Eat, Save, and Be Healthy

Every day on the news we hear stories about childhood obesity, programs to improve the foods served at schools, or the garden at the White House. But have you learned the steps you can take to encourage your children, grandchildren, or the children in your scout troop or 4-H club to try healthier foods like vegetables or fruits? A recent research report from the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides vegetables and fruits to students in low income areas, found that when children are introduced to fresh vegetables or fruits they will try them. Students in the program who tried a vegetable were shown to eat most or all of it 60% of the time, and those who tried a fruit ate most or all of it 85% of the time. The study also found that when these fresh vegetables and fruits were offered to students as a snack, almost every child tried one. So if you have a picky eater, have you encouraged them to try something new lately? Here are a few tips to encourage the children (or even picky adults) in your life to try new healthier foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, or low fat dairy products:

•       Let your child select the new food to try – for example encourage them to select one new vegetable each time you grocery shop.
•       Allow your child to help with part of the food preparation – can they select the recipe used, wash the food, get out the bowl, or mix up the ingredients? Think safety though and know when they are old enough to use knives or be close to the stove.
•       Be sure to serve a food you know they enjoy with the new food.
•       If you have always served the food one way – try a new way or recipe. Do you always serve steamed broccoli – think fresh or stir fry next time.
•       Serve the food when you know your child is hungry, not after they have filled up on other foods. Try serving a new vegetable or fruit as a snack.
•       Set a good example, if children see adults eat a food they will usually try it, but if the adults complain, the child will too.
•       Encourage older children to be “Food Explorers”. Remind them that many of our favorite foods came from different parts of the world. Assist them with them investigating the country of origin for a food, how it was traditionally prepared, or how it        may have made its way to other parts of the world. This is a great project for elementary aged children, and may even be a way to incorporate their Social Studies classes into your meals at home.
•       Serve the food creatively or attractively – cut it into a cute shape or put it on a colorful plate.
•       Do not battle over foods – encourage children to at least try one bite. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to eat it – but you aren’t fixing them something else. Don’t be a short order cook!

It may take children 10 to 12 tries of a new food before they enjoy it. But by trying a few of these tips you should encourage your family to try a few new foods, and remember – you probably didn’t like every food the first time you tried it either. I know it took me a while before I liked asparagus.

Writer: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County, barlage.7@osu.edu.

Reviewed by:  Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.

Sources:

Creative Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat, The University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Clever Ways Parents Get Children to Eat Their Vegetables, University of Missouri Extension, http://extension.missouri.edu.

Oregon State, Agriculture in the Classroom, http://aitc.oregonstate.edu/teachers/pdf/handson/foodexplorer1.pdf.

USDA Blog, http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/04/05/secretarys-column-research-shows-that-kids-like-healthy-options/.

If you’ve been following our green gardening series, you know that I’ve chosen which vegetables to plant in my backyard garden and have started seeds for some of them indoors. The next step in my gardening adventure was getting everything planted in the garden! This year, due to more motivation from the blog, good weather, or unseen magical forces we can’t explain, my husband and I got our garden in weeks before we normally do. Here’s the layout of what I planted in early May:

As you can tell, we have a pretty decently sized garden for living in town – and we try to take full advantage of it! The perimeter of the garden is fenced, thus the peas, cucumbers, beans, and tomato locations. Growing close to a fence will allow them to climb and produce more yummy vegetables! (Peas and beans especially.) The corn was planted in double rows to allow for cross-pollination (a must for producing corn, read more about that here).

The tomatoes and peppers were started from seed indoors and moved out to the garden just this past week to allow plenty of time for them to become hardy enough to plant outdoors.

Below are the steps I took to plant seeds in the garden:

1. If you haven’t already done so, map out what you will plant where. Take into consideration if the plant(s) need to climb or can grow on the ground, how much space they need to grow, and if they need to be planted in double rows to allow for cross-pollination (such as corn and peas).

2.  Till up the dirt in the garden before planting using a gas or electric-powered tiller for large gardens, or simply a shovel. This gets the dirt nice and loose and ready for seed growth – if the dirt is too packed down it will be much more difficult for seeds to grow and reach the surface where the all-important sunshine is!

Read the rest of this entry »

This series is authored by Jamie Seger, Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Program Assistant.

Wednesday, I shared some information and tips on how to being your gardening adventure by planning and choosing which vegetables, fruits, and other goodies you will grow. Today, we’ll take a look at how to properly start seeds indoors (if you choose to go this route instead of buying pre-potted plants.) Honestly, all you need are some seed packets, biodegradable pots, some potting soil, and an hour or two! There is still time to start your seeds this late in April, as most plants can be transferred into your garden sometime in late May – June.

