Freshen Up Meals with Fall Fruits and Vegetables

As the fall leaves change to yellow, orange, and brown, the choices of fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market change too.  Fall is a perfect time to visit the farmers' market with the whole family and enjoy time outdoors together.  There might even be a market you can walk to!  Check the list of farmer's markets here.  When you visit you can choose from the freshest fall fruits and vegetables, listen to live music, and visit the information booths to learn about local services and programs.


Here is what's in season in Maryland this fall:

 

Vegetables:

• Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and kale
• Sweet Potatoes, acorn and butternut squash, pumpkins
• Red and green cabbage

Fruits:

• Many varieties of apples
• Pears
• Raspberries

Try combining fall fruits and vegetables together in one recipes.  Here's one to try:

Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 Apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Boil sweet potatoes in water until they are almost tender.
3.  Grease the casserole dish with margarine.
4.  Put a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the dish, kids can help too!
5.  Add a layer of apple slices.
6.  Add some sugar, salt, and tiny pieces of margarine to the apple layer.
7.  Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 to make more layers of sweet potatoes, apples, and sugar/salt.
8.  Sprink the rest of the brown sugar, margarine, and nutmeg on top.
9.  Mix the hot water and honey together and pour on top of the apples and sweet potatoes.
10.  Bake for about 30 minutes until apples are tender.



Source:  Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Website recipes

Unplug, Unwind, and Reconnect with Your Family

Did you know that kids spend as many as 7 to 8 hours each day using technology?  Kids and teens watch TV, use the computer for doing homework, surfing the internet, and for connecting with friends.  They play video games, and talk and text on cell phones too.  Kids are such good multi-taskers they often use more than one kind of technology at a time.  Most spend a total of 10 hours each day plugged in one way or another.

Screen-Free Week is a nationwide opportunity for families to turn off technology and reconnect face to face with each other and extended family and friends.  Mark your calendar for April 30-May 6, 2012.  Take a break from technology and spend some quality family time together.  Limit screen time to 2 hours or  less each day for everyone during screen-free week. Use this time and brainstorm with your family to come up with fun, physically active, and creative things to do together!

•  Turn off the television during family meals
• Take a family walk or bike ride after dinner
• Invite friends over for game night
• Plan a neighborhood fun run or walk
• Organize a spring clean-up effort in your community
• Visit a local park or museum
• Read a story together
• Prepare family meals together -- kids can help too!

Need some more ideas?  Check out these resources for more information about National Screen-Free Week April 30-May 6, 2012.   www.screenfree.org  and www.letsgo.org

Have Fun at the Farmers' Market!

Have you ever visited a local farmers' market?  If not, you're missing out!  Farmers' markets are exciting places to be.  They have lots of pretty colors, sweet smells and yummy tastes!  Farmers' sell flowers, fruits and vegetables that they have grown for a fair price. (Some farmers' markets even accept EBT or WIC checks). You and your family can visit the farmers' market to buy healthy and tasty foods and have some fun too!
How can you have fun at a farmers' market?  Here are several suggestions:

• Make it a family event.  Children love going to the farmers' market to help pick out healthy foods.  Let them choose a fruit or vegetables of every different color!
• Try something new!  Never heard of a rutabaga?  Ask the farmer how he prepares it.  Don't be afraid to try something you've never had before. You may find you and your family really like it.
• Enjoy the wonderful sights and smells.  Admire the beautiful flowers, look at the different colors of the foods (look for purple potatoes or yellow carrots), and smell the delicious fruit.
• Eat!  The best part about going to a farmers' market is eating the fruits and vegetables you've bought. These foods are picked as soon as they are ripe meaning they have the best flavor.

If you haven't yet been to a farmers' market, it's time you go!  Not only will you and your family enjoy the trip, but you'll enjoy eating healthy and delicious foods!  To find a farmers' market near you, check out this link:  Find a Farmers' Market. 

10 Ways to Budget Your Food Dollars

These days, saving money is a top priority.  Here are a few ideas that will help you and your family save money on food.  These easy tips will really add up to big savings over time.  Which ones you can start today?

