by Melanie Taylor | Dec 11, 2015
The holidays are often filled with time-honored traditions that include some of our favorite meals and foods. As you celebrate, think of little changes you can make this holiday season to create healthier meals and active days. An added bonus, these small changes may help you to avoid those extra holiday pounds we all fear each year. Happy Cooking!
In the Kitchen:
• For gravies or sauces — if you are making pan gravy, first skim the fat off pan drippings. For cream or white sauces, use fat-free (skim) milk and soft tub or liquid margarine.
• For dressings or stuffing — add low-sodium broth or pan drippings with the fat skimmed off instead of lard or butter. Use herbs and spices and a whole grain bread for added flavor.
• For biscuits — use vegetable oil instead of lard or butter and fat-free (skim) milk or 1 percent buttermilk instead of regular milk.
• For greens — use skin-free smoked turkey, liquid smoke, fat-free bacon bits, or low-fat bacon instead of fatty meats.
• For sweet potato pie — mash sweet potato with orange juice concentrate, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and only one egg. Leave out the butter.
• For cakes, cookies, quick breads, and pancakes — use egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Two egg whites can be substituted in many recipes for one whole egg.
• Use unsweetened applesauce or mashed ripe bananas instead of butter.
• Try cutting the amount of sugar listed in recipes in half.
• Use spices to add flavor such as cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg instead of salt.
• Try baked apples with cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar instead of apple pie.
• Invite your guests to make their own parfait with colorful sliced fruit and low-fat yogurt.
For meats and poultry (chicken and turkey):
• Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
• Take off poultry skin before eating.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Chill meat and poultry broth until fat becomes solid. Skim off fat before using the broth.
• Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds fat and calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
When Shopping:
• Start with a lean choice.
• The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (round eye, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
• The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choice.
Use the food label to help you choose
• Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.
• Processed meats such as hams, sausages, frankfurters, and luncheon or deli meats have added sodium. Check the ingredient and Nutrition Facts label to help limit sodium intake.
• Fresh chicken, turkey, and pork that have been enhanced with a salt-containing solution also have added sodium. Check the product label for statements such as “self-basting” or “contains up to __% of __.”
• Lower fat versions of many processed meats are available. Look on the Nutrition Facts label to choose products with less fat and saturated fat.
De-Saturate
• Use a nonstick pan with vegetable cooking oil spray or a small amount of liquid vegetable oil instead of lard, butter, shortening, or other fats that are solid at room temperature.
Enjoy the Food, Fun, Friends and Family!
Cheers to Good Health
• Quench your thirst with low-calorie options. Drink water with lemon or lime slices. Offer seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.
Be the Life of the Party
• Laugh, mingle, dance, and play games. Focus on fun and enjoy the company of others.
Give to Others
• Spend time providing foods or preparing meals for those who may need a little help. Give food to a local food bank or volunteer to serve meals at a shelter during the holiday season. Giving back is a great mood booster.
Make Exercise a Part of the Fun
• Make being active part of your holiday tradition. Have fun walking and talking with family and friends after a holiday meal. Give gifts that encourage others to practice healthy habits such as workout DVDs, running shoes, and reusable water bottles.
Enjoy the Leftovers
• Create delicious new meals with your leftovers. Add turkey to soups or salads. Use extra veggies in omelets, sandwiches, or stews. The possibilities are endless!
Be sure your family and friends enjoy the food and fun, but focus on the time together. Remember this season is all about the memories, not just the food. You will feel better and enjoy your holiday time with less worry if you focus on staying healthy this season.
Source: USDA United States Department of Agriculture – www.MyPlate.gov
by Melanie Taylor | Oct 16, 2015
Civic engagement is a broad term that describes the process developing the knowledge, skills, and motivation to improve the quality of life in a community, through either political or non-political processes. Thomas Ehrlich, the author of Civic Engagement and Higher Education, states “a morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate.” “Developing youth who take interest in understanding social and community issues is a fundamental philosophy of 4-H. This interest is a learned behavior and is best approached by meeting the youth where they are, rather than club leaders prescribing citizenship opportunities for them,” shares Stacey Ellison, the 4-H Regional Specialized 4-H Agent providing leadership for civic engagement. “To find that out, ask youth what are they interested in? What concerns them about their community? How do they see themselves as part of the solution?” A great resource for helping club leaders facilitate these types of discussions is the 4-H Civic Engagement Guide for Afterschool Clubs.
How do 4-H parents and volunteers know if they are “doing” civic engagement in their club? You know you are on the right track when civic engagement opportunities:
- Provide meaningful service that directly relates to community or youth needs.http://www.4-h.org/about/youth-development-research/positive-youth-development-study/
- Provide supervision by caring adults who have been screening and oriented to their roles.
