- 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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Nov. 30, 2011
Healthy gift ideas for the holidays
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Last year I blogged about healthy holiday gifts. My suggestions included water bottles, harvest gift baskets, walnuts, herbs, thermal lunch bags, assorted teas, sports gear and chocolate.
Here are my suggestions for what you might want to consider for family, friends or even yourself this holiday season:
- Baking stone. Made from clay, ceramic or stone, this flat plate holds heat and mimics the effects of a brick oven. Put it on the lowest shelf of your oven or even on the grill. Then make your own whole-grain breads or pizza crusts. You'll end up with crisper, browner crusts. You may never go back to store-bought bread and pizza.
- Ten-inch plates and narrow glasses. Research shows that people put more onto bigger plates and into wider glasses — so they eat and drink more. The research also shows that when you use smaller plates and narrower glasses — you eat and drink less. What a simple way to cut calories!
- Placemats and napkins. Set a nice table and begin the journey of being more mindful about eating. Eating at the table with a nice place setting helps you slow down and notice how food tastes, smells, feels and even looks. Mindfulness plays an important role in our health.
- Soup tureen or pot. Research shows that when you eat a vegetable-based soup at the beginning of a meal your overall calorie intake is reduced. Make this gift more personal by including your favorite soup recipe.
- Steamer insert or cooking basket. Those made of silicone are colorful, easy to use and fun. The insert holds veggies above water and makes steaming a snap. The cooking basket helps you immerse food such as potatoes for boiling.
- Countertop compost crock or bucket. This container makes it easy to be kind to the environment and save money on fertilizer and soil for your plants and yard. Kitchen waste such as fruit, vegetables, bread, coffee grounds, tea bags and rinsed eggshells can be composted. (Animal protein, bones, dairy and oil shouldn't be composted.)
- Healthy apps. Have fun with technology! A variety of applications are available to help count calories, keep track of physical activity, take a mediation break to de-stress, find healthy recipes and create shopping lists.
Share your ideas for healthy gifts. Happy holidays!
- Jennifer
15 comments posted
- Wansink B. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. New York, N.Y: Bantam Books; 2006.
- Sood A. Log On: Two Steps to Mindful Awareness. Rochester, Minn.: Morning Dew Publications, 2009.
- Flood JE, Rolls BJ. Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake. Appetite. 2007;49:626.
- Composting: The basics. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/basic.htm. Accessed Nov. 28, 2011.
15 comments posted