Let's Move Initative!

Please click on the link below featuring First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Initiative! focusing on childhood obesity.  Find tons of fun, new activities that'll keep you and your kids healthy and active. 
http://www.smallstep.gov/

Nutrition Labels Help Guide Healthy Food Choices

Reviewing the nutrition facts on food packaging has become required reading for many consumers.  But understanding what the information means can sometimes be confusing.
Take the nutrition facts on the side of a box of cereal as an example.  The nutrition facts label is based on one serving, but it’s easy to eat more than that.  Use a measuring cup to see how many servings you are actually eating when you fill your bowl.”
After serving size, the number of calories per serving is listed next on the label. Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of food. If you are counting calories, this information can help you manage your weight. If you are eating two servings, you must double the calories. Remember, the number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually eat. An average adult needs about 2000 calories a day.
Fats and sodium are listed next on the label. To help reduce your risk of heart disease, use the label to compare and select foods that are lowest in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Look at the heading called %Daily Value (DV) and try to keep the numbers in that section below 5%. There is no daily value for trans fat – try to keep it at zero as trans fats are linked with raising blood cholesterol levels that can increase your risk of coronary heart disease. Limit sodium to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Now look at dietary fiber, vitamin A and C, calcium and iron. Many Americans do not get enough of these nutrients in their diet, but they can improve health and help lower the risk of some diseases. For example, getting enough calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Remember, 20% Daily Value or more of these nutrients is considered a high level, and 5% or less is low.

The lower part of the nutrition label contains the required footnote. Smaller food packages are only required to state: “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” Larger food packages will include the full footnote which never changes from product to product because it shows recommended dietary advice for all Americans--it is not about a specific food product.
The %Daily Values is based on recommendations for key nutrients for a 2,000 calorie daily diet. The idea is to get close to 100% DV of your important nutrients, calcium, Vitamin A and C, fiber and iron each day and keep your %DV of fats and sodium low.
One more place to check is the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in descending order from the ingredient that is present in the greatest amount to the ingredient that is present in the smallest amount. It’s best if your cereal label shows a whole grain listed first and, if present, added sugars and fats near the end of the ingredient list.

Label reading can take a bit of time when you first start out, but the benefits are worth it.

Written by Connie Eisch, Wood County UW-Extension Family Living Educator

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Save Money on Your Food Bill

Does it seem like you spend a lot of money for food? Food costs can add up when the total amount of food purchased monthly is added up. Food can be purchased at many places: grocery store, fast food restaurant, take-out, stand at the shopping mall, movie theatre, or in a restaurant. With many people watching their finances due to the recession, food is a flexible expense. By making wise decisions, the amount of money you spend on food can be reduced.

Plan ahead by making a grocery list. When making a shopping list, plan meals around foods you currently have as well as food that are in season or are on sale. Take time to review shopping ads. It also pays to look for in-store specials that may not be advertised in the shopping ads.

Look for foods that have been minimally processed. Usually the less processed the food, the lower the cost. Bulk rice is cheaper than boxes of flavored rice. Whole potatoes are cheaper than frozen processed potatoes. Rolled oats are going to cost less than packaged cereal or oatmeal breakfast packets.

If cooking is not something you enjoy or are good at, look for recipes that offer five or less ingredients. Often the fewer ingredients involved, the faster the recipe will be to make.

Track foods kept in the pantry and refrigerator. Use foods before dates found on the package. Also check the freezer to locate foods that may have been pushed to the back or bottom. Controlling waste is a great way to keep costs under control.

The cost of eating away from home can add up quickly. Rather than eating out on a regular basis consider eating out as a treat. I find reducing the number of times I eat out an easy way to reduce monthly food costs. The following poster was developed for the program “Small Steps to Health and Wealth” developed by colleagues at Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Consider the cost of food bought at the shopping mall or movie theatre. These items can add up quickly and may offer little nutritional value. It may be less expensive to have a treat after the movie either at a less expensive place or at home.

Celebrate Asparagus!

