Kids in the Kitchen

Kids in the Kitchen 

This previous Saturday I judged a 4-H Favorite Foods competition in a neighboring county. Kids from third grade through high school participated. Teaching children how to prepare food is a wonderful opportunity to teach them where food comes from, and basic life skills. Cooking together is a great way for families to spend time together.

Here are some tips to get your family started in cooking together.
- Kids have short attention spans. Start with basic items like snacks, or breakfast items including pancakes, eggs, or French toast.
- Good cooks always wash their hands before beginning food preparation.
- Expect spills and messes.
- When kids are ready to use a knife, teach them the correct way to hold and use a knife.
- Remember kids need supervision in the kitchen at all times.
- If possible providing an apron for the child will help them feel important and will keep clothes cleaner.
- Teach kids about safely using the microwave and other appliances.
- Provide positive feedback.



Fun Food Facts

Fun Food Facts

Amount of pizza eaten each day in the United States is enough to cover 100 acres of land.

 The United States provides about 25 percent of the world’s total supply of fresh peaches. A peach is a member of the rose family and has a sweet fragrance.

Last year, 1.3 million pounds of pasta were sold in American grocery stores. If you lined up 1.3 million pounds of 16 ounce spaghetti packages, it could circle the Earth’s equator almost nine times.

 Rice Krispies snap, crackle and pop because they are created in a certain way that will make it “pop” like popcorn during the cooking process. This popping puffs up the kernels. When the rice is finished cooking, most of the Rice Krispies will have thin, solid walls with hollow, sealed areas inside where air pockets have formed. When cold milk is added, the sudden temperature change causes the walls of the pockets to fracture making a snap/crackle/pop noise.

The word orange was introduced to the English through the Spanish word “naranja” which came from the Sanskrit word naranga which literally means orange tree. The English dropped the leading “n” and eventually we got the word orange. It was around the early 16th century that the word orange gradually started being used to not only refer to the fruit, but also what we now know of the color orange.

Tips for Eating Healthy When You're Away From Home

Tips for Eating Healthy When You’re 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 Americans 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 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 produce a gain of 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:
--To reduce the calories and fat in your meal, cut back on fried foods; order meat, chicken, and other items that are roasted, grilled, baked or broiled.
--Drink fat-free or low-fat milk, water or coffee instead of sugary drinks like soda.
--Look for places that offer whole-wheat bread or buns as an option for sandwiches or subs.
--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.
--Be on the lookout for menu items that have high-fat ingredients like mayonnaise, full-fat salad dressing, and bacon.
--If the regular portion sizes are large, order an appetizer for your main dish or share the regular main dish with a friend.
--Check the establishment’s nutrition handouts or website postings for key nutrition information like calories, sugar, and sodium in the dishes you tend to order most often.
Source: Susan Nitzke, University of Wisconsin-Extension Nutrition Specialist and Professor Emeria, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Celebrate Asparagus!

Celebrate Asparagus!

 April 28, 2012

10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.

UW-Extension Service Brown County

Agriculture & Extension Service Center

1150 Bellevue Street

Green Bay, WI

Jersey Knight asparagus

Purchase Jersey Knight asparagus crowns to plant.

Pick-up pre-ordered* Jersey Knight asparagus crowns.

Purchase asparagus spears to cook.

Asparagus soup, bread and beverage will be available.

(Soup recipe courtesy of Chef Jeff Igel - FVTC)

Pick up how-to information; meet and talk to gardeners.

*Pre-ordered asparagus crowns by calling 920-468-8693

Sponsored by:  The Gardeners Club of Green Bay

"Growing" Since 1967

Eating Certain Types of Fruits Appears to Help Reduce Diabetes Risk

Eating Certain Types of Fruits Appears to Help Reduce Diabetes Risk

A group of Harvard researchers tracked the dietary patterns and other health indicators of approximately 200,000 healthy men and women (health professionals) for more than two decades. One of their objectives was to find out whether certain phytochemicals (nutrient-like substances from plants) were related to the participants’ risk of diabetes over time.

When the researchers compared data for over 12,000 participants who developed diabetes with those who remained diabetes-free during a period of 24 years, they found that apparent diabetes protection was strongest for fruits that are high in one type of phytochemical called anthocyanins (blueberries, apples and pears). Specifically, people who had two or more ½ cup servings per week were less likely to have developed diabetes during the course of the study as people who had less than on ½ cup serving per month. Similarly, people who ate five or more apples and/or pears a week had a lower risk of developing diabetes when compared with those who ate very few apples or pears. These results were found after adjusting the statistics for other known diabetes risk factors (BMI, smoking, family history).

Although this study provided strong evidence that blueberries, apples and pears help protect people from developing diabetes, it was an epidemiological study that relied on dietary data from a series of self-reported food frequency questionnaires. Thus, it could not prove that these specific fruits or the dietary substances they contain were uniquely responsible for the observed differences in diabetes rates.

New Guidelines for Cooking Pork

New Guidelines for Cooking Pork

Pork today is very lean and should not be overcooked. To check doneness, use a digital cooking thermometer. Cook pork roasts, tenderloins and chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. followed by a three minute rest time, which results in a flavorful, tender and juicy piece of meat.

Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees F. Pre-cooked ham can be reheated to 140 degrees F or enjoyed cold.

Source: National Pork Board

Food and Nutrition In the Media

Food and Nutrition In the Media

Frequently there are media articles, notices of reports or journal abstracts available to the public that may be of interest. Following are some recent articles that may be of interest to you.
How Much Do Fruits and Vegetables Cost?
http://www.ers.usda.gov/ChartsOfNote?Default.aspx?mode=detail&id=383

Experts: 30 to 50 Percent of World’s Food Thrown Away
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46743203/ns/world_news-world-environment/

What’s On MyPlate? A short YouTube video from Purdue University Extension
http://youtu.be/eg0uVx0Uilo