- 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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Nov. 7, 2009
Healthy holiday eating — tips for remaking favorite recipes
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
It's November and I have holiday foods on my mind. You know the ones that are loaded with sugar, salt and fat — ham, gravy and pumpkin pie. And just think about what December brings — party foods like cheese platters, bacon-wrapped appetizers, creamy eggnogs, spiked punches, and cookies and rich desserts.
It can be a challenging time of year to make healthy choices. But healthy holiday eating is possible. I thought it would be helpful to share some tips for making favorite recipes healthier. With these tips, you can cut sugar, salt and fat by half:
- Cut sugar, add flavor. When making pumpkin pie or eggnog, reduce the amount of sugar by half and enhance "sweetness" by adding a bit more vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon. If recipes call for sugary toppings like frosting, jams and syrup, use fresh fruit instead.
- Shake the salt out. You can reduce salt by half in most recipes too. Also go easy on salty condiments, such as pickles, catsup, mustard and soy sauce. Instead offer cucumber slices and fresh tomato or fruit salsas. Or try lower-sodium versions of mustard and soy sauce. The cheese platter — yikes all that salt and fat. Better to skip it. Instead, opt for fresh fruits and veggies. And instead of serving cured ham, try a fresh pork loin roast with herbs.
- Trim the fat. In baked goods you can cut the fat by about half and replace it with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. Instead of full-fat condensed milk, use condensed skim in pumpkin pie and eggnog. For gravy, heat fat-free, low-sodium broth (or drippings with the fat removed); mix flour into cold skim milk and pour slowly into broth, stir until thickened and season to your liking.
Do you have tips for healthy holiday eating? How about suggesting healthy hors d'oeuvres, sides and entrees? What has you stumped? Let's help each other makeover our traditional holiday recipes into fresher, healthier ones. Come on, let's have fun with this. I want to hear from you!
- Jennifer
5 comments posted
- Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2002.
- Fix-It and Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2008.
- The Mayo Clinic Diet. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2010.
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