Family & Consumer Sciences
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January 23rd at the Lifeskills Center beginning at 5:00 p.m. Learn how to make Can Opener Salsa. Everyone welcome and it is free!
SewingCafe'
Visit the Sewing Café at the Breathitt County Extension Office on Friday, January 20th, anytime from 12:00 noon till 4:00 pm. Sewing machines, sergers and basic sewing tools will be available for your use free of charge. You can bring your own project, purchase one of our sew and go kits, or sip a cup of coffee or tea as you look through our sewing library for ideas for your next project. This is even a great time to bring your mending pile and sew on those buttons or fix a hem as you visit with others who enjoy sewing. Invite a friend! Beginners and experienced sewers alike are welcome. Call 666-8812 for more information.
Smart Snacks for Families and Children
Source: Ingrid Adams, UK extension specialist for nutrition and weight management Carole Gnatuk, UK extension specialist
The recent announcement by global fast-food giant McDonald’s that it will offer a healthier Happy Meal® signifies a major shift in eating behavior and consumer trends. By reducing portion size of fries, including apples and offering a low-fat dairy option in Happy Meals®, McDonald’s is showing a willingness to address childhood obesity. (Two bags of apples can be substituted for apples and fries.) Because many children eat fast-food meals regularly, it is definitely a step in the right direction to add fiber, calcium and other critical nutrients, even in small amounts, and to reduce fat by 20 percent in these hugely popular meals.
Families can take a cue from the fast-food restaurants, which increasingly are offering healthier side dishes and snacks. One of the best options is to limit fast food meals so they are an occasional, infrequent treat. Another long-term strategy is to eat at home and to pack a healthy lunch that includes nutritious snacks for all members of your family, especially children. Providing smart snacks is important as children head back to school and need the right sort of fuel to help them stay alert and healthy while they are learning. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat balanced snacks pay attention longer in class, make fewer mistakes on tests and generally have fewer behavioral problems.
Having a steady supply of snacks that do not include high levels of processing, sugars and salt will help your child’s palate remain acclimated to fresh, natural foods. Remember to offer appropriate serving sizes of these foods, which should supplement not replace, regular mealtimes.
Non-sugared Cereal
Graham crackers
Fruit (leave the skin on when possible for extra fiber)
Pretzels or plain popcorn
Nuts
Cheese, sliced or cubed
Yogurt, Kefir or low-fat pudding
Whole grain bread or crackers
Raw veggies, such as carrots, cucumbers, red pepper, etc.
Raisins and other dried, non-sweetened fruit
Cottage Cheese
Hard-boiled eggs
Low-fat milk
Parents should also set rules for snacking. For example:
Teach your kids to ask before they help themselves to snacks. Eat snacks at the table or in the kitchen, not in front of the TV. Serve snacks in a bowl, offering appropriate serving sizes. Don’t let kids eat snack foods directly out of the bag or box.
Healthy eating involves a certain amount of creativity and effort. For example, if your child asks for a snack after breakfast, offer a plain hard-boiled egg, which is high in protein and other nutrients and low in both calories and price. If the request arises in the afternoon, offer sliced tomatoes and cheese. During the summer and early fall, teach your child where food comes from by going to the garden (or visit one) and let the child pick which fresh vegetables he or she wants to eat. Letting children make decisions about their intake can make them feel empowered and receptive to healthy eating.
Many groceries have expanded their fruit selection and regularly stock items that used to be hard to find or exotic. When in season, look for kiwi, gooseberries, currants, figs, papaya, mango, pineapple, pomegranates, plumcots, apricots and other unusual and seasonal fruit to break up the year-round standards of apples, oranges, pears and bananas. Introducing your family to variety and seasonality will make them savor each tasty and nutritious bite.
MyPlate: A new icon and suggestions for eating healthy
Source: Janet Tietyen Mullins, associate extension professor
The MyPlate icon, with a plate, fork and drinking glass, simplifies the message for healthy eating. The plate is divided into four unequal sections—vegetables and fruits fill the left half, and grains and protein fill the right. The glass represents dairy products. The straightforward visual makes the recommendations for eating different food groups clear.
The new, simplified dietary plan from the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services covers balancing calories, increasing certain foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and decreasing others (items with high sodium, solid fats, added sugar and sugary drinks). The message also covers eating the correct number of calories and increasing activity.
Here are highlights of the new MyPlate suggestions:
Build a healthy plate. Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Switch to skim or 1percent milk. Make a minimum of half of your grains whole grain. Vary protein choices, eating seafood twice a week and eating more beans, a natural source of protein and fiber.
Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars and salt. Choose foods with little or no added sugar, opting for water, fruits for dessert, and 100 percent fruit juice over sugary options. Watch sodium levels in foods. Eat fewer foods with a lot of solid fats, choosing lean meats and oils, and limiting snack foods (cakes, cookies, ice cream, hot dogs, sausages) that contain solid fats.
Eat the right number of calories. Staying within your calorie limit can help you maintain a healthy weight. Enjoy your food, but eat less. Cook at home so you are in control of your food. Choose lower calorie menu options when eating out. Write down what you eat so you can really keep track of calories.
Be physically active. The health benefits of physical activity increase as you spend more time being active, so start by doing what you can, for at least 10 minutes at a time.
Read food labels. The Nutrition Facts label can help you quickly and easily make smart food choices. Check calories, and choose foods with lower calories, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium. Note the serving size of the nutrition analysis. The nutrition analysis is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Check for added sugars, which come under various names. Food ingredients are listed in order of percentage by weight, so foods with sugars at or near the beginning of the list should be limited.
For more information, visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov or contact the Breathitt County Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Fruit Pizza
1 20 oz. Package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 Cup each Banana slices, mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes strawberry halves (or any other fruit)
Preheat oven to 375°. Line an ungreased 14 inch pizza pan with cookie dough and cut in 1/8 inch slices, overlapping slightly. Bake 12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Spread cream cheese over cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer in any design you want. Makes 8, 5 oz. servings. Serving size = 1/8 pizza
Nutrition information: Calories per serving: 160, Calories from fat: 50, Total fat: 6 g, Total carbohydrate: 24g, Saturated fat: 1.5g, Dietary fiber: 1g, Trans fat: 0g, Sugars 13g, Cholesterol: 10mg., Protein 3g.
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Energy Information
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.