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Tiny amounts of micronutrients can set kids in poverty up for success.

global health, micronutrients, poverty, vitamins
Photo by Kiran Hania/Pixabay.

Vitamins are important to helping children grow up strong and healthy.

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Gates Foundation: The Story of Food

You know what's highly underrated?

Micronutrients.

Small but mighty, micronutrients deserve a big round of applause for helping you become the person you are today.

Micronutrients — a range of vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin A, and calcium — are crucial for growth and well-being, especially during pregnancy and the first few years of life. The best part about them is that micronutrients are effective in super small quantities. I suppose that explains the whole "micro" part of their name.


For many of us, micronutrients like iron, iodine, and vitamin A, are part of everyday life. But that's not the case for everyone.

Micronutrients are everywhere in the Western world: in fruit juices, vegetables, fortified foods, and over the counter supplements. We have store aisles completely dedicated to vitamins and minerals. They are so prevalent in our culture, we often don't give them a second thought.

But that's not the reality for over 2 billion people in the world.

education, health, supplements, scientific studies

A wall of supplements sit on shelves for health and wellness.

Photo by Angel Sinigersky on Unsplash

At least half of children worldwide ages 6 months to 5 years aren't getting enough micronutrients — and it's wreaking havoc on global progress.

Africa, poverty, vitamin deficiency, philanthropy

Children can become blind due to a lack of micronutrients.

Image by Charles Nambasi/Pixabay.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 million babies are born mentally impaired because of maternal iodine deficiency. Iron deficiency during pregnancy is associated with 115,000 deaths each year. And the Micronutrient Initiative says that vitamin A deficiency claims the lives of almost 670,000 children under 5 and causes up to half a million children to become blind each year.

Those statistics are nothing but jarring, but they can easily be reduced. We know because we've already seen promising results.

Take iodized salt, for example. You may have some in your kitchen right now. The iodization of salt is considered to be one of the world's simplest and most cost-effective measures to prevent iodine deficiency. In 1990, only about 20% of the world’s households had access to it, according to the Salt Institute. Today that access is more than 70%.

IQ is shown to be on average 13 points higher in places with adequate iodine intake than in those that are iodine deficient.

farming, children, iodine, cooking

The sun casts dim light over a salt field farm in Taiwan.

Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash

By adding micronutrients like iodine, vitamin A, folic acid, and iron to staple crops, communities have a better shot at reducing anemia and birth defects in their newborns.

Supplements are another way. Providing young children with vitamin A supplementation every six months has the ability to reduce mortality by an average of 23%, says the Micronutrient Initiative.

A greater focus on micronutrients is a cost-effective way to keep kids healthy and break the cycle of poverty.

It's a win-win, and organizations, governments, and creative minds are catching on. Social enterprise groups are also taking on the challenge. Lucky Iron Fish, for example, has changed the way families around the world receive their daily iron requirements. By boiling a fish-looking tool made of iron next to other ingredients in a pot, dinner becomes healthier — and so do the people eating it.

iron, education, minerals, adolescent development

An Iron fish to cook with food in order to make dishes more healthy.

Image via LIFEintern/ Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons/Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.

And, of course, education is key. The need to educate and change the type of food being consumed in order for it to make the biggest nutritional impact plays a vital role.

When people don't have access to the vitamins and minerals they need, they can't develop to their full potential. Giving newborns a better shot at life gives future generations a better one too. It's perhaps the best way to break the cycle of poverty — for good.

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10 anti-holiday recipes that prove the season can be tasty and healthy

Balance out heavy holiday eating with some lighter—but still delicious—fare.

Albertson's

Lighten your calorie load with some delicious, nutritious food between big holiday meals.

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The holiday season has arrived with its cozy vibe, joyous celebrations and inevitable indulgences. From Thanksgiving feasts to Christmas cookie exchanges to Aunt Eva’s irresistible jelly donuts—not to mention leftover Halloween candy still lingering—fall and winter can feel like a non-stop gorge fest.

Total resistance is fairly futile—let’s be real—so it’s helpful to arm yourself with ways to mitigate the effects of eating-all-the-things around the holidays. Serving smaller amounts of rich, celebratory foods and focusing on slowly savoring the taste is one way. Another is to counteract those holiday calorie-bomb meals with some lighter fare in between.

