Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, is this like the fern in my living room?” Technically, no — fiddleheads come from the shoots of ostrich ferns commonly found throughout eastern North American forests. They are bright green, tightly coiled fronds of young fern plants harvested throughout spring and sometimes through late summer.

Fiddleheads are similar in taste and texture to asparagus and broccoli with a bit of a unique nutty flavor.  Fiddlehead ferns pair well with mushrooms and are a great addition to soups, omelets, stir-fry and pasta dishes. These lovely green veggies are low-calorie and high in antioxidants as well as vitamins A and C.

Because consuming raw and undercooked fiddlehead ferns has been linked with cases of food poisoning, it’s important to cook them thoroughly by boiling for 15 minutes or steaming for 10 to 12 minutes.

Since fiddlehead season has just begun, check your farmers market and specialty grocery stores to see if they carry them, and take this time to look up some delicious recipes! And in the fall, if you can find frozen fiddleheads, add them to a homemade soup that you can refreeze and enjoy.

SNAP at the Farmers Market

People who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can benefit from farmers markets’ affordable prices and fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods. With increasing popularity of farmers markets, the FDA has made it a priority to expand access to such food for SNAP beneficiaries. According to the Farmer’s Market Coalition, SNAP redemption at farmers markets has increased from $4.2 million to $19.4 million between 2009 and 2015.

Nutrition Education

Urban areas that have farmers markets often have SNAP-Ed programs that aim to help SNAP recipients and non-recipient shoppers make healthier food choices on a limited budget.  While farmers markets have staple produce, they may also sell items people have never prepared or heard of. There usually are SNAP-Ed programs that provide nutrition education through cooking demonstrations, sharing recipes and eating together, such as Food Trust’s Project People Eating and Cooking Healthy, or P.E.A.C.H., to keep participants informed. Arming consumers with this information helps them make healthy choices in the future.

Incentives at the Farmers Market

In order to draw community members to a farmers market, sometimes word-of-mouth or advertising aren’t enough. If free cooking demonstrations and tastings through SNAP-Ed programs also aren’t sufficient, farmers markets create incentive programs to attract customers. Often funded by non-profit or community organizations, these programs will match amounts spent at a farmers markets in the form of a coupon or bonus dollars to be used at the market.

All of this helps create an atmosphere where community members return to the farmers markets week after week. Customers benefit from the cheaper prices and healthier options and become informed on how to make healthy choices.

I decided to ask for a proclamation again this year by following the same steps. This year’s theme, “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” made me think about the importance of a proclamation from the city. Each of us holds the tool to make healthier food choices, and I think it is important to have a government that recognizes that.  Mayor Kenney has also been an advocate for proper nutrition and healthy kids during his tenure, so having him declare March 2017 National Nutrition Month is not only an honor, but an important reminder to the city of Philadelphia that our leader cares about his citizens.

Why should you care? Because having your government involved with National Nutrition Month is how we get an entire population to at least start thinking about mindful eating and healthier lifestyles.

So how do you go about getting a proclamation? Most municipalities and states have direct links on the mayor or governor’s websites for proclamation requests. Some requests you can fill out directly on the site, while others give you the email of someone to contact. Tip: make sure you request a proclamation as soon as you can! This year I submitted for both the state and local proclamations, but didn’t receive confirmation from the state until almost four weeks after I received confirmation from the city. I would recommend that for National Nutrition Month 2018 you request a proclamation no fewer than six weeks before it should take effect — in this case, mid-January, at the latest, for a March proclamation. The offices of your state and/or city should notify you when and if your proclamation is granted.

Going from something familiar like a point-and-shoot to something that covers everything around me was challenging. I had to get used to being aware of not just what I was filming, but the little things like my feet being in a shot or the person walking beside me in the grocery store. After working around these challenges, the camera became easy to use.

The real fun came when it was time to edit and watch my content. With a special set of goggles — I used an affordable cardboard brand — I was immersed into the virtual world. When I looked up, left or right, I could see what was around me at the time of recording. It was as if I was back at the grocery store again. It felt very much like reality.

Practical Use of VR

Virtual reality is fun, but is it practical? The answer is yes! Most of my filming was in a grocery store, and the technology would be perfect to give grocery store “tours” for clients unable to go to a store, helping them to have a better understanding of what it’s like to select healthier options in the store. VR also can be used as a tool for cooking demonstrations. Watching someone cook food on TV or the internet is one thing, but being immersed into a virtual reality where you feel as though you’re the one cooking would make techniques and ingredients easier to understand. Lastly, both client and dietitian can benefit from use of VR in private practice. Instead of doing a 24-hour recall or even a food diary, dietitians can ask clients to record their meals, from purchasing and preparing to cooking and eating. This would give RDNs an immersive, firsthand experience and a better understanding of their clients’ daily lives.