1. Take some time to plan your meals.  Make a grocery list and organize it week to week.  Going in with a plan means less trips going back to the store to get things you forgot. Fewer trips means saving money!
2. Plan some meals with less meat.  Eggs, dried beans and even peanut butter can be an affordable protein dish.
3. Check the grocery store flyer for sale items and try to plan meals around them.  Most flyers come out between Wednesday and Friday.
4. Items from convenience stores are usually more expensive.
5. Check out your local dollar store.  Many dollar stores have bread, milk, crackers, and canned foods as well as spices.
6. Try shopping on a full stomach.  When you shop hungry, you usually come home with more things you may not have needed.
7. Know it is okay to make some last minute changes to your list while shopping. This is especially true at the farmers' market.  Maybe you were planning to buy broccoli but green beans are cheaper.  Go for the cheaper item!
8. Compare the prices of bulk versus single servings.  For example, quick cooking oatmeal is less expensive and just as easy as the single serving oatmeal packets.
9. If your kids like the crust cut off their sandwiches, save the crust and freeze to use in recipes that call for bread crumbs.  You can also use the crust to make stuffing.
10. Buy store brands in place of national brands.  Also compare their unit prices. The taste and quality are often very similar.

For more shopping tips, visit  101+ Ways to Save Food Dollars  -- adapted from Alabama Cooperative Extension

Easy Breakfast Foods

Some experts think that we should eat the biggest meal of our day first!  This way we can use that energy throughout our day.  However, we know that most people don't eat a very big breakfast at all.  Sometimes the whole meal gets forgotten or skipped!

Breakfast literally means "breaking the fast".  It helps us to reload our energy stores after a long night of not eating.  Too often, we start our day with an "empty tank". A healthy breakfast can give us the energy we need to "fuel" our activities throughout the day.  Here are three reasons why you should eat breakfast soon after waking up:

1. Its a nutritious way to start your day.  Breakfast eaters tend to eat less fatty foods, more whole grain foods, and more vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, iron and magnesium.
2. It improves our focus.  People who eat a healthy breakfast think more clearly, work faster, and feel better than those who skip breakfast.
3. Manage your weight.  Those who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

Here are some healthy breakfast ideas that are easy and high in fiber:

• Cereal.  Try the whole grain kinds topped with mixed nuts, dried fruit, or a sliced banana.  Use either low fat milk or calcium fortified soy milk.
• Whole grain bread, English muffin or bagel.  Try with a little peanut butter, sliced banana, and raisins on top.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with a glass of milk!
• Yogurt.  Layer with your favorite fruit and whole wheat cereal or granola.
• Oatmeal.  Top it with raisins, dried cranberries, sliced bananas, and milk.

When you need to grab and go:

• Fruit smoothie.  Add your favorite frozen fruit to the blender along with a cup of yogurt.  Pour into a thermos.
• Healthy granola bar.  Try one made of whole grains.  Add one piece of fruit such as an apple, orange, or a banana.
• Mini wheat cereal.  Add dried fruit, mixed nuts, and place in a plastic bag or reusable container.  Take along with a thermos cup of milk.
• Sandwich.  Make it with lean ham or turkey, or peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread.  Lunch foods can be used for breakfast too!

Moving the Little Ones

It is spring time and the weather can change from day to day.  It can be hard to have outdoor activities with your kids.  This is a great time to play and spend quality time with your kids at home.  Do not let the weather be an excuse to get physical activity.  Kids can learn healthy habits from being active each day.  Some of the health benefits of being active and getting regular physical activity include:

• Develop strong bones and muscles
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Improve sleep
• Improve concentration in school

It is important for kids to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day.  This does not mean kids have to exercise for 60 minutes all at once, but it can be in 10 minute bursts of activity added up throughout the day.  Here are some indoor fun ideas that you can do with your kids.

• Create treasure hunts inside your house.  Plant some treasures in each room.   Make a list of objects and have kids go on a 'treasure hunt'.  
• Play Freeze Dance.  Take turns in planing 'freeze dance'.  Lead the kids and control the music.  When the music is off, FREEZE! When the music comes back on, DANCE!  Kids love to dance!
• Clean the bedroom.  Your kids can help keep their room neat and it gets them moving.
• Host a basketball shoot out using foam balls.  Use a trash can as a hoop.  Keep things interesting by moving the basket around and rotation where the shooter starts.
•  Have a sock war.  You can ball up clean socks and have an indoor snowball fight.
• Play bowling. Use empty water bottles or cups and foam ball to make bowling alleys.

