December is National Pear Month

December is National Pear Month

 December is National Pear Month and now is the time to incorporate pears into meals and snacks. There is a wide variety of pears available in the grocery store, so try a few varieties to determine which you like the best.

Pears are a good source of fiber with each pear containing four to five grams of fiber. In addition, pears are a good source of phytochemicals.

Don’t rely on color as an indicator of whether the pears are ripe. Press gently on the neck of the pear. It should give to gentle pressure when pressed lightly. If the pears you buy are not yet ripe, place in a brown paper bag to ripen faster.

Pears are great mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Other ways to serve pears include:

- Slice and put on a lettuce salad with nuts, dried fruit and favorite cheese.

- Instead of making an apple crisp, make a pear crisp. 

- Pears are great when made into pear butter, similar to apple butter.

 - Cut into pieces and add to muffins or quick breads.  

SuperTracker is Now Available From the ChooseMyPlate.gov Website

We Invite You to Check Out the New Tool in Town!

SuperTracker is now available from the ChooseMyPlate.gov website (choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker)

As we enter the New Year, Americans are looking for ways to meet their New Year’s Resolutions. Topping many lists are healthy eating, being active, and managing weight. Introducing SuperTracker…

The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) has developed a new online diet and physical activity planning, assessment, and analysis tool. SuperTracker is designed to help Americans implement the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. With this tool, users can do everything from a quick food look up to in-depth diet and activity tracking and analysis over time and weight management.

Make 2012 your healthiest year yet. Share with us on Twitter (hashtag #SuperTracker) how SuperTracker is helping you make great choices for a great year!

Watch the video announcing the tool: USDA Launches New Online Tool--SuperTracker

Read the press release: USDA Launches New Online Nutrition SuperTracker in Time for Those Healthy New Year Resolutions

Check out the SuperTracker Backgrounder

 Note: SuperTracker will overlap with the existing tools (Tracker, Food Planner) for a period of time to allow users to make the switch. Users are encouraged to move to SuperTracker since the previous tools will be phased out.

AND -- Happy Holidays to you !!

Nutrition Communicators Network Team

Great Foods to Consume

Great Foods to Consume

As you look at preparing foods for upcoming holiday dinners, here are some foods with a lot of nutritional value to consider.

Sweet potatoes are a great vegetable. They are an excellent source of carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. 

Mangoes are a very good source of vitamin C and vitamin A. They also contain potassium and fiber.

Unsweetened Greek Yogurt has twice as much protein of ordinary yogurt – about 17 grams in 6 ounces. This product because it is strained is thick and creamy.

Butternut Squash can be easily baked in the microwave or oven. It is a great way to get lots of vitamin A and C and fiber.

Garbanzo Beans are rich in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Garbanzo beans are very versatile. After the beans are rinsed and drained, they can be added to salads, stews, soups or mix with a whole grain.

Modifing Recipes

Modifying Recipes

I have gotten a number of phone calls in the past few days regarding ingredient substitution in holiday baking. Please refer to the helpful substitution chart below.

Instead of                                                  Choose

1 whole egg                                             2 egg whites
1 cup butter                               1 cup stick margarine or 3/4 cup oil
1 cup shortening                         1 cup stick margarine or 3/4 cup oil 
1 cup light cream                         1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup sour cream                 1 cup plain non-fat/low-fat yougurt or
                                                  1 cup light sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese              1 cup ricotta cheese blended until smooth
                                            or 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese blended
                                                    to a smooth consistency
1 oz. baking chocolate (1 square)     3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
                                                            plus 1 Tbsp. oil

Understanding Food Labels

Understanding Food Labels

Understanding dates on food packages can be a challenge. Many food packages are marked with dates that indicate freshness. Some examples include:

 

Quality or pack dates often designated on packages by the words ‘Better if used by…” and a date. Look for these dates on packaged mixes, cold cereals, peanut butter, and increasingly, on canned items like fruits and vegetables. These dates mean that after the quality date, the food will begin to lose its flavor and may even develop an off flavor. Quality dates are an estimate of how long foods will remain at their peak quality.

