Kid food scientist

(To read the full story, click on the title above)

A University of California, Davis, professor's son discovered that a major agricultural pest prefers pistachios over other nuts.

Gabriel Leal, 11 and a student at Willet Elementary School in Davis, thinks pistachios taste better and theorized that navel orangeworms share a similar preference.

The hypothesis runs counter to past research, including a report recently published in the California Agriculture journal, which indicates the pest prefers almonds.

Gabriel conducted the research in his father's UC Davis lab under the voluntary supervision of Zain Syed, a chemical ecologist.

Gabriel placed mated and gravid, or egg-filled, females in a cage. He used four commercially available navel orangeworm traps and filled one with 50 grams of shelled pistachios, one with 50 grams of almonds, one with 50 grams of walnuts and left the fourth empty to serve as the control, Syed stated in the release.

The eggs laid in the traps were counted for two consecutive nights.

Enough eggs were laid in the pistachios to demonstrate that female navel orangeworms prefer pistachios over the other nuts.

Walter Leal reported the findings at the state almond industry conference last month in Modesto.

Researchers and growers typically use traps baited with a mix of almond meal and almond oil to attract the pests in the field. But during the hull split, the chemical from the real crop competes with the synthetic material in the traps, Leal said.

If pistachio-derived sources are used in the almond fields, it could eliminate the problem throughout the flight season, he said.

The pest attacks tree crops planted on more than 1 million acres throughout the state.

Science should never underestimate an idea, said Leal.

"That's why the academic environment is so enriching," he stated in the release. "Students come with new ideas, but I never imagined we would benefit so much from a science project for elementary school."

Tater tots

Facebook is an amazing social site, and things pop up on it all the time, mostly trying to sell you a celebrity diet or mortgage info. But as I was playing Scramble last night, an ad from Gerber Foods came up.

Three people were asked what vegetable did toddlers eat most. They replied with "peas," "carrots" and "broccoli," which seemed pretty normal. But the answer was "french fries." The three people, each in turn, looked dismayed. As someone who attempts to eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day, and goes to bed happy when I manage nine, I was deeply saddened by this.

Here are some other toddler nutrition concerns from the Gerber-financed, Mathematica-produced Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) in 2002:

Fruits and vegetables. Nearly 25% of babies and toddlers age 9 to 24 months don't eat any fruits or vegetables on a given day. And french fries are the most commonly consumed vegetable for toddlers 15 to 24 months. Make it a goal to feed your toddler at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Fruit and vegetable intake can be from fresh, frozen, or canned foods. You can also serve puree varieties, as they provide the same important nutrients as fresh.

Fiber. Fiber is important for digestive health, but research found that 90% of toddlers don't get the recommended amount of fiber. Giving your toddler more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help her meet her fiber needs.

Vitamin E. At this stage 58% of children have vitamin E intakes below the recommended level. Good sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils (canola, corn, soybean), avocado, and some leafy green vegetables (spinach, broccoli).

Potassium. Children at this milestone are missing out on potassium, an electrolyte that helps muscles work properly. In fact, 90% of toddlers aren't getting the recommended amount.

Fat. Healthy fats are important for growth and brain development. But studies show that 25% of toddlers don't get enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, and many don't get enough of the antioxidant vitamin E found in fats.

Sodium. Babies as young as 7 to 8 months are being introduced to salty snacks such as chips. By the time your child is a toddler, there may be room for an occasional treat. But there really isn't room for these foods daily, because they don't offer the needed nutrition for the calories. All of the foods in your toddler's healthy meal plan should be selected from a variety of foods that provide needed nutrients: peeled mashed fruits or vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, and meats or mashed beans.