I typically use two different sources of information to see how I should go about starting the seeds – the back of the seed packet itself and Ohio State University Extension’s fact sheet series focused on gardening. The seed packets will tell you exactly how to start the seeds (how deep to plant them, how to water them, when to transfer them to the garden, etc.) and the fact sheets are designed to provide information specific to each vegetable and go far beyond seed starting to cover plant care, vegetable selection, and preparation (i.e. how to make yummy dishes out of what you have grown with your own two hands!)

I started my vegetable seeds (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and spinach) about two weeks ago on a Saturday when I had just enough free time between laundry loads – you can do the same this weekend! Below are step-by-step instructions for planting your seeds:

1. Set out the number of biodegradable pots you will need – I usually use at least two pots per vegetable. For example, I put tomato seeds in four pots, pepper seeds in four pots, etc. This way, if some of the seeds do not grow for whatever reason, you have back-ups. Plus, I have had years where everything grows well, so I have an abundance of plants and can give the extras as gifts to friends and family! Because this type of pot is so porous, it’s recommended that you place them on top of a liner of some sort. You can buy the cheap plastic versions at home improvement stores or I have also used old cookie sheets in the past – they work just as well.
2. Write the names of the vegetables you will be planting on the correct amount of “markers” to place in each pot so that you know which pot contains which vegetable’s seeds. I have two children, so there are always Popsicle sticks available in our craft drawer, so that is what I use. But my mother cuts up old window blind slats and uses them, so really the possibilities are endless – just use whatever you have available in the house! There are also a lot of other great ideas here.
3. Put enough potting soil or seed starting soil in each pot to fill them up about 2/3rds of the way. I didn’t have much luck last year using seed starting soil by itself, so this year I tried a mixture of both.
4. Water each pot until it becomes saturated. You can tell when the pot is saturated when the sides look damp or wet and water is trickling out into the pan.
5. Time to plant the seeds! Open one packet of seeds and read the instructions on the back to see how many you should plant in one hole and how deep the hole should be in the potting soil.
6. Make a few small holes in the soil of the pot using a pencil (I didn’t find out this neat little trick until this year, I really wish I had known about it sooner! It works really well!)
7. Pour a small handful of seeds into the palm of your hand and carefully place a few (as many as directed by the packet) into each hole. Then smooth the potting soil over the hole until it’s filled.
8. Place just a little bit more potting or seed starting soil on top and spritz with water. I have found that this works much better than watering the entire pot all over again. (Sometimes doing so will cause the seeds to dislodge from where you carefully placed them!)
9. Repeat for all other pots.
10. Make sure your pots are in a sunny and warm location and you’re done! But remember to keep watering and caring for your seeds after they’re planted. The general rule of thumb is to not let the soil get completely dry – you want the seeds to stay moist at all times.

Get Your Kids Involved!

Kids love to plant seeds! Both my son (4 years old) and my daughter (8 years old) have helped me with this task every year except this one… because we have new neighbor kids their age and the day I started the seeds it happened to be 75 degrees and sunny. Enough said! At any rate, in my experience I have found that the younger kids really enjoy putting the potting soil in the pots (with a little shovel too of course!) and watering them. The best tasks for older kids include helping to set out and label each pot and plant the seeds. My daughter really got a kick out of how tiny the pepper seeds were last year, and she has actually learned quite a bit about vegetables and gardening by just helping me with simple tasks like seed starting. You will be amazed at what they will remember and apply just by participating in “learning-by-doing” activities! I really missed the help from my kiddos this year and was pretty lonely doing it all by myself… even if our porch was cleaner without a 4-year-old dumping potting soil all over the place while trying to “hit” the pots! To me, a mess means they had a lot of fun!

Happy seed starting! My next update will be in May when it’s time to transfer the plants to the garden. In the meantime, care for your seeds by keeping the soil moist and making sure they’re warm and getting plenty of daily sunlight. They’ll be ready for your garden in just a few weeks!

Other posts in this series:

Green Gardening Series: Join Us!

This series is authored by Jamie Seger, Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Program Assistant.

I love this time of the year! Spring is full of new beginnings, the color GREEN, and that wonderful sense of “hey, it’s time to get out there and get your hands in the dirt again!” For me, spring = gardening. My husband and I purchased our first house in 2008 and one of the selling points of the place was the fenced-in garden behind the garage. We both grew up enjoying fresh veggies from our mothers’ gardens and I had always dreamed of having my own someday – our new home made that a reality! So, we’ve planted vegetables in our garden each summer since 2008. Some summers consisted of more planting than others (one year I only had the motivation to throw tomato seeds directly into the dirt and hope that something sprouted), but I’ve come to have a deeper appreciation for gardening that goes beyond enjoying the fruits of my labor. As you’ll find out, gardening can offer physical activity and even stress relief! Nothing calms me more after a hard day at work or hearing “Mommy!!!!!!” screamed a million times in my direction than going out into the quiet, peaceful garden and pulling the heck out of some weeds!

