Should we be concerned over antibiotics in meat? Certainly the use has gotten a lot of attention recently, even though those medications have been used by livestock producers for decades to fend off chronic livestock illnesses and improve growth.

The latest Environmental Nutrition newsletter provides a bit of information on antibiotic use by producers. Of all U.S. antibiotics, it's estimated that 80 percent are given to animals. Some of those are the same drugs used for humans. The main concern is that overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. The World Health Organization, American Medical Association and the National Resources Defense Council all view antibiotic use in animals as a serious public health risk and recommend reducing their overuse in food animals.

However, not everyone agrees that animal antibiotics pose a problem. The International Food Council Foundation reports that only .3 percent of antibiotics used to treat animals are also used to treat humans, and these antibiotics are not sued to promote animal growth or prevent disease, just to treat animal illness.

Last December, the Food and Drug Administration asked pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily stop selling antibiotics to farmers for growth promotion in animals.

What's the bottom line? Read the labels. Consumers should aim to consume animal products produced by companies that disclose they use no antibiotics for non-therapeutic uses in the care or the feed of animals. In addition, consumers can think about reducing total meat consumption in favor of a more plant-based diet that includes more legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

And consider going by the timeless wisdom — everything in moderation, balance and variety.

Q and A

Q: Do pedometers really help if you want to be more active?

A: Yes, they can. Overall, studies do suggest that using a pedometer tends to produce a greater increase in physical activity than simply having a goal of walking 30 or 40 minutes a day. That's important because being moderately active at least 30 minutes a day is one of the top recommendations to lower cancer risk from the American Institute for Cancer Research. And health benefits accrue even when physical activity occurs in blocks of 10 or 15 minutes rather than all at once. However, it can be hard to keep track of these small blocks. This is a problem pedometers may solve. But, studies show that simply wearing a pedometer might lead to only small improvements for many people if they do not have a goal and do not track progress toward that goal. Some programs recommend a target of 10,000 steps a day from the start, which is associated with meeting the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity a day. If someone's goal is weight loss, a target of 11,000 to 12,000 steps a day may be more effective. To reach these targets, some experts recommend setting individualized gradual increases to avoid getting physically or psychologically overwhelmed. They suggest taking a week to establish a baseline average, and then creating a new target each week by adding 500 or more steps a day beyond the previous week's target. Just wearing a pedometer isn't magic, but it can increase awareness of your activity level, track your progress toward a specific goal, and (perhaps most importantly) increase your self-confidence that you really can achieve a healthy level of physical activity.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

Here's a recipe for a quick weeknight dinner that's packed with vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium: Roast Chicken and Sweet Potatoes. It's from Eating Well magazine.

Roast Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

2 tablespoons whole-grain or Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 1/2 -2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat. Combine mustard, thyme, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl; spread the mixture evenly on chicken. Toss sweet potatoes and onion in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Carefully remove the baking sheet form the oven and spread the vegetables on it. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Return the pan to the oven and roast, stirring the vegetables once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer reads 165 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Serves four.

Per serving: 408 calories, 27 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat, 86 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 554 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.