presents:

1. presents: RD&A Conference

2. 4 Hot Trends in Healthy Food Today’s consumers are more conscious of what they are eating. They want to know where their food comes from and how it is prepared. People want to save time in the kitchen, but are not willing to sacrifice taste, nutrition and the environment to achieve it.

3. 1 Flexitarianism What it is: A high in fiber, plant-based diet composed of grains, vegetables and fruits; and occasional lean protein. Why it’s here to stay: It is exactly what health professionals have been recommending for years. Studies show that a flexitarianism diet helps to reduce hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and also lowers the risk of stroke.

4. 2 Functional Foods What it is: Foods enriched with nutrients that may or not be inherent to a given food. They have health-promoting and/or disease-preventing properties beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients. Why it’s here to stay: These “super” foods help many people fill nutritional gaps therefore helps to maintain a balanced diet. Gojiberry

5. 3 Organic Food What it is: Food with minimum or no exposure to pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Sales have risen more than 20% since the 90s. Why it’s here to stay: Organic food has more vitamins than traditionally grown food and minimizes human body exposure to damaging chemicals.

6. 4 Locally Grown Foods What it is: Foods from local family farms. In the past 10 years the number of local farmers’ markets has more than doubled, from 1,755 to 3,706. Why it’s here to stay: It has more flavor and vitamins compared to manufactured/processed food. Due to Global Warming, it is also good for the environment since you are buying local product as opposed to products that traveled thousands of miles using fossil fuel to arrive in your kitchen.

7. 4 Locally Grown Foods • Some facts to reinforce this eco-friendly trend: • The food system accounts for one-third of global greenhouse emissions. • Broccoli travels an average of 1,500 miles to arrive in any kitchen • A tremendous amount of fossil fuel is used to transport foods such long distances. Combustion of these fuels increases the carbon footprint, contributing to global climate change, acid rain, smog and air pollution. • Even the refrigeration required to keep your fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats from spoiling burns up energy. • Consuming local ingredients shortens the • journey from farm to plate.

8. 4 Locally Grown Foods “…people want to feed both their bodies and their social consciences, and ask themselves, "What good is eating organic if it's been trucked 3,000 gas-guzzling miles across the country?" A Growing Trend: Small, Local and Organic The Washington Post

9. Doing our Part • Cuisine Solutions is a long time partner of DC Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that serves approximately 4,000 meals a day, 365 days per year. They also have the Culinary Arts Job Training program that prepares unemployed and homeless adults for careers in the foodservice industry. • We are partnering with local farms to use their vegetables in Cuisine Solutions products prepared by unemployed and homeless people at DC Central Kitchen.

10. Sources: Sustainable Table, a non-profit organization CNN.com USDA’s Economic Research Service Environmental Working Group in Washington D.C. American Dietetic Association

11. Thank you for your time!