Contrary to popular belief, eating “light” doesn’t have to be tasteless, boring or unsatisfying. And contrary to common practice, meals don’t have to fill an entire plate—especially when we’re trying to balance out heavy holiday eating.

It is possible to enjoy the bounties of the season while maintaining a healthy balance. Whether you prefer to eat low-carb or plant-based or gluten-free or everything under the sun, we’ve got you covered with these 10 easy, low-calorie meals from across the dietary spectrum.

Each of these recipes has less than 600 calories (most a lot less) per serving and can be made in less than 30 minutes. And Albertsons has made it easy to find O Organics® ingredients you can put right in your shopping cart to make prepping these meals even simpler.

Enjoy!

eggs and green veggies in a skillet, plate of baconNot quite green eggs and ham, but closeAlbertsons

Breakfast Skillet of Greens, Eggs & Ham

273 calories | 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (5 oz) pkg baby spinach

2 eggs

1 clove garlic

4 slices prosciutto

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 medium zucchini squash

1/8 cup butter, unsalted

1 pinch crushed red pepper

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bow of cauliflower ham saladGet your cauliflower power on.Albertsons

Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Ham, Celery & Dill

345 calories | 20 minutes

1/2 medium head cauliflower

1 stick celery

1/4 small bunch fresh dill

8 oz. ham steak, boneless

1/2 shallot

1/4 tspblack pepper

1/4 tsp curry powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/8 tsp paprika

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

tofu on skewers on a plate with coleslawPlant-based food fan? This combo looks yums. Albertsons

Grilled Chili Tofu Skewers with Ranch Cabbage, Apple & Cucumber Slaw

568 calories | 20 minutes

1 avocado

1/2 English cucumber

1 (12 oz.) package extra firm tofu

1 Granny Smith apple

3 Tbsp (45 ml) Ranch dressing

1/2 (14 oz bag) shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix)

2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

frittata in a cast iron skilletSometimes you just gotta frittata.Albertsons

Bell Pepper, Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata with Parmesan

513 calories | 25 minutes

6 eggs

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

2 oz Parmesan cheese

1 red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

8 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with slices of grilled chicken and a caprese saladCaprese, if you please.Albertsons

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Classic Caprese Salad

509 calories | 25 minutes

3/4 lb chicken breasts, boneless skinless

1/2 small pkg fresh basil

1/2 (8 oz pkg) fresh mozzarella cheese

1 clove garlic

3 tomatoes

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 3/4 pinches black pepper

1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

four stuffed mushrooms on a plateThese mushrooms look positively poppable.Albertsons

Warm Goat Cheese, Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

187 calories | 35 minutes

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 sundried tomatoes, oil-packed

1 1/4 pinches crushed red pepper

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with open English muffin with goat cheese and sliced baby tomatoes on topMove over, avocado toast. English muffin pizzas have arrived.Albertsons

English Muffin Pizzas with Basil Pesto, Goat Cheese & Tomatoes

327 calories | 10 minutes

3 Tbsp (45 ml) basil pesto

2 English muffins

1/2 (4 oz) log goat cheese

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

3/4 pinch black pepper

2 pinches salt

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

pita pocket on a plate filled with veggies, meat and cheeseThis pita pocket packs a colorful punch.Albertsons

Warm Pita Pocket with Turkey, Cheddar, Roasted Red Peppers & Parsley

313 calories | 20 minutes

1/4 (8 oz) block cheddar cheese

1/2 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

4 oz oven roasted turkey breast, sliced

1/2 (12 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers

1 whole grain pita

3/4 pinch black pepper

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp mayonnaise

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

plate with toast smeared with avocado and topped with prosciuttoDid we say, "Move over, avocado toast?" What we meant was "Throw some prosciutto on it!" Albertsons

Avocado Toast with Crispy Prosciutto

283 calories | 10 minutes

1 avocado

2 slices prosciutto

2 slices whole grain bread

1 5/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

bowl of chili with cheese and green onions on topVegetarian chili with a fall twistAlbertsons

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili with Cheddar

444 calories | 30 minutes

2 (15 oz can) black beans

1/2 (8 oz ) block cheddar cheese

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 green bell peppers

1 small bunch green onions (scallions)

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin purée

1 medium yellow onion

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 7/8 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

Find full instructions and shopping list here.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes, visit albertsons.com/recipes.

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