- 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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Jan. 9, 2013
Restaurant trends — What's on the menu for 2013?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Each year the National Restaurant Association surveys professional chefs to identify upcoming restaurant trends. Below are their findings and my take on what's going to be hot in 2013:
- Locally sourced meats and seafood, including newer cuts of meat and sustainable, non-traditional fish
- Locally grown produce, including "hyper-local sourcing" (think restaurant gardens) and farm-branded items
- Environmental sustainability
Although these trends were evolving in 2012, they're going to be in full force this year. Customers like you and I appreciate eating lower on the food chain and leaving a smaller carbon footprint.
This year also promises to see more attention paid to children's cuisine:
- Healthful kids' meals
- More whole grains in kids' meals
- Fruit and vegetable side dishes
In addition, the National Restaurant Association is partnering with the Healthy Dining Finders Program on an initiative called "Kids LiveWell." Restaurants that participate submit menus that meet kid-friendly nutrition criteria. In return, the restaurants can use the program's icon on their menus to indicate a healthful choice and be listed on Healthy Dining Finder's website and mobile app. Other hot menu items for children: oven-baked chicken fingers, low-fat milk, 100 percent juice and sushi.
Two-thirds or more chefs ranked the following as the top trends for 2013:
- Gluten-free cuisine, including non-wheat noodles and pasta made from quinoa, rice or buckwheat
- Half-portions and smaller portions for lower prices
- Health and nutrition conscious cuisine
More than half of chefs reported that they're making efforts to adjust recipes to be more healthful by using more fruit and vegetables, and by reducing sodium. That's good news for anyone who's watching calories and for people with celiac disease.
It looks like restaurants in 2013 are shaping up. What's your take on these trends?
blog index- What's hot in 2013: Culinary forecast. National Restaurant Association. http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/social-media-releases/release/?page=social_media_whats_hot_2013.cfm. Accessed Jan. 7, 2013.
- Kids LiveWell. National Restaurant Association. http://www.restaurant.org/foodhealthyliving/kidslivewell/about/. Accessed Jan. 7, 2013.
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