{Today’s post was written by the Sage Leaf Communications intern. This is the first of hopefully many posts by her.}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A balanced diet is an ice cream cone in each hand

If there’s one food I could never resist that would be ice cream. It may be one of my biggest weaknesses. But an even bigger weakness? Ice cream in a cone. I’m pretty sure that my first true love in life was an ice cream cone. It’s such a nice treat, especially on a hot summer day or, on a day like today – which happens to be National Ice Cream Cone Day.

Partly what makes an ice cream cone such a treat is how rarely I eat one. Or, if you’re like Elana, you eat ice cream nearly every single day. We’re not the food police, but we can offer some tips to enjoy that delicious cone:

• If ice cream is a sometimes food for you (like me): Go nuts! No, really, top that ice cream with chopped, unflavored nuts for some added protein and nutrients. But seriously, even if nuts aren’t you’re thing – go ahead and enjoy your cone. If this is truly a treat for you, enjoy it completely and guilt-free. Savor the full-fattedness and the candy crunch, or whatever may appeal to you. Just keep it in the context of an overall healthy diet.
• If you need that one sweet treat per day (like Elana): Size matters! A single scoop on a cake cone may be enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, or put a tasty cap on a long day. It’s been said that nothing tastes as good as the first bite, so keep it small. Again, one small cone within a day of healthy choices is called balance.
• If you find yourself having a hard time with self-control (hey, it happens to the best of us), choose pre-portioned ice cream cones. SkinnyCow has a few flavors that satisfy a sweet tooth but with only 170 calories per cone. Or try one of the lower-calorie, higher-protein pints such as Halo Top or Breyers delights.
• If you love waffle cones but can’t stomach the amount of ice cream it takes to fill one, try this fun trick: ask for a small cup with the cone on the side and crumble waffle cone pieces as a topper. I’ll bet you don’t even need to use the whole cone! All the taste with less ice cream and no mess.

Either way, enjoy that cone, and happy National Ice Cream Cone Day! Just be sure to eat your vegetables tomorrow.

Wow…I didn’t mean to take such a hiatus from my blog, but…gosh, where did the past 2 years go?? I can tell you one thing – I didn’t age one bit! Nuh, uh…no way!

Well, I’m glad to be back and to breathe some new life into this blog. I have a few fun features in mind to spice up Sprinkle of Sage, and don’t be surprised if we have a new look and feel coming soon! In the meantime, this is what I’ve been cooking up over the past two years:

• My little preschooler has become a bona-fide grade-schooler! Her kindergarten year was a learning experience for both of us. She learned how to read and do math, and I learned that school lunch is so much different than what it was when I was a kid. It’s actually really good, and she was buying lunch more than she was bringing (which is a relief to me when my creativity wore thin!)
• My newborn is now a preschooler! And so far, he is sailing through the so-called “food neophobic” stage (ages 2-5 typically) with little to no signs of the telltale picky eating that comes along with it. He still won’t eat eggs, but most other foods are fair game to this hearty eater.
• I’m training for a marathon! This will be my fifth, but the first as a fundraiser. The past few years have brought with them many friends and family members – young, old and in between – being diagnosed with or affected by cancer. Somewhere along the way, I felt myself getting angry. A useless emotion, especially when it comes to cancer – so better to put that energy to good use and raise money so that we can find a cure, right?!? That’s why I’ll be running the Marine Corps Marathon on October 26, 2014 with Team AICR – the American Institute for Cancer Research. Every little bit counts, so please consider supporting me: http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/TR/Marathons/teamraiser?px=8194364&pg=personal&fr_id=1490

As for this blog, you can expect more regular posts (no more 2-year gaps!) and a re-emergence of regular features, such as:

• Digesting the News: as major nutrition-related issues come up in the news – like the proposed new Nutrition Facts label or changes to Dietary Guidelines for Americans – I will provide an overview and key takeaways that you need to know.
• Sprinkles of Sage: inspirational quotes or articles to lift you up.
• Dietitian Dine-Around: a feature in which I’ll profile more healthful options at the more popular restaurants.
• Spotlight On…: I’ll highlight a favorite food or new product that’s come to my attention (I have to like it to review it!).

But first, I’m gearing up to attend the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Atlanta. Keep your eyes open for a post on fun food finds, trends from the expo hall, and hot topics from the sessions.

In the meantime, if you have issues you want to see discussed in this blog, or have products or restaurants to review, please feel free to comment or email me directly. I’m excited to be back!