More Than Meatless

How many of your clients or students say they follow a vegetarian or plant-based eating pattern – and think they’re eating healthfully – when in reality, they’re just consuming lots of non-meat processed foods?

Healthy plant-based and vegetarian eating patterns are about more than opting for the Impossible Burger with fries. To be healthy, this way of eating has to be centered on a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Teach your clients or students everything they need to know with our Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diet for Better Health PowerPoint show.

Who needs this presentation?

  • Students, from middle school through college, especially if they’ve decided to be vegetarian.
  • Adults, especially those who are newly diagnosed or hoping to prevent diet-related chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
  • Anyone who wants to eat more plants or try more meatless meals.

Items in our Plant-Based theme go well with the Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diet for Better Health PowerPoint show. You could put up posters (like the Plant Slant) or a bulletin board display featuring plant-based recipes that people can take with them (or they can take a picture with their cell phone).

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

A Big Thanks to School Lunch

National School Lunch Week might be celebrated October 10-14, but we think the dedicated people who feed America’s students deserve recognition every day.

The future of our country counts on kids growing up eating healthy meals, including school breakfast and lunch. Let school foodservice employees know how important they are, any time of the year.

Here are some ideas:

  • Students can:
    1. Create their own school lunch or breakfast posters (make it a contest or just a fun activity).
    2. Sign a giant thank you card and present it to foodservice staff.
    3. Write notes about or draw pictures of their favorite school meals.
    4. Give foodservice staff a big smile and say thank you!
  • You can:
    1. Take pictures of smiling students eating their school lunch or breakfast and post them in the cafeteria and/or kitchen.
    2. Encourage parents and teachers to write thank you notes to foodservice staff.
    3. Brighten up kitchens and cafeterias with salad bar clings and posters, like these:

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

A Different Kind of Freedom

Independence Day will be here before we know it. As we celebrate freedom in the United States, we have some unique materials that prompt your clients, students, or employees to consider a different kind of freedom.

Our Freedom from Chronic Disease materials inspire folks to think about their health and realize that good health can bring them freedom, now and in the future.

What kind of freedom are we talking about? Here are some examples and ideas you can use to discuss Freedom from Chronic Disease:

  1. Freedom from worry. Someone who has a long family history of heart disease may spend lots of time worrying about it. Would making a diet or lifestyle change now, even if it’s small, help to alleviate this worry? Maybe feeling more in control will lead them to make more healthy changes.
  2. Freedom from medications. Think about the money you can save by not having to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, for example. All meds have side effects, so not having to worry about that is another form of freedom that people may not consider.
  3. Freedom from expensive healthcare. Chronic disease means seeing specialists, undergoing tests and procedures, paying for prescriptions, and more doctor visits in general. These things are costly in dollars as well as your time.
  4. Freedom from high food costs. People think that healthy food costs more, but a little education can go a long way when it comes to healthy eating on a budget. Healthy food doesn’t have to be organic or gourmet!
  5. Freedom to do what you want to do. This is important as you get older. When you’re healthy, it’s easier to travel, play with your grandkids (or great-grandkids!), and stay independent.

Spread the word about the benefits of Freedom from Chronic Disease with posters, banners, bookmarks, and stickers!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

The Art of Advertising Healthy Food

Are you looking for a beautiful way to advertise healthy, fresh food? Our food art posters are the answer!

These one-of-a-kind masterpieces combine professional photography with motivational messages that will make you want to drop everything and go to the nearest fresh produce market.

Here are a few of my current favorites:

  1. Shine a Light on Veggies features a stunning still-life of asparagus spears. Asparagus is in season in many parts of the country, so what better time to increase its exposure with this gorgeous poster?
  2. Brighten Your Basket reminds you to fill your supermarket cart or farmer’s market basket with fresh produce like those pictured: onions, avocados, Meyer lemons, radishes, and baby bok choy.
  3. Bring the Farm to Your Table says it all with a beautiful display of fresh baby carrots, beets, potatoes, chard, and asparagus.
  4. Nature’s Fast Food’s juicy peaches and bright red cherries will have your mouth watering for these summer tree fruits!
  5. Grown, Not Processed is the ultimate advertisement for choosing a variety of colorful, fresh fruits and veggies. It promotes beets, garlic, peaches, fennel, radishes, carrots, greens (kale, lettuce, parsley), portabella mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.

