FNCE 2017 Oldways booth

It may be November now, but Oldways is still remembering all the fun we had in October!

It all started in Chicago for FNCE 2017, the annual Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference, which is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the latest research on food, nutrition, and health. Some of our favorite topics included learning more about fiber’s essentiality for the microbiome from Dr. Dennis Gordon, as well as learning strategies for managing diabetes from dietitians working in East Africa. Among each of the talks, there was strong consensus that wholesome plant foods, like whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and beans should be the foundation of a healthy meal.

World Pasta Day 2017

As always, FNCE also gave us the opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones. On the show floor, we enjoyed lots of energy, lots of discussion, and—of course—lots of food. And at the Oldways booth we had the pleasure of spreading the word about all the great resources for RDs on our site, giving visitors the low-down on our upcoming trip to Sicily with Drs. Catherine and David Katz, and raffling off three of our cookbooks.

From FNCE, two of us jumped over to World Pasta Day, held this year in São Paulo, Brazil. Given pasta’s role as a pillar of the Mediterranean diet, it’s no surprise that this day is near and dear to our hearts. Oldways president Sara Baer-Sinnott spoke to the international audience about pasta’s role in a healthy diet, and invited local scientists to add their signatures to the Scientific Consensus Statement on Healthy Pasta Meals. The pasta makers also noted a growing interest in whole grain pasta.

Though some misguided dieters embrace Atkins-style low-carb and gluten-free diets, more and more people are appreciating the health benefits of complex carbohydrate foods, like pasta. Best of all, this pantry staple is a versatile vessel for other nutritious ingredients, like vegetables, olive oil, fish, and a garnish of meat or artisan cheese. The World Pasta Day dinner was a delicious testament to these principles. We savored a feast of creative pasta meals with a Brazilian twist, such as orecchiette pasta with green apple, cashew, and crab, or agnolotti pasta stuffed with winter squash, garnished with pumpkin seeds, dried meat, and taioba, a local herb. Even the “rice pudding” dessert was made of pasta.

All in all, a great end to October for the Oldways team. We’re already counting down the days to FNCE and World Pasta Day 2018! 

Kelly Toups, Director of Nutrition

Comments

Eileen Myers
Great seeing you at FNCE! I'm so grateful for Oldways and all you do!

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