Nutrition is found in many places

SANDUSKY — With new diet trends coming and going faster than hot cookies out of the oven, it can be hard to know which foods to stick with and which ones to put back on the shelf. So when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet and ensuring you receiving enough nutrition, looking to the past is where the key lies, said Andrea Traut, an outpatient clinical dietitian with Firelands Center for Coordinated Care. Traut said through modern-day industrialization, we have begun to deplete our food of the nourishment and vitamins we need. Modern-day technologies, while effective in producing food products in much higher quantities in a much quicker time, have the potential of stripping essential nutrients. A 2011 study from The University of Texas found that between 1950 and 1990, 43 different fruits and vegetables showed consistent signs of "reliable decline" in the amount of protein, calcium and vitamins B and C. Farming practices aiming to improve the size, growth rate and quantity were cited as the cause. A Scientific American article also stated that rising levels of carbon dioxide are causing an assortment of crops such as wheat, soybeans and peas to grow with deficient levels of protein, iron, and zinc. "Whether we are choosing instant oatmeal or pop-tarts, the nutrition lost from the time those ingredients were grown to the time they enter your mouth is significantly less and sometimes destroyed completely," said Traut. But not all is lost. Traut says there are several types of foods that can provide people with their daily quota of vitamins and nutrients. For senior citizens, Traut suggests incorporating legumes, like beans and chickpeas, into diets. They are easy to digest and are jam-packed with nutrition. "One-half cup of cooked lentils will provide you 12 grams of protein, 32% of your daily recommended fiber needs." Traut says that for people who have a hard time chewing, certain nut butter can provide an easy alternative. "Like peanut butter, you can buy any nut ground this way," Traut said. "Almond butter and cashew butter make wonderful spreads. Try to find these kinds of butter with no added ingredients, like salt, oil or sugar." Traut says that intact grains are a great addition to the diet as well. "The modernization of grain processing makes them easy to cook and provides wonderful nutritional benefits," said Traut. As for newer and hipper foods that may be a worthy addition to some senior diets, quinoa and chia seeds have some superfood powers. "These seeds contain essential fatty acids that are nutrients our bodies need but can only get from specific foods," Traut said. "Chia seeds offer their greatest nutrition after sitting in a liquid for at least 20 minutes, enjoy them ground and sprinkled over your oatmeal or let them soak in your yogurt." Traut said nothing beats a fresh fruit or vegetable pulled right from the dirt. "When in doubt ask yourself if that food grows," Traut said. "While quinoa and nuts are grown from the earth, pop tarts and pizza are not."