by Heidi Copeland | Jun 12, 2016
What’s in season now? Although summer doesn’t officially start for a few more weeks farmers have been busy producing seasonal, summer fruits and vegetables. The seasonal vegetable guide for North Florida Produce has an abundance! Not only are basil and beans plentiful, so are blackberries, blueberries and mulberries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, melons, okra, peas (southern) peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes. (in the southern part of Florida avocado, guava, lychee, mango, papaya, and passion fruit are showing up)
Fruits and vegetables are loaded with great vitamins and minerals! And eating at least 3-5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables is truly considered the key to good health. Folks who eat a wide variety of colors – both fruits and vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Both fruits and vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Eating fruits and vegetables is easy to do!
Have you ever tried using the United States Department of Agriculture What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl recipe finder? Using this website, I simply checked the box that I’d like to focus on, eating more fruit and vegetables then added the ingredient zucchini to the recipe search box. http://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/ 
Sixty recipes popped up! I choose the one for Squash Squares.
Squash Squares: Ingredients
4 eggs (beaten lightly)
1/4 cup oil
3 cups thinly sliced squash (use zucchini or yellow squash)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup biscuit mix
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 T chopped fresh parsley)
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated carrots
Directions
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a greased 9×13″ baking dish.
2. Bake 25 minutes, or until bubbly and brown, in a 350°F oven.
3. Serve in squares while warm.
Notes
- To freeze – Cool, and cut into squares. Freeze squares on a cookie sheet. When they are frozen, put into freezer bags. When ready to use, take out of the freezer bag, place in microwaveable covered container. Reheat in microwave at medium setting.
- Try 8 egg whites in place of whole egg for less cholesterol and fat.
- Add other thinly chopped fresh veggies into the mix – green or red sweet peppers, spinach, broccoli.
I’ve tried this recipe using both yellow squash and zucchini with equally tasty results. I especially appreciated the suggestions on the recipe to personalize by adding your own twist. Like it spicy? Add a jalapeno! Want to add some pizzazz? Add some diced red pepper for color. Want to eat it later? Just freeze and eat or reheat and eat! Don’t have zucchini on hand? Substitute other thinly chopped fresh veggies. I have even substituted the biscuit mix with a corn bread mix for yet another spin.
Fruits and vegetables are nutritious and delicious. Try adding some Florida fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to your meals!
by Amy Mullins, PhD, RDN | May 30, 2016
It’s hard to believe that summer is almost here and the kids are out of school! Often times, when kids (and parents too) get away from their normal routine, poor eating and snacking habits creep in. It’s important for kids (and parents) to have a variety of go-to snacks that are tasty, healthy, and easy to prepare!
Put some thought into which snacks make the best choices, and get input from the kids. Children and teenagers are more likely to eat what you buy (and be excited about it!), if they help in the process.
1.) PLAN: Sit down together and make a list of snack-type foods they might like, and can easily prepare themselves.
2.) LIST: Make a list of the foods you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store.
3.) SHOP: Take the kids with you shopping… let them help fill the cart with the foods you’ve agreed on.
4.) PREPARE: Allow the kids to help wash, cut, portion, and prepare snacks. This will give them more confidence in the kitchen… now and as a future adult.
Stumped on where to get started? Your best bet is to stay away from processed, pre-packaged snack foods, and sugary drinks. These are typically high in unhealthy fats, oils, and sugar, and lack the vitamins, minerals, and fiber fresh and frozen whole foods have.
Try these super easy and healthy snacks:
- Layer vanilla yogurt and mandarin oranges or blueberries in a tall glass. Top with a sprinkle of granola to make a “parfait”.
- Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks to make “snack-kabobs”.
- Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt and sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal for a healthy “banana-split”.
- Use whole grain (flour or corn) tortillas and top with tomato sauce, cut veggies and shredded cheese. Eat it flat (like a pizza) or roll it up (like a wrap).
Keep your children, and yourself, on track this summer by remembering these main messages from ChooseMyPlate and The Dietary Guidelines:
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
- Focus on whole fruits.
