NUTRITION DETECTIVES PROGRAM®

Dear Parents,

On (insert date), your child participated in Dr. Katz’s Nutrition Detectives Program®, based on the work of Dr. David Katz of the Yale School of Medicine, and his wife, Dr. Catherine Katz. Dr. David Katz is a nationally renowned nutrition expert, a medical contributor for ABC News, and nutrition columnist to “O,” the Oprah Magazine. He and Catherine, the parents of five children, have personally delivered this program in schools throughout their home state of Connecticut.

Nutrition Detectives® is focused on teaching your child to interpret food nutrition labels as a means of making better food choices. The concept that overall diet can be dramatically improved simply by choosing more nutritious products in each category at the supermarket is described in detail in several of Dr. Katz’s 9 books, including his most recent, ‘The Flavor Point Diet,’ co-authored by Catherine.

With their newly acquired Nutrition Detectives skills, the children were asked to identify a number of products which would qualify as winners and losers. These products are listed on the following pages. There are many good examples of winners and losers which were not included in this program for lack of time.

Nutrition Detectives is a fun program for your children. But it’s also a chance to improve the nutrition, and health, of your whole family! So take your child shopping, and listen to their expert advice! You have a Nutrition Detective in the family now!

The take-away messages for your child are summarized below:

Please ask your child to explain what each small icon refers to so that you can engage him/her in a productive discussion about healthy eating.

Don’t be fooled by THE BIG LETTERS on the front of the package-Look for the label instead!

The FIRST ingredient is always the biggest!

it’s like finding Waldo…Avoid partially hydrogenated oil

& high fructose corn syrup

Avoid foods with a LONG INGREDIENT

LIST!

Fiber is your friend, so look out for

whole grain imposters!

