by Melanie Taylor | Feb 26, 2018
Based on information provided by the American Frozen Food Institute, on average, 40% of all food in the United States goes uneaten and wasted, which is an annual loss of $165 million. Fresh fruit and vegetable waste makes up nearly one-third of this number. With these discouraging numbers and financial losses, how can the frozen food industry help to solve this problem? Frozen food and beverage companies work hard to create the safest and best freezing techniques to keep food safe by preventing microorganisms from growing and by slowing down the enzyme activity that causes food to spoil. Modern freezing techniques have been designed to preserve food at its peak freshness and nutrient content. Frozen food makers continue to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep America’s food supply the safest in the world.
Freezing means less wasted food and easier access to well-balanced, portion-controlled nutritious foods during every season and in every community. Many times, frozen foods cost less per serving, but most importantly, they have a longer shelf life than fresh or refrigerated foods.
How do frozen foods play such an integral part in the well-balanced, nutritious diets of Americans? The frozen food aisle offers a large variety of vegetables, fruits, and other prepared foods at reasonable prices year ’round. Freezing reduces the need for additives and preservatives. Frozen foods also provide nutritious options that fit into all of the food groups suggested by Choose MyPlate.gov (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy). They also are a sensible choice when trying to control calories and fat, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium intake. In addition, unused products can be placed back in the freezer for later use.
If you have concerns about frozen foods, it’s time to rethink them. Let’s BUST those crazy frozen food myths swirling around out there!!!
FROZEN FOOD MYTHS VS. FACTS
MYTH: FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES AREN’T AS NUTRITIOUS AS FRESH
FACT: Recent studies found there is no difference in nutrition between frozen and fresh produce.
MYTH: FROZEN FOODS ARE READY TO EAT
FACT: Frozen foods are ready to cook, not ready to eat. As their name suggests, ready-to-cook foods must be cooked or baked according to package instructions.
MYTH: FROZEN MEALS DON’T USE REAL INGREDIENTS
FACT: The freezer aisles of your supermarket are filled with meals made with the highest quality ingredients and prepared the way you would prepare them (if you had the time).
MYTH: FROZEN MEALS AREN’T ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
FACT: Actually, frozen foods minimize the amount of spoiled food we throw away because they are already portioned out, so we can take what we need and save the rest.
MYTH: FROZEN MEALS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN RESTAURANT TAKE-OUT MEALS
FACT: Restaurant-inspired entrees like seafood scampi, sesame chicken, and Monterey chicken cost under $4 each. You do the math.
MYTH: FROZEN MEALS ARE NOT A GOOD CHOICE FOR HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS
FACT: “Better-for-you” options are available in the frozen food aisle to make it easier for consumers to control intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.
For more information on the frozen food and beverage industry, please visit www.affi.org.
For more information on incorporating frozen foods into your healthy lifestyle, please visit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs186.
by Heidi Copeland | Dec 2, 2017
Recently, in what I thought would be a quick Saturday errand, I got stuck in traffic. It took me a moment to realize that the holidays are upon us.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF®), from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, more than 174 million Americans shopped in stores and online during the five-day holiday weekend, beating the 164 million estimated shoppers from an earlier survey. In fact, shoppers spent $1 million a minute on Black Friday and about $6.6 billion in total on Cyber Monday. The NRF® also found that consumers, both young and old, were spending more than last year, with both groups using the internet to browse for the best deals.
While it appears many consumers can spend unrestrained during the holidays, a lot of consumers find the holiday season stressful. Holidays require a lot of planning, and of course time and money.
A sensible way to approach the holiday season is to decide up-front what best fits the path you want to take. Come up with a plan, make a list (check it twice), and then stick to it. You will be amazed at how this simple list trick can relax you and make your holidays more enjoyable and less stressful.
The American Financial Services Association Education Foundation has some useful ideas for using a holiday spending plan. First, create a holiday budget that is feasible for you, and be sure to include all the incidentals from decorations to wrapping materials. Next, prepare your list(s), then do your homework. There is a lot of competition for the consumer’s money, and searching the web not only for information but also for the best deals can help you stick to your budget and save some money (Example: some stores honor other store’s pricing).
Other ideas to help stay within your budget this holiday include:
- Draw names with set limits on gift giving (Example: Aunt Marge – $15.00)
- Make a gift (Example: Cranberry muffins)
- Provide a service (Example: tackle a chore for a friend, neighbor, or loved one)
- Switch to giving gifts of experience (Example: tickets to an event) The gift of experience can be both practical and educational, and moreover, memories are worth more than stuff!
Try not to get bogged down by holiday spending this holiday season. I encourage you to create a plan, write up a list (check it twice) and stick to it. You will be glad you did!
The University of Florida Extension/IFAS – Leon County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Institution.
by jbreslawski | Feb 24, 2017
Nationally, America Saves Week is an annual opportunity to promote good personal savings behavior!
