Health and Nutrition News

Saving Money on Food This Summer

2013-05-31T13:00:00Z

Ahh, after a very long winter, summer is finally here! Children are excited to be on summer vacation and adults are ready to enjoy the warmer temperatures. Even with the summer excitement, parents and childcare providers may be nervous about how their food costs will increase when children are home over the summer months.

Families may see an increase in food expenses during the summer for several reasons:

1. Children are not in school so do not participate in school breakfast and lunch. This adds to the food cost for all families, but especially for families that receive free and reduced priced school meals.

]]> 2. Families are "on the go" during the summer. They may be spending more time at the beach, pool, sporting events, or traveling. As a result, they may not always be home to eat.

3. Children may be purchasing more snack foods such as candy, chips, ice cream when they are away from home.

Ways you can stretch your food dollars this summer

Summer Food Service Program
This program provides free nutritious meals to low income students when school is not in session. In 2012, there were nearly 600 Summer School Food Service Programs in Minnesota. These programs provided over 2.2 million meals to children.
Summer meals may be served at the school, play grounds, community centers, Indian reservations, camps and other locations. Depending on the site, breakfast or lunch may be served. Some sites even serve breakfast, lunch, and a snack! What a great way to stretch the summer food dollar. To find out if there is a Summer Food Service Program in your area, call 612-516-3663.

Planning Ahead
Warm sunny days in Minnesota are great times to get outdoors and enjoy parks, beaches and pools. You may find you or family members would prefer to stay outside instead of being inside making meals. When you finally make it inside, you are hungry and don't feel like cooking so decide to order a pizza or eat out instead. This gets expensive.
It is helpful to plan ahead for the days you would prefer to be outside instead of in the kitchen. Keep foods on hand that are quick and easy to prepare. Spaghetti, salads, and cold meat sandwiches are quick and easy to make. Enjoy the wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to go along with any meal. For more ideas, check out The Recipe Box.

Snack Foods
Snack foods purchased at sporting events, concerts, the beach, or pool can be expensive. Keep a variety of healthy snacks foods in the car or by the door to "grab and go". A few ideas include trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, and crackers. Bring along your own water in a reusable water bottle. This will save you money and be good for the environment.

Eating healthy in the summer doesn't have to be expensive. Check into the resources in your community and remember to plan ahead for healthy meals and snacks.

Understanding the ways we are making a difference

2013-05-01T18:18:33Z

Who we are and what we do are relevant in the lives of over 70,000 Minnesotans. School-aged children to older adults connect with our county-based Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs). Together, they engage in one of 4,000+ interactive, research-based educational offerings annually through the SNAP-Ed program. Our program aims to improve the health and well-being of our participants by developing positive attitudes and skills around healthy food and lifestyle choices.

In order to understand the program effects and determine its impact, in 2011 we began to explore the program components that contribute to participant change. What are some ways, besides a participant survey, that program impact can be determined? Is our program able to create long term behavior change in those we serve? Can an educational program based on successful nutrition education implementation and programming be helpful in making these long term behavior changes?

]]> The Extension Center for Family Development adapted our evidence-informed program called Go Wild with Fruits and Vegetables to create an Optimal Learning Program for this study. The curriculum integrates content, activities, and take-homes:

Key health and nutrition content about fruits and vegetables
Activities designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary lifestyles
Take-home healthy lifestyle activities for participants to complete with their families.

Curriculum for each Go Wild with Fruits and Vegetables session included a manual, in-class activity, didactic materials, and a take-home activity.

We began with a study of youth participants Fall 2012. We targeted 3rd graders, the lowest grade level that programming normally begins, at twenty-three school sites across Minnesota. Our CNEs implemented the Go Wild program in half the schools in the fall (intervention), and will be delivering the program in the rest this spring (delayed control).

Our community collaborators have been collecting baseline, posttest, and follow-up data throughout the year:

Giving each student a pedometer to wear for a week
Administering a survey about how they've been eating and moving
Measuring heights and weights

Our final data collection point will be in the fall of 2013. Then we will be able to understand the changes on fruit and vegetable intake, as well as physical activity levels of students before, after, and several months after learning to Go Wild with Fruits and Vegetables.

For more about the Go Wild curriculum, visit our website. For more about the SNAP-Ed Impact Study, contact Kit Alviz at alviz002@umn.edu.

Creating Healthy and Active Celebrations

2013-05-01T05:00:26Z

Spring is here and so are celebrations such as graduations, weddings, birthdays, and family gatherings. These celebrations are a great opportunity for families and friends to get together. If you are hosting a party this spring, there are several things you can do to create healthy, active, and low cost celebrations.

