ShopWell Helps You Make Great Choices in the Supermarket Aisle

General Posted by anthony Date November 16, 2012

I had the pleasure to meet Marci Harnischfeger, a registered dietitian at ShopWell. We both spoke at the Nutrition and Aging: A National Summit. I learned first hand about her company and the neat things they are doing to assist people in making smart shopping decisions.

Of course they have an app (Healthy Diet & Grocery Food Scanner)
and you should download it as experimenting with it will show you how it works.

Here is a little more about using the website.

Creating a ShopWell profile is your first step towards understanding how well a food fits your nutritional needs. The ShopWell scoring system combines respected nutrition guidelines from the Institute of Medicine (IOM)*, the USDA, and peer-reviewed medical research journals with the knowledge and experience of Registered Dietitians. By specifying your age, gender, medical condition or personal preferences, you will receive a score that is uniquely yours.

A Searchable Food Database

With over 40,000 products and growing, they have an extensive collection of foods that you can search. Products come from the USDA National Nutrient Database and from Kwikeeå¨, a respected information database for the food and beverage industry that is constantly updated as new products are added to the market. If you don’t see a product you’d like to know more about, let them know.

Customized Food Scores & Info

They customize food scores and information based on the profile information you provide. Foods are scored on a scale of 0-100 and color coded as Strong Match (70-100) strong match for you, Medium Match (40-69) medium match for you and Weak Match (0-39) weak match for you.

Suggested Alternatives

They suggest “Other Products You Might Like” that score well for your profile and are similar to the product you’re viewing.

Easy-to-Create Lists

ShopWell lists provide a place for you to save interesting products that you’ve found. Create lists for favorite foods, good snacks for toddlers or products you want to avoid. Or make shopping lists to take with you to the grocery store so that you can start bringing healthy products home to your family.

Healthy Eating made Simple!

Finding healthy foods doesn’t have to be complicated. With the help of ShopWell, all you have to do is create a profile. From there, they’ll provide personalized food scores and information that are relevant to you as an individual with unique preferences and needs.åÊ

Combine that with the app and you are good to go.

MyPlate Initiative a Good Start to Proper Diet and Nutrition (VIDEO)

General Posted by anthony Date November 15, 2012

[embed_youtube”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/A9M2k2ddoOg”]

MyPlate Initiative a Good Start to Proper Diet and Nutrition

General Posted by anthony Date November 14, 2012

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans. Toward this goal, the Center focuses its efforts on two primary objectives:

Advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans, and
Conduct applied research and analyses in nutrition and consumer economics.

One of the Center’s core projects is the USDA Food Guidance System, which includes the initiative MyPlate.

MyPlate illustrates the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet using a familiar imageÛÓa place setting for a meal.åÊ

Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your cup or bowl.åÊ

When you are on the site, select a food group. You will see something like this.

åÊ

As you explore the site you will see how it can help guide you to a balanced diet and a nutritious lifestyle. Check it out.åÊåÊ

P.S. Did you know that 40 percent of all food in the U.S. ends up in the trash? That according to a report by the National Resources Defense Council. The average family of four wastes $2,275 in food each year or 20 pounds per person per month. That is shameless.