by Dorothy C. Lee | Aug 4, 2020
The taste and fragrance of a cool, juicy slice of fresh melon in the summer just can’t be beat. Melons have been a favorite fruit for many centuries. They appear in Egyptian tomb paintings dated to 2400 B.C., and they are mentioned in the writings of the early Greeks and Romans. Mark Twain called watermelon “the food that angels eat.”
Uses & Preparation
Watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe are excellent cut up in salads, as a dessert, or alone as a cool, refreshing snack anytime. To save space and cooling time in the refrigerator, cut up the melon and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
UF/IFAS Photo
Selection
Thumping watermelon to judge ripeness is not always accurate, because you can’t tell if it is ripe or overripe. Instead, look for a well-proportioned melon with full ends, a dull outer skin, and the bottom a yellowish color, or turning from white to pale green.
Cantaloupe should have no sign of a stem, be nicely rounded, and the netting should be evenly distributed. Golden-colored melons with a mild melon odor are the peak of ripeness, while green ones will ripen in a few days if kept at room temperature.
A ripe honeydew melon has a creamy yellow rind that is soft and velvety. The best – tasting honeydew smells slightly fruity. Hold a honeydew at room temperature for a few days for even tastier fruit.
Melon Salad
Arrange balls or slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon, alone or in combination, on lettuce. Serve with French dressing. Diced apples, diced pears, nuts, and chopped celery may be added for variety.
Chicken & Watermelon Salad
5 chicken breast, boned, skinned, cooked and cubed
3 cups watermelon, cubed
3 cups pears, cored and cubed
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 pint low-calorie Italian dressing
Combine all ingredients, toss gently. Refrigerate on hour, stirring occasionally. Serve on a bed of lettuce.
Nutrition Information
Low in sodium. Low in calories. Good source of vitamin A.
Available Fresh
June – August
To learn about fresh Florida melons, please read our fact sheet: Panhandle Produce Pointers – Melons
For more delicious produce preparation tips, please visit: http://www.panhandleproducepointers.com.
by Dorothy C. Lee | May 11, 2020
Once known as star berries because of the pointy flower calyxes on top, blueberries have grown wild in North America for thousands of years. They were a staple among Native Americans, who dried and smoked the berries, and pounded them into venison to flavor the meat.
Berries such as blueberries are rich in vitamin, minerals, and antioxidants and can be delicious additions to yogurt, salads, and smoothies. (Photo source: UF/IFAS file photo)
Uses & Preparation
Wash blueberries just before using. Add to yogurt or cottage cheese or any fruit and mild cheese platter. For color and great taste, add to salads; or sweeten pancakes, cakes, and muffins.
Selection
Look for firm, dry, plump, smooth-skinned berries with a light grayish bloom. Ripe berries should be deep-purple blue to blue-black.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate fresh berries for up to 10 days. Blueberries are easily frozen for later use. Freeze unwashed blueberries in airtight, resealable plastic bags. If thawed, keep refrigerated and use within 3 days.
Blueberry Pancake Stacks
Vegetable Oil for cooking
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Dash of nutmeg
In a mixing bowl, stir together the milk, oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to the milk, and stir just until mixed (batter should be slightly lumpy). Gently fold in the berries. Spoon the batter onto a griddle or pan greased with vegetable oil and heated to medium-hot (dollops should be about the size of a silver dollar). Let the batter cook until the tops of the pancakes begin to bubble, then flip and cook until done. Stack and serve immediately with softened margarine and warm syrup. Makes about eighteen 2 1/2″ pancakes.
Blueberry Syrup
Combine 1 pint of blueberries and 1 cup of maple syrup in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, then lower the heat and simmer until most of the fruit has burst. Remove from heat and use a fork to mash the berries. The syrup will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Information: Good source of vitamin C. High in fiber. Low in calories.
Available Fresh: April – June
To learn about fresh Florida strawberries, please read our fact sheet: Panhandle Produce Pointers – Blueberries.
.For more delicious produce preparation tips, please visit: http://www.panhandleproducepointers.com.
UF/IFAS Extension is an Equal Opportunity Institution.
by Melanie Taylor | Mar 12, 2020
Speak openly with your doctor about any concerns you may have regarding your health. (Photo source: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS)
We are in the depths of flu season and now the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Although we need to proceed with caution, we also want to avoid causing a panic. Both viruses are very concerning, but with good hand washing skills and a few other daily steps you can do your best to prevent you and your family from becoming sick.
Hand washing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:
- Before, during and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching garbage
Follow these Five Steps Every Time You Wash Your Hands:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Use Soap and Water
You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.
- Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations.
- Sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs.
- Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
- Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.
How to Properly Use Hand Sanitizer:
- Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
- Rub your hands together.
- Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
Caution! Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than a couple of mouthfuls are swallowed. Keep it out of reach of young children and supervise their use.
