Words on Wellness

Serves: 12
(Serving size: 1 burrito)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion (2 1/2” diameter), diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups canned red kidney beans
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 4 cups sweet potato, baked in skin
• 12 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
2. Heat oil in medium skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans and mash. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm.
3. Remove from heat and stir in chili powder and soy sauce.
4. Remove skins from sweet potato and mash in separate bowl. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly among the tortillas. Top with cheese.
5. Fold the tortillas burrito style and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake 12 minutes, remove from oven, and serve.

Nutrient information per serving: 293 calories, 9.5 g total fat,15 mg cholesterol, 668 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 10 g dietary fiber, 11.7 g protein

recipe burrito, sweet potato

When you’re packing a lunch bag, creativity and smart planning are keys to eating food that fits a healthy lifestyle. Sack lunches don’t need to be boring. Create a more flexible, nutritious pattern by basing your food choices on MyPlate.

Use whole grains and lean proteins

To break away from the traditional peanut butter/jelly or luncheon meat sandwich on white bread, look at other possibilities. Perhaps make your bread whole grain or opt for a whole wheat tortilla, flat bread, pita, Kaiser roll, or English muffin. Use cuts from lean meats left over from dinner the night before or pack other prepared, left over food.

Add color and crunch with fruits and vegetables

Vary your fruit and vegetables, selecting what’s in season that can be packed whole or sliced and packed in plastic bags or cups. Add a healthy dip like hummus to enjoy with vegetables. Also consider low fat or skim milk, or 100% fruits juices if you pack a drink.

Follow food safety measures

Be sure to wash whole, fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before packing. Make meat sandwiches the night before and refrigerate or freeze overnight. Put prepared, left over food in a well-sealed container and refrigerate. Pack food in an insulated bag with two ice packs lining the container. Use gel packs, frozen juice boxes, or frozen fruit items in the insulated bag.

For more information, download “What’s for Lunch? It’s in the Bag!”.

food preparation, healthy living sack lunch

Food prices likely will increase two to four percent in 2013, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is in addition to the two to three percent increase in prices you already saw in 2012. Since 2002, the world food commodity price index has increased approximately 60 percent. According to the University of New Hampshire, using four strategies can save you 15 percent at the grocery store.

They are:

1. Use grocery store ads when planning to shop,
2. Complete a menu plan,
3. Write a grocery list, and
4. Use unit pricing to select the best buys.

If a family spends $500 a month on groceries, these strategies would result in a $75 monthly savings!

To help you put these four strategies into practice, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach created Spend Smart. Eat Smart. This site provides resources for families to:

• plan, shop, and eat nutritious foods
• find menu planners, shopping lists, and recipes
• watch “How To” videos on topics such as choosing whole grain breads and making healthy meat and veggie mac.
• lessons on label reading and using unit pricing

You also can connect with Spend Smart. Eat Smart. through social media sites like:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Twitter
• blog

healthy living blog, Facebook, Pinterest, socail media, Spend Smart. Eat Smart., Twitter

Deciding what food is safe to eat and what food should be tossed can be confusing, given the various terms used with dates printed on food containers. The USDA Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines each of the terms as follows:

• A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
• A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
• “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

For safety concerns, these dates are more important for perishable foods like meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs. It is recommended to use food by the “use-by date.” Smelling food to determine if it is safe is not always effective. Many bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. Even if you think the food— such as lunch- meat—smells and looks fine, it is best not to consume after the “use-by” or expiration date. If you want to keep the food longer than that date, freeze it. Milk that has been properly refrigerated (40 degrees F) is safe to consume for one week past the “sell by” date.

For concerns about canned foods, high-acid foods (such as tomatoes or pineapple) will have the best quality if used within 12 to 18 months. Low-acid foods (such as meat, fish, or vegetables) will retain the best quality if used within 2 to 5 years. These rules apply only if the can remains in good condition and is stored in a cool, clean, dry place. Use the first in, first out (FIFO) method to be sure the oldest cans are used first. When putting away groceries, place the recently purchased items behind the existing food. It is recommended that home-canned foods be used within one year for best quality.

Additional Resources

• Food Safety and Inspection Service-Food Product Dating
• Still Tasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide

food safety date, expired food, sell-by, use by

According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity-aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, OR 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging, every week. This may sound like a lot of time, but research shows that physical activity can still be beneficial if broken up into smaller chunks, as long as you are doing the activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes.

The chart below demonstrates the benefit of exercising at a moderate intensity for 10 minutes during lunch. Although preventing a 3 pound weight gain over the course of the year may sound minimal, this is the typical weight gain Americans experience annually that contributes to the 30 pound weight gain per decade of adult life.

The amount of calories burned is based on a 150-pound person.

fitness uncategorized

Serves: 4 (Serving size: 1 1⁄4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 7.25 ounce package macaroni and cheese mix
• 1 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked beef, pork, or chicken
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1⁄8 teaspoon garlic or onion powder

Directions

1. Wash hands.
2. Cook macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package. After about 5 minutes, add the frozen vegetables and continue cooking until macaroni is tender and vegetables are cooked; drain.
3. Return macaroni and vegetables to the pan. Add the meat.
4. Stir the cheese sauce mix, milk, and garlic or onion powder together. Stir into macaroni mixture. (Omit the butter/margarine recommended on the package.).
5. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Nutrient information per serving: 360 calories, 5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 530 mg so- dium, 52 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar, 27 g protein

Recipe courtesy of Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

recipe macaroni and cheese, meat, vegetable

Have the dance competition television shows inspired you to get up and move? You don’t have to be a professional dancer, a celebrity, or even someone who knows how to do any special dance moves to get health benefits from dance.

