- 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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Oct. 18, 2011
Halloween can be a teachable moment
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
In past years, we've discussed strategies for parents to curb the candy binge at Halloween. This year, instead of being the candy cop, why not try a new approach? Turn this challenge into a learning opportunity for your children.
Halloween is just one of the many holidays and celebrations that tempt us with goodies. Clients tell me how football Sundays, birthday parties and other holidays sabotage their weight control efforts. Maybe it wouldn't be so tough in adulthood if these were learned behaviors earlier in life.
Before Halloween, have a conversation with your kids about how they will handle the candy landslide. Adolescents should be mature enough to participate in this discussion. Ask for their ideas about how much candy is too much and what can be done with the excess.
Keep the conversation open and nonjudgmental. It might involve some coaching and even some bargaining. For example, you might negotiate with your kids that they'll sit at the table to enjoy a few pieces of their candy, rather than plopping down in front of the TV and mindlessly munching their way through it.
On Halloween night and the days that follow, check in. Ask your kids to assess their plan. How do they feel it went and how do they feel physically? What might they do differently next time?
Share your thoughts, suggestions and words of encouragement for other parents.
Here's to happy and healthy kids,
Katherine
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