I had great intentions with my garden last summer. I spent a lot of time planning and planting  – filling the garden to capacity. And then I stepped outside one night to water the tomato plants and discovered that my neighbor had accidentally sprayed weed killer through our fence, killing everything that was planted along the west side – sugar snap peas (my husband and son’s garden favorites), corn, cucumbers, and half of our green beans. It goes without saying that we had a pretty pathetic harvest by the end of the summer! This year, I’m going full throttle. I was armed with a garden diagram (only necessary for severe control-freaks like myself), an armful of seed packets, and potting soil in early March – about the time that us Ohians were still under the “oh my goodness summer came in February!” guise. Then, Mother Nature gave us a reality check and has sternly reminded us the past few weeks of April that we’re still technically in “Spring” and that Old Man Winter hasn’t yet decided if he is satisfied with his underwhelming appearance from December to March!

So I was probably in the same boat as many other garden enthusiasts who prematurely wanted to start their seeds without thinking they would have to constantly bring the containers inside each night to preserve them from frost’s root-killing wrath! After reality struck, I decided to wait to start my seeds.  Depending on where you live in the country, the best time to start seeds is about 4 to 12 weeks before they will be transplanted into your garden.  This typically means that you should start seeds indoors during the months of March or April. Take a look on the back of the seed packets you purchase to find out when they can be safely planted in garden soil. Note:The next post in the series will focus on how to start seeds indoors and prep them for transplanting into your garden.

While I was waiting to start the seeds, I had to think of what to plant and where to plant it. Which in my opinion is half the fun of gardening – planning! Listed below are the steps in the planning process

1. Find your hardiness zone on the USDA map to find out which fruits, vegetables, and other plants will grow best in your garden.
2. Choose from these plants which ones you and your family will enjoy – and which ones you may be willing to “try out.”
3. Go to a store to pick out your seeds (or you can also purchase plants that have already been started for you). Carefully look at the back of the seed packets or plant info stick to see how much space the plant will need, if it vines (requires a lattice or fence to “climb up”), and if there should be concerns about what type of critters or insects it might attract. (My husband loves raspberries but won’t allow me to plant them because of the amount of bees they attract!)
4. Select and purchase your seeds/plants based on how much space you have in your garden and if you have a fence available to either keep pests out or allow certain plants to climb up (you can also purchase a lattice for this purpose if you don’t have a fence).
5. Take the time to actually draw a diagram (in your mind or on paper) of what you will plant where in your garden. Knowing this ahead of time comes in handy on the days that you’re hot, sweaty, and tired in May or June when you’re planting the garden!
6. If you’re starting seeds, also pick up a bag of seed starting or potting soil and some biodegradable little pots (they can be directly planted into the garden soil – pretty nifty!)

Sounds easy enough, right? It is – and it’s fun! I hope you will join me in planting a vegetable garden for you and your family to enjoy this summer.

Happy seed/plant picking! On Friday, I’ll share how to properly start your seeds for indoor growth before planting in the garden – and how you can even get your kids involved.

March is National Nutrition Month and a great time to add more fruits and vegetables to your plate.  You know that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for you but sometimes difficult in our fast-paced lives.  Here are some tips to add more fruits and vegetables to your day.

• Start your day with a fruit smoothie.  They are easy to make, portable and tasty.  Two recipes are listed below.  Be creative and make your own signature smoothie.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great fast food.  Clean and cut them and put them a ready-to-go bag.  If they are ready to eat, you’ll be more likely to pick them over an unhealthy option.
• Enjoy a piece of fruit for a mid morning or mid afternoon snack.  Easy, tasty and full of vitamins and fiber.
• Try a vegetarian option while eating at a restaurant.  Fill your plate with salad (go easy on the dressing) or order a vegetable plate.
• Make a batch of trail mix using seeds, nuts and dried fruit.  Kids love the crunchy mix & it is fun to make.  Try dried apples, bananas, pineapple, raisins and dates for variety.  Store it in small bags so you can pack it in your lunch or take it for an afternoon snack.  Controlling the portion size also helps you control calories.
• No-added sugar applesauce in individual containers makes a great snack.  Sprinkle in some low-fat granola and a few raisins and cinnamon for a tasty treat.

Strawberry Yogurt Shake

½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice

¾ cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 ½ cups frozen or fresh unsweetened strawberries

1 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)

1. 1.    Add ingredients in the order listed to a blender container.
2. 2.    Puree at medium speed until thick and smooth.
3. 3.    Pour into glass and enjoy.  (Makes 2 servings).

Nutrition info per serving:  Calories: 140 kcal; Fat 2 g; Sodium 65 mg; Carbohydrate 27 g; Protein 6 g; Vit A 2%; Vit C 90%; Iron 6%.

Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Shake

Serving Size:  1/2 of recipe.  Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium very ripe, peeled banana

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup yogurt, low-fat vanilla

1/2 cup strawberries, remove stems and rinse

Instructions:
Blend banana with pineapple juice, yogurt and strawberries in a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Divide shake between 2 glasses and serve immediately.

Calories:  160 kcal; Fat 1 g;  Sodium 45 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g; Protein 4 g; Vit A 2%; Vit C 50%; Iron 2%.

Be creative and enjoy adding fruits and vegetables to your day!

Author:  Michelle Treber, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County and Heart of Ohio.

Sources:  www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

SNAP Ed Connection Recipe Finder http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/ Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Recipe from University of Illinois Extension Service

This year’s Nutrition Month theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape.”  That means making good nutrition choices which includes filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables.  Fruits and vegetables are relatively low in calories and are associated with the reduced risk of chronic disease.  As you grocery shop each week, try to choose one new fruit or vegetable to add to your list.  One that I have chosen this month is the mango.  It is one of the most popular fruits in the world. They are available year round and have a taste similar to a peach or pineapple. Mango is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. It also contains B vitamins and potassium.  Cut-up mango can be eaten raw, grilled, or blended to add flavor to any dish.  The recipe which follows can be made for a quick breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Fresh Mango Shake

Quick and easy to prepare, this recipe makes one serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 small mango (8 oz) quartered, pitted, and peeled
• 3/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 ice cubes

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until thick and smooth.

Nutritional Information per Serving:  Calories: 250, Carbohydrates: 58g, Total Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Sodium: 105 mg, Protein: 9g

Source: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov

Author:  Linnette Goard, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, Ohio State University Extension.

It may be hard to eat healthy if you do not have time to cook or your children want fast
food.  Try the following tips to eat better, save time, and stretch your food budget.

• Eat breakfast everyday.  Try a whole-grain cereal like raisin bran with skim or 1% milk.  Or, whole-wheat toast spread with jam.
• Teach kids that healthy foods taste good.  Make macaroni and cheese with skim milk and low-fat cheese.
• Choose whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, or whole-wheat pasta more often than refined-grain foods like white bread, white rice and white pasta.
• Snack on fruits and vegetables.  Keep a bowl of fruit on the table, bags of mini carrots in the refrigerator, and boxes of raisins in the cupboard.
• Don’t keep a lot of sweets like cookies, candy or soda in the house.  Too many sweets can crowd out healthier foods.

Crispy Sweet Potato Sticks

2 pounds sweet potatoes

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Cut sweet potatoes into sticks.  Toss with oil in a bowl.  Spread out onto baking sheet.  Bake about ½ hour at 375 degrees F. or until browned and tender.  Sprinkle with a little lemon juice if desired.

Makes 8 servings.  The oil adds approximately 1 gram of fat per serving.

Author:  Linnette Goard, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension.

New research has narrowed down some of the most influential high-fiber foods that prevent colon polyps, pouches in the intestines that can lead to colon cancer. What are these cancer-fighting foods? Legumes, brown rice, cooked green vegetables, and dried fruit.   The risk of polyps was:

* 40% lower among those who ate brown rice at least once a week

* 33 % lower among those who eat legumes (a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils) at least three times a week

* 26% lower among those who eat dried fruit 3 times or more a week

* 24% lower among those who eat cooked green vegetables once/day or more

The findings come from California researchers who analyzed data from 2,818 people who were followed for 26 years. The full report is published online in the journal Nutrition and Cancer. Researchers said, “Legumes, dried fruits and brown rice all have a high content of fiber, known to dilute potential carcinogens. Additionally, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain detoxifying compounds, which would improve their protective function.”

It’s picnic season.  Take time for some simple precautions so that you and your family do not get sick from foodborne illness.

First, when you are out-and-about during the summer, make the grocery store your last stop.  If you leave perishable items in your car while it is hot, you increase the chances of bacteria multiplying.  If you know you are going to be out for a long time, take a cooler with ice in it or bring an insulated bag for your perishables.  Do not keep cold foods at room temperature for more than two hours — and not more than one hour if it is hotter than 90 degrees.

Second, always wash fresh produce with water and wash your work areas and cooking utensile before preparing your picnic foods.  Fruits and vegetables can pick up bacteria from dirty countertops and utensils.  Taking care of this is as simple as using soap and water.

As for preparing picnic food, items such as meat and deviled eggs are best left to be prepared for the day of the picnic.  Your best bet is to thaw any frozen meat by putting it in the refrigerator.  And remember — do not put cooked meat back on the same plate it was on when it was raw.  The raw juices can contaminate cooked food.

You can prepare some foods early and not have to worry about them at all.  Cheese and vegetable trays are a great example.  You can cut up chunks of cheese, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and peppers the night before the picnic — just remember to keep them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold and you will have a safe summer picnic!

Author:  Linnette Goard, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension