Sometimes, all it takes to eat better is a little nudge in the right direction. A team of UC Davis researchers is working on a new smartphone app that makes it easier to eat healthy by recognizing what’s on your plate and offering personalized suggestions to improve your diet.

Childhood malnutrition is one of the world's most pressing health challenges, and Kathryn Dewey, distinguished professor emerita in the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, has been at the forefront of efforts to address it. Her pioneering research led to an innovative supplement to combat nutritional deficiencies and has informed and improved global health policies.

As the new academic year approaches, the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is pleased to introduce Professor Gerardo Mackenzie as the new chair of the Department of Nutrition.

Mackenzie has been with the department faculty since 2016. Before that, he spent nine years as an investigator and faculty member with the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He earned his bachelor’s degree, as well as a Ph.D. in cell biology, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

UC Davis student Makhi Jones likes to enjoy a hearty meal. One of his go-to favorites is the Hawaiian Spicy Chicken entrée at Good Friends Hawaiian Poke restaurant in downtown Davis. The clinical nutrition major who is set to graduate this spring, said it’s all about balance when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

“I’m not perfect; I still eat out here and there, but I try not to do it too often,” Jones said.

While he likes to dine out sometimes, he frequently prepares meals himself.

The nationwide baby formula shortage two years ago forced many parents to involuntarily switch brands or types. A recent survey from researchers at the University of California, Davis, highlights how these substitutions led to undesirable effects for babies, including vomiting. The study was published in the journal Nutrients.

In a matter of minutes, UC Davis student Wendy Liang effortlessly sets up a table in the lobby of the Activities and Recreation Center just near the entrance to the gym, but the information she provides to those who stop to chat has the potential to guide and nourish them throughout their lives.

Smoothies can be a tasty and convenient way to get the important fruits and vegetables you need for a healthy diet. But is a banana and blueberry smoothie the best combo? Researchers at the University of California, Davis, suggest that blending certain ingredients in smoothies can influence whether your body is getting a nutritional boost.

Nearly half of parents who relied on formula to feed their babies during the infant formula shortage last year resorted to potentially harmful feeding methods, according to a survey from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study was published in the journal BMC Pediatrics. 

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Researchers analyzed the checkout lanes in 102 food stores in Davis, Sacramento, Oakland and Berkeley, California.

The study was published in Current Developments in Nutrition.

Added-sugar warning labels reduced the likelihood that consumers would order items containing high amounts of added sugar in an online experiment led by University of California, Davis, researchers. Menu labels can help inform consumers about the surprisingly high amount of added sugar in even the smallest sizes of soda or in unexpected items like salad dressings and sauces.