BREADS

winner / loser
ALVARADO STREET® BAKERY
any wholegrain variety (ex: Sprouted Multi Grain Bread , Sprouted wheat cinnamon raisin, Sprouted Sourdough; Essential flax seed) / CAPE COD®
100% whole wheat bread; Multigrain
ARNOLD HEARTY CLASSICS®
Multi Grain Bread; Health Nut Multigrain;
Double Fiber 100% wheat
/ ARNOLD® 100% Whole wheat;
Soft oatmeal; Oat bran; Raisin Cinnamon Bread
Country Kitchen Baker’s®
Oat Nut; 100% Whole wheat; 100% Whole white / Country KitcheN Baker’s®
Oat Nut; 12-Grain
PEPPERIDGE FARMS Natural Bread Whole grain™ series (Honey Oat Soft, Honey Whole wheat soft; 15-grain Hearty
/ PEPPERIDGE FARMS® Farmhouse ™
Harvest 7-Grain; 100% Stoneground Whole Wheat; Oatmeal Bread; (or any other variety that is not from their “Natural Bread Whole grain series”)
THE BAKER® any wholegrain variety
7-grain, 9-grain, whole grain flax, whole grain bran, cinnamon raisin / FREIHOFERS®
12-Grain; Sunflower Flax; Oat Nut
CRACKERS
winner / loser
KASHI® TLC Crackers
Whole Grain or Ranch / KRAFT®
Cheese Nips (regular)
Cheese Nips (reduced-Fat)
SNYDERS OF HANOVER®
Oat Bran Sticks
/ GENERAL MILLS®
Chex mix
NABISCO
Triscuit reduced fat whole grain wheat crackers / NABISCO®
Wheat Thins (100% whole grain-regular)
Wheat Thins (100% whole grain- reduced fat) Ritz Chips; Ritz Crackers (Whole Wheat);
Ritz Crackers (regular and reduced-Fat)
STACY’S® Baked Pita chips (any variety)
/ KEEBLER®
7-grain Wheatables; Toasteds Crackers; Our House Bistro Crackers; Munch’ems Baked Snacks
PEPPERIDGE FARMS®
Whole Grain Baked Gold Fish / PEPPERIDGE FARMS®
Entertaining hearty Wheat crackers; Snack Sticks (and any other variety other than Whole Grain Baked Gold Fish)
PEANUT BUTTER
winner / loser
TEDDY’S®
Old Fashioned Unsalted Peanut Butter / JIF®
Peanut Butter (Regular)
Peanut Butter (Reduced-Fat)
SMUCKER’S® Natural Peanut Butter (unsalted)
/ REESE’S® Creamy Peanut Butter
MAPLE GROVE FARMS®
Natural Peanut Butter / PETER PAN®
Peanut Butter
ARROWHEAD MILLS®
Creamy Valencia Peanut Butter
/ SKIPPY
Squeez’It® Peanut Butter
TRADER JOE’S®
Natural Peanut Butter / SNICKER’S
PB Max® Spread
CEREAL BARS
winner / loser
BARBARA’S BAKERY®
Puffins Cereal and Milk bars
ODWALLA
Nourishing Food Bars / KELLOGG’S®
Nutri-Grain yogurt bars;
Nutri-Grain twists cereal bars;
Nutri-Grain Muffin Bars; NutriGrain Cereal Bars*;
Frosted Flakes Cereal & Milk Bars;
Rice Krispies Treats
Special K Bars;
Pop tarts; Poptart yogurt blasts;
HEALTH VALLEY®
Café Creations (Any Variety)
Granola Bars
Fruit-Filled Cereal Bars / QUAKER®
Fruit & Oatmeal Cereal Bars; Chewy Granola Bars;
Chewy Wholesome Favorites;
Q-Smart Snack Bars;
Oatmeal Breakfast Bites
KASHI Chewy granola Bars / GENERAL MILLS®
Honey Nut Cheerios Milk’n Cereal Bars;
Oatmeal Crisp Fruit’n Cereal Bars;
Trix Milk’n Cereal Bar
NATURE’S CHOICE®
Multigrain cereal bars / POST®
Honey Bunches of Oats
Nature’s Path Granola Bars / NATURE VALLEY®
100% Crunchy Granola Bars; Chewy Granola with yogurt coating
CEREAL
winner / loser
BARBARA’S BAKERY®
Puffins (or any of their cereal)
NATURE’S PATH®
(any of their cereal)
KASHI®
Heart to Heart cereal;
Go lean cereal;
Honey Puffed cereal
Good friends cereal / KELLOGG’S® (doesn’t include them all!)
Froot Loops cereal;
Special K ;
Crackin’ Oatbran cereal;
Apple jacks;
Fruit Harvest;
Frosted Flakes
POST®
Health Classics the Original Shredded Wheat or Shredded Wheat & Bran
/ POST® (doesn’t include them all!)
Healthy Classics Honey Nut Shredded Wheat;
Fruity pebbles;
Golden Crisps
QUAKER®
Toasted Oatmeal Squares;
Oat Bran Cereal;
Life cereal / QUAKER® (doesn’t include them all!)
Cap’n Crunch cereal (any variety);
Honey Graham Oh’s
GENERAL MILLS
Cheerios® / GENERAL MILLS ® (doesn’t include them all!)
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios;
Kix Berry cereal;
Golden Grahams; Trix cereal; Cocoa puffs;
Lucky Charms cereal

JUICES AND DRINKS

winner:
Water is always best! / loser
JUICY JUICE® 100% Juice / CAPRISUN® All Natural Fruit punch
MINUTE MAID® 100% Juice / MINUTE MAID® Coolers
WELCH’S® 100% Juice / TROPICANA® Twister
Disney Hundred Acre wood® 100% Juice / KOOL-AID JAMMERS®
HERSHEY’S® reduced fat Chocolate Milk / HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Drink
WYMAN® 100% Juice / YOO-HOO® Chocolate Drink
MARTINELLI® 100% Juice / HI-C® FRUIT JUICES