Happy Thanksgiving

This post card replica of a 1961 book cover seemed like the perfect image for today. While professionally I cannot advocate this approach, mass overeating does provide job security for me in the future.

I heard a great NPR story this morning on Kids' Nutrition and the Trickle-Up Effect (click the link to read or hear the full NPR story). Besides the great content it also had a lot of personal references. The main portion of the story was about a nutrition graduate student at Cornell University who introduced new foods (cous cous, collard greens and other foreign foods) to kids at a Trumansburg, NY elementary school. The kids then ate more of these foods by asking for them at home, and the demand from the at-home-dinners even caused the local market to begin stocking the cous cous and other foods.

The portion of the news piece that seemed particularly appropriate for today's holiday was their tie-in to the family meal (which now could be considered an endangered species). Research has consistently shown the nutritional, social and even academic benefits for kids who regularly eat meals together with the family. So at least with todays eating holiday many of us will be sitting down together, including Matilda who will be enjoying her first tastes of turkey in the company of our LA "family." Happy Thanksgiving as you enjoy your special meal with family and friends.