More locally, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is collaborating with America Saves in a campaign to help Floridians build wealth, not debt! The Florida Saves, (floridasaves.org) statewide initiative has been officially endorsed by Jeff Atwater chief financial officer for the state of Florida. Why? Because research shows that, too many households with an unexpected expense of just $400 could be thrown into a financial crisis! This means a clog in the sink or a broken freezer could easily send a family into debt.
During Florida Saves Week, February 27 to March 4, 2017 UF/IFAS is urging residents to pledge to set a goal and start saving! Like our Florida Saves Facebook page to keep up with the latest info.
Saving money for an emergency makes good sense. Families with money saved for an emergency are less likely to face financial stress, less likely to fall behind on their bills, and less likely to deal with subprime alternative money sources that have higher costs than conventional options.
Make a commitment to yourself and take the Florida Saves pledge to help you reach your savings and debt reduction goals. Additionally, Florida Saves will motivate you with periodic information, advice, tips and reminders sent by email or text message to help you reach your savings goal. Paying yourself first, saving your tax refund, and saving automatically are just a few ways that Florida Saves encourages you to build wealth and reduce debt.
Plus, this year Floridians who pledge to become a saver can enter to win $50 to be put toward reaching their financial goals by completing a short survey after setting a goal and signing the Florida Saves pledge.
Want to win more? Take a video or photo to share your savings story and follow the link to enter to win a national prize of $1,000 in theAmerica Saves http://www.americasavesweek.org/imsavingfor/ contest.
Take the pledge at floridasaves.org Set a goal and make a plan!
by Marjorie Moore | Nov 25, 2016
I don’t know about you but to me it seems we just finished shopping for the holidays and they are here once again. Holiday shopping can be a whirlwind and we forget to take time to stop and think about how much we have spent until the bills arrive. Having a budget for the holidays can be your best defense to not overdoing it this holiday season.
If you plan for the holidays, it can save lots of time, energy, and of course, money. It is important to prepare a budget, make the budget realistic and base it on your cash flow and financial obligations. Once your budget has been created, stick to it!
The next step – make a list of gifts you want to give. When shopping, use cash whenever you can as this helps you watch how much you are spending. When you have reached your budget limit, your shopping should be done! If possible, do not use credit cards to buy gifts. If you use credit cards, keep track of the amounts and stop when you have reached your budget limit.
Gift cards appear to be great but be aware of fees or usage terms that can reduce the value of the gift. Before buying gift cards, ask if the card can be used for online purchases. This may not affect most retailers but some online retailers do not allow using gift cards.
If you want to stretch your budget, you don’t have to purchase all of your gifts. Try making gifts such as food or give a coupon book volunteering your services (i.e. babysitting or yard work). Below is a mix ranch dressing recipe you can give to family and friends this holiday season.
To help with your shopping next year make your list early, then spread your shopping throughout the year.
Use these tips to help you enjoy your holiday.
Spoonful Mix for Ranch Dressing
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt free herb seasoning blend
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. dried basil leaves
- Mix all ingredients in small bowl.
- Place mix in to plastic wrap and attach to spoon.
- Decorate spoon with a pretty bow.
Ranch Dressing
Remove decorative wrappings from spoon, leaving the mix inside the plastic wrap and still attached to spoon.
- Empty ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise and ½ cup low-fat buttermilk into a medium bowl.
- Hold spoon over bowl and cut open bag of mix, allowing mix to fall into bowl onto mayo and buttermilk.
- Mix until very well blended (use gift spoon to mix). Refrigerate 30 minutes up to 8 hours to blend flavors.
For more information on holiday shopping, contact your local Extension office.
by Marie Arick | Nov 17, 2016
The holidays are fast approaching! Pause long enough to avoid the pitfalls of overspending. Budgets are always tight during holidays. Gifts are not about the cost, rather they are a display of the true relationship of the people involved.
Gift giving at its finest is a true art form. I have a dear friend who really captures the essence of each person with each gift she gives. Gifting is a statement that demonstrates how important the receiver is and how they are perceived in the giver’s eyes.
Always consider the occasion and the relationship with the receiver. It is also important to know the receiver’s culture as to be certain not to offend. A gift given as an afterthought usually displays just that – it was not originally intended to be given. This is not generally the intention of the giver but can give this impression. Additionally, if you intend to re-gift an item, be certain the item meets the personality of the receiver. Re-gifted items tend to be unusual or offbeat, so think hard before taking this path.
Consider practical, useful gifts that match the person you are shopping for. The idea of gifting a need, a want, a clothing item, and a literature item to a person has been one of the most recent trends. Very few people buy that many gifts for those outside of their immediate family. But, this could be applied to others by just taking one of the options. If they are a reader, consider a gift card to a local bookstore instead of a specific title. This provides the option of an e-book or print version. Or, clothing could come in the form of a nice scarf or other accessory that is a part of their usual style.
A gift is a statement of caring. For each person, this is different. Take the time to consider personality, hobbies, interests, and activities. Choose a gift that matches one or more of these considerations. This lends to the true purpose of gifting – to show the receiver how much they mean to you.