]]> Healthy
Food is a big part of any celebration. The foods you serve at a party can be healthy, without your guests even knowing it. Here are a few simple, low cost ideas:

Raw vegetables
Fruit salad or melon balls
Baked beans
Baked chips
Low-fat milk
100% fruit juice mixed with club soda instead of soda pop

Create excitement at parties by trying new and different foods. Try grilled turkey or veggie burgers instead of the traditional hamburgers. Or sample foods from different cultures.

Cakes and dessert are usually parts of a celebration and can still be included in a healthy celebration. Lightly frost cakes or skip the frosting and top with fresh or frozen fruit. Another idea is to top ice cream with strawberries instead of cookies and caramel sauce. Whatever cake or dessert you serve, it is important to keep the serving small.

Make preparing a meal part of your party activates. Preparing homemade pizza can be fun and less expensive than ordering a pizza from a restaurant. You can make the crust from scratch or try refrigerated pizza dough. Refrigerated biscuit dough or English muffins can also be used to allow each guest to make their own mini pizza. Top the crust with pizza sauce and toppings such as lean ground beef or ground turkey, veggies, and cheese. To control the cost, limit pizza choices to 2-3 toppings.

Active
Being active makes everyone feel good. Keep your guests active during the celebration. For younger children, try traditional games such as Duck, Duck, Goose, Simon Says or tag. For older children and adults, take a walk instead of sitting and watch television. The University of Minnesota has more ideas on how to keep kids active.

Low Cost
To save money, try serving snacks or a "mini meal" instead of a full meal. Ideas may include a fruit kabob made from mandarin oranges, strawberries, and bananas, smoothies or small sandwiches. Save money by preparing less expensive snacks that will feed a lot of people such as watermelon slices or popcorn. For more low-cost recipe ideas, check out The Recipe Box from the University of Minnesota Extension

As you are getting ready for spring celebrations, try something new. The University of Minnesota Extension has an online recipe box filled with different foods, and activities can make the celebrations memorable. As you can see, parties can be a low cost, fun way to bring people together. For more tips on Healthy Celebrations, check out the USDA's Ten Tips to Healthy Celebrations fact sheet.

5 Steps to Cleaner Cabinets

2013-04-01T13:00:00Z

When was the last time you went through your kitchen cupboards? Are there some items on the top shelf that need to be used? Have other items worked their way to the back and been forgotten?

Follow our five step program to keep your kitchen cupboards fresh and healthy.

1. Take everything out
This will ensure that you don't miss anything and gives you the chance to sweep out dust and crumbs, and scrub any spills. Have your child help you pile everything on the kitchen table or counters.

]]> 2. Purge what's old
This is something kids can help with, too. Have them look for the "Use by" or "Best before" dates. If the "use by" date is past, the food may be unsafe to eat - discard it. If the "best before" date is past, the food is still safe to eat as long as it's not damaged or deteriorating, but it's past its peak. Work it into your menu plan soon. See the Storage section of Extension's Food Safety website for more details.

3. Sort the rest
Group like food items together: canned vegetables, fruits, beans and meats; cereals; grains; baking products like flour, sugar, and baking soda; and so on. This is another step where kids can get involved.

4. Relocate the goods
Where you store your food matters! Most nonperishable items should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Herbs and spices especially lose their flavor and color when exposed to air, light, moisture, and heat, so avoid storing them above or near the stove, dishwasher, microwave, or refrigerator. Keep flours and oils fresher longer by storing them in the refrigerator.

5. Clear the counters
Are your counters cluttered with kitchen appliances, snack foods, or dirty dishes? The clearer your counters are, the more likely you are to be inspired to cook. Find a home for kitchen appliances you don't use every day. Store snack foods out of sight in cupboards so that you and your family are less likely to eat them. Talk over expectations for washing dishes with your family so that the kitchen is an inviting place to be.

For more tips on cleaning out your cabinets, see the University of Nebraska's Cleaning the Kitchen Cupboard: Toss or Save? (510 K PDF)

Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day

2013-03-01T14:00:00Z

Download the calendar (121 K PDF)

If you've been following us on Facebook, you might have heard that March is National Nutrition Month®. This month is a perfect opportunity to take a look at your habits and see what small steps you can take toward better health.

We've made it easy for you: take our National Nutrition Month® Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day Challenge for thirty-one opportunities to make positive changes. You can print this page or this PDF, download a calendar, or follow us on Facebook. Included in the calendar and on our Facebook page are resources to help you complete some of the challenges. You may also find it helpful to dedicate a note book or computer file to recording your observations.
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This challenge is for you, so use the calendar however you want. Too busy to do every challenge? Just pick one or two days each week. Don't like a certain challenge? Skip it, modify it, or make your own. Think you'll need some help? Enlist a friend or family member to complete the challenges with you.

Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day
Friday, March 1	Calories count! Use our calorie calculator to find your number.
Saturday, March 2	Eat a dark, leafy green vegetable today.
Sunday, March 3	Plan ahead! Decide what to make for 2 meals this week. Write them down and post on the fridge.
Monday, March 4	Find a meatless main dish recipe and cook it for dinner.
Tuesday, March 5	Track how much water you drink today and save the record.
Wednesday, March 6	Clean out your fridge. Get rid of moldy and expired food.
Thursday, March 7	Write down everything you eat today. Do you make different choices?
Friday, March 8	Read a nutrition facts label. What is the serving size? How many calories are in 1 serving?
Saturday, March 9	Going to a party this weekend? Split a dessert with someone.
Sunday, March 10	Plan ahead! Decide what to make for 3 meals this week. Write them down and post on the fridge.
Monday, March 11	Make a main dish with quick-cooking lentils for dinner tonight.
Tuesday, March 12	Track how much water your drink today and compare to last week.
Wednesday, March 13	Clean out your pantry. Get rid of stale and expired food.
Thursday, March 14	Write down everything you eat today and compare it to last week.
Friday, March 15	Read a nutrition facts label. How many calories are from fat?
Saturday, March 16	Make a casserole for dinner tonight with extra veggies.
Sunday, March 17	Plan ahead! Decide what to make for 4 meals this week. Write them down and post on the fridge.
Monday, March 18	Make a main dish with beans for dinner tonight, using dry beans.
Tuesday, March 19	Set a goal for how much water you want to drink and track your intake. How did you do?
Wednesday, March 20	Clean out your kitchen drawers. Donate anything you haven't used in the past year.
Thursday, March 21	Write down everything you eat today. Are you noticing any patterns?
Friday, March 22	Read a nutrition facts label. How much fiber is in one serving?
Saturday, March 23	Find a healthy dessert recipe to try or make some healthy swaps to an old favorite.
Sunday, March 24	Plan ahead! Decide what to make for 5 meals this week. Write them down and post on the fridge.
Monday, March 25	Make a main dish with tofu for dinner tonight.
Tuesday, March 26	Set a goal for how much water you want to drink and track your intake. Tell a friend how you did.
Wednesday, March 27	Clean out your kitchen cabinets. Donate any pots, pans, bowls, or plates you haven't used in the past year.
Thursday, March 28	Write down everything you eat today. Do you notice any patterns?
Friday, March 29	Read a nutrition facts label. How much sodium is in one serving?
Saturday, March 30	Going to a party this weekend? Eat a healthy snack before you go.
Sunday, March 31	Write down all the meals you planned this month. Use the list to plan menus for April.

Canned Food, 3 Ways

2013-02-01T14:00:00Z

February is Canned Food Month! Canned food can be a great way to save money or time on items that are more expensive or labor intensive when fresh. The nutritional value of canned foods is often similar to fresh or frozen foods, but there are some things to watch out for.

Fruits

Canned is a great way to enjoy fruits when they're not in season. Fruit is packed in water, juice, or syrup. Syrup adds a lot of unwanted calories from sugar. A cup of pears in heavy syrup has 33 grams of sugar, even when drained. Compare that to a cup of pears in water, which has 15 grams sugar.

Bottom line: Choose fruits packed in water or juice, and drain fruits packed in syrup.

]]> Vegetables

Canned vegetables can be an easy way to add servings of veggies to you meals, but watch out for the sodium, or salt content. Unless you choose low- or no-sodium options, you will be getting too much sodium. For example, a half-cup of canned green beans has 200 milligrams (mg) of sodium. Compare that to a cup of fresh greens beans, which has almost no sodium. Most people have a 2000mg sodium budget per day - it doesn't make sense to spend ten percent of your sodium budget on just one serving of vegetables.

Bottom line: When choosing canned vegetables, look for "low-sodium" or "no salt added" on the label, and compare brands to find the lowest sodium option. When preparing canned vegetables, drain and heat in water.

Beans and Meat

Canned beans and meats are helpful when you don't have much time for meal preparation. Just like canned vegetables, though, canned beans and meats are high in sodium. A cup of canned chicken has 275mg sodium, compared to a cup of skinless chicken breast, which has 100mg.

Bottom line: When choosing canned beans or meats, look for "low-sodium" or "no salt added" on the label, and compare brands to find the lowest sodium option. When preparing canned beans or meat, drain and rinse before using in a recipe.

Food Safety

Canning foods is a way of safely preserving them for months or years. Canned food can expire, however, so be sure to check expiration dates before using. Also, never use food from containers that are leaking, bulging, or deeply dented, or that spurts liquid when opening. These are signs of botulism, which is rare, but toxic. Don't taste it, just toss it!

For more on using canned foods, search the online recipes at Mealtime.org. Read more about storing canned food from the Food Safety Team.

Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency

2013-01-01T14:00:00Z

A blizzard or loss of power from weather-related causes could put the safety of food in your home at risk. Learn the "ABCDs" of emergency food safety to reduce possible food loss and the risk of foodborne illness.

ABCD's of Keeping Food Safe in an Emergency

Always keep meat, poultry, fish, and eggs refrigerated at or below 40°F and frozen food at or below 0°F. When the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. This will maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if the door stays closed. A full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours if the door stays closed (24 hours if it's half full).
Be prepared for an emergency by having items on hand that don't require refrigeration and can be eaten cold.
Consider what you can do ahead of time to store your food safely in an emergency. Coolers are a great help for keeping food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Have a couple on hand along with frozen gel packs. When your freezer is not full, keep items close together. This helps the food stay cold longer.
Digital, dial, or instant-read food thermometers and appliance thermometers will help you know if the food is at safe temperatures.

]]> Even if it is very cold out, don't put food from the refrigerator or freezer out in the snow. The outside temperature may change from hour to hour, and direct sunlight may warm the food. What you can do instead is make ice in empty buckets, milk cartons, and cans, and use them in your refrigerator, freezer, or cooler.

You may find it hard to throw away food after an emergency. But remember that if the food is dangerous to eat, you may spend more on medical bills or lost time from work because of a foodborne illness than it would cost to replace the food.

Remember, never taste a food to decide whether it is safe to eat! How the food looks or smells is an unreliable sign of safety. To help you decide what to keep and what needs to be thrown away, see these "When to Save, When to Throw Out" charts for Refrigerated Foods and Frozen Foods.

For a full fact sheet and the answers to frequently asked questions, see Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency.

Eat "Around the Clock" for Portion Control

2012-12-01T14:00:00Z

Whether you're at a holiday gathering, or out enjoying a restaurant's buffet, keeping portions under control is a challenge. With a little planning, however, it can be as easy as telling time.

Choose the smallest plate size available. This will automatically make your portions smaller while making it look like you're getting a lot.

Look at the plate as though it had a clock face on it.

From the noon to 6 o'clock position, fill it as high as you want with fruits and vegetables: raw veggies from a veggie plate, carrot coins, peas, or fruit salad.

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Fill the 6 to 8 o'clock position with a high-fiber, low-fat grain option such as a whole wheat dinner roll, pita bread, or pretzels.

For the next couple of "hours," you have two choices. You can either choose a lean protein such as turkey or chicken for the whole 8 to 10 o'clock slot, or you can split it up between a dip (from 8 to 9) and nuts (from 9 to 10).

The 10 to midnight slot is reserved for one sweet treat. Remember, the holiday season is long, and chances are you'll get to eat sweets again soon, so don't feel pressured to eat a lot at any one occasion.

Now you are ready to eat "around the clock"! Start at "noon" with the high-fiber fruits and veggies you selected. Work clockwise and take time to enjoy each section. Once you get to "midnight," your one sweet treat is more likely to stay that - just one!

To learn more about portion control, visit the Healthy and Fit on the Go section of the Health and Nutrition website and look for "Portion Power," or learn how to right-size your portions.

Rethinking Holiday Meals

2012-11-01T13:00:00Z

The holiday season can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to. Keep these tips in mind to help focus your holiday gatherings on what's important: the health and well-being of family and friends.

Set an example for family and friends. Choose foods for good taste and health.
Think about people, not food. Food and drink are only part of the event. Make choosing foods easy.
Make it easy for guests to select healthy choices by offering new foods along with familiar ones.
Create excitement by trying new and different foods and activities, while keeping some old favorites. Add new ingredients to a favorite recipe, or serve a new side dish with a well-liked main dish.
Boost the festive look of foods by sprinkling shredded coconut, sliced almonds, green onions, or herbs on foods.

Want to serve a feast without breaking the bank? Healthy, Thrifty Holiday Cooking is for you! This website connects you with recipes for main dishes, sides, salads, and desserts that you can feel confident feeding to your family.

If you plan to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, visit Turkey Basics on the Food Safety website. There you will find information on what size of a turkey to purchase, a cooking chart, guidelines on washing and thawing your bird, and more.

Food Safety Refresher

2012-10-01T13:00:00Z

Because you can't tell if food is done by how it looks, it is important to use a food thermometer when cooking. Here are a few reminders:

Always cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature.

Picture adapted from Is It Done Yet? magnet

Always place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from bone and fat to check the temperature.
Cook leftovers to 165° F.
When cooking in a microwave oven, stir, cover, and rotate food for even cooking. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature in the food in several places.

Visit the "Is it Done Yet?" website for more information on food thermometers. Learn more about Safe Meals from the Food Safety Team.