The distributors of Cell-Nique Super Green Drink were kind enough to send a hefty sample to share with my weekly nutrition group. The flavors they provided included Apple, Kukicha Tea, Citrus Vanilla, and Pomegranate. The drink boasts 95% organic ingredients including 31 vegetables and fruits and a variety of botanicals and herbs.

The product is a solid one for vegans or those heavily into holistic nutrition, but not for the average consumer. The color, consistency, and smell of the product turned off many of my group members; however, the few who were willing to try it, including me, enjoyed it. I can be biased since I have consumed many foods most would not touch, especially during my bodybuilding days. You don’t have to be hardcore, but Cell-Nique is not for the weak.

The drink does need to be served shaken cold and probably mixed with a smoothie to satisfy the average palate. The main ingredient is blue-green algae (AFA) which explains the unusual smell of the drink and definitely influences the taste. Despite different flavors, they all taste and smell the same. The colder the drink gets does enhance the flavor somewhat.

All in all it may be worth a try if you want to add something unique to your lifestyle. The concept of Cell-Nique is very mind, body, and spirit. The organic ingredients are a big plus and the exact amounts of each ingredient are clearly stated. The only downfall of the product includes undocumented scientific benefits for most of the ingredients; however, this is starting to change as research focuses more on Eastern Medicine. The product can be found at various outlets using their store locator or you can buy it from their website.

Chris Theberge
The Nutrition and Food Web Archive

Providing healthy school lunches for your child can seem like an overwhelming and unwelcome task, but a little planning can make the job a lot less stressful. Instead of tossing whatever is handy into their lunches at the last minute, try some of the following ideas:

•On the weekend when you aren’t so pressed for time, talk with your child and make a list of the foods, beverages and snacks they would like to take in their lunch. Encourage them to try some new things, but let them try them at home first to ensure they like them and will eat them at school.

• If your child is old enough, look through recipes together and make another list of lunch ideas that you will try each week. Involve your child in the preparation of these recipes. Children are far more likely to eat foods that they have had a hand in preparing.

• Plan a special grocery shopping trip with your child with the sole purpose of purchasing items on your list, but also scouting the store for new foods to try. Make it a fun activity by approaching it like a seek and find mission.

• Make a special effort to get more whole grain foods into your child’s diet. Look for whole grain breads, crackers, pasta, tortillas, pitas and cereals. www.areyougettingenough.ca is an online source of great tips on how to make sure you and your child are getting enough whole grains in your diet.

• Plan for leftovers. When cooking dinner, save some that can be heated and put in a wide mouth thermos the next day for lunch.

•Wash and chop some veggies or fruits (such as grapes) on Sunday night and put them in small containers ready to pop into the lunch over the next few days.

• Keep all the lunch supplies together in one cupboard. If your child is old enough, encourage them to pack their own lunch with your supervision.

• Pack lunches the night before to save time during the morning rush.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Massachusetts Public Health Association is championing legislation to get junk food and sugary drinks out of schools. H. 4376, “An Act to Promote Proper School Nutrition,” is in the House Ways and Means Committee. Help pass this important bill in the House!

Visit www.mphaweb.org and click on “Email Your Representative” in the in the top box on the homepage. It only takes 30 seconds!

This is for Massachusetts only. For those in other states look for similar bills being circulated or contact your state representative to consider such a bill.

I had the pleasure to sample Natural Oven’s Brainy bagels with my weekly nutrition group and a pleasure it was. The group and I absolutely enjoyed the bagels and not because it was free food. With some of the fussiest and least willing-to-try people around, the bagels moved off the table with others asking for seconds before some got a first. I received the bagels a week before my next group session so I froze them to preserve. After thawing they were just as fresh as when I received them.

I prepared them by toasting in a small conventional oven until slightly browned. The texture, color, moistness, and flavor were superior. The bagels were sampled using the following spreads: peanut butter, sugar-free jelly, bananas, fat-free cream cheese, and hummus. Of all the toppings, hummus was the favorite.

Some of the group members who had never tried hummus became fans of both Brainy Bagels and hummus–A winning combination. Kids love them too. Some schools in Chicago have added these bagels to their school food programs.

You cannot go wrong with Oven’s Bakery Brainy bagel. It not only tastes amazing, it contains 8 grams of dietary fiber, 320 grams of omega-3s, and 44g of whole grains. US Dietary Guidelines recommend 48 grams of whole grain per day, so just one bagel can get you there.

Plus with only 230 calories and 32 grams of net carbs, it is the size a bagel is supposed to be.

The bagel could be a trend setter if it could be found in major supermarkets versus limiting it to few locations. The cost is is highly competitive and beats most major bagel brands in price, quality, and nutrition. At $3.29 for five bagels, you will not find a product of this magnitude on any major supermarket shelf.

You can purchase them from their website: http://www.naturalovens.com or use the store locater also found on their site.

Chris Theberge, RD, LDN