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Fork in the Road: Choosing Health at Home and Away

Over the past couple of weeks have you:

  • Eaten a meal in the car
  • Eaten a meal while walking
  • Eaten fast food
  • Eaten a meal while you continued to work
  • Skipped a meal because you were too busy

If you answered yes to any of those, you are not alone. US Foods research has found that the average person eats out 3 times a month and orders delivery 4.5 times a month.

According to USDA reports, consumers are spending more money on eating out than having food at home and the numbers are continuing to climb. Spending money on food at home is at an all-time low in comparison to money spent on food away from home being at an all-time high. I find the chart below very interesting in watching how the numbers were trending until 2020 and then the change that took place with food after the pandemic.

graph title: share of food-away-from-home spending reached record high in 2022. Showing trend of food eaten at home versus food eaten away from home from 1997 to 2022. Graph can be found on USDA at https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/september/u-s-consumers-spent-more-on-food-in-2022-than-ever-before-even-after-adjusting-for-inflation

When our lives are spent rushing from one location to the next, it takes planning on our part to make sure we are eating nutritious meals, and we aren’t letting rash decisions pick less optimal choices. Poor eating habits can lead to feeling tired, increased stress and a weakened immune system. Let’s explore simple strategies for eating well on the go and building a plan to enjoy more meals at home.

General rule of thumb when making nutritious choices while eating out:

  1. Select menu items with less fat: Baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, steamed
  2. OCCASIONALLY select: Batter-fried, pan-fried, buttered, creamed, crispy, breaded and have them as a side or split with friends
  3. Portion size- order regular or child size, order appetizer in place of main course, split meal or share
  4. Switch out the fried foods for a salad, baked potato, fresh fruit or another vegetable option
  5. Ask for your sauce on the side, request higher fat foods be left off like mayonnaise, bacon or cheese, ask to be prepared with less oil or add more vegetables
  6. You can use apps to check on the nutritional content of your selected food choice. Most restaurant menus will give you the calorie range but by using an app it will also tell you fat, carbohydrates and sodium content. Most restaurants now have their own data showing the nutritional content.

If eating more food at home is your goal, then some strategies are needed.Table setting

  1. Menu Plan: look at your family’s schedule for the upcoming week and plan meals out accordingly. This can be in a notebook, a piece of paper on your fridge or an app.
  2. Kitchen Gadgets: Depending on your work and evening schedules it may be helpful to have something in the crockpot, instant pot, grill, use the griddle or the microwave to warm up leftovers or steam frozen veggies.
  3. Cook Once Eat Twice: batch cook items that can be used in several meals (brown several pounds of ground beef/turkey for tacos, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes- extra rice for burrito bowls and then fried rice)

Whether you’re dining out or cooking in, every meal is a chance to take the healthier path—because the fork in the road is really the one in your hand.

 

Written by: Amanda Bohlen, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Washington County

Reviewed by: Megan Taylor, Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Educator, OSU Extension Union County

 

Going Green: Sustainability at Work

Earlier this month, several Ohio State University Extension educators toured the Ohio Stadium (also known as The Shoe) in Columbus. The purpose of the tour was to learn how the fourth-largest stadium in the country continuously ranks #1 when it comes to recycling. In fact, OSU diverts 90% or more of materials from the landfill by recycling, repurposing, and composting after every football game.  

On the drive home from Columbus, I started to reflect on my behavior at work and the sustainability practices in our county Extension office. Although I do a lot at home to be sustainable, I realized I was not being as environmentally conscientious at work. To be “greener”, I am trying these ideas to make my work life more sustainable. 

  • Eliminate single-use plastics. Think about your break room and find ways to replace coffee pods, plastic utensils, straws, soap dispensers, Styrofoam cups, and water bottles. To reduce using these pesky plastics, visit a thrift store and purchase cups, dishes, and cutlery that can be used repeatedly. Plastic-Free July has numerous resources to help you reduce your plastic consumption. 
  • If you pack your meals, try to be as waste-free as possible. Consider purchasing condiments and other food items that can stay in your office so you can skip individualized food items like ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, sugar, and creamer. 
  • Turn off office lights and electronics when you are out of the office. Purchase energy-efficient lighting and appliances to lower your energy consumption at work and save money. 
  • Educate yourself about your local recycling option and limit what gets put in the landfill. Compost food waste and coffee grinds. Take advantage of the Hefty ReNew program currently offered in central Ohio, Greater Cincinnati, and Greater Dayton. 
  • Reduce paper use by limiting how much you print. When you print something, always use both sides of the paper. Have leftover handouts? Use them for scrap paper before putting them in the recycling bin. 
  • Collect pop can tabs to donate to the closest Ronald McDonald House. There are five locations in Ohio, including Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Cleveland. 
  • Consider cloth napkins and towels, as well as Swedish dishcloths to reduce paper waste. In the U.S., it’s estimated that one person produces 40 pounds of paper towel waste every year. If paper towels are the only option, adopt a “one or none” mindset to reduce waste.  
  • Purchase eco-friendly products and supplies, and use the services of sustainable suppliers. 

To be more mindful when planning work events, you can download the Ohio State University Extension Sustainable Meeting Guide to think of ways to limit waste at meetings and conferences. In addition, our Sustainability team has created numerous educational resources to help protect the planet and its resources. Visit our website to find tip sheets, videos, and even a home tour to help you be more sustainable. 

Older hand passing the planet to younger hands

Written by: Laura M. Stanton, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Warren County, stanton.60@osu.edu. 

Reviewed by: Susan Zies, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Wood County, zies.1@osu.edu.