Family and Consumer Sciences

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Ohio State University Extension

Food

Caffeine Contest: Coffee versus Tea

What is your morning drink of choice? Do you habitually drink coffee or tea? If so, you’re not alone; statistics suggest that roughly 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or another on a daily basis. Caffeine is a plant product found naturally in coffee beans, tea, cocoa and chocolate, and it is an […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Minnelli, Dietetic Intern, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • Sass, C. (2015). Which is Healthier: Coffee or Tea? Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/health/which-is-healthier-coffee-or-tea
  • University of Michigan Student Life, University Health Service. Caffeine. https://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine
  • USDA (2016). 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines: Answers to Your Questions. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines-answers-your-questions
  • USDA (2017). MyPlate, MyWins Tips: Redo Your Coffee Shop Stop. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate-mywins-tips-redo-your-coffee-shop-stop
  • Villanova University Student Life. About Caffeine. https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/studentlife/health/promotion/goto/resources/drugs/caffeine.html

Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, we are already knee-deep into the holiday season! While these last few weeks of the year can be filled with joy, time away from work, family traditions, and memories with loved ones, it never ceases to be a time accompanied by stress. One common stressor […]

WRITTEN BY: Katie Minnelli, Dietetic Intern, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • USDA https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
  • Chieh, Helander & Wansink (2016). Weight Gain over the Holidays in Three Countries. New England Journal of Medicine; 375:1200-1202. Available at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1602012.
  • Turner, T. (2018). Chow Line: Holiday Indulgence in Moderation? https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/chow-line-holiday-indulgence-in-moderation
  • Yanovski et al. (2000). A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. New England Journal of Medicine; 342: 861-867. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336296/

Mind Your Meals this Holiday Season

With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving just a few days away, many of us are faced with lots of opportunities to eat. Though the many celebrations and festivities of the season can be a great time to catch up with family and friends, these might also tempt us to overindulge. The gatherings and special […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • American Heart Association, Mindful Eating Infographic. Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/mindful-eating-infographic

SOURCES:

  • Nelson, J. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat, Diabetes Spectrum. American Diabetes Association, Retrieved from: http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/171
  • Harvard Health Publishing (2016). 8 steps to mindful eating. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-steps-to-mindful-eating
  • Mindful Eating. Retrieved from: https://smokefree.gov/stay-smokefree-good/eat-healthy/mindful-eating
  • Dugas, Julia (2017). Mindful Eating Checklist: How To Master Mindful Eating, Food Insight. Retrieved from: https://www.foodinsight.org/mindful-eating-checklist-flavors-meditation

Pumpkin Spice: Sweet or Savory?

It’s that time of year again: pumpkin spice lattes have returned to our favorite coffee shops, and many fall and holiday-themed sweets (cookies, muffins, doughnuts, cakes, pies, etc.) feature the humble pumpkin. Pumpkin is a vegetable, and when eaten plain, it contains many nutritional benefits. A ¾ cup serving of pumpkin contains only 25 calories […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Candace J. Heer, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County

SOURCES:

  • Fruits & Veggies More Matters. Pumpkin: Nutrition, Selection, Storage. https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/pumpkin
  • Stowell, AJ. Insider’s Viewpoint: 10 Surprisingly Perfect Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin. Fruits & Veggies More Matters. https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/10-surprisingly-perfect-ways-to-use-canned-pumpkin/

Drink Water – Which One?

Walk in the grocery store and you can find ten different types of water on the shelf.  Is one better than the other?  Should I be sure to drink one or more of them?  What are some of these waters? Plain Water This is tap water or well water.  Tap water is tested to make […]

WRITTEN BY: Pat Brinkman, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension

REFERENCES:

  • Dow, C. (2018). Bodies of Water, Nutrition Action Health Letter. September 2018, 45(7). p. 7-9.
  • Zeratsky, K. (2018). Is Alkaline Water Better for You than Plain Water? Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029
  • Zeratsky, K. (2016). What is Coconut Water and What’s Behind the Hype? Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coconut-water/faq-20207812

Is Foodborne Illness on the Rise?

When was the last time you heard about a foodborne illness outbreak in the news? So far this year there have been 14 multi-state outbreaks documented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including the outbreak associated with romaine lettuce that impacted over 200 people in 36 states, and the regional outbreak […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Amy Meehan, Healthy People Program Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

SOURCES:

  • Bosco, T. (2018). Health experts still have no answer as to cause of outbreak at Powell Chipotle. https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/health-experts-still-have-no-answer-as-to-cause-of-outbreak-at-powell-chipotle
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017). Preventing Food Poisoning. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/prevention.html
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Food Safety and Dining Out. https://www.cdc.gov/features/food-dining-safety/index.html
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Four Steps to Food Safety. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). List of Selected Multistate Foodborne Outbreak Investigations. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/multistate-outbreaks/outbreaks-list.html
  • LaVito, A. & Rogers, K. (2018). Chipotle confirms cause of foodborne illness at Ohio restaurant. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/16/chipotle-confirms-cause-of-foodborne-illness-at-ohio-restaurant.html
  • Scutti, S. (2018). Foodborne illness may be on the rise. Here’s why. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/20/health/food-safety-illness-rise-cdc/index.html

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