- Teach critical skills, such as subject matter knowledge or skills (babysitting, CPR, etc.) and/or life skills like problem solving, leadership, teamwork and life skills
- Foster youth adult partnerships. Meaningful youth engagement views youth as equal partners with adults in the decision-making process. Programs and activities are developed with youth, rather than for youth. In this kind of equal partnership, both adults and young people need to be fully engaged, open to change in how things are done, and share a unified vision for the partnership.
- Adults and stakeholders view youth as a resource. Youth programs are strengthened when they involve and engage youth as equal partners, ultimately providing benefits both for the program and for the involved youth. Positive youth development also has its origins in the field of prevention. In the past, prevention efforts typically focused on single problems before they surfaced in youth, such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse and juvenile delinquency.
- Celebrate success and recognize youth (ex: 4-H Awards & Recognition Programs, 4-H program awards, ribbons, plaques, etc.)
Youth can provide added energy, ideas, and value to organizations through youth volunteering efforts. Stacey shares one of the easiest ways for clubs to get involved and have an impact in not only their community, but statewide: “One of our biggest impacts in Florida 4-H has been through our annual state service projects. While clubs across the state undoubtedly have tremendous local success in various projects, the state project seeks to join the efforts of all Florida 4-Hers to benefit one particular cause. With more than 230,000 4-H members working towards the same cause- we can make tremendous impact on the state of Florida! This year’s state 4-H service project is, “Clothing the World.” This is a project selected by the youth members of our Florida 4-H Executive Board State Project committee. The youth saw a need to provide for one of the most basic needs of people around the world- clothing. Clubs are encouraged to conduct their own clothes drives and volunteer with like-purposed charitable organizations to benefit their local communities.”
Civic engagement is major factor in 4-H positive youth development. The Tufts Study on Positive Youth Development found that compared to their peers, 4-H’ers are:four times more likely to make contributions to their communities and two times more likely to be civically active. If you would like to help Florida 4-H grow the next generation of civically engaged young adults, consider becoming a volunteer. Visit http://florida4h.org/volunteer or contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office for more information.
Resources: www.florida4h.org/, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc073 (EDIS Publication #AEC392 – Learning by Doing: Utilizing Service-Learning Projects), www.youth.gov, www.IndependentSector.org
by Melanie Taylor | Sep 11, 2015
Packing the kids’ lunches for school means you know which nutritious foods they are eating. Here are some budget-friendly, creative ideas to keep kids happy and healthy at lunchtime.
Make a “Smarter” Sandwich:
While some kids prefer the same thing every day, others may be okay with a slight switch to their sandwich.
- Use different breads like 100% whole wheat tortilla wraps (choose wraps low in saturated and made with no hydrogenated oils) or 100% whole wheat pita pockets.
- Besides lettuce, try shredded carrots or avocado slices with a turkey sandwich.
- Buy blocks of low fat, low-sodium cheeses. You save money when you slice it yourself. Or use a cookie cutter to cut into fun shapes.
- Instead of lunch meat, try a leftover grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato.
Love Those Leftovers:
Try using the leftovers from the family dinner for the next day’s lunch. Invest in a thermos to keep foods hot or cold until lunchtime.
- Low-sodium tomato, vegetable or bean soups
- Chili made with lean or extra lean ground turkey
- Whole wheat spaghetti with low sodium tomato sauce
- Low-sodium baked beans, bean casserole or beans & rice
Let Them Dunk:
Sometimes it is okay to let your kids play with their food, especially when they are getting extra nutrition.
- Apple and pear slices to dip into low-fat plain yogurt mixed with peanut butter.
- Carrot, celery and sweet pepper strips to dip into hummus, fresh salsa or homemade bean dip.
- Whole grain crackers (choose crackers low in sodium and saturated fat and made without hydrogenated oils) to dunk into low-sodium vegetable or tomato soup.
- Unsalted sunflower seeds, crushed whole wheat cereal and sliced banana to mix into low fat vanilla yogurt (no added sugars) to eat with a spoon like a sundae.
Get Them Involved:
While letting kids in the kitchen might mean a bigger mess, if they help pack their own lunch, they are more likely to eat it! On nights you have a bit more time, like a Sunday night, have them choose which piece of fruit or what type of whole grain bread they want and let them assemble their lunch. Make this a weekly routine – it’s another great way to spend family time together.
For more heart healthy lunch tips visit: www.heart.org
by Melanie Taylor | Aug 15, 2015
As summer break comes to a close, many children will be experiencing changes in their school experience at an entirely new school. Be sure to make the transition as easy as possible by talking with your child about the positive experiences they may have this new school year. Below are a few tips on how to help you and your child adjust to such a big change with the least amount of stress.