The Gardeners Club of Green Bay will be sponsoring “Celebrate Asparagus! on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Brown County UW-Extension Office, 1150 Bellevue Street, Green Bay. I will be giving a presentation on asparagus at this event as well as preparing some recipes using this tasty vegetable. Please see flyer below, for more information on this event.

Interesting Facts about Asparagus – Did You Know…

• Sometimes referred to as the aristocrat of vegetables, asparagus has been prized since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who not only appreciated its taste but also believed it possessed medicinal properties.
• Asparagus is a member of the lily family and is related to onions, leeks, and garlic.
• A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for 15 years without being replanted.
• Two basic types of asparagus, white and green are cultivated.
• Asparagus does contain a good supply of vitamins and minerals including folic acid, potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C and thiamin.

Keep fresh asparagus cold to preserve its tenderness and as much of its natural sweetness and vitamin C content as possible. Wrap stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper. It is best to eat asparagus the day it is purchased or cut from the garden.

Asparagus can be roasted, boiled, steamed, microwaved or added to stir-fry. One of the items I will prepare during my presentation is roasted asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Place rack in center of your over and preheat to 350F. While the oven is warming up, wash the asparagus to remove any dirt particles that may be lodged in the tips or stuck to the stalks. Snap off the bottoms of the asparagus stalks. The bottom of the stalk is fibrous and not very pleasant to eat, so just grab the bottom and bend until it snaps.

Pour 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil per pound of asparagus onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up – saving time).

Using your hands, roll the asparagus through the oil and rub them against each other until the oil coats them all. Spread the asparagus out in the sheet pan to form a single layer. Apply freshly ground black pepper and salt to the oiled asparagus.

Place the asparagus laden sheet pan into the oven and allow it to roast for 10 to 15 minutes

Roasting asparagus until it just changes color from a medium green to a dark green will result in tender but still somewhat crisp texture.

Asparagus Flyer:

Choose the Right Containers When Storing Food at Home

Choose the Right Food Storage Container

• Use only food‐grade containers for storing food. Food‐grade containers are those containers manufactured especially to hold food, like Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers. Do not use non‐food grade containers like plastic or paper shopping bags or plastic trash bags to store food. Chemicals or dyes from these bags can leach into the food and contaminate it.

• Do not re-use food containers that are hard to clean or may contaminate stored items. Some food containers are hard to clean or have hard‐to‐clean lids; plastic water bottles and yogurt containers are good examples. Even though these containers originally held food (or water), they are hard to clean and should not be re‐used. Other single‐use items that should not be reused are disposable plastic utensils, plates and cups,
Styrofoam trays or take‐out containers, and plastic containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, chip dip, whipped topping, margarine and milk.

• Use single‐use wooden items only once. Some wooden food‐related items, such as popsicle sticks and
shish kabob skewers, are intended for one‐time use. If you want to reuse shish kabob sticks, buy the metal ones. Rather than reuse popsicle sticks, purchase one of the containers for making popsicles that comes with reusable handles. Or, use a new purchased popsicle stick every time.

• Take care when choosing containers for reheating. Numerous research studies have shown that using the wrong type of container when heating food in a microwave oven can transfer harmful chemicals into the food. Choose glass or microwave‐safe plastic containers, or white paper plates for microwave heating. Do not reuse plastic food containers from margarine, cottage cheese, or similar foods for microwave heating. Do
not use Styrofoam or take‐out containers in a microwave oven. Some ceramic pottery dishes are microwave safe; check the bottom of bowls, cups and plates for information on safe heating in these dishes.

There are some excellent online resources to help guide your food storage decisions.

Cupboard, Refrigerator, and Freezer Storage Charts (Kansas State) found online at:
http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/humannutrition/hrap/storage/stochart.htm

Storing Vegetables and Fruits at Home (Washington State University) found online at: http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1326/eb1326.pdf

(Note: If links are not working or on 2 lines, copy and paste the entire link into your browser.)