Don't let the weather stop you from getting physical activity!

Container Gardening on a Budget

If you have decided to try container gardening this year, you might be wondering, "how much is this going to cost?"  The answer is simple. There are many ways to keep costs down and still have great success growing fruits and vegetables in containers.

1. Start from seed.  If you start your plants from seeds, it will cost a lot less than buying plants.  If you decide to buy plants, however, you can save money by buying small plants.  They will grow fast once they are planted.
2. Share or trade seeds and plants.  You might find that a pack of seeds or a 6-pack of small plants provides more than you need for container gardening.  One way to cut costs and avoid waste is find a gardening friend and share or trade your extras.
3. Buy supplies on sale.  Watch the newspaper for spring sales on seeds and plants.  In the fall when the growing season is drawing to an end, look for sales on containers, potting soil, and other supplies.
4. Be creative.  Shop yard sales and flea markets for inexpensive containers, or look around your house for things that you already have.  An old laundry basket, a pail, or even a child's wagon make fine containers.  Be sure to punch holes in the bottom of any container you use to provide proper drainage.
5. Make your own compost.  Compost provides the nutrients your plants need to grow.  Make your own compost using food waste and grass and plant clippings from your yard.
6. Buy fewer flowers to beautify your yard.  No need to buy lots of flowers to make your hard look great.  Fruits and vegetables grown in containers do "double-duty" -- they not only provide delicious food, they look beautiful, too.  Add just a few flowers to the fruits and vegetables plants in your containers to add color.  You will be surprised how great your yard, steps or balcony will look this year.

For answers to your gardening questions, 

contact the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center 

For more information on gardening, visit Grow It, Eat It from University of Maryland Extension 

Thoughts of Spring -- Thoughts of Gardening

Are you getting tired of winter?  Cloudy days, chilly winds, and snow on the ground make spring seem very slow in arriving.  One way to get your mind off winter is to start planning a spring garden so when spring actually arrives, you will be ready.

Maybe you are thinking, "but I don't have room for a garden" or "I don't know much about growing vegetables or flowers".  If this is the case, container gardening might be for you.  Container gardening can be located anywhere, it is inexpensive, and takes very little space.  And there are many, many resources at the library or on the web that provide the information you need to be successful.

Not convinced?  Here are 6 reasons to try container gardening this year.

1. It is easy.  All you need is a container -- any container will do -- some potting soil, and seeds or plants.
2. It is inexpensive.  There is no need to buy costly containers.  You can grow vegetables and flowers in just about anything.  Look around your house and you'll be surprised how many things will work -- an old clothes basket, a pail, your child's old wagon, or even a canvas bag.  You also can find low-cost containers at flea markets or yard sales.
3. Requires only a small space.  Even if you have a small yard or live in an apartment, you can find some space for container gardening.  Containers fit on your front steps, a fire escape, or balcony.
4. Almost all plans do well in a container.  Almost any plan that will grow in an in-ground garden will also do well as a container-grown plant.  Vegetables that do especially well in containers include: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes, and parsley.
5. Container gardens are beautiful.  Healthy fruits, vegetables and flowers growing in a container add color and beauty to your house or apartment.
6. The whole family can get involved.  Container gardening provides opportunities for parents and kids to work together on a project and have fun doing it.  Many kids love having their own container garden.  Choosing plants, planting and watering help kids learn how things grow and develop responsibility.  Even better, both adults and kids are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables if they helped to grow and prepare them. 

For more information on container gardening, visit: 

University of Maryland Extension -- Container Vegetable Gardens

Texas A&M Extension -- Vegetable Gardening in Containers

Add "Green" To Your Plate for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner!  How about making St. Patrick's Day fun this year by making healthy recipes with green foods for you and your family to enjoy.  St. Patrick's Day can be a great excuse to add green fruits and vegetables to your family meals.

Adding green