EatKit monthly online chat on Twitter

Confused about healthy eating? Join a group of friendly practical dietitians, foodies, teachers and chefs each month for a chat on Twitter. Called EatKit, we meet online on the third Wednesday of the month for a moderated conversation on a range of nutrition and cooking topics from good oils to encouraging kids to eat right.

Next chat Wed 19 June 2013 at 9pm AEST

Topic:  Ancient and alternative grains - health or hype?

Ancient grains are a hot food item at the moment with rising sales of spelt sourdough breads, quinoa salads, farro risottos and wild rice salads. These heirloom grains are the rage with chefs and foodies alike.

But there's lots of confusion and puzzlement about how to cook the ancient grains, which ones to buy them, how to cook them up, and whether they really do offer nutrition advantages. Some are gluten-free, some are low GI, some are whole grain, some are grown organically.

All are delicious, chewy and increase the variety of grains you eat. Don't get stuck with the same old rice, couscous and pasta. Be bold and embrace the romance and rustic appeal of these old-school grains that are making a comeback after being overlooked for so many years.

Our 5 questions up for discussion and debate are:

Q. Do you cook with any ancient grains like quinoa, spelt, farro, emmer, barley, amaranth or wild rice?
Q. Ancient grains are popular with chefs and foodies at the moment. What are your favourite dishes or which recipes have you tried?
Q. What do you feel are the nutrition benefits of ancient grains eg low GI, wholegrain, high fibre, more nutrients? Other benefits?
Q. Should we swap all our modern grains? Or are there some that work better for certain dishes?
Q. Do you feel ancient grains are over-hyped?

What is Eatkit?

A monthly moderated conversation on Twitter for people interested in food and nutrition. The hour-long chat is a virtual venue to discuss the latest headlines, new studies, controversial topics and issues related to the food we eat. The chats will be moderated by myself or Emma Stirling or another accredited practicing dietitian (ADP). Occasionally we invite a special guest or author to lead the discussion.

Questions will be asked by the moderator (Q1, Q2, Q3, etc.) and participants can respond to questions (A1, A2, A3), add comments or RT other answers.

• Check in on this page each month to find out the topic for the coming month.
• Search for #EatKit on Twitter to read latest tweets and links

Who

The chat is open to everyone — you don't have to be a dietitian or health professional. Anyone interested in food and nutrition can take part, and various viewpoints are welcome. The chats will primarily focus on nutrition, but will also touch on various aspects of social media, including blogging, use of Twitter, etc. If you have a blog or a website, that's great. You don't need one to be involved. The only requirement to participate is a Twitter account. If you missed the live tweeting, you'll be able to find the monthly conversations archived on ScoopNutrition or Foodwatch.

When

EatKit is held monthly on the third Wednesday of each month from 9 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (Sydney & Melbourne time which is GMT+10)  or 8.30 ACST (Adelaide) or 6pm AWST (Perth). In summer, we move to AEDST or Daylight Saving time.

Eatkit dates for 2013 - save these dates to your diary:

Eatkit time in other world time zones

• USA  Pacific 2am (Wed), Mountain 3am (Wed), Central 4am (Wed), Eastern 5am (Wed)
• UK  London 10am (Wed)
• EU Paris, Rome 11am (Wed)
• RSA Johannesburg 12noon (Wed)
• Japan Tokyo 7pm (Wed)
• Hong Kong, Beijing 6pm (Wed)
• UAE Dubai 2pm (Wed)

Where

• The chat happens live on Twitter and you can join in at any time during the hour.  Simply log on to your Twitter account and you can use any of these options to help you manage the conversations.
• One option,  go to http://www.search.twitter.com and type in #EatKit.  Only the  tweets that include that hashtag (#) will appear.
• If you use Tweetdeck, start a column for #EatKit.  Only tweets that are tagged with #EatKit will appear in that column.
• There are several other programs you can use that are specifically designed for chats on Twitter. We like and use  www.tweetchat.com, but there are also www.tweetgrid.com or http://twubs.com.
• All you have to do is log on to one of those programs.  When prompted, type in #EatKit and you’ll only see tweets that include that hashtag.  It allows you to see the fast-paced conversation happening in real time.  You use it just like Twitter eg reply, comment, retweet, etc.  All of your tweets will automatically be tagged with #EatKit. 

Disclaimers

• This is an open chat of a general nature. It is not intended to be a place to ask for medical advice or personal health problems. If you need advice for an individual medical issue, we suggest you make an appointment with an accredited practicing dietitian (APD) or your health care professional.
• We value openness and transparency. If we mention products by brand, this does not imply an endorsement of any kind from our EatKit group. If you work for or act as consultant to a particular food or food category, please declare your interest so we can listen to what you say within that context.

Questions?

If you have additional questions or comments, send a Direct Message (DM) to us via Twitter at either @EmmaStirling or @Foodwatch.