Prepared by Barbara Ingham, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UW-Madison

Questions and Answers about the 'Pickle Bill'

On Thursday, February 4, 2010 Governor Doyle signed into law Assembly Bill 229 that has been referred to as the ‘Pickle Bill’. The ‘Pickle Bill’ allows individuals to can food for sale in their home without having to have a food processor’s license. In other words, individuals are exempt from licensing as long as certain conditions are met.

Please visit the following website for more information on the 'Pickle Bill' and its guidelines, http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Pickle_Bill_web.pdf

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Food Safety and Health

Fresh, Frozen or Canned: They are all good for you!

I get a number of calls from consumers regarding the difference in nutritional value of frozen, canned and fresh fruits and vegetables. According the Fruits & Veggies More Matters website, all forms of fruits and vegetables matter – fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100 percent juice.

Most frozen and canned foods are processed within hours of harvest, so their flavor and nutritional value are preserved. Studies show that recipes prepared with canned foods had similar nutritional values to those prepared with fresh or frozen ingredients.

Since many Americans do not consume the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, it is good to know that whatever the processing method, we can still enjoy good flavor and excellent nutritional value of fresh as well as processed fruits and vegetables.

Don't Throw Nutrition Out the Window When Eating Away From Home

You probably already know that Americans need to eat more whole grains, low-fat milk, and fruits and vegetables. What you might not realize is that national surveys show we tend to make poorer choices when eating away from home. For example, eating breakfast away from home usually means eating fewer whole-grains and dairy foods and more calories from saturated fat, alcohol and added sugar. When people eat their dinner away from home they tend to eat fewer vegetables, especially the nutritious vegetables in the dark green and orange category.

“The tendency to make poorer choices when eating out is increasingly important because the average American now spends two of every five food dollars on food that is eaten away from home.” Unless you make careful choices, eating just one meal away from home each week can add enough extra calories to your diet to make you gain two pounds per year.

“Eating out doesn’t have to mean eating poorly.” Keep the following tips in mind when eating at a restaurant or fast food place:

-Drink water, fat-free or low-fat milk instead of sugary drinks like sweetened iced tea or soda.

-Look for places that offer whole-wheat bread or buns as an option for sandwiches, submarines, etc.

-Make sure there’s at least one vegetable (other than potatoes) in your entrée or side dish. For example, order pasta with plenty of tomato sauce and added vegetables like green peppers or broccoli.

-Keep the fat and calories lower by ordering dishes that are steamed, grilled or broiled instead of fried and looking for sauces based on tomatoes or broth instead of creamy sauces and gravies.

-If the regular portion sizes are large, order an appetizer for your main dish or share the regular main dish with a friend.

-Eat slowly and get in the habit of stopping when you’re just starting to feel full. If there’s still food on your plate, ask for a doggie bag and chill the extra food for a later meal.

Source: Susan Nitzke, UW-Extension Nutrition Specialist and UW-Madison Professor of Nutritional Sciences

Easter Egg Safety

This is the week that many households will be coloring eggs in preparation for Easter. This is also the week that many grocery stores have eggs on sale, so you may want to stock up. Eggs are a perishable food, so food safety practices need to be followed.

Raw eggs maintain their freshness for about four weeks after purchase if refrigerated continuously. Once an egg begins to age, it loses moisture through its porous shell and begins to dry. The membranes that hold the egg structure begin to loosen and the yolk may not be anchored to the center of the white once the egg is broken. An older egg would be most appropriate for a batter or mixed dish.

It is easier to peel eggs that have been in the refrigerator or a week or so, than to use fresh eggs just purchased at the grocery store.

If you boil and color eggs, and then plan to eat them, the eggs should promptly be returned to the refrigerator after they are colored. Colored eggs either used for decoration or an egg hunt which are left out at room temperature for longer than two hours should not be consumed.

When purchasing eggs, check the eggs in the carton. Do not buy eggs that are cracked or dirt. After arriving home, refrigerate eggs in their cartons on the middle or lower inside shelf, not on the door, and away from any meat that might drip juices.