BETTER EATING FOR LIFE

Introduction to Better Eating for Life

For years, Co-op members and shoppers have been asking me important questions about food and nutrition. Their need for an accurate, up-to-date, easy-to-use guide giving the big picture about healthy eating—but in small bites—soon became apparent. We published Step One of Better Eating for Life (BEFL) in the January, 2002, issue of our member newsletter, the Co-op News, followed by the next eleven steps, one each month. 

The response has been very positive. Hundreds of copies of the individual steps have been picked up from displays in our stores; BEFL classes for adults and school-age children have been very well-received. BEFL handouts are used by local health professionals for their patients, and school children, after attending a BEFL-based class, have been reported to ask their parents for more colorful fruits and vegetables and more whole grains in their lunches!  Score!

The response from parents has been most gratifying. After reading the series, many have thanked me for presenting the materials in this accessible way. The BEFL program can be used as superficially or delved into as deeply as one cares to—skip right to the recipes, if that’s what interests you, or check out the websites for more in-depth information. The individual steps can be used in any order, based on what appeals to you most. For nutrition educators, each step can stand alone as the basis of a curriculum and can be adapted for any age group.

My goal is to provide credible nutrition information in a lively way that is immediately useful to the reader. Quick tips abound, easy recipes follow most steps, and the use of jargon is avoided. The series is based upon the latest nutrition guidelines: the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the MyPyramid Food Guidance System, and information from health organizations such as the American Institute for Cancer Research, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association.

The final section includes a guide to physical activity that abounds with choices you might not have realized were available.

Better Eating for Life seeks to help you move toward a whole-foods eating style, not out of drudgery or a sense of restriction, but from a joyous discovery of delicious foods that are a delight to eat, as well as a boon to good health.

This program provides gentle, accurate guidance to improving your meal and snack choices and your level of physical activity. It is not intended to substitute for the expertise and advice of your personal healthcare provider. Please discuss any decisions you make about diet or exercise with your own healthcare provider, who knows your health and medical history intimately and can best advise you on your proper course of action.

I hope that whether you are an interested consumer, a parent, a healthcare professional, a nutrition educator, or just a casual recipe hunter, you will find something of value to help move you, and those with whom you share these ideas, toward a healthier eating style and active life.