February is heart month, a time to consider including foods in your diet that will benefit your heart. Much has been in the media during the last few years about the positive heart health benefits of blueberries, red wine and dark chocolate. According to research, the compounds responsible for the positive effects are called flavonoids, which occur naturally in food.
Flavonoids that promote heart health fall into six major categories. One category is flavonols and those are found in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables. This is another good reason to consume these foods. An example of a good food source for flavonols is one cup of kale, which contains 62 milligrams of flavonols.
Another category, anthocyanindins, gives fruits and vegetables their red, blue or purple color and protects the body from free radicals. To get the most benefit from anthocyanindins, it is best to consume fruits and vegetables in their raw or fresh state. One cup of fresh cranberries contain 101 milligrams of anthocyanindins. Cranberry sauce has a much lower amount of anthocyanindins.
Do you have a child or grandchild who eats meals at school? Do they come home hungry and complain about the meals they are served? Have you taken any time to explain how the lunchroom food choices are made? If not, it may be time to have that conversation.
The 2012 school year brought major changes to the meals children eat at school. The new standards are major components of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and they were the first major changes to school nutrition in 15 years. You know the statistics….one-third of America’s school-age children are overweight or obese and at higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, poor academic performance, and behavioral problems before they reach adulthood. These risks increase for low-income children who do not participate in federally-funded nutrition programs because they have to rely on their family’s limited resources. All of these conditions reflect in the food choices youth are making. The new school lunch meal standards may be the first step in reducing these statistics.
Take some time to remind your children or grandchildren there is a reason they are fed what they are offered in the cafeteria and the staff serves items that are nutritionally balanced and, if eaten, should provide for growth and a sharp attitude in the classroom.
Here are some key points to share. School meals are:
High in nutrients and adequate in calories
An appropriate balance between food groups
Based on the latest nutritional science
Intended to provide one-fourth of students’ daily calorie needs for breakfast and 1/3 for lunch
Reflective of the different nutritional requirements for each age
More nutritious foods because they consist of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and fewer foods containing sodium and fat
Providing fat-free milk (unflavored or flavored), 1% low-fat milk (unflavored), or a milk alternative. When did children decide that milk had to be flavored to be tasty? We need to turn this idea around; there is a great deal of sugar in flavored milk!
Offering students options to eliminate waste
The best way to lessen waste is to not have any of the food thrown away. UF/IFAS programs in many schools (Family Nutrition Program (FNP) and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)) offer food samples of unfamiliar foods and discussions of their value to increase student acceptance. This also is a parent’s job. Look over the school lunch menu, discuss it with your children, encourage them to try everything served, and request second servings if they remain hungry. Offer taste tests at home. Improving the way students view the food being served can make a big difference.
Are you familiar with MyPlate? Your children might be. Review it with them and contact your county Extension office if you need clarification on any aspect of it.
Encourage your children’s nutritional health. Remember, the goal of the changes in the school cafeteria is to improve children’s health; when followed correctly, the new meal standards make school meals healthier with the potential to improve children’s health. As a parent, you share in the responsibility to make this happen. Thanks for assisting us in ensuring the positive nutritional status of our children!!
Eat, drink, be happy and be healthy this holiday season. My favorite holidays are just around the corner. It is an exciting time to be with family and friends. There is usually lots of food that may come with lots of calories and carbohydrates. Are you wondering how to survive this holiday season without adding more calories and carbohydrates to your diet?
The first thing to keep in mind is to plan your meals to help keep your diabetes management on track. Persons with diabetes should space out their carbohydrate intake throughout the day. Fruits, starchy vegetables, dairy foods, and grain foods all contain carbohydrates. Eating the right amount of carbohydrates throughout the day will help you control your blood glucose levels. The Idaho Plate method of meal planning is one of many tools to help control carbohydrates while recommending at least one-half your plate consist of vegetables. More information on the Idaho Plate can be found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy334 .
If you going to a party or eating at a friend or relative’s home and the meal time is around your normal dinner time, try to eat the same amount of carbohydrate that you normally would eat. You may ask your host if you can bring a covered dish. If so, take your favorite low carbohydrate dish to share.
Avoid or limit the amount of sugary drinks like soda, fruit punch or drinks, sweet tea and eggnog. These drinks raises blood glucose and can provide lots of calories in one serving. For example, one cup of fruit punch contains 100 calories or more and at least 30 grams of carbohydrate; and, one cup of eggnog may have as many as 344 calories and more than 34 grams of carbohydrates. A much better choice is to choose diet or other low-calorie drinks that are available in several flavors. Remember, water is a much healthier choice and has no calories.
Fill up on salad first. Filling up on salad or other raw veggies will fill you up without lots of calories.
Don’t forget to focus on conversation. Make an effort to meet new friends or circulate with those you know instead of eyeing the food.
Stay active this holiday season. Put yourself on your gift list by treating yourself to a personal trainer, fitness class series or membership to a gym.
Learn more about how you can enjoy eating healthy as a diabetic this holiday season by contacting your local UF/IFAS Extension Office .
It’s time to start getting backpacks ready, lunches packed and kids off to school. Back to school time is the perfect time to start packing a healthier lunchbox. Packing your child’s lunch may contribute to the difficulties of getting out the door in the morning but it does not have to. You know your child better than anyone, their likes and dislikes, so go with what you know.
The first step to packing a lunch is to determine how much food is enough for your child. You will know you did not pack enough when they come home and tell you they ate all their food and are still hungry. Likewise, if you pack too much, you will know by seeing uneaten or half-eaten items in their lunch box at the end of the day. Start by packing between 3 and 6 items. They will have enough variety in their lunch box to sustain them throughout the school day without too much waste. MyPlate.gov is a great resource for building a balanced meal (protein, vegetable, fruit, grain, dairy).
Secondly, pack as much as you can the night before. This will decrease morning stress. Cut up fruits and vegetables and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cut up fresh ingredients for sandwiches, if required. Make up cracker or dried fruit packs. Wrap up home-baked treats and place in the lunch box.
Lastly, keep in mind this food safety tip: Include gel ice packs to keep refrigerated food cold. Refrigerated food shouldn’t be above 40 degrees for more than 4 hours due to increased bacterial growth causing possible illness.
Lunchbox Meal Ideas:
1.) Wheat crackers, cheese cubes, deli meat, strawberries/blueberries, snap peas (with their favorite dipping sauce*)
2.) Mini quiche, carrots, celery with peanut butter and raisins, whole fruit (pear, orange, banana)
*Want something to dip kid-friendly veggies in besides ranch? Try low-fat Greek yogurt, hummus, or this cottage cheese veggie dip:
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
Enjoy with baby carrots, snow/snap peas, bell pepper strips
Snack Ideas:
1.) Whole wheat pita cut into wedges with 2 tablespoons hummus for dip
2.) Trail mix: mix 20 almonds, miniature box of raisins, and ¼ cup sunflower seeds
For additional information on creating nutritious meals, contact your local Extension office.
Use colorful foods and interesting shapes to make lunches fun! Photo credit: Jen Bradshaw
Lunch, that is. Yes, it’s back to school time. Whether the words “back to school” make you happy or sad, it is that time of year. One thing we can agree on, though, is that a healthy, safe, attractive lunch our kids will actually eat makes everyone happy. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re packing school lunches this year.
Healthy – Be sure to use foods from all five food groups:
Fruits and Vegetables – Just like MyPlate, try to fill up half the lunchbox with fruits and veggies. Buy in season to be more economical. Use fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. All forms count. A variety of fruits and vegetables looks more appealing and adds loads of nutrients.
Grains – a variety of breads, tortillas, pitas, crackers, popcorn, rice, etc. – try to make at least half your grains whole to get the healthiest benefits.
Lean proteins – turkey breast, tuna in water, peanut butter, and bean dip are all healthy choices.
Low- or no-fat dairy – provide everything they need to make a parfait – low- or no-fat yogurt with a couple of drops of vanilla, fruit, and low-fat granola. A thermos of milk or a string cheese stick works great.
Safe – Keep cold foods like lunch meat and yogurt cold by adding freezer gel packs to the lunch box. Keep hot food, like soup, hot by using an insulated container in an insulated lunch box. For more information on safely packing food to be eaten later, check out http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/food-safety/packing-food-safely
Attractive and Fun – Create a theme in the lunchbox. Try: a rainbow of colors, a favorite sport, the circus, shapes, animals, things that are crunchy, or all the foods from a certain country. Cut sandwiches into shapes using cookie cutters. Since we eat with our eyes, use fun containers of different colors and shapes to hold food. Put in chopsticks, straws, and napkins with fun designs for something different. Get the kids to help you. They’re a pretty creative bunch if you give them the chance. And most kids who help make their own meal are proven to be better eaters. And whenever you can, include special notes to let them know you care.
Are you getting ready to start packing lunches? Make them healthy, safe, and fun. You and the kids will both be so glad you did. For additional information on packing lunches, contact your local Extension Office.
