You and Your Family

Plan Holiday Meals with Health in Mind

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Celebration, Christmas, Cuisine, Delicious, DinnerMany of us are gearing up for the holidays, which means it’s time to plan our holiday feasts, invite family and/or friends to gather, travel to visit with family and friends, plan grocery shopping lists, etc. It is a fun and stressful time indeed!

We probably all look forward to holiday meals to get grandma’s famous noodles or mom’s candied sweet potatoes that are “to die for.” We can all enjoy our favorite foods (in moderation, of course), but we can also enjoy some healthier alternatives or versions of our favorite recipes that have been modified to be healthier. Healthy eating is good for everyone, so keep health in mind when planning your holiday menu!

For your holiday menu, your first item of business will likely be the turkey. Next, think about fresh fruits and vegetables. Serve some fruits and vegetables that are not doused in butter, cream, or salt. Opt to use flavorings like herbs, spices, lemon juice, artificial sweeteners, or low-fat yogurt to flavor fruits and vegetables. This will help cut down on the amount of sodium and fat in the meal. Fruits and vegetables can be served as appetizers and/or side dishes.

My aunt brought freshly cut pineapple to Thanksgiving one year. I will admit that we were all a little confused when she stated that pineapple would be her contribution to the meal. However, we all agreed that it was one of the best items in our meal that night! After indulging in all the other foods, the pineapple was very refreshing. Needless to say, we beg her to bring that each year.Granny Smith, Apples, Cooking, Sweet, Kitchen

In recipes that call for shortening, butter, margarine, or oil, you could replace half of these ingredients with applesauce or prune puree. You could also just use ¼ of the total amount of fat called for in the recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of fat, use ¾ cup of fat.

If a recipe calls for mayonnaise, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or other cheeses, use non-fat or low-fat versions of these ingredients. Use skim milk, 1 percent milk, evaporated skim milk, or plain soy milk instead of whole milk, half-and-half, or evaporated milk.

You can omit salt or reduce salt by ½ in most recipes—with the exception of products that use yeast. Avoid putting the salt shaker on the table. Instead of salt, use your creativity and experiment with different seasonings like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, basil, tarragon, oregano, or black pepper. These will enhance the flavor of foods and cut down on the amount of sodium.

Also, when filling your plate, try to have it resemble MyPlate. MyPlate is a tool that can be used to help you include the right amounts of food from each food group in your meals. MyPlate encourages us to fill half our plate with fruits and vegetables, onee-fourth with grain products (like pasta, cereal, rice, or bread), one-fourth with protein foods (like fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, beans, eggs, or nuts) and a serving of dairy (i.e. low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, or yogurt). You will likely have foods from each of these food groups in your holiday meal.

A nutrition educator teaches children about MyPlateRemember, you can still enjoy some of your favorite holiday dishes—just consider having a little less or modify the recipe to improve the nutritional quality of the dish. Have a happy (and healthy) holiday!

 

Be Food Safe during National Food Safety Month

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A man and his daughter wash their hands while a woman prepares breakfast in the background September is National Food Safety Month. The National Restaurant Association’s National Food Safety Month (www.foodsafetymonth.com) was created in 1994 to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education and training. Each year, a new theme and free training activities and posters are created for the restaurant and foodservice industry to help reinforce proper food safety practices and procedures.

Food safety is just as critical in your home kitchen as it is in restaurants and other food establishments. Poor food safety could leave many of us feeling very ill. You can take precautions to avoid cross-contamination in your home kitchen. National Food Safety Month is a great time to examine your food safety habits.

When handling and storing food, remember these important food safety tips:

  • Wash your hands before and after touching food. The suggested method of washing your hands involves wetting your hands and arms with water that is as hot as you can tolerate. Add soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds. This is about enough time to sing Happy Birthday twice. Dry your hands with a single-use paper towel.
  • Be conscious of what you touch. When handling food, avoid touching your nose, hair, pets, shoes, and garbage cans. Germs from these items can be transferred onto the foods you are handling.
  • Separate foods. Keep raw meats away from ready-to-eat foods like raw fruits and vegetables. Store raw meats in the bottom shelf of your refrigerator so juices don’t drip onto other foods. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats.
  • Take extra care when preparing food for those with allergies. People with food allergies can be extra sensitive to even small amounts of allergy-causing foods such as peanuts, shellfish, or eggs. If someone you are cooking for is allergic to a certain food, prepare their foods separately from the foods for your other guests. This includes using separate cutting boards, utensils, and serving dishes. Wash your hands before handling food for people with allergies.

If you give a kid a cookie…

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Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Christmas, Christmas BakingAs a young child I remember looking at a plate full of mushy carrots and peas thinking, “I’ll sit here forever before that goes in my mouth,” but as soon as my mom said the words, “Then no ice-cream for dessert” my nose was plugged and the mushy pile was gone.

