- 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 nutrition and healthy eating guide, 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 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 60 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees nutrition services, staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the "Mayo Clinic Diet" and the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other 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 providing expert answers to nutrition questions.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor of the nutrition and healthy eating guide, 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's active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
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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June 12, 2012
A call for healthier options across the globe
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Americans aren't the only ones who want help making healthy choices when they're eating out.
Consumers from around the globe were asked about what they want when they eat out. The research, conducted by Unilever Food Solutions, included individuals from the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, China, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Poland, South Africa and Indonesia.
The researchers found that 90 percent of those polled in non-Western countries want information available to guide healthier choices. Other interesting results include:
- 70 percent of those surveyed claim that knowing nutrition content of meals would influence their choices.
- Westerners would like clearer direction about salt.
- Those in China want to know about vitamins and protein content.
Even though 66 percent of consumers say they seek the healthier option on a menu, 72 percent say they "treat themselves" when eating out. Good intentions do not always translate into action. What are the perceived barriers?
- 75 percent don't know recommended daily intake of fat.
- 57 percent believe that healthier options are more expensive.
- 45 percent say that healthy food isn't filling.
- 43 percent say that healthy options are less appetizing.
These results point out that while healthier options are wanted, they must be perceived as filling, appealing and budget-friendly.
The study provides some glimpses of how restaurants could make this happen:
- 65 percent of people say that they would like a "slightly healthier" dish when eating out.
- When presented with a healthy dish described plainly or in more appealing terms, most respondents choose the one with more appealing wording.
- Items that are higher in vegetables and lower in fat are seen as more important for health than those designated as lower in calories.
Is it possible that the tide is turning? I certainly believe so. How about you? How can restaurants make this happen?
- Jennifer
6 comments posted
- World Menu Report: What's in your food. Unilever Food Solutions. http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.us/our-services/your-menu/world-menu-report. Accessed June 8, 2012.
- World Menu Report: Seductive nutrition. Unilever Food Solutions. http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.us/our-services/your-menu/wmr-3. Accessed June 8, 2012.
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