Expiration dates such as “Expires 2/15/12” or “Do not use after 7/9/11.” Look for these dates on vitamins, yeast, baking powder and cake mixes.

Pull dates an example includes “Sell by May 16.” Look for these dates on perishable, refrigerated foods such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream, eggs, lunch meat, and packaged salad mixes.

Choose a Healthy Holiday Plate

Choose a Healthy Holiday Plate

Enjoy the holidays and the delicious foods associated with them, but eat less. Research indicates that the average American gains one pound during the winter holiday season. This amount is less than you might expect and may not seem like a problem, but every pound adds up.

Enjoy your food and eat less. Take time to fully enjoy your food as you eat it. Eating too fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too many calories. Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues before, during and after meals. Use them to recognize when to eat and when you’ve had enough.

Plan ahead. If you know that you are attending a holiday gathering where you might indulge in more food than usual, eat a little less earlier in the day or the day before or after.

Avoid oversized portions. When eating out, choose a smaller size option, share a dish, or take home part of your meal.

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Filling your plate with fruits and vegetables leaves less room for higher-calorie foods.

Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars and salt. These include pies, cookies, candies, stuffing, gravy, eggnog and fatty meats like prime rib and bacon. It is okay to eat these foods once in a while as a treat.

Choose foods and drinks low in fat and with little or no added sugar. They include turkey or chicken breast, baked crackers or chips, fruit sherbet or sorbet, and mineral water.

Source: Gayle Coleman, Nutrition Education Specialist, UW-Extension and Donna Peterson, Iowa County UW-Extension Nutrition Education Program

Donating to a Food Drive? Keep These Tips in Mind

Donating to a Food Drive? Keep These Tips in Mind

Community groups and social organizations often host food drives to fill local food pantry shelves this time of years. Good examples of foods to donate include:

 • Whole grain, low-sugar cereals such as plain instant oatmeal, whole grain O’s and bran flakes.
• Whole grain or enriched pasta and instant rice – either brown or enriched.
• Canned vegetables, especially those without salt.
• Fruits canned in juice, unsweetened applesauce, and dried fruits like raisins.
• Spaghetti sauce, salsa and canned beans.
• Canned meats. Do not donate meat canned at home.
• Peanut butter.
• Reduced –sodium broth and soups.
• Condiments like ketchup and mustard.

Consider donating cash to food pantries. Pantries can often get more for their dollars, address shortages and needs, and focus on high quality products with some extra financial assistance.

Source: Amber Canto, Poverty and Food Security Specialist, UW-Extension

Added Sugars Can be Hidden Source of Calories

Added Sugars Can be Hidden Source of Calories

For many people, added sugars are a hidden source of extra calories that can make it hard to stay at a healthy body weight. On average, one of every six calories we eat comes from hidden sugars.

Cutting back on added sugars is a good way to improve the nutritional quality of your diet. Here are some suggestions to limit added sugars to your diet:
• Drink water, low fat/skim milk, 100 percent fruit juice, coffee or tea instead of drinks with added sugar.
• Cut back on desserts, baked treats, and candies.
• Snack on fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and crackers, yogurt, low-fat cheese and nuts.
• When you bake, look for recipes that use less sugar.
• Check the ingredient labels on processed foods and avoid those with lots of sugars.

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are put in when foods and beverages are processed or prepared. Over a third of added sugars in the diet of most Americans come from soda and other sweetened beverages. Energy drinks, sports drinks and fancy coffee beverages are in this category.

The best way to know which foods and beverages are high in added sugars is to check the ingredient list. A product is high in added sugar if one of the first two or three ingredients listed are high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, raw sugar, malt syrup, maple syrup, pancake syrup, molasses, honey, fructose and dextrose.

Source: Susan Nitzke, UW-Extension Specialist and Professor Emeritus in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison