- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Oct. 17, 2008
Curb the candy binge on Halloween
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
As each day loses a little sunlight, the twinkling orange lights and jack o' lanterns are welcome sights in the darkness. Soon these lights will be guiding the way for trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.
Fond memories come to mind of growing up in a small town in Wisconsin and visiting our neighbors in costume. One neighbor in particular would insist we be creative and do a trick before she would reward us with a treat. We would run, all out run, from house to house.
As every generation says, "Those were the good old days." Homemade costumes, running the neighborhood without adult supervision, and collecting candy. After all, candy and treats generally showed up only on special occasions. Childhood obesity, inactivity, and safety in your own neighborhood were not issues.
Now these issues are a concern beyond Halloween — if only kids could run freely throughout neighborhoods without worry, if only treats and candy were just that, a treat, instead of the norm or a concern of overconsumption. Remember when a plastic pumpkin instead of a pillowcase was the container of choice?
I was recently reading an article about Halloween and child obesity concerns. I was impressed by the parents interviewed and their suggestions for moderating candy consumption beyond Halloween. Here's some ideas to take the focus off candy:
- Opt for non-food treats, fun that lasts beyond the holiday.
- Moderate a child's intake by allowing him or her to trade candy for a special toy.
- Regulate intake. For example, my dentist's office is having a candy buyback the day after Halloween. The kids receive a monetary reward. The candy collected will be sent to troops.
- Make the holiday more about the costume, doing tricks, making decorations, playing games, getting outside for a walk or a run.
Whatever you choose, it is an opportunity to teach appropriate portions and that all foods have a place, in moderation.
Please share your ideas for curbing the candy binge — and bulge.
4 comments posted
November 13, 2008 12:57 p.m.
Another idea for Halloween is go Trick or Treating for Canned Goods and give them to your local food pantry. You often get a lot of response, along with only a few pieces of candy. Giving back to the community should be the reward.
- Rachel
October 22, 2008 8:40 a.m.
I can remember getting things like Halloween pencils, erasers, and spider rings instead of candy. Apples are good too, but less exciting than candy or knick-knacks.
- Jess
October 21, 2008 2:51 p.m.
As opposed to candy treats, give out healthy juice boxes, toothbrushes or sugar free gum to your door trick or treaters. The little ones are thrilled!!
- E. Jeffrey
October 17, 2008 1:16 p.m.
As a current dietetic intern, I look forward to reading your articles! I loved how realistic and family-friendly your suggestions were. Turning a holiday with a candy consumption focus into a festive event of pumpkin carving and games can have lasting memories well beyond when the last candy bar is gone.
- L. H.
4 comments posted