Blog Site Discontinued June 23, 2017

Welcome. This blog site, healthy eating and food safety, has been discontinued as of June 23, 2017. I look forward to your comments and feedback regarding use of this tool to disseminate educational information.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Resist Temptation: Don't Eat Raw Dough!

Resist Temptation:  Don't Eat Raw Dough!

As gooey and delicious as it might look, eating raw cookie dough could make you very sick. When handling raw cookie dough, keep these safety tips in mind:


• Do not eat raw cookie dough or any other raw batter that contains raw eggs.
• Follow directions on packaged dough for cooking temperatures and times.
• Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough and batter products.
• Always keep raw foods separate from other foods to prevent cross contamination.
• Chill batter and dough if you are not using it right away.

Source: Outagamie County UW-Extension Office

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Healthy Eating for the Holidays

Healthy Eating for the Holidays 
Holiday parties and special treats are oh-so-plentiful this time of year. But with some thoughtful planning, you don’t have to abandon the basics of good nutrition.
A few simple rules can help you sail through the month of December without gaining weight.
  •  During special meals and holiday parties, we often encounter foods that are really high in fats, added sugars, and alcohol. Unless you have special medical restrictions, you don't need to totally skip those foods and beverages, but you do need to think carefully about serving sizes. For example, if a holiday meal is your once-a-year chance to have Uncle Tony’s eggnog or grandma’s fudge balls, take a small portion and give yourself permission to enjoy that special flavor. Start with a small amount, eat it slowly to savor its taste, and then turn your attention to other things. This advice is supported by research showing that flavor enjoyment is most intense for those first few sips or bites.
  • Timing is also important. If a meal or cocktail party is scheduled for late in the day, eat a little lighter than usual for breakfast and lunch. But skipping those other meals could trigger overeating later. If it has been a long time since your last meal, have a light snack or low-fat appetizer an hour before to take the edge of your appetite.
  •  When you go to a buffet, it’s best to survey all the options and limit your selections to a few of the more nutritious items. Research shows that people tend to eat more when given lots of delicious choices. “So plan ahead to favor quality over quantity.”  Using a small plate is also helpful because small servings look larger and seem more satisfying when they fill a larger part of your plate.
  •  Planning ahead is also important when it comes to exercise. Busy schedules and cold weather can make it harder to be physically active, so make sure every day includes some form of enjoyable exercise. Some people might walk the dog an extra few blocks while others might enjoy a half hour of brisk walking at the mall before they start shopping.
 Susan Nitzke, Extension nutrition specialist and professor emerita of nutritional sciences at the UW-Madison.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Add Seafood to Meals

Add Seafood to Meals

Seafood in addition to tasting good, is a great sources of protein, low in fat, and is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans eat at least two servings of fish each week. Here are some suggestions for incorporating seafood in meals.
At lunchtime, tuna salad sandwiches are the first thing that comes to mind, but there are also other options. Seafood tacos are becoming more popular and available in local restaurants. Also top your salad with some tuna or leftover salmon.
When making soup, consider making seafood chowder or seafood gumbo. One option is to make a large batch of soup and freeze in smaller batches for quick meals. Soup can be eaten at lunch or dinner. There are also canned varieties available, remember to check the sodium content.
At dinner time sauté some shrimp to toss with pasta. Other options include baked cod or salmon and seasoned grilled shrimp skewers.
Seafood can add variety and great taste to meals.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Getting Your Kitchen Ready for Holiday Baking

Getting Your Kitchen Ready for Holiday Baking

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to think about getting your kitchen ready for a busy time of year. Begin by taking inventory. If you know of certain dishes you will be making, be sure to have the ingredients called for on hand. Also consider beverages that you will need

Check dates. This is the time of year when many spices are used. If spices are more than one year old, they can lose potency. Also store spices away from heat and steam. It may be a good time to stock up on the basic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, bay leaves, garlic powder and thyme. Also check dates on items you don’t use often like corn syrup and condiments.

Also make sure to have plenty of staple ingredients on hand like flour, sugar and chocolate. It can be difficult when making something like fudge to realize in the middle of measuring ingredients that one ingredient is missing from the cupboard.

While stocking up on ingredients don’t neglect the items you need to put everything together including parchment papers for lining pans, plenty of re-sealable containers for leftovers and utensils like candy thermometers, cookie sheets, and spatulas.

This is also a good time to check inventory of napkins, paper plates and glasses.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Boost the Value of Your Food Drive Donations

Boost the Value of Your Food Drive Donations

Community groups and social organizations often host food drives to fill local food pantry shelves this time of year. By keeping a few simple tips in mind, you can enhance the value of the food donations you make.
It’s important to remember that donated food is most helpful if it is both safe and high quality.
Make sure to check the dates on packages of foods that you donate, advises Ingham. Many packaged items 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. Donate only foods that are well within the quality dates marked on the package.
--Expiration dates, such as "Expires 2/15/13" or "Do not use after 7/9/13." Look for these dates on vitamins, yeast, baking powder and cake mixes. Do not donate foods that are past their expiration date.
--Pull dates. Example: "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. Perishable foods, with the exception of garden produce, are usually not included in a food drive. If they are, choose foods that are well within the pull date for best quality.
Besides looking for a date, be sure to check the integrity of the package. To ensure that the food has not been contaminated, donate only foods from unopened packages. Avoid foods with packaging that shows signs of leakage or damage. Ingham urges consumers not to donate canned items that have broken seams or large dents.
Avoid sugary cereals, salty noodle mixes, and fruit-flavored beverages that might be easy to donate, but difficult for families to include in nutritious meals. Instead, consumers should donate foods that have a stable shelf life, are full of nutrients and easy to prepare. Good examples of foods to consider are:
--Whole grain, low-sugar cereals such as plain instant oatmeal, whole grain Os, and bran flakes.
--Whole grain or enriched pasta and instant rice—either brown or enriched. Boxed noodle and rice dishes can be an easy starting point for a one-dish meal.
--Whole grain crackers (especially reduced-sodium) and popcorn.
--Canned vegetables, especially those without added salt.
--Fruits canned in juice, unsweetened applesauce, 100-percent fruit juice and dried fruit such as raisins or craisins.
--Spaghetti sauce, salsa and canned beans, including baked beans.
--Canned meats. Food pantries tend to receive a lot of canned salmon or tuna, so consider other meats such as canned chicken, ham or beef. Do not donate meat canned at home.
--Peanuts and peanut butter.
--Reduced-sodium broth and soups.
--Low-fat salad dressings or spreads, and condiments such as ketchup or mustard.
--Baby food is a welcome donation. Just be sure to donate well within the date marked on the containers.
 Food pantries are designed to serve only as emergency food stock--not as a continuous source of food-- and need donations throughout the year. Pantries are helping those in need during the holidays, and everyday.

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