- Vary your veggies.
- Make half your grains whole grains.
- Move to low-fat and fat-free milk or yogurt.
- Vary your protein routine.
- Drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars.
Everything you eat and drink over time matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. Start with small changes to make healthier choices you can enjoy. Find your healthy eating style and maintain it for a lifetime.
Find more great ideas with additional resources from MyPlate Snack Tips for Parents
and The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 25 Healthy Snacks for Kids.
by Angela Hinkle | Mar 11, 2016
Starchy foods are healthy – eat them! Starchy foods make you fat – don’t eat them! How do you score a healthy starch bracket with all this contradictory madness? For each round of your daily eating game, choose a variety of healthy starchy foods made up of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. These starchy foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are the main source of carbohydrates to provide our muscles, brain, and other organs with energy.
Choose starchy foods with little or no added fats, sugar, or sodium. Give these starchy foods a spin in your diet: whole wheat flour, pumpkin, popcorn, brown rice, potato with the skin, corn, whole grain barley, acorn squash, oatmeal, quinoa, green peas, and plantains or bananas.
Try whole grain cereals for breakfast, a baked potato with the skin as part of your lunch, and squash with brown rice with your dinner.
Try to keep the processed white flour products with added sugar to a minimum. These starchy foods are the ones that tend to add on the pounds without the good-for-you nutrients.
Don’t just stay in the game, be a slam dunk winner! Eat healthy starchy foods every day.
For more information, check out this site from the American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/making-healthy-food-choices/grains-and-starchy-vegetables.html
by Shelley Swenson | Jan 15, 2016
Valentine’s Day and chocolate just go together! Can you really have one without the other? I crave chocolate all year round and with some of the recent research I have read, I can feel all right about giving in.
A recent study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested the effects of dark and white chocolate on healthy adults to determine whether either type played a role in blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. They concluded that dark chocolate can indeed help reduce blood pressure and insulin resistance. White chocolate did not provide these health benefits.
Keep in mind that although dark chocolate has health benefits, most chocolate bars are high in saturated fat, so moderation is key. Eating dark chocolate cannot substitute for everyday healthy food choices. Nor can chocolate replace regular exercise or medications that have been prescribed by your physician. It is so nice to know you can indulge in your Valentine’s Day chocolate, in moderation, without feeling guilty about it if you choose the dark.
by Marie Arick | Oct 2, 2015
![myplate_blue[1]](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/files/2015/10/myplate_blue1-150x150.jpg)
The numbers are in and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20% or more of the United States adult population is obese in each state. This data was collected during the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that involves health-related telephone surveys. It has long been discussed in our society that obesity is a growing concern for our population. Many initiatives have been developed to address this issue, such as MyPlate and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Yet, we still fail to take this to heart.
Obesity has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. All of these can be linked to premature death. And yet, we still pick up those forks and stay off our feet. Even worse, we set a poor example for our children. Many people operate under the assumption that “it does not apply to me,” but it does. The definition of obesity is having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. The BMI is calculated using your weight in kilograms and dividing this by your height in meters squared. Thankfully, the CDC is one of many sources that has a BMI calculator online to make it simple. The first step is to determine your BMI using one of these calculators, and then to understand what that number represents. The following chart from the CDC explains the results for adults.
The standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults are shown in the following table:
BMI Weight Status
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal or Healthy Weight
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese
Next, take this information and act on it. If you have health concerns, see your physician. If you are sedentary, start taking a daily walk or bike ride. Review your personal eating habits and compare it to the MyPlate healthy eating guidelines. MyPlate has online tools that can make meal planning easy and help you track your calories and exercise. Can you make some small changes to improve your dietary intake? Small steps can lead to big changes over time. Modeling these behaviors can not only improve your health and well-being, but the positive changes can impact your children or loved ones as well. Share your goals and seek the support of friends and family. Most importantly, teens and children’s BMI results are interpreted differently. Talk with your child’s physician regarding any weight concerns and dietary guidelines.
Take care of yourself today, set a positive example for those you care about, and put the fork down and get on your feet!
