by Dorothy C. Lee | Aug 22, 2013
Fuel your brain with a healthy, balanced breakfast.
Waking up is hard enough to do, but it is especially difficult for people who are not “morning” people, who would like to avoid that time of day altogether, and who don’t generally want breakfast. Nevertheless, the sun is still going to rise, people still have to get up, and breakfast still is the most important meal of the day. Because traditional meals play a significant role in providing daily recommended levels of essential nutrients, nutritionists often cite breakfast as the day’s most important meal and as the foundation of healthy eating habits.
Despite these recommendations, millions of Americans, in the rush to get to work, school, and other activities, often skip breakfast, thinking there is not enough time to prepare and eat a good well-balanced morning meal. Studies show that eating habits developed during childhood have the potential to last a lifetime, and children who tend to omit breakfast will likely continue this dietary habit well into adulthood. Studies also have shown that eating breakfast is associated with improved strength and endurance throughout the day and a better attitude toward school or work.
The role of breakfast in helping children perform at peak levels in the classroom was first documented more than 45 years ago at the University of Iowa Medical College. Researchers found that children who skipped breakfast had trouble concentrating at school and often became inattentive, irritable, restless, and fatigued by late morning—all behaviors counterproductive to learning. The behaviors were linked to low blood sugar levels which had not been replenished by a morning meal.
Breakfast helps to replenish blood glucose levels, which is important since the brain itself has no reserves of glucose, its main energy source. Sustained mental activity requires a large turnover of brain glucose and its metabolic components. After a fast of eight or nine hours, refueling at breakfast will make you feel and perform better during the day.
Here are some quick tips to help you avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper:
- No time? Build a breakfast around foods that are ready-to-eat or take little preparation time. For example: fresh and canned fruits; milk; yogurt; cheese; cottage cheese; ready-to-eat cold cereals; fruit smoothies; and instant breakfast mixes.
- Take it to go. Try celery stuffed with a meat or cheese spread or peanut butter; dried fruits; vegetable juices; or yogurt.
- Perk up cereals. Top cereals with fruit or stir chopped nuts, such as walnuts or almonds, into cooked cereals. Try adding dried fruit or granola.
- Not hungry yet? Drink juice or a fruit smoothie. Something is better than nothing! Have some bread or crackers later in the morning, then drink some milk and eat some cheese, an egg, or some peanut butter.
- Don’t skip breakfast if you’re on a diet. There is no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, studies show that most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. Some may even unintentionally select more calorie-dense foods.
Balanced breakfast choices can help provide the healthy edge needed for optimal physical and cognitive performance for children as well as adults. For those who don’t yet eat breakfast, it’s never too late to wake up to a healthy start!
For more breakfast suggestions, check out Breakfast Ideas and Breakfast on the Go.
Reference: United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service
by Kendra Hughson | Aug 9, 2013
Arriving home after work, the race against the clock begins. I have only two hours to get dinner on the table and to get my family fed, bathed, and in bed. But, what do I make for dinner? I need something that is quick, easy, and my family will eat.
Use a slow cooker to have dinner ready when you get home.
Preparing healthy meals at home doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Planning will go a long way to help save you time. Good nutrition doesn’t just happen; you have to plan for it. Start by creating a weekly meal calendar and shopping list. This will help you save time and money. For mealtime emergencies, keep a well-stocked pantry and plenty of frozen fruits and vegetable on hand in the freezer.
- Choose foods with faster cooking times: ground meat, tender cuts, chops, or fish. Vegetables and meat cut into small pieces will cook very quickly in a stir-fry. Canned and frozen vegetables make quick side dishes.
- Make extra food when you have time. On weekends, make double or triple batches to stock your freezer with main dishes. Soups, sauces, and casseroles work well to freeze for later use. Cook dried beans, meat, and pasta to freeze for use in meals during the week.
- One-dish meals like fajitas, salads, sandwiches, and casseroles are a great way to include a variety of nutritious foods at dinner time. Use a slow cooker to have dinner ready when you get home. One-dish meals save time on clean-up, too.
- Save time and money by incorporating “planned-overs” into your menus. Pack leftovers for lunches the next day. Use leftover chicken in salads, soups, quesadillas, or pasta dishes.
Preparing healthy meals may take some planning and effort but can be quick and easy. Now, if I could just figure out what to do about my picky eater…
To learn more about healthy cooking, sign up for the Fabulous Foods cooking series beginning in August. For more information about the cooking class or making healthy meals, contact the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension office at 850-606-5200 or contact Kendra Zamojski at Hughson@ufl.edu
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Create Your Own Casserole or One-Dish Meal:
It is easy to make a casserole or one-dish meal with items that you have on hand. Choose one or more ingredient(s) from each of the following categories:
- 1½ to 2 cups cooked or canned meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dried beans, peas
- 1½ cups vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, broccoli, peas, cabbage)
- 1 to 1½ cups cubed bread, cooked rice, or pasta
- 1 to 1½ cups liquid ingredients (e.g. cream soup, tomato soup or sauce, cheese sauce, white sauce, evaporated milk, or shredded cheese plus milk)
- Other optional ingredients for flavor (e.g. onion, spices, herbs)
Mix ingredients thoroughly and cook in the oven or on the stove top. If you cook in the oven, place the ingredients in a covered casserole dish and add optional toppings, such as bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Uncover the last 15 minutes to brown the topping. Serve hot.
If you cook this one-dish meal on the stove top, place the ingredients in a large skillet. Simmer until bubbly. An optional topping of Parmesan cheese or croutons can be added to each serving. Serve hot.
by Angela Hinkle | Jul 2, 2013
Colorful vegetables contain phytochemicals to help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Eat more vegetables for your health
Vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. When included as part of a well-balanced diet and a healthy active lifestyle, vegetables can help: lower your cholesterol, reduce obesity and maintain a healthy weight, and lower your blood pressure. Vegetables contain phytochemicals that help to lower risk of diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
What foods are in the vegetable group?
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as being in the vegetable group. Vegetables can be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Based on their nutrient content, vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups*:
- Dark green like broccoli or spinach
- Starchy like corn or potatoes
- Red & orange like carrots or red peppers
- Peas & dried beans (these can also be the protein group) like black beans or kidney beans
- Other like green beans and onions
*For a more inclusive list, go to: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables.html
Helpful tips to eat more veggies
- Make it easy. Pick up pre-washed bags of salad greens. Buy bagged baby carrots or celery sticks.
- Keep meals interesting – vary your veggie choices.
- Buy fresh vegetables in season. They cost less and are likely to taste their best.
- Stock up on frozen veggies for quick and easy cooking in the microwave.
- Try your vegetables crunchy, raw, or lightly steamed.
- For lunch, have a main dish salad (go easy on the salad dressing).
- Make a vegetable main dish like a soup or vegetable stir-fry. Then add foods from the other four food groups to complement it.
- Shred carrots or zucchini into meatloaf, casseroles, breads, muffins, and spaghetti sauce.
- Include more green salads with your lunches and dinners.
- For more flavor and nutrients, use pureed, cooked veggies like potatoes to thicken soups, stews, and gravies.
- Load the veggies onto pizzas and into omelets.
- Grilled vegetables like eggplant are terrific. Use mushrooms, green peppers, and onions to make kabobs.
Make veggies more enticing
- Color, color, color – orange carrots, purple shredded cabbage, red or green peppers, white cauliflower, yellow squash. How many colors can you add?
- Many vegetables taste great with a low-fat dip or dressing.
- Don’t forget to add those dried beans into salads, chili, and soups.
- Keep a see-through container of cut-up veggies up front in the refrigerator. When you open the door, those yummy, colorful vegetables are the first thing the whole family sees.
Veggie tips for kids
- Be the good example. Eat vegetables with all your meals and snacks.
- Let children choose vegetables while shopping and let them help prepare the veggies for the meal.
Vegetables on a budget
Plan meals around vegetables that go a long way. Include veggies you can grab for quick snacks or turn into casseroles and soups that you can eat a couple of times during the week. Buy extra vegetables when they are on sale. Then freeze the veggies or prepare a dish to be frozen for a busy night’s dinner. Prepare more vegetables than you need so you have leftovers. Try substituting half the meat in a recipe with beans or vegetables. This will reduce the fat, increase fiber, and save you money.
Super meals planned around vegetables
Stir-fried vegetables, pasta primavera, vegetable lasagna, vegetable chili, bean soup, and baked potatoes topped with broccoli and sprinkled with grated cheese.
So, what are you waiting for? Eat more – veggies.
by Angela Hinkle | May 28, 2013
Fruit – sweet, refreshing, and good for you!
As the days get warmer, bring on the cool refreshment of fruit. Now is the time to delight in fruit’s tasty, healthy goodness.
Reduce Risk and Protect
A healthy diet that is rich in fruits may reduce risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, and may protect against certain types of cancers.
Healthy Nutrients
Nature brings most fruit to us low in fat, sodium, and calories, and always with zero cholesterol. Fruits are a great source of many essential nutrients and most of us don’t get enough. These include:
- Dietary fiber – helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, is important for maintaining proper bowel function, helps reduce constipation, and provides a feeling of fullness without too many calories.
- Potassium – helps to maintain healthy blood pressure.
- Vitamin C – important for repairing all body tissues, healing cuts and wounds, and keeping teeth and gums healthy.
- Folate (folic acid) – helps the body form red blood cells and reduces the risk of neural tube defects during fetal development.
The USDA MyPlate recommends making half your plate fruits and vegetables. http://www.choosemyplate.gov
How Can You and Your Family Eat More Fruit?
- For snacks, wash whatever fruits you have on hand and place them in a big attractive bowl or basket on your table or desk. When you go by, you can grab one and start munching on it.
- Make fruit more fun and interesting by cutting it up and making it into a colorful fruit salad.
- Add fresh, frozen, or canned fruit to a smoothie or shake. Add fruit to drinks like tea and lemonade. Add some fruit to your water for a little kick of taste.
- Make a habit of using fruit as a plate garnish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Add a variety of fruit chunks to bamboo skewers or craft sticks for kabobs.
