Serves: 4 (serving size: 1 potato)

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables or chopped fresh vegetables
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese or low-fat cottage cheese

Directions

1. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush. Poke small holes in the skin with a fork.
2. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 60-75 minutes or cook uncovered in the microwave for 15-17 minutes. When done, potatoes will be tender throughout.
3. Place the vegetables in a small saucepan and add a small amount of water. Cook over medium-high heat until hot and tender. Or microwave in a microwaveable bowl for 3-5 minutes until hot and tender. Drain.
4. Once the baked potatoes are cooked all the way through, split them in half.
5. Top each potato half with 1/2 cup of the cooked vegetables and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. (You can use any type of vegetables you like.)
6. Serve while hot.
7. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrient information per serving: 250 calories. 0.5 g total fat, 51 g total carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 150 mg sodium and 0 mg cholesterol.

Source: Spend Smart Eat Smart

recipe cheese, potato, supper idea, vegetables

Have you been browsing the garden catalogs and planning your garden? What plans have you made for preserving the bountiful fruits and vegetables from the garden?

Now is the time to learn more about food preservation so that you are ready to “put it up.” Consider Preserve the Taste of Summer, an online and hands-on course that covers food preservation and food safety basics, canning, freezing, dehydrating, and jam and pickle making.

Learners can choose the level of participation they want and the topics that most interest them. A hands-on workshop is included for most levels of participation. To learn more go to  

The Preserve the Taste of Summer webpage includes information on registering for the Preserve the Taste of Summer course, dates, and locations of hands-on workshops, a food preservation resource list, and ISU Extension and Outreach food preservation publications that can be downloaded and printed.

food preparation canning, online course, preserving

New research on physical activity supports the importance of Break Time— moving periodically throughout the day. Research done at Australia’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, suggests that sitting for long periods of time is associated with health risks, including cancer risks. This even applied to people who are regularly active.

The studies showed that biomarkers for chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes such as waist circumference, insulin resistance, and inflammation can all be lowered with activity breaks as short as one to two minutes.

Practical tips for taking many movement breaks throughout the day:

• Set a timer on your computer or phone to remind you every 60 minutes it’s time to get up and move.
• “Walk with me.” Need to discuss something with a co-worker? Ask him or her to join you for a walk while you hash it out.
• Keep light weights or a strength band in your office to use while talking on the phone or reading e-mail.
• Use your office and/or office wall to do simple things like stretches, leg lifts, or marching in place.

Adapted from reports from the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference, 11/ 3/2011.

fitness, healthy living break time, fitness, physical activity, work out

Fruit Salsa

Serves: 4
Ingredients

• 1 peach (or 1 cup juice-packed peaches, drained)
• 1 apple (Granny Smith are excellent)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

Directions

1. Wash and chop peach, apple, and berries into small pieces.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Serve with baked cinnamon chips.

Tips

• Serve as a snack, appetizer, or dessert.
• Use a variety of favorite red berries.
• Add 1 Tablespoon brown sugar if desired.

*Enjoy this beautiful red dessert for Valentine’s Day. Serve in a clear glass dish surrounded by cinnamon chips.

Nutrient information per serving 39 calories, .2 g fat, 9.9 g carbohydrates, .6 g carbohydrates, .7 mg sodium, 1.9 g dietary fiber

Cinnamon Chips

 Serves: 4 (8 chips per serving)
Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4-8 teaspoons water

Directions

1. Spoon a small amount of water on flour tortillas (1-2 teaspoons water per tortilla).
2. Combine cinnamon and sugar.
3. Sprinkle tortillas with cinnamon sugar mix.
4. Cut tortillas into 8 wedges (like a pizza). Place wedges in single layer on baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350°F for 6 minutes.
6. Cool and store in air-tight container.

Tips

• These can be made in advance and stored.
• Try whole wheat tortillas.

Nutrient information per serving 100 calories, 2.5 g fat, 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 190 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber

Source for recipes: Spend Smart, Eat Smart

recipe apple, chips, cinnamon, fruit salsa, peach, strawberries

February is Heart Month and one aspect of healthy eating for the heart is limiting salt and sodium intake. Salt plays a role in high blood pressure, which affects about one in three American adults. Everyone, including children, should reduce their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). Adults age 51 and older, African Americans of any age, and individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, should further reduce their sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day.

One easy way to track sodium intake (and so much more) is the new, free, online tool, SuperTracker, released December 2011 by the USDA. Foods eaten are entered and compared to a general nutritional recommendation (based on 2,000 calories per day) or can be personalized for the user. To personalize, the user enters his or her age, gender, weight, height and physical activity level; this generates personalized nutrition and physical activity recommendations for that user.

Five goals can be set in the categories of:

1. Weight management
2. Physical activity
3. Calories
4. Food groups
5. Nutrients
   

For example, a goal of consuming 1,500 mg of sodium per day can be set by someone with high blood pressure. Weekly coaching messages related to goals are generated to help people move in the right direction. SuperTracker is a tool that can help users see what they are really eating, how much activity they are really getting, and help them set goals and track progress to improve their health.

healthy living, nutrition heart health, sodium

You’re in good company if you made a New Year’s resolution to improve your health. That’s a great beginning! Now it’s time to take action. Focus on making small, positive behavior changes to achieve personal health goals. These can make a BIG difference over time. Small changes are always better than taking no action at all.