Introduce yourselves to the new school:
• Make sure that the new school expects you: register your child before the first day of class
• If possible, visit your child’s new school: try to meet the office staff, principal, and teachers before the transition to establish a personal connection and to help them prepare for your child’s arrival
• Some schools have “welcome packets” to give to new families; if not, try to get basic information, such as what time the school day begins and ends, the procedure for lunch (can your child buy lunch, does the school provide snacks, etc.), transportation procedures (what’s the bus schedule), and information about health services and emergency procedures
• Try to meet other school families; if you have an elementary school-aged child, see if you can arrange a “play date” with another child in the same grade (preferably before the first day of school.)
• Become involved in your child’s new school. Consider joining the PTA, or volunteering at the school; the more involved you are, the more your child will feel like his or her school is important to you and the more connected he or she will feel.
Help your child adjust:
• Make sure your child understands the reasons for changing schools; if you have an older child, try to give him or her as much “advance notice” as possible so that he or she will have time to adjust to the idea
• If time allows, show your child his or her new school and the surrounding neighborhood; see if you can arrange for a student to show your child around the school and introduce him or her to teachers and staff; some schools have a “buddy system” or other ways of helping your child meet other children in the school
• Make sure the school has what it needs to make the best decisions concerning your child’s classroom placement and academic and social needs; confirm that the new school has obtained your child’s educational, health, and other relevant records
• Be patient. It is perfectly normal for a child to feel anxious, scared, or irritable during times of transition. Let your child know that you understand that this is difficult; take the time to listen to his or her concerns, and spend time together while your child develops new school connections and friendships
• Stick to your routine. If rapid changes have left your child upset, knowing what’s expected at home can provide a comforting calmness. Encourage your child to feel good during this stressful time: encourage (or enforce) a schedule including a regular bedtime and a healthy breakfast.
• If your child had a negative experience at his or her last school, speak positively about the fresh opportunity that the new school presents. Help your child develop new goals for school success
• If your child is young, or is particularly nervous, consider accompanying him or her to school for the first few days
• Encourage your child to become involved in school activities, sports, or after school clubs
• Make sure your child has what he or she needs for the first day of school (ask the school for a classroom supply list.) This will make your child feel more included on the first day.
• Help your child identify something good about his or her new school, and offer comfort and reassurance that adjusting to a new school takes time.
One of the most important steps as a parent is to realize that moving to a new school is a very big deal for many children. There may be a few bumps in the road along the way, but remember to be patient, understanding and there for your child and he or she will eventually adjust. This adjustment could take up to 6 weeks. If the adjustment continues to be struggle after several months be sure to consult with a school counselor to help with any further assistance.
Do you have a skill or passion that you would like to teach the next generation? Consider becoming a 4-H volunteer. 4-H offers a wide variety of opportunities for volunteers to make a difference in their community, or even at their school. Next week, our blog post will focus on ways that you can volunteer through 4-H school programs. To find out more about volunteer opportunities, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org/volunteers.
by Melanie Taylor | Jul 31, 2015
Stay hydrated to beat the heat!
Summer is in full swing and our part of the country is very hot. When the temperature rises, proper hydration is extra important. You need to provide your body with the fluid that it needs to stay healthy. Water regulates many different body processes, including body temperature, digestion, and heart rate. It also cushions and protects our internal organs and joints. When we do not get enough of it, our bodies can suffer. We lose water from our bodies every time we breathe, sweat, or urinate. In fact, it’s estimated that you can lose up to 4 cups of water during an hour of exercise in the heat. This water loss can lead to dehydration.
Signs of dehydration include:
- Little or no urine, or dark urine
- Dizziness, or lightheaded feeling
- Dry mouth
- Sleepiness or fatigue
- Extreme thirst
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid pulse
- Headache
- Confusion
- Cramping
Ultimately, dehydration can lead to extreme thirst, confusion, heat stroke, loss of consciousness, and death. So, how can you manage staying hydrated in the heat of summer? One of the key answers is not to wait until you are thirsty. Drink water regularly! Food can also provide some of the water you need every day- especially food like watermelon, soup, milk, lettuce, and strawberries. Sugar-sweetened sports drinks or beverages with added minerals, vitamins, or electrolytes are NOT necessary unless you are a competitive athlete or in heavy training for an athletic event.
Tips for staying hydrated:
- Keep a bottle of water with you during the day. Purchasing bottled water is expensive and creates plastic bottle waste. Carry a reusable water bottle and fill it from the tap instead.
- If you do not like the taste of plain water, try adding a slice of lemon, lime, or another type of fruit to your drink.
- Be sure to drink water before, during, and after a workout.
- When you are feeling hungry, drink water. Thirst is often confused with hunger. True hunger will not be satisfied by drinking water.
- If you have trouble remembering to drink water, drink on a schedule. For example, drink water when you wake up; at breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and when you go to bed. Or drink a small glass of water at the beginning of each hour.
- Drink water when you go to a restaurant. It will keep you hydrated, and it is free!
Be safe this summer and stay hydrated, so you will enjoy your outdoor time. Also, remind you family and friends to drink water too. You will all feel better and have more fun!
