Check out the New York Wine & Food Festival

We are what we eat and drink. And where else can we check out the latest on gastronomy than at the New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 9 to 12, 2008.

Now, you might want to ask, what does such a festival have to do with battling heart and stroke? Everything.

Nutrition, the food we eat and the beverages we drink are major lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular health. If you take a closer look, the festival is not only about gourmet food and wine tasting. There’s something for everyone – even for advocates of health eating.

One of the most heart-friendly offerings at the festival is the session called Beyond Chicken Nuggets: How to Raise a Healthy Eater

According to the session’s abstract:

“One of the biggest health challenges parents face is preparing healthful, convenient meals their children will actually eat. But it’s not easy, and many well-meaning parents fall into the “kid food” trap, serving sure-fire hits like pizza, hot dogs and chicken nuggets just to get their finicky children to eat something.”

Several well-known health food authors and health experts will form a panel who can answer questions of parents concerned about their kids’ diet.

Among the members of the panel are:

• Tara Hope Parker is columnist and blogger at Well, the health blog of the New York Times, who will be hosting the session.
• Alice Walters is a well-known organic chef, author of several books, including “The Art of Simple Food” and founder of the Edible Schoolyard, a non-profit initiative that teaches school children the real value of good natural food (“slow food” as opposed to fast food) through gardening.
• Jessica Seinfeld is the wife of Jerry Seinfeld, mother of three, and author of “Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food“. She is the founder of the non-profit organization Baby Buggy which donates used baby items of celebrities to the needy.
• Rachael Ray is TV celebrity at Food Network, bestselling cookbook author, and founder of Yum-O!, a nonprofit organization that helps children and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.
• Dr. Harvey Karp is a pediatrician and author of “The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One-to-Four-Year-Old.“
• Professor Leann L. Birch is a distinguished professor at the Department of Human Development and Family Studies of the Pennsylvania State University and is an expert on childhood eating habits

These authors and experts will offer practical tips ad strategy “that can put an end to food battles and expand the menu options for even the most finicky child.”

The session costs 35 dollar and lasts for 1-and-a-half hour. It may be well worth your money to go!

Photo credit: NYC by davidlat