The Future of Dietetics

Finally, VR also could be the next step in training future RDNs. This could be extremely beneficial in the clinical setting. For example, most dietetics students have seen pictures or videos of how to insert PEG tubes or TPN IVs, but what about doing it firsthand? For pre-internship students, VR can help with familiarity of what to do before doing it in person. This would greatly increase dietetic interns’ confidence in their abilities.

Virtual reality is a tool we can use in dietetics to benefit students, RDNs and clients alike. Whether it be simply learning a new way of teaching or gaining a better understanding of clients, VR is the way of the future and the possibilities are endless.

Facebook and Twitter

Arguably the most popular social media sites in use today, Facebook and Twitter are where potential employers are most likely to check up on you. While some users choose to keep their accounts for private use (accessible only to family and friends), Facebook and Twitter are excellent ways to engage professionally.

If you would like to maintain a professional presence on Facebook and Twitter, there a few options to transition your personal account into your professional life. Facebook has a feature that allows you to choose your audience by applying certain filters to current, future and all past posts. Facebook users also have the option to create a separate page directly from the account menu, allowing you to work as an administrator from your personal Facebook account while posting directly onto your newly created page.

If you have used a Twitter account in the past and want to make the transition to professional, I suggest starting from scratch and creating a new account specifically for professional use. Not only will this will help you build your online presence, it also will allow you to network with people in the profession. Hashtags and Twitter chats are great for connecting and engaging with others and getting your name out.

The most important thing to keep in mind when using either of these platforms is to know your audience and post relevant material. It’s also important to remember that being professional on social media doesn’t mean you have to be dry and boring — be yourself, but find the appropriate balance.

Instagram

Use of visual apps such as Instagram has increased dramatically over the past few years. If you’re on Instagram, the good news is that making your account look professional is an easy process. Start by deleting anything you find embarrassing. Then, build a library relevant to your career and interests.

Like Twitter, Instagram utilizes hashtags to allow users to find relevant material, so search and use hashtags in your posts to build a following and network with others in the field. Instagram is a great way to show everyone what you do and how you do it. Use your photos to catch someone’s eye and draw them in. People can get a pretty good idea of who are just by looking at a few photos. Choose wisely!

Periscope

This live broadcasting app gives users real-time access to those who are broadcasting. As with other platforms, hashtags make it easy for users to find and connect with others. Once you begin a broadcast, you are able to talk directly to viewers either in private broadcasts or public broadcasts, while they can leave comments and questions during your live stream. This is a great tool for professional use because you can host live discussions with other professionals or clients. The app has become increasingly popular in recent months, so it is a great idea to join and build your presence now.

Social media is here to stay and it is important to make sure you use your accounts to showcase yourself. Transitioning from personal to professional use is key for success in the future. Your professional social media presence allows you to stand out and network, giving you an advantage in the field.

Inexact Calorie Counting

Almost every nutrition app includes some kind of calorie-counting feature, and many boast databases with the nutrition information of almost every food imaginable. While this seems convenient, it typically is not regulated by any nutrition professional. Inaccuracies show up not only in information for packaged foods, but for fresh produce as well. For example, in looking at a few apps, I found that the nutrition information for a banana varied by about 21 calories. Not only that, many apps overlook macronutrients and micronutrients completely.

The Limits of Physical Activity Estimates

Similarly, the most common physical activities are listed in many databases. The apps make an estimate of calories burned based on a user’s weight or BMI. This can be a major flaw in exercise journaling. For instance, say a trained athlete and an overweight male both weigh 215 pounds. If they each report running for 30 minutes at 5 miles per hour, both men would be logged as burning the same amount of calories during their run. Of course, the athlete would burn fewer calories because his body is used to this kind of workout. Plus, similar to the span of calories listed for foods, the span of calories burned for physical activity can vary based on the app used.

Motivational Features Can’t Replace Real Counseling

One of the most important things nutrition apps get wrong is a lack of motivation and support! Many apps have tried combating this problem through FAQs, community blog posts with other app users, user groups and goal setting. While these aspects of nutrition apps are helpful for those who take advantage of them, for others they fall flat. These apps have yet to create ways to modify each user’s behavior towards food and physical activity. There are proven, evidence-based strategies that can be used to change behavior and result in weight loss success, but many apps haven’t figured out how to implement these strategies.

Technology developers have mastered the user-friendly experience. Now, it’s time to focus on credibility and accuracy. If they haven’t already, app developers should start working with registered dietitian nutritionists — the credentialed experts on food and nutrition.