Author: niekamp.63

5-Way Cincinnati Chili

Are you looking for new recipes to try this winter? Are you still planning your menu for Sunday’s football game? Look no further than this healthier take on Cincinnati chili. This recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti and beans to add additional vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your meal. For other healthy recipes see www.celebrateyourplate.org.

 

Summertime Food Safety

Now that we are in the Summer months, we all have more opportunities to enjoy being outside. But the warm weather also brings more opportunities for food to become contaminated with harmful bacteria. To protect you and your loved ones from foodborne illness, it is critical to practice safe food handling.  Check out the following simple guidelines to ensure you are doing all you can to keep everyone healthy.

  • Keep your cold food cold- Make sure your cold food is packed in a cooler with plenty of ice or ice packs. Consider organizing your cold foods and drinks into different coolers. Keeping drinks separate from food, will ensure the food is not exposed to warm temperatures each time someone opens a cooler to get a new drink.
  • Do not cross contaminate your foods– Keep raw meat, seafood, and poultry securely wrapped and store them towards the bottom of the cooler. This will keep their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods that are being stored in the cooler.
  • Clean your produce- rinse your fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler. Packaged fruits and vegetables that are labeled “ready-to-eat” do not need to be rinsed.
  • Outdoor hand cleaning– Whenever possible always use warm water and soap to wash your hands. When handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer or hand wipes.
  • Cook your food thoroughly– When cooking or grilling use a food thermometer to make sure your food is cooked to the proper temperature. Use the “is it done yet?” picture from the USDA to know what the proper internal temperature is for different types of meat, poultry, and fish.

OSU SNAP-Ed Working Virtually with the Clermont Senior Center

Since the Fall of 2020. SNAP-Ed has been conducting virtual lessons through Zoom instead of our usual in-person programing. On January 11, 2021 we resumed lesson’s with Clermont Senior Services. This first lesson included discussions on the benefits of physical activity, and how using correct portion sizes can help a person eat healthfully. We finished off our lesson with demonstrations of simple stretches and movements that can be done from a chair to meet a person’s physical activity requirements throughout the day!

 

If you have any questions about the SNAP-Ed program call the Clermont County Extension office at 513-732-7070 and ask for Becky, Sara, or Allison.

 

Using a Word Search to Have Family Fun

Cold weather is coming, and it is not too soon to start planning for activities to do inside on a winter day. Print out this word search from www.FoodHero.org and make it a family activity. You could make it contest to see who finished the word search first or pick one vegetable you find in the word search to try for dinner that night.

 

Vegetable Quesadillas

 

Finding the time to prepare healthy meals is not easy. Vegetable quesadillas from www.celebrateyourplate.org are a simple way to get a good serving of vegetables and low-fat protein in one meal. Try using low-fat sour cream and salsa as tasty toppings. To save even more time, try prepping and cooking a big batch of chopped vegetables at the beginning of the week, so you are ready to go for multiple meals.