Framing these food art posters will give your office or waiting room an upscale feeling. But they’re also affordable enough to be used (framed or unframed) in cafeterias, hallways, and classrooms.

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Freshen Up Your Veggie Game

When the days get colder, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t available in most parts of the country. But fruits and veggies are vital to a healthy eating pattern all year long.

Don’t let your clients, students, or employees forget about healthy produce this winter!

Our new poster, Freshen up Your Vegetable Game, will get their attention with beautiful, professional photographs of colorful vegetables. And here are some messages to go along with this poster — you can use them for social media, classes, or individual counseling:

  • Keep fresh veggies in the game by looking for winter farmer’s markets where you live.
  • Stick to your budget by finding the season’s best buys in your supermarket’s produce department.
  • Stock up with frozen or canned vegetable options.
  • Explore the cafeteria’s salad bar for a variety of colorful veggies.
  • Don’t forget about salad! It’s not just for summer if you start with pre-washed bagged salad greens.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

 

New Fall Catalog!

Have you seen the new fall catalog yet?

I think it’s one of our best ones ever!

My graphic designer and I have been working on the newest poster designs for months! We came up with the concepts, created the photos, picked the colors, and then modeled everything. Then we rested. Then we assessed, re-assessed, and tweaked with the whole team until we had created posters that we were entirely confident you and your clients would love!

Let’s shine a spotlight on one of my favorites, shall we?

It’s time to Lead With Your Fork!

Traditionally, foods that you can eat out of a bag with your hands (including snacks and most fast food) are loaded with empty calories and devoid of the nutrients that you need for good health.

Foods that require a fork or a spoon to eat, however, are often chock-full of nutrients. Think salads, soups, rice, veggies, lean protein, etc. All this is a lot better for health than eating out of a bag!

We have created this amazing graphic poster, Lead With Your Fork, to help people visualize how their eating patterns impact their health.

What a great way to show how to put your best fork forward! This poster supports the messages of our two most important resources for education, MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • MyPlate advises people to divide their plates between fruits, vegetables, whole grains, varied protein, and low-fat dairy at each meal.
  • The Dietary Guidelines for Americans maintain that “All food and beverage choices matter. Choose a healthy eating pattern at an appropriate calorie level to help achieve and maintain healthy body weight, support nutrient adequacy, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.” That means focusing on variety, nutrient density, and amount of food while limiting consumption of added sugars, saturated and trans fats, and sodium.

This health and nutrition education poster, Lead With Your Fork, helps everyone visualize a balanced and healthful eating style. It is also very light-hearted and positive. It would be great for nutrition awareness or health fair programs!

And of course, there’s lots more in the fall catalog. Which items are you most excited about? The prizes? The handouts? The books?

Finally, just ’cause I love ya, I’ve come up with a new discount. Use the code FALLSAVE15 to save 15% on any and all products!

8 Ways to Combat Coronavirus Chaos

Coronavirus is on everyone’s mind. We have 3 new posters (handwashing, staying home when sick, COVID-19 facts) along with classic “Avoid the Flu” posters PLUS this informative article to help you address the seriousness of the situation we’re all dealing with right now.

But I think you’ll agree that sometimes you need to lighten things up. Let’s help folks forget the scary headlines and bring a smile to their faces, if only for a short time.

Here are eight ways to combat coronavirus chaos:

  1. Start a simple challenge, like 10,000 steps a day or a 10-minute daily walk. Set up a Facebook group for participants (you can make it private). Give away small prizes. We have 10,000 steps-themed stickers, pins, and wristbands or check out our list of low-cost prize ideas.
  2. Spread some cheer by decorating for St. Patrick’s Day, National Nutrition Month, or March Madness. For other days to celebrate (International Carrot Day, anyone?), check out our calendar and Foodimentary.com. Our fruit and veggie balloons will brighten up any office, classroom, or cafeteria.
  3. Let adults and teens do some coloring. It can be meditative and takes your mind off your worries. With our MyPlate adult coloring book, you get the added benefit of  healthy messages and images of healthy foods.
  4. Get ready to garden! Give away seedlings or small seed packets (your local garden center might be willing to donate some). Or organize a perennial plant swap. Getting everyone thinking about summer and the outdoors is like adding a ray of sunshine to their days.
  5. Post a picture of a fruit or vegetable every day and see who knows its name and/or nutrition benefits. We have lots of free clipart to get you started. Or search online for images of unusual fruits and veggies, like ugli fruit and purple cauliflower.
  6. Get a little corny with some food jokes.
  7. Teach proper hand washing with a lunch-and-learn or Facebook Live session. Include a hand washing experiment using a product like Glo Germ. Or check out this simple science experiment that only requires a few slices of bread! Choose a variety of songs they can sing to ensure they are washing their hands for 20 seconds.
  8. Set up a Just the Facts zone to remind folks that they shouldn’t believe everything they hear or read. Check out the World Health Organization’s coronavirus myth-busters. Maybe there are a few more myths you can debunk for your audience and locale.

Stay well!

 

 

Are You Ready for the Holiday Overeating Season?

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday overeating season. But actually, we’ve been having to resist the temptation at the supermarket for months, with Halloween candy showing up on shelves in August and holiday baking displays popping up in September.

Yes, the holiday overeating season starts earlier every year! How are your clients supposed to keep holiday treats as treats when these foods are around for months before the holiday itself? We have just what you need to help your clients this holiday season. Here are a few favorites to get you started. Use these as jumping-off points for your topics or purchase our ready-made materials:

  • Food for Thought: Our Holiday Exercise poster will make you think before you reach for that extra holiday treat. It shows how long you have to do various exercises to burn off the calories in two-holiday cookies, and how long you need to walk to burn the calories from other holiday treats like pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and eggnog.
    • This poster also comes as a downloadable color handout. There’s a quiz on the back to help your clients find out if they are active enough and help them fit exercise into a busy holiday schedule.
  • Survivor–Holiday Edition: Our Holiday Survival Tips poster is a fun look at holiday dangers we all face – fattening family feasts, office party pig-outs, lazy days, comfort foods – and tips to survive them. The poster comes with a free handout on how to lighten up holiday cooking and the Best Light Pumpkin Pie recipe!
  • The One & Only MyPlate: Our MyPlate Holiday poster really says it all. If your clients can remember to put more fruits and veggies on their plates throughout the holiday season, that will take them far when it comes to eating healthfully. This colorful poster comes with a free downloadable color handout MyPlate 4 Step Plan for the Holidays.
  • Lighten & Brighten: You’re going to love our Fruit and Veggie Holiday Lights Buttons! Give them to your clients to remind them to brighten up and lighten up their holiday with fruits and vegetables. Be sure to save one for yourself!

Are You Drinking Candy?

Sugar is always a popular topic and beverages are a major source of added sugar in the American diet. So why not put together a sugary drink display for your next health fair or class? Our materials make it easy!

You’re sure to catch everyone’s attention with our Are You Drinking Candy? Sugar Awareness poster, banners, and tearpad handout. Using a lollipop as a reference point for a teaspoon of sugar, people can see just how much ‘candy’ they drink when sipping on soda, sports drinks, sweet tea, and more. The back side of the tearpad handout and the free printables that come with our posters and banners provide even more information on sugar and better beverage choices.

