About Dr. Olson
Beth Olson is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Nutritional Sciences. She has a BS in Biochemistry from UW-Madison and a PhD in Nutrition from UC-Davis. Prior to coming to UW, she worked at Michigan State University and the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, MI.
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Meatless Mondays: Seitan
By: Katie Schroeder and Beth Olson Meatless Mondays Seitan Looking for a high-protein meat alternative that you can make at home? Try Seitan. This meat substitute has a chicken-like texture, absorbs seasoning and marinade flavor readily, and can be made from household ingredients. Originally a Chinese recipe, Seitan has been a staple in vegetarian diets…
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Winter Weather and Dietary Fiber
By: Katie Schroeder & Beth Olson As we enter the colder months of the year, comfort foods are in full force. Gone are the days of a light salad in the summer heat and in are the days of pasta, potatoes, and breads. As people begin eating more carbs over the fall and winter, sometimes…
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Meatless Mondays: Jackfruit
By: Katie Schroeder & Beth Olson This edition of Meatless Monday is all about Jackfruit. This green spiky fruit is roughly the size of a beachball and is abundant in the tropics. Known as the largest edible fruit in the world, Jackfruit is traditionally eaten raw (like most fruits), but it also doubles as a…
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Added Sugars Over the Holidays
By: Katie Schroeder and Beth Olson As we begin Autumn, the time for holidays is upon us! Whether its Halloween, Thanskgiving, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, or Dia de los Muertos, there are many days of celebration in the fall season. With these holidays come friends, families, dinners, and of course sweets. Many sweets and deserts hold…
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Meatless Mondays: Tempeh
By: Katie Schroeder and Beth Olson Happy Meatless Monday everyone! Today we are going to be talking about a food that is a little harder to find in Western diets and grocery stores, but is packed full of nutrients and protein: Tempeh! Tempeh, a traditional Indonesian food, is a fermented soy-based product that boasts a…
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Baby Food Safety
By: Beth Olson and Katie Schroeder Within the last year, the concern about the safety of baby foods has resurfaced among the reports of applesauce pouches containing cinnamon contaminated with lead, and the dangerous health effects that it may have caused in the children who consumed them. Contamination of baby foods with things which could…
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Meatless Mondays: ChickpeasÂ
By: Katie Schroeder & Beth Olson Happy Meatless Monday! This week we are tackling the ever-popular, delicious chickpeas. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans as they are sometimes called, are a type of bean that falls into the legume family. They come in two main varieties, the blond (which is most popular in western diets), and the…
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August is National Breastfeeding Month
By: Katie Schroeder and Beth Olson August is National Breastfeeding Month! In 2011 this month was declared National Breastfeeding Month to promote the healthy practice of breastfeeding/chest-feeding and establish its potential benefits for families. Breastfeeding and chest-feeding are the act of feeding a child from the body. Chest-feeding is a term that is more gender-neutral…
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Meatless Mondays: Mushrooms
By Katie Schroeder & Beth Olson Meatless Mondays, a practice started to encourage more variety and sustainability in the average American’s diet, are a great way to add some variety to your Monday meals. You may have thought we forgot about them, but here we are to make a triumphant return, and with one of…