Conclusion – Other Basic Tips to Prevent Spread of Illness:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Be sure to utilize credible sources to find your information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health are excellent resources.
CDC page Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html
CDC frequently asked questions (FAQs) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
Florida Department of Health frequently asked questions (FAQ) http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/faq.html
If you have further questions or concerns, please contact your local Department of Health for assistance.
Sources:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – https://www.cdc.gov/
Florida Department of Health – http://www.floridahealth.gov/
by Melanie Taylor | Mar 11, 2020
This month brings awareness and education about the importance of our kidneys in maintaining a healthy life. Kidney function is unique because you may not notice the symptoms until the function is already far gone. The CDC reports chronic kidney disease is a condition that 1 in every 7 adults (age 18 or older) in the United States has, as well as people with end stage renal disease who need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
How do your kidneys keep you healthy?
- Help remove excess fluid levels in the body.
- Make vitamins that control growth.
- Activate Vitamin D for healthy bones.
- Filter wastes from the blood.
- Control the production of red blood cells.
- Release hormones that help regulate blood pressure.
- Help regulate blood pressure, red blood cells, and the amount of certain nutrients in the body, such as calcium and potassium.
There are many complications associated with kidney disease. They include cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, heart attack, weak bones, high blood pressure, stroke, anemia/low red blood cell count and of course kidney failure.
Speak openly with your doctor about any concerns you may have regarding your health. (Photo source: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS)
The main risk factors for kidney disease and the problems associated with it are high blood pressure, diabetes, family history, and being 60 years old and above. Out of these four problems, two of them – high blood pressure and diabetes – may be managed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, taking medications as prescribed, regular visits to your doctor and exercise. If you have been diagnosed with either of these two, you need to regularly monitor your blood pressure and glucose levels, take medications if prescribed, and speak openly with your doctor about concerns or questions you may have. Family history and being over the age of 60 are not issues you can control, but you can strive to live a healthy lifestyle and regularly have blood work drawn so your doctor can help catch any issues that are becoming a problem. Learning to maintain and follow your doctor’s orders will go a long way to keeping you and your kidneys healthy longer.
What are the symptoms you may notice if you are experiencing kidney problems?
- Swelling in your face, hands, abdomen, ankles, and feet.
- Blood in your urine or foamy urine.
- Puffy eyes.
- Difficult, painful urination.
- Increased thirst.
- Fatigue.
If you notice any of these problems or are just concerned because of family history, your family doctor can order the blood work to check your kidney function. If you find out you are experiencing kidney problems you should see a nephrologist – a kidney specialist.
Although many people ignore the importance of their kidneys, they play a very important part in our daily bodily functions in regulating minerals, fluids, blood pressure, and so much more. Striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle will help to ensure your kidneys keep working hard for you. Be sure to show your kidneys some love this March to celebrate National Kidney Month.
Sources:
National Kidney Foundation – https://www.kidney.org/
Center for Disease and Prevention – https://www.cdc.gov/
by Angela Hinkle | Jan 24, 2020
My favorite time – snack time! For February, National Snack Food Month, let’s celebrate these tasty morsels for a whole month.
Go Beyond the Snack Aisle
Snacks often have a bad reputation, at least in terms of health. It’s true that snack food aisles are often filled with high fat, high calorie, high sodium, and high sugar choices. But snacks can be great sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthier fats and carbohydrates. You may just have to wander to other parts of the store next time you shop.
Think Mini Meal
When you snack, think of it as a mini meal. Though you could plan tomorrow’s dinner to be a plate of snack cakes with a side of potato chips, hopefully you come up with something more satisfying than that – both in taste and nutrition. Additionally, when we snack on healthier foods in between meals, it gives our bodies the sustainable energy it needs to make it to that next meal.
Snacks – Fun, Tasty, and Healthy
Photo Source: Angela Hinkle
Snack MyPlate
Try snacking from all five food groups this month.
- Whole grains – popcorn, granola, whole grain crackers
- Fruits – apples, bananas, oranges, raisins
- Veggies – pea pods, cucumber slices, carrots
- Dairy – string cheese, yogurt cups, individual shelf stable cartons of milk
- Protein – hard-boiled eggs, mixed nuts, healthy beef jerky
Make Homemade Mixed-Up Food Group Snacks
- Whole grain pita or multi-colored pepper slices dipped in guacamole or hummus
- Apple slices or carrots with peanut butter dip
- Cherry tomatoes with mozzarella and basil
- Fruit smoothies or protein shakes
- Yogurt with granola and mixed berries
- Banana Sushi – smear a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter, put a banana in the middle, roll it up, then cut it into “sushi” slices
For more great snacking ideas, check out 10 Snack Tips for Parents, MyPlate Snack Tips for Kids, and 25 Healthy Snacks for Kids
Delicious, healthy, on-the-go snacks. Be creative and keep it healthy this February – National Snack Food month.
