Rita Smith, Registered Dietitian

04/10/2026

Nutrition Note to Eat Well and Be Well: National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month

A plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk for several cancers: multiple myeloma, kidney, pancreatic, prostate and breast.

PERFECT PESTO PASTA
(Makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

¼ cup slivered almonds
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup no-salt vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

1 (12-ounce) box preferred whole-grain pasta

Directions:

1. In food processor, finely chop the almonds. Set aside.
2. To the processor add basil leaves and garlic cloves. Coarsely chop in the processor.
3. Add to the processor olive oil, Parmesan cheese, broth, salt and pepper. Process until finely minced. Return almonds and process once more to combine. Add broth to thin to desired consistency.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In large bowl toss the pesto with the cooked pasta. Enjoy!
5. Store any extra pesto in the refrigerator.

04/09/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month

The American Cancer Society offers guidelines for cancer prevention (www.cancer.org):

* Reach a healthy weight and maintain it throughout your life.
* Include regular exercise, from 150-300 minutes per week or about 30-40 minutes daily.
* Avoid alcohol.

There are several items to keep in mind for a healthful diet:
* Select a variety of wholesome foods to provide protective vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients such as polyphenols and antioxidants.
* Plan meals around colorful vegetables and fruits, legumes and lentils, whole-grains.
* Limit or avoid: red meats, processed meats (deli meats, bacon, sausage), sugar-sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods.

The good news is that those ACA cancer-prevention reminders are good for a healthy heart, vascular system and brain!*

Dedicated to helping people who face cancer. Learn about cancer research, patient services, early detection, treatment and education at cancer.org.

04/08/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month

The cancer study of 1.2 million people reported in the British Journal of Cancer comparing cancer risk between meat-eaters and those who were vegetarian, found one interesting conclusion. In the people who stated they were vegan (no animal products at all) there was a greater risk for colorectal cancer compared to the non-vegetarians. Researchers are not sure why, but wonder if the lack of dairy products might increase risk. It is known from other studies that dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese may offer protection from colorectal cancer. Many people choose to be lacto-vegetarian, which means that they do include dairy products, and this may offer some protection from colorectal cancer.

Another item to note from this study is that men who ate poultry but not red meat had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer than the men who ate red meat.

04/07/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month

A study (in the British Journal of Cancer) reported data collected over 16 years from 9 observational studies that included 1.2 million people. The researchers were comparing cancer risk in people who were meat-eaters vs those who were vegetarians. The results indicated that eating a plant-based diet with little-to-no meat reduced a person’s risk for developing several cancers. In the 63,000 who were vegetarian, there was a lower risk of

* Multiple myeloma
* Kidney cancer
* Pancreatic cancer
* Prostate cancer
* Breast cancer

04/06/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month

April is a designated time to increase national awareness of:
* the importance of cancer prevention via healthy lifestyle habits
* early detection of cancer with timely screenings
* advances in cancer treatments
* importance of avoiding all forms of to***co
* value of regular exercise and physical activity
* components of a healthy cancer-prevention diet

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. It is estimated that there will be 2.1 million new cancer cases diagnosed in 2026. At least 40% of cancer cases in adults are preventable through early screening and detection, and lifestyle. More this week.

04/04/2026

When we think about nutrition and heart health, we often focus on nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and calories.

But there’s another piece of the puzzle: Stress.

Not knowing where your next meal will come from creates real, physical stress on the body.

Over time, that stress can:
- Raise blood pressure
- Increase inflammation
- Affect heart health

At EFN, our goal is to provide reliable access to food to reduce that daily uncertainty, ensuring fewer skipped meals and less strain on the body.

04/04/2026

Many everyday foods, especially canned and shelf-stable items, contain sodium. And that’s okay. But small adjustments can help reduce sodium for healthy blood pressure and improved heart health:

Try this:
- Rinse canned vegetables or beans to reduce sodium
- Combine with other ingredients (like pasta or dairy) to balance flavors
- Taste before adding extra salt
- Season with salt-free herbs and seasonings such as onion or garlic powder, black pepper or dried basil.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Small, realistic changes, done consistently, can make a meaningful healthy difference over time.

