food dollars. [Read more]

It’s back to school time – help your kids get an “A” in smart eating

American Heart Association tips for eating healthy, in and out of school

Nashville, TN – Your kids may be book-smart – but do they get an “A” in smart eating?

With the high incidence of children in Tennessee affected by obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and even stroke, making those healthy choices is important, starting as early as possible.

Research shows eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables has significant, measurable benefits on cardiovascular health, and that a diet with high amounts of added sugar, unhealthy fats and sodium increases risk factors, even in children. [Read more]

ShopSmart gives Tips to Help You avoid Food Preparation and Storage Dangers

Yonkers, NY – Nothing we eat is 100 percent safe, but there are easy ways to cut your risk of getting sick. The July 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, features an easy three-step guide with simple tips that can improve your food-cleaning and storing know-how. [Read more]

An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away

Dallas, TX – Apples and pears may keep strokes away.

That’s the conclusion of a Dutch study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association in which researchers found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with white flesh may protect against stroke.

While previous studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables with lower stroke risk, the researchers’ prospective work is the first to examine associations of fruits and vegetable color groups with stroke.

The color of the edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence of beneficial phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids. [Read more]

Seasonal Ingredients Are Falling Out of Trees, Into Holiday Favorites

Nashville, TN – The first documented great idea that ever fell out of a tree took place in 1666, when a falling apple inspired Sir Isaac Newton to formulate some theories about gravity. Great ideas can still fall out of trees—like the idea to make traditional holiday recipes fresh and local with ingredients like apples and pecans.

Apples and pecans fall in Tennessee just in time for the holiday season, bringing a bright, clean taste to dishes sometimes weighed down with heavy herbs and gravy. Using local, seasonal foods at holiday meals is a great way to celebrate the grateful spirit of the early Americans who first feasted with them.

American holiday dishes are still anchored firmly in 18th century New England, featuring Old World herbs and staple foods made new with ingredients that were close at hand. English colonists, and later, citizens of the new republic, used local game and seafood with newfangled produce like pumpkins and corn, creating foods that expressed their newfound sense of self sufficiency and abundance. [Read more]