Welcome to A Taste for Life, an educational project of
Liff-Anderson Associates devoted to
providing nutritional wellness education for children and adults.
Don't see the service you need? Don't hesitate to contact us! We may be able to accommodate your needs or make an appropriate referral.
About Chef Marlene Liff-Anderson
Marlene Liff-Anderson, B.S. has over 14 years experience as a professional chef and nutrition instructor. She has provided education in a wide variety of settings including schools, community centers, food cooperatives and restaurants. Marlene received professional training with Annemarie Colbin at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School in Manhattan and at the Kushi Institute in Western Massachusetts.
Send email to info@peacemaking.org Please include your daytime phone number and a time to call when you may be easily reached.
We will phone you upon receipt of your email and provide a
free telephone evaluation of your consultation needs.
If we are unable to meet your needs, we will make a referral to
appropriate services.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Diet & Our Children's Health
- Benjamin Spock, M.D., pediatrician & author
- David Herber, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, UCLA
- Quotation from Healthy Children, Healthy Planet, K-5 Curriculum from EarthSave International
Recent reports indicate that U.S. children and adolescents have higher blood cholesterol levels than their contemporaries in most other countries. Children as young as ten are showing alarming rates of atherosclerosis - the narrowing of arteries which eventually leads to coronary heart disease.
Current research has established the health benefits of a low-fat diet which is high in the complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. The typical school lunch derives 38% of its calories from fat, is very low in fiber and high in sodium, sugar and other refined carbohydrates.
Many of the behavior and learning problems we see in our children can be alleviated by providing them with a healthy diet and educating them to make more healthy food choices. Studies show children who eat foods high in sugar and other refined carbohydrates or who skip meals experience fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which in turn interferes with physical endurance, moods and the ability to concentrate. Many children also react to chemical preservatives and artificial additives in processed food products. Well-nourished bodies are a prerequisite for minds which are calm, focused and prepared to learn. Studies show that children who eat a healthy breakfast score significantly higher on standardized tests. Complex carbohydrates provide a steady, reliable source of energy. With good nutrition, our children will do better at their studies, helping them reach their potential to grow into happy and healthy adults.
Giving Students "A Taste for Life"
A Taste for Life has been developed by Chef Marlene Liff-Anderson to help students attain optimum health and well-being. We provide classroom education, staff training and technical assistance to schools and other institutions interested in helping their students to make healthy food choices.
Classroom Nutritional Education
In the classroom, we help students explore the connections between our food choices and the implications for our future health, utilizing:
Our professional training provides teachers with up-to-date nutritional recommendations, curriculum, classroom materials and handouts to inspire further inquiry.
School Food Service Professional Training
For many students, school lunch and breakfast programs are one of the few places they can get a meal at an affordable price. Still some food service programs have dificulty complying with the new USDA requirements on the selection and preparation of healthy meals.
Our professional training and technical assistance for food service management and staff includes:
Diet & the American Health Crisis
Many Americans take our health for granted, believing that if we are not sick today, our health is assured in the future. We take advantage of the short-term adaptability of our bodies, assuming that our food choices are unimportant to our long-term health.
Medical and scientific research has confirmed that the high-fat, low fiber diet of the average American contributes to an array of chronic diseases. In 1988 the Surgeon General reported that 68% of all deaths in this country resulted from diet-related diseases. Many of these diseases have their origin in childhood.
Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol play a major causative role in diseases like heart attack, stroke, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney diseases and cancers of the breast, prostate and colon. Less life-threatening disorders are also linked to a high-fat, low-fiber diet, including food allergies, psoriasis, arthritis, obesity, kidney stones, hemorrhoids, hernias, premenstrual and menopausal symptoms.
"The cure is in the kitchen..."
Physicians and nutritionists are beginning to emphasize the importance of reducing the fat and increasing the fiber in our diets in order to maintain our health. Studies show that optimal health is attained when our diet derives only 10-15% of its calories from fat. The simplest way to achieve these benefits is to shift to a diet based in foods which are primarily of plant origin.
Medical and scientific evidence shows that, in addition to cholesterol-reducing fiber, a plant-based diet provides us with abundant sources of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Recent studies conducted in China, where the standard diet consists primarily of rice and vegetables, observed far fewer incidents of high blood pressure, heart attacks, osteoporosis and many cancers.
Helping Adults Develop "A Taste for Life"
As Americans, we have been provided with a diet which predisposes us to the chronic diseases which plague our current society, without any education about the consequences of our food choices. We need to create a new vision of health, based on a foundation of sound nutritional principles, both for our own health and the health of our children.
A Taste for Life has been developed by Chef Marlene Liff-Anderson to provide education and support to individuals and families who are making the transition to a healthier diet. The program provides a basic foundation in nutritional information which conforms to the current recommendations of the USDA and the American Dietetic Association.
Marlene Liff-Anderson provides down-to-earth instruction in a lively combination of lecture and cooking demonstrations, covering nutrition, food preparation techniques, new ingredients, shopping and menu planning. Participants learn to prepare delicious, satisfying meals which contain little or no added fat and are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Participants are provided with copies of resources and recipes, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and to sample new dishes. Menus are tailored to the individual needs of participants and are appropriate for all levels of cooking ability, from kitchen novices to "seasoned" chefs.
Training & Education Available for a Variety of Settings
A Taste for Life is available for presentation in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, educational and community settings. The program is structured for a variety of formats, ranging from a series of two-hour classes to half or full-day seminars. Marlene also provides professional training inservices and technical assistance to hospitals, clinics and other medical settings, as well as to schools and other food service programs.