Our colorful materials are bound to attract a crowd around your display. Get them thinking about what they’re drinking with these five conversation starters:

  • Do you see your drink of choice on the poster? How many teaspoons of sugar are in it? If you have this drink every day, how many teaspoons of sugar is that each week? Month? Year?!
  • Water and unsweetened tea are great choices to replace sugary beverages. How can you spruce them up a bit? How about adding fruit or fresh mint? Have you tried green tea, chai tea, or herbal tea?
  • When is tea as unhealthy as soda? When it’s sweet tea! Did you know a large sweet tea has more sugar than a large soda? Do you drink canned or bottled tea? Check the label – you might be surprised by the amount of sugar per serving, and the number of servings per container.
  • Do you drink smoothies because you think they’re healthy? What’s in your favorite smoothie? How big is it? Watch out for smoothies made from a mix or with juice or added sugar. And check how many servings are in that big smoothie-shop smoothie!
  • How many teaspoons of added sugar per day do you think most Americans eat? The answer is 28-32 teaspoons. How many do experts recommend? The American Heart Association says we should have no more than six (for women) to nine (for men) teaspoons of added sugar daily. Based on the examples on the poster/banner/tearpad, how many teaspoons of added sugar do you drink every day?

That’s just the beginning! Check out our entire collection of handouts, banners, posters, PowerPoint shows, wristbands, and stickers. Whatever you need for your display, we have you covered!

 

Why I Love Teaching About Whole Grains

I love teaching about whole grains! One reason is the look on people’s faces when they understand the difference between a whole grain and a refined grain. I always use a diagram of a kernel of wheat (like this!). When they see the bran, the germ, and all the nutrients that are removed during processing, it’s like an “ah-ha” moment. I see this when I’m talking to third-graders, grandparents, and everyone in between.

Another reason I love this topic is because switching to whole grains is a small change that anyone can make. Swap whole wheat bread for white bread? Can do! Order brown rice instead of white rice? You bet! Small changes are do-able and can add up to a healthier diet in the long run.

We have everything you need to share the whole grain message in your classes, individual counseling, cafeteria, waiting room, or health fair. The Go for the Whole Grain poster and banner feature:

  • Photographs so people can see what all the different grains look like.
  • Information on three common whole grains: whole wheat, oats, and brown rice.
  • Information on whole grains that may not be as familiar to people: chia, farro, kamut, and quinoa, just to name a few.
  • A wheat kernel illustration showing the parts of a whole grain (for that “ah-ha” moment!).
  • Notations showing which whole grains are gluten-free.

Our posters and banners come with copy-ready handouts. Here are 7 examples of lessons they address that make great activities you can use in your classes:

  1. Only 8% of Americans eat the recommended amount of whole grains daily.
  2. Choose whole grains for nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
  3. Health benefits of whole grains: weight management, blood sugar control, lower risk of heart disease and cancer.
  4. Recipe & cooking tips. Did you know that the package often has the best recipe and cooking tips?
  5. Comparison of whole wheat and white flour. This makes a great touching and interactive demonstration!
  6. MyPlate recommendation: Make at least half of your grains whole grains. And make one quarter of your plate whole grains, too!
  7. Quiz: How Well Do You Know Whole Grains? Make a fun table full of various whole grains without their packages and see who can guess which ones they are accurately!

Our All About Whole Grains Color Handout Tearpad is a scaled down version of the poster – perfect for people to take home. The Go For the Whole Grain Color Handout Tearpad covers serving sizes and whole grain substitutions, including how much fiber they provide.

Use our Whole Grain materials in counseling or classes on:

  • Weight control
  • Diabetes management
  • Cholesterol education
  • Cardiac rehab
  • General wellness
  • Healthy cooking
  • Nutrition for families and children
  • Nutrition for older adults
  • Grocery shopping
  • School breakfast and lunch
  • MyPlate
  • and more!

And don’t forget about our Go For the Whole Grain stickers and bookmarks! How about visiting the school cafeteria one day and giving a sticker to every student who has a whole grain on their tray or in their lunch box?