04/03/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well to be Well: Spring Clean-Up Time

Here is a speedy soup recipe for days that are busy with spring clean-up. Just add a hearty whole-grain bread or roll.

10-MINUTE BEAN SOUP
Make 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup canned no-salt-added pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added Italian diced tomatoes
2 cups no-salt chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup frozen chopped spinach or other green leafy vegetable
½ cup dry whole-grain macaroni pasta
½ tsp. Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp. minced garlic
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place rinsed beans and canned tomatoes in saucepan. Mash the beans with a potato masher, until ⅓ of beans are mashed. This helps to thicken the soup.
2, Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Heat until macaroni is done, about 6 minutes.
3. Serve hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the top.

Notes:
* Any canned beans (or combination) will work including black beans, cannellini beans, white or navy beans.
* Diced leftover vegetables are great in this recipe.
* Make a double batch for another day or to freeze.

04/02/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Spring Clean-Up Time!

Other areas that will benefit from a through spring cleaning with hot soapy water:

Cutlery, knives and utensil drawers
All cutting boards
Microwave oven, toaster, blenders, food precessors, etc.
Oven and stovetop
Trash cans (!!!!)
Degrease and wash vent screens over the stove
Countertop surfaces, cabinets doors, cabinet k***s

04/01/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Spring Clean-Up Time!

FREEZER and FRIDGE CLEANOUT

Everything out and evaluated for safe packaging and Expiration or Use By dates. You can check at www.usda.gov for freezer food safety guidelines. For example, poultry can be stored for 6-12 months, steak for 8 months, and ground meat for 4 months.

Wash down the interior surfaces of both the freezer and the fridge with warm soapy water before restocking. Frozen fruits and vegetables are thrifty, convenient produce options that can always be on hand to quickly round out menus: berries, mango chunks and peach slices, cauliflower rice, shelled edamame, shelled sweet peas, and butternut squash cubes, for example.

In the fridge, be sure to give your bottled condiments a once-over. I will bet there are a few that are rarely used, are years (!?!) old and so, perhaps should be pitched.

Safe temperature reminders: fridge should be 40 degrees F or less, and the freezer should be 0 degrees F or less.

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03/31/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Spring Clean-Up Time!

PANTRY and CUPBORD CLEANOUT

Empty all shelves of everything! It is time to wash the shelves down with warm soapy water. Before you put food back in, be sure to check items over. Look at the Expiration and Best Buy dates. Also, how are the conditions of the canned items - pitch those that are bulging, leaking or with deep dents.

The USDA (www.usda.gov) has a full listing of how long food items can be used/eaten past their expiration dates. For example, rice and pasta will last for 2 years, and low acid canned foods such as carrots, spinach, beans, beets and peas can last for 2-5 years.

When you restock the shelves, this is a good time to be organized. Group food in categories: canned vegetables, canned or bags of beans/legumes/lentils, canned fruits, different varieties of rice, pastas, etc.

Also, from a health perspective, purchase no salt or lower sodium canned vegetables and beans, and juice-packed canned fruits. Excellent grain choices to have on hand include a variety of rices, whole-grain pastas, barley, farro and quinoa.

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03/30/2026

Nutrition Notes to Eat Well and Be Well: Spring Clean-up Time!

In many parts of the country, winter may still be sticking around flexing its muscles but here in Virginia there are lovely murmurs of springtime… new grass, little buds on the trees, and tiny crocuses poking out through the earth. And when there are warmer temps, I am eager to throw open the windows and do a thorough spring cleaning of my home. The first area that I tackle is the all-important kitchen.

Hopefully all of us keep the kitchen and appliances in tip-top shape and clean up daily after use but a little more attention in the spring is great. We can clean out, clean up and restock, if needed. In case you need more of an incentive to keep a safe food environment in your kitchen, according to the CDC, 48 million Americans will get a food borne illness this year. From that, 128,000 will be hospitalized, and 3,000 will die from food borne illnesses.