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6 Nutrition News Bites You May Have Missed this Year | My Findings at #FNCE

6 Nutrition News Bites You May Have Missed this Year | My Findings at #FNCE

Nutrition news is always breaking. See what you have been missing in food trends and new products.

Nutrition Trends | #FNCE Round Up @tspcurry

{Disclosure: I grabbed free samples of most of these products – and ate fish at a National Fisheries Institute sponsored lunch. I was not asked nor paid to write about any of these foods/products.}

Deanna and I just returned from Nashville and the largest food and nutrition conference in the country – the Food & Nutrition Expo & Conference (affectionately known as FNCE.)

Besides discussing the benefits of phytonutrients over antioxidants and whether quinoa has gone mainstream, we ate good Southern food (biscuits and pimento cheese) and saw great friends. We also got late-breaking updates on nutrition news plus a peak into 2016 food trends.

So, here’s the latest and greatest:

1. Some mushrooms now have 100% of recommended vitamin D

New Nutrition Trends | FNCE round up @tspcurry

While mushrooms are a delicious source of potassium, riboflavin and selenium, they typically only provide 15 IUs of vitamin D per serving. The Monterey Mushroom company shines a special ‘sunlight’ light on their mushrooms to increase the level of vitamin D to 400 IUs (100% of the Daily Value.)

Monterey Mushrooms are produced in nine locations across the U.S. – so chances are mushrooms in your local supermarket may be from a ‘local’ mushroom farm. Look for “High in Vitamin D” label on store-brand mushrooms or the Monterey Mushrooms brand.

Try them in Slow Cooker Mushroom Bolognese.

2. Prunes are good for your bones. Really!

Prune Ricotta Avocado Toast

It takes more than calcium to make strong bones – potassium, vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium are also important in bone health. Prunes contain all these nutrients plus boron and certain polyphenols which may help promote bone health by reducing bone mineral loss.

Research appears to suggests that 5 – 7 prunes a day is the amount needed to help with bone strength.

Enjoy them straight from the packaged or check out these 50+ delicious dried plum recipes.

3. Got tummy troubles? New options for relief

2015 Nutrition Trends | FNCE Round Up @tspcurry

From potions to pills and chewables to chugs, there are lots of new products to help your gut health. If you have digestive issues such as gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, products containing probiotics and prebiotics (prebiotics stimulate the growth of probiotics) could certainly help:

  • UP4 – One of the most-researched formulations we’ve seen.
  • Regular Girl – Contains prebiotics plus probiotics
  • Yakult – Used by more than 30 million people globally, the new Yakult Light is has only 30 calories.
  • Lifeway Kefir – New products like ProBugs Whole Milk Kefir, Freeze Dried Kefir Melts and even Frozen Kefir Pops contain at least 10 different strains of live and active probiotic cultures.

While my family doesn’t take probiotics daily, I do rely on them whenever someone says “My tummy hurts.” Kids can’t usually say *why* their tummy hurts, probiotics are a good safety net for a variety of ills.

Or I just make a batch of my Homemade Greek Yogurt  – one of our most popular posts.In case you missed it: 6 Nutrition News Bites You May Have Missed This Year | Findings at #FNCE #RDChat Click To Tweet

4.  Here’s what to do if milk ‘doesn’t like’ you

Nutrition Trends | FNCE Round Up @tspcurry

For a nutrition geek like me, A2 Milk is pretty revolutionary: People who feel discomfort after drinking ordinary milk – can drink this real dairy A2 Milk. Apparently, ordinary cows produce milk with 2 types of beta-casein protein, A1 and A2. However, thanks to a special process developed in Australia, some selected cows can be identified as producing only A2 protein and no A1.  Research has shown that A2 protein is digested differently than A1. So lots of people who haven’t tolerated A1 protein milk can enjoy A2 Milk. This included 450 Chinese people in a research study who drank A2 milk; the results were that 85% of them could drink it without any symptoms of discomfort.

Look for A2 Milk in 26 states in the dairy case.

Make 5-Minute Oatmeal Breakfast Custard with any milk.