- Fruit added to yogurt provides more color, flavor, and nutrition.
- Since dried fruits last a long time, you can store a package in your car, desk, or even your pockets for a quick pick-me-up.
Sweet, refreshing, good for you fruit – now is the time to savor and enjoy.
For more information, contact your UF/IFAS county extension office.
by Kendra Hughson | May 16, 2013
Be adventurous in cooking with herbs!
Many novice cooks fret about what herbs to add to a recipe, when to add them and how much to add. There are no rules when cooking with herbs! The fun of livening up recipes with herbs is in the experimenting. For those who want more guidance, a guide is included indicating which herbs are good with which foods. Use this only as a guide. Experiment by adding a small amount of an herb or combinations of herbs to a dish, then taste. Add more if the flavor doesn’t suit you.
Add the herbs during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Certainly this cannot be done for recipes that require the herbs to be mixed in with the batter or dressing, for example. But for stews, vegetables and other recipes, adding herbs at the beginning of the cooking process diminishes the subtle flavor. Fresh herbs pack the most flavor. Gardeners can grow their own herbs and then preserve their harvest by either freezing or drying. Fresh herbs are available at local grocery stores and farmers markets. Dried herbs can be found at any grocery store.
If you don’t have a recipe, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more as needed to reach your ideal flavor. You don’t want the herbs to overpower the other flavors in the dish. If a recipe calls for dried herbs, you can substitute fresh herbs. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs so you will need to use more of the fresh herbs. If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried, crushed herbs or 1/4 teaspoon of powdered herbs, use 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of fresh. If a recipe calls for fresh herbs, substitute dried herbs by decreasing the amount by half. When doubling a recipe, do not double the herbs or spices. Increase their amounts by 1 1/2. Remember, it is better to start with less and add more if desired.
Try using fresh herbs to add flavor while cutting back on fat, sugar and salt in recipes. Cooking with herbs also may have additional health benefits. Research is showing herbs have antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease. So, be adventurous and trying adding more herbs to some of your favorite recipes. Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office for more information on growing or cooking with herbs.
Guide for Using Herbs:
Mint: Desserts, lamb, peas, fruit salads, sauces
Cilantro: Mexican and Asian cooking, rice, salsa, tomatoes
Sage: Cottage cheese, game meats, pork, rice, poultry, soups (chicken, minestrone, and vegetable), stuffing
Parsley: Salads, vegetables, pastas
Dill: Tomato dishes, yeast breads, eggs, coleslaw, potato salad, fish, beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, summer squash
Oregano: Tomato dishes, beef, game meats, veal, spaghetti, clams, soups (bean, minestrone, and tomato), beans, eggplant, and mushrooms
Rosemary: Dumplings, eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, poultry, fish, barbeque sauce, chicken, beef, soups (pea and vegetable), beans, mushrooms, potatoes, cauliflower, turnips
Thyme: Eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, rice, poultry, barbeque sauce, fish, oysters, chowders, soups (onion, tomato, and vegetable), mushrooms, tomatoes
Basil: Tomato products (juice, pasta sauces, pizza sauce, etc.), eggs, game meats, lamb, veal, rice, spaghetti, vinaigrette, soups (minestrone, pea, potato, and vegetable), beans, eggplant
RECIPE: Basil Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, removed from stem
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese
In a blender or food processor, puree the basil, parsley, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the nuts and the cheese and process briefly until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. Makes 2 cups.
by Heidi Copeland | May 15, 2013
One of the most comforting memories of childhood has to be the smell of homemade yeast bread wafting throughout the house! Baking yeast bread, like many other kitchen traditions is making a comeback. Bread is a wonderful source of carbohydrades, especially if the flour is made from whole grains. (These kernels consist of three parts: the bran, the embryo and the endosperm). Eating breads made with whole grain flour can help you Make Half Your Grains Whole, as the dietary guidelines recommend.
However, the traditional yeast bread making method – proof yeast, knead dough, rise, punch down, rest, form, rise again, and bake….is being debunked!
I’ve been experimenting with many of the recipes in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day mostly to find a simple experience for baking yeast breads with children during 4-H summer camps. However, my experiments have been so successful that I have asked permission from Publicity @St. Martin’s Press to actually publish the master recipe as long as I give credit where credit is due.
There are those out there, myself included, that swear by the discovery of Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë Francois that Artisan Bread can indeed be made in just five minutes of “active effort” every day.
The aforementioned authors published their first book in 2007. Currently, they have three best-selling cookbooks on the market, all of which are a very practical guide to producing delicious artisan bread and bread products that require a minimal of basic ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. The equipment is nominal too: measuring cups and spoons, a large storage container with a lid, a sturdy mixing tool and of course sheets or pans and an oven to bake your bread in. Of course there are other gadgets but none as necessary as what is listed.
Specifically, the authors choose the French boule (“boule” in French means “ball”) as the basic model for bread making as the shape is easy to form, the taste delicious and quite nutritious.
If you are interested in giving this process a try you can find the recipe in its entirety by clicking here Master Bread Recipe.