Dancing provides a workout for both the body and the mind. Researchers have learned that regular physical activity generally can help your body, including your brain, stay healthy as you age. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. And dancing that requires you to remember dance step sequences boosts brainpower by improving memory skills.

Research suggests that ballroom dancing at least twice a week made people less likely to develop dementia. It also has been shown that some people with Alzheimer’s disease are able to recall forgotten memories when they dance to music they used to know.

Other benefits of dance include:

• strengthen bones and muscles without hurting your joints
• improve your posture and balance
• increase your stamina and flexibility
• reduce stress and tension
• burn calories (150-pound person burns 150 calories in 30 minutes)

So, tonight when you consider settling down for a little television, do a little boogie instead!

fitness dance

Serves: 8 (Serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 pound ground beef
• 1⁄2 onion, chopped (about 1⁄2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups spaghetti or pasta sauce (26 to 28 ounces)
• 1 cup water
• 8 ounces whole wheat noodles or whole wheat rotini
• 1 (10-ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 (12-ounce) container lowfat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional: fresh or canned, drained sliced mushrooms

Directions

1. Wash hands.
2. Cook ground beef, onions, and garlic together in a large skillet or electric fry pan; stir to prevent sticking. When ground beef has turned brown, transfer mixture to a colander set over a bowl and rinse with hot water to remove grease. Return mixture to skillet.
3. Add spaghetti sauce and water to skillet and bring to a boil.
4. Add uncooked noodles, stir, cover with lid, turn down the heat, and cook 5 minutes.
5. Squeeze the thawed spinach with your clean hands to remove the juice and then stir into the pan. Add mushrooms if you like. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Spoon cottage cheese over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, put the lid on and let it heat another 5 to 10 minutes until heated through and noodles are tender.

Nutrient information per serving: 250 calories, 6 g total fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 22 g protein.

Recipe courtesy of Spend Smart Eat Smart.

recipe cheese, lasagna, spinach

Because whole grains retain their healthful oils, they are more susceptible to oxidation and need to be stored to prevent deterioration. Heat, light, and air can trigger oxidation of the oil in the germ of whole grains.

If you’re shopping in the bulk section, don’t be afraid to sniff the grains, which should have a light sweet scent or no scent at all. If the bin smells oily or moldy, the grains may be rancid.

Once you bring your whole grain home, store it directly in the refrigerator or freezer. You can either keep it in its unopened package or transfer it into an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag.

Since different grains vary in fat content (from about 1.7% for wheat to about 6.9% for oats), the shelf life of the flours made from them varies. In general, most whole grain flours keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, and in the freezer for 6-8 months. It is recommended to keep flour in a sealed container to prevent picking up stray odors and tastes from the refrigerator or freezer.

Grains, because their oil is sealed in the original grain kernel and cannot easily oxidize, can keep much longer than flour. Most will keep for several months in a room- temperature cupboard, and for a year in the freezer. Commercially processed whole grain products such as breads, crackers, and pasta are commercially processed to be shelf stable and can be stored in the same manner as those that are not whole grain. General advice on grains and flour: try to buy what you’ll use in 2-3 months.

Safe Storage, Grain by Grain

Whole Wheat Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 6 months
Oats – airtight seal, freezer, 3 months
Oat Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 2 months Cornmeal – airtight seal, freezer 4-6 months Kernels or Popcorn – airtight seal, freezer, 1 year Rye Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 6 months
Spelt Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 6 months Buckwheat Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 2 months Barley Flour – airtight seal, freezer, 4 months
Brown Rice – airtight seal, cupboard, 5-6 months; freezer, up to a year
Brown Rice Flour – airtight seal, refrigerator, 4-5 months; freezer, up to a year

healthy living, nutrition storage, whole grain

Less than 5 percent of Americans consume the minimum recommended amount of whole grains. Although Americans generally eat enough total grains, most of the grains consumed are refined grains rather than whole grains. Unfortunately, many refined grain foods also are high in solid fats and added sugars. There is evidence that suggests whole grain intake may reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer (e.g., colon) as well as help control body weight. Whole grains are a source of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, selenium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber. At least half of recommended total grain intake should be whole grains, which for many is about 3 ounce equivalents per day.

Not sure if a food is actually a whole grain? Use these three steps to help you decide:

1. Front of package—Check the front of the package for key terms such as “100% whole grain,” “whole oats,” “made with whole wheat.”
2. Ingredients—Read the list of ingredients; one of the first three should contain key terms such as “100% whole wheat,” “whole wheat flour,” “whole oats,” or “brown rice.”
3. Extra claims and logos—Examine the other panels for extra whole grain health claims or whole grain stamps/symbols that will support your decision.

A new publication Whole Grains is now available. Whole Grains includes a wide variety of information about whole grains including how to use some of the newer whole grains such as quinoa, teef, and steel cut oats. An extensive whole grain chart includes nutritional and cooking information on many whole grains.

healthy living, nutrition whole grain