5. Beans everywhere

Nutrition Trends | FNCE Round Up @tspcurry

Beans are being added to everything from pasta to breakfast cereals. Because beans are unique for their nutritious qualities of belonging to both the Vegetable Group and the Protein Group they contain antioxidants and protein, yet very few carbs. So, they fit into many low carb diets. I’m pretty excited to see how the Nutrition Facts of these products stack up:

  • More fiber
  • Higher in B vitamins
  • More plant-based proteins

Newly available products: Ancient Harvest pastas, The Other Bean Hummus, Explore Asian pastas, MorningStar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Crumbles (Disclosure: I attended a MorningStar reception.)

Ever try using dried beans? Here’s the easy way to soak and cook dried beans.

6. New recommendation: Eat more fish. Period.

Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks | Teaspoonofspice.com

People are doing lousy at the recommendation to eat two to three servings per week of fish.  And the folks at the National Fish Institute think they know why: confusion. There are lots of confusing messages out there on which fish might be higher or lower in mercury. So people skip fish. And that’s a shame because fish is:

  • A lean protein source with about 20 grams per serving
  • Packed with healthy omega-3 fats
  • An excellent source of the antioxidant selenium which is extremely important, because selenium helps counter effects of mercury.
    • According to dozens of research studies compiled by scientists at the University of North Dakota – because fish is a good source of selenium, mercury in seafood isn’t something we need to worry about.

Bottomline: Everyone – especially pregnant and nursing moms – should eat 2 to 3 servings of a variety of fish per week. Find seafood in three places in the supermarket: 1. In the frozen aisle, 2. In the canned food aisle, 3. At the fish counter.

Here’s my kids’ favorite way to eat fish: Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks

BONUS Resources:

  • Washington State Dairy Council: For beautiful, high-quality, scientifically-sound nutrition education handouts and graphics, WSDC is an invaluable resource. (Disclosure: I have helped develop some of their materials in the past.)
  • Holistic Cannabis Network: If you live in one of 23 states where medical marijuana is legal and are getting questions about it, talk to the RDs here.
  • Performance Nutrition for Kids: You must read this book. I use the advice from author Jill Castle MS, RDN, CDN’s first book Fearless Feeding  with my kids daily. Now Jill has released Eat Like a Champion with advice for parents (and RDs) on how to nourish kids when they play soccer in elementary school or tough high school sports.

What was your favorite nutrition news – or new products of 2015? What was a new 2015 product you tried – but was disappointed? 

Food & Nutrition Conference Recap | The Nutrition Adventure

Sunday 18th of October 2015

[…] & Liz at Meal Makeover Moms Janet at Nutrition Unplugged Deanna & Serena at Teaspoon of Spice Dixya at Food, Pleasure & Health Min at MJ & Hungryman Marie at Healthy Ideas Place Blair […]

Nutrition a la Natalie

Saturday 10th of October 2015

It's great to be able to learn what the new trends are without being able to attend FNCE. I love that beans are everywhere!

Mary-Jo Sawyer

Friday 9th of October 2015

Just back from FNCE after a few extra days of R & R! Still processing all the info! I missed the mushroom booth, so thanks for sharing. I gathered lots of topic ideas for my weekly nutrition column

Serena Ball

Friday 9th of October 2015

THanks for stopping by Mary Jo! Come back and post your nutrition column link on FNCE after you write it. We'd love to see it...and see what we missed!

Elizabeth

Friday 9th of October 2015

What a great recap! I was so bummed to miss it this year but love seeing all these lovely posts! Also love that you featured A2 milk! Bonnie would be so proud! Why she was at FNCE with you all I did my first live demo for her at ucla! I was so honored and loved seeing the publics reaction to the milk.. it was awesome.

Serena Ball

Friday 9th of October 2015

You did a demo on A2 Milk?! Isn't the science so interesting?!

Kristy @ Chocolate Slopes

Thursday 8th of October 2015

Quite the variety at FNCE! I wish I could have made it this year. Hopefully next year!

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