One of the easiest, most cost effective, and nearly full proof ways to get a child to do something is to offer a sweet reward for good behavior. But have you ever thought of what that teaches a child? Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last 30 years, yet we still use unhealthy foods as rewards.

This is mostly due to the immediate results that come from giving a child that little sweet treat. Something quick to get a toddler to settle down in the store or stay in their seat at a restaurant is a treasure, but there can be long term consequences to using food as a reward.

By providing food as a reward young children are associating the (typically) unhealthy food with feeling good, proud, and happy. This might result in the child learning to turn to unhealthy foods when they are feeling sad, bored, or guilty as they grow older. Rewarding with food can also teach a child to eat when they aren’t hungry, to reward themselves. This can lead to unhealthy behaviors lasting into adulthood, such as increased desire for treats, over-consumption of unhealthy food and weight gain.Baby, Bite, Boy, Child, Cute, Eat, Eating, Food, Fruit

Offering unhealthy foods for good behavior can also confuse a young child who is learning, every second of every day. Imagine being a toddler who is told eating your fruits and vegetables will make you strong like Superman, but when you behave well for an adult you get sugar loaded sweets or a bag of salty potato chips for making them proud. Those can be very conflicting messages to a 3-year-old!

There are other options parents and caregivers can use to reward good behavior. You can get just as much mileage from offering special privileges, such as a trip to the park, extra story time before bed, or exemption from chores. Non-food items such as small toys or art supplies can also be effective.

Kid-Friendly Ideas and Recipes Get Kids To Try New Foods

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Getting kids to try healthier choices is not always easy.  Try thinking about appealing to their sense of adventure.

Use a potting container to hold dip add some veggies to the garden for a healthy snack.

  1. Offer smaller portions.  Kids are overwhelmed by adult sized portions.
  2. Cut food into small pieces.  It is easier to try a small bite.
  3. Cut food into simple shapes. Simple triangles, circles and rectangles are fun.
  4. Try linking healthy snacks to your child’s books.  Making a hungry caterpillar for lunch after reading Eric Carle’s book get kids in the mood to try something new.
  5. Have your child become the chef.  Helping in kitchen encourages children to try new foods and learn skills that last a life time.
  6. Check out our Kid-Friendly Board on Pinterest for more ideas.

Meals can be a Shared Responsibility

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A mother and two children prepare fruit salad by the sink while father pours juice from a pitcher in the backgroundEver feel overwhelmed with all the cooking responsibilities in your home? Many of us feel the sole responsibility to plan meals, purchase ingredients, prepare meals, set the table, and do all the clean-up…all after a long day of work.

What if I told you that I had a secret that could help reduce your stress and strengthen your relationship with family members? The secret is out: share meal responsibilities with your partner, children, and/or other family members!

It’s true – sharing cooking responsibilities can strengthen your relationship with family members. Working together can make meal preparations feel like less of a chore, and more like a fun family activity. Additionally, sharing responsibilities divides the work so no one person carries a heavier load than the rest.

Preparing foods with your partner sets aside quality time together. You know you will at least have this time to talk, be in the same room, and do something together. This also builds teamwork in your relationship. You can work on preparing separate recipes or prepare one recipe at the same time. Either way, you are working toward a common goal and in some cases, you may need to “problem solve” together. If you are both starting to learn to cook, you can learn new food preparation skills together and help each other learn along the way.

Children can help in the kitchen in a variety of ways. Use your judgment to decide what your child feels comfortable doing, and when he or she is ready to try more advanced tasks. Here are a few age-appropriate tasks for children compliments of the Food Hero website (https://www.foodhero.org/tips/make-it-happen/basic-kitchen-tasks-kids).

2 Years Old

  • Wash vegetables and fruits, wash and tear lettuce, wipe tables and counters, or snap green beans.

3 Years Old

  • Wrap potatoes in foil for baking, pour liquids, mix ingredients in a bowl, recycle food containers, or put garbage in the trash can.

4 Years Old

  • Set the table, peel oranges or hard-boiled eggs, or pick produce in the garden.

5 Years Old

  • Measure ingredients, or cut foods with a plastic or blunt knife

Older youth

  • Cut foods with a sharp knife, shop for vegetables and fruits, prepare vegetable/fruit recipes, pick out recipes for meals, or plan menus for meals.

A woman, her mother and daughter at a grocery store shopping for while grain pasta and using a shopping listBrainstorming meals ideas and recipes with others takes some of the work off you and also helps incorporate new foods or recipes that you may not naturally consider. Children may be more interested in recipes that they pick out and foods that they prepare. When children help in the kitchen, they can learn to understand that living in a family involves work and that every member shares the responsibility and the benefits.