NEW YORK — The Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano (Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano cheese) is proud to announce its third year as a sponsor of New York Road Runners' annual premier event: the ING New York City Marathon. To continue educating the running community about the health benefits of the cheese, Grana Padano has enlisted the help of three food and fitness experts: chef and marathon runner Joe Bastianich, Formula 1 driver and marathon wheeler Alex Zanardi and Registered Dietitian and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition, Lauren Antonucci RD, who is running her 8th ING New York City Marathon this November.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111101/NY97445LOGO )
During the ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo, both Bastianich and Zanardi will stop by the Grana Padano booth to discuss their personal marathon stories and training routines. Antonucci will be speaking as part of the ING Runner's Lounge Speaker Series on the nutritional benefits of Grana Padano and simple, tasty snacks and recipes for pre- and post-Marathon.
Grana Padano PDO — Italy's most popular cheese and an integral part of Italian gastronomic tradition for almost 1,000 years — is one of the best-kept health secrets, according to Antonucci, MS, RD, Board Certified Sports Nutritionist and Director of Nutrition Energy (www.nutritionenergy.com).
"Many runners shy away from cheese for fear that it is high in calories and fat or that it will upset their stomach when running. The truth is that Grana Padano is actually quite healthy because it is lactose-free, lower in fat than other cheeses and high in calcium and protein," said Antonucci. "Runners can enjoy Grana Padano as a pre-run snack for a boost of protein and calcium, or as a source of protein for a post-run recovery meal."
Antonucci recommends pairing Grana Padano with a cut apple or pear for a mid-afternoon snack, grating it over pasta before long runs or using 2-3 oz of it as the main protein for a mid-week meal.
Grana Padano is a versatile cheese with a sweet, nutty taste that can be grated over pasta, sliced onto a salad, added to an antipasto or a cheese platter or enjoyed with fruit or nuts. Typically aged from 9 to over 24 months, Grana Padano pairs well with a variety of cuisines. It is an ideal part of a healthy diet for active New Yorkers.
Grana Padano's nutritional facts are as follows:
•1 oz of Grana Padano contains more protein than 12 oz of milk
•1 oz of Grana Padano provides over 360 mg of calcium (36% DV for adults 19-50 years old)
•Ounce for ounce, Grana Padano cheese contains more protein than beef, chicken, fish or 1/2 cup of beans
•1 oz of Grana Padano cheese has only 120 calories
•Grana Padano provides much-needed, easily-digested protein to accompany pasta, rice or other carbohydrates
•Grana Padano is easier to digest than other meat-based proteins
•Grana Padano is lactose-free
"We are proud to be a part of the ING New York City Marathon for the third consecutive year," says Elisabetta Serraiotto, who is responsible for Marketing and Communications at the Grana Padano Consortium. "This is an opportunity for us to continue to celebrate New York's many years of Italian-American heritage, provide our nutritious cheese to the dedicated athletes who run the Marathon, and show our support for the many Italian runners in town this week."
The best-selling PDO cheese in the world, Grana Padano will again offer a number of retail tastings at many of New York City's leading food stores during race week. As part of the ING New York City Marathon Mobile Spectator App, users will be sent a message when they are in the vicinity of select shops that include:
DiPalo's Fine Foods, 200 Grand Street: November 1-6 from 10am – 5pmMurray's Cheese, 89 E 42nd St (Grand Central Station): November 1-3 from 3-7pmMurray's Cheese, 254 Bleecker Street: November 3-5 from 3-7pmGourmet Garage, Eastside 64th Street (1st and 2nd Ave): November 4-6 from 2-6pmGourmet Garage, 155 West 66th Street (B'way and Amsterdam): November 4-6 from 2-6pmSalumeria Rosi, 283 Amsterdam Ave (73rd & 74th Street): November 1-3 from 3-6pmAgata & Valentina, 1505 1st Ave (78th Street): November 3rd, 5th & 6th from 2-6pmGrace's market, 1237 3rd Ave (23rd Street): November 2nd, 3rd & 5th from 2-6pmEataly, 200 5th Ave (23rd St): November 3-5 from 2-6pm
Grana Padano can be purchased at leading fine food retailers across the country, including Central Market, Trader Joe's, Kings, Balducci's, Bristol Farms, Lunds & Byerlys, Costco and Eataly. Grana Padano can also be found online at www.dipaloselects.com and other ecommerce fine food websites.
About Grana Padano – www.granapadano.it
Grana Padano has been part of Italy's gastronomic tradition and culture since 1135, when the monks in the Padana Valley in northern Italy created this recipe for cheese, that could withstand the test of time, as a way to preserve the surplus milk they produced. Based in Desenzano del Garda in the province of Brescia, Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano was founded in 1954, bringing together the producers of this cheese who shared one common goal — to produce a top-quality cheese based on the traditional recipe. Today this company encompasses around 200 Grana Padano producers and maturers. "Grana" refers to the grainy and crumbly texture of the cheese and "Padano" refers to its origin on the Po River Valley in northern Italy. Grana Padano is a registered trademark around the world, and in 1996 it was awarded the status of PDO Protected Designation of Origin cheese, by the European Community in Brussels. Today it is the best selling PDO product Worldwide.
The ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing some 140,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the $650,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and a worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the more than 875,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and meeting our community's needs. Our goal is to use the expertise acquired in our 53-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives through participation in our races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs. Our races and other events draw more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR's premier event, is the largest and most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting the world's top professional runners every year and raising $30.8 million for charity in 2010. NYRR's running-based youth programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and community centers, promote children's health and fitness, character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.
Source: Grana Padano