1.  Get Fit

• The President’s Challenge Program includes an “Adult Fitness Test”, a tool to assess your level of fitness. You can complete testing activities, enter your data online, and receive an evaluation. This tool helps set goals to establish small, positive behavior changes. Completing this assessment on a monthly basis will highlight the progress and motivate you!
• Assessment components: Aerobic fitness—the ability of your heart and lungs to deliver blood to muscles. Muscular strength and endurance— whether you are strong enough to do normal activities easily and protect your lower back. Flexibility—the ability to move your joints through their proper range of motion. Body composition—whether you have too much body fat, especially around the waist.

2.  Rethink Your Drink
Choosing healthy beverages is just one of those small, positive behavior changes to an overall healthy diet.

Individuals drinking soft drinks take in more calories than those who do not. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages has been associated with weight gain, overweight, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes. A 12-ounce can of soda has 150 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar. If these calories are added to the typical diet, without cutting back on something else, one soda a day could lead to a weight gain of 15 pounds in one year!

Sports drinks also contain calories and sugar, in amounts similar to soft drinks! Sports drinks average about 140 calories and 9 teaspoons of sugar in a 20-ounce bottle. Sports drinks offer little advantage over water for most youth. They are beneficial only for athletes who participate in high-intensity, aerobic exercise for at least 90 minutes.

Help children learn to enjoy water as the thirst quencher of choice. Make sugar-sweetened drinks a “sometimes” beverage to be enjoyed in moderate amounts. Remember that soft drinks include fruit drinks, lemonade, energy drinks, sweet tea, and sports drinks. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator for easy access. Add lemon, lime, other fruit, or a splash of juice for variety in flavor.

3.  Try new foods!
MyPlate recommends eating a variety of foods at a meal to ensure adequate intakes of nutrient-rich foods. Many get into the habit of eating the same foods week to week. There are a variety of ways to taste new foods: exchange recipes with friends or have a cooking day with friends during which you prepare large amounts of foods to share.

fitness, healthy living new years, physical activity, resolution

Serves: 8
Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 can (15 ounce) low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup salsa
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup reduced fat (2%) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Cut chicken breast into 4-5 chunks. Simmer in a large saucepan with water and chili powder. Cook until internal temperature is 165° F (about 10 minutes).
2. Remove chicken from pan. Cut or shred into small chunks and return to pan. Add beans, corn, and salsa to saucepan. Cook until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Spread 1/2 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread any leftover chicken mixture over the top of the enchiladas.
4. Bake at 375° F for 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of the enchiladas during the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve immediately.

Nutrient information per serving 310 calories; 7 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat); 40 mg cholesterol; 510 mg sodium; 41 g total carbohydrates (6 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar); 22 g protein

recipe chicken, corn, enchilada, tortilla

• Make sure fruits and vegetables do not touch surfaces exposed to raw meat or poultry.
• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under running water before cutting, cooking, or combining with other ingredients.
• The water should be slightly warmer than the produce.
• Take time to thoroughly wash uncut leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach. Remove outer leaves and pull the greens completely apart; rinse thoroughly.
• Many precut, bagged produce items (like lettuce) are pre-washed. If the package indicates the contents have been pre-washed, you can use the produce without further washing.
• Even if you plan to peel produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first. Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Refrigerate sliced melons, cut tomatoes, and cut leafy greens at 41° F or lower. These foods have been implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks and need refrigeration for safety.
• Do not serve raw seed sprouts to high-risk populations. This would include elderly people, infants and preschool children, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
  For additional research-based, unbiased information on food safety, visit: www.iowafoodsafety.org

food safety food safety, fresh produce, fruits, vegetables

Healthiest Iowa Initiative – we’re number 19, heading toward number 1. It’s a bold and unprecedented goal to jump 18 ranks up the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index® in just five years, but if anyone can do it, Iowans can. Together, we can change Iowa and be part of a groundbreaking community movement that has never been attempted on a statewide basis.

Start Somewhere…choose your goals for healthier activity and nutrition – then just get started…somewhere! Not sure where to start with wellness goals? Check out the healthiest state initiative for ideas to get you started. Look under Resources > Statistics and Reports for a list of wellness tools and resources.

fitness, healthy living competition, goals, healthy iowa

Walking is a great way to meet the 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity. But going for a walk in cold and snowy weather brings special challenges. Ensure a safe outdoor walk with these tips:

• Be aware of the wind chill factor before starting your walk. When it’s windy, think about whether you want to walk into the wind when you are returning and warmed up from exercise or when you begin and are warm from your home.
• Select a route with no snow or ice when possible.
• Dress warmly in several layers of loosefitting, tightly woven clothing. Wear a waterproof coat, hat, gloves, a scarf, or knit mask to cover your face, and waterproof boots. Be careful you aren’t so bundled up that you can’t hear or see what is going on around you!
• Use sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher before going outdoors and reapply as needed. Protecting your skin from the sun is important in the winter even if the air and wind are brutally cold.
• Share your planned route with family or friends in case of an emergency and carry a cell phone, if you have one.
• Take a break when you begin to feel fatigue. Watch for signs of cold weather health problems such as hypothermia and frostbite.
• Walk with a friend! It will help keep you motivated.

fitness cold weather tips, walking, winter