Author: Jackie Tate

Recently, upon entering Whole Foods I saw a flier advertising “12 Days of Cheese/” Yikes/ Instantly, it felt like my blood began to stick to my arteries. Twelve days of cheese? Is that in a row? Don’t get me wrong, I love cheese and 12 days of it would rate almost sinful and definitely delicious. However, as a nutritionist, I would have to force feed…

What can we do to fortify ourselves against the winter cold and flu season? Well, besides obsessively washing our hands, the #1 source of germ transmission, there are a lot of tactics we can implement. And it revolves around the foods we choose to eat on a regular basis. Let’s look at two categories: Foods with Phytonutrients and Fermented Foods. Phytonutrients: Just like a vehicle…

Are you perpetually asking yourself, “What’s for dinner?” Believe it or not one of the first things I ask myself upon waking is, “What am I going to prepare for dinner?” I don’t think enough credit is given to whoever makes this decision day in and day for the average family. It’s a big job. A lot of time and preparation goes into the final…

Summer has ended but we can look forward to the changing of the leaves right around the corner. And so our cooking now changes with the new produce coming into season. This means soups, cinnamon, pumpkin and so much more. The rich flavors of fall come through in recipes using apples, mushrooms, butternut squash and pumpkin, which are four of my top favorites. All of…

When summer arrives, we look forward to the pace of everyday life slowing down and other good things such as taking a vacation! At the end of July, I was fortunate to be able to travel overseas for a family vacation in London. As you probably know, in order to travel to Europe you must endure a six-hour flight “across the pond” and an eight-hour…

Every summer I look forward to teaching nutrition to the students attending summer camp at the Academy of International Ballet in Garnet Valley. We started out this summer’s sessions with discussing food portions and the difference between a portion and a serving. Have you ever asked yourself that question? Most people probably think of it as the same thing. But technically speaking, a portion is…

Recently I attended a free lecture on “Eating for Exercise” Fueling your body for the Best Workout.” I enjoy free lectures on the subject of eating as well as exercise specifically to compare notes on my current recommendations to clients. This talk was given by a physician and a dietitian from Main Line Health. And the good news is that my recommendations are in sync…

It seems tempting to pick up fresh vegetables at the market especially when we have so many options for terrific markets in our neighborhoods. There’s Wegmans, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s, Costco and more. However, the nature of the American Food System means that fruit, vegetables and herbs found in these markets have often been grown hundreds of miles from our kitchens. And then…

Did you hear that it’s National Nutrition month? Let’s celebrate by taking the time to revisit the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines is published jointly every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture. Its focus is on disease prevention and health promotion. Previous editions focused mainly on individual components of the diet, such…

At the last nutrition conference I attended, there were several prominent neurologists, each of whom delivered very convincing presentations on the connection between food intake and neurological disorders. Since there isn’t a real “cure” we must examine other strategies for delaying cognitive decline or managing neurological disorders as best as possible. Today there is a limited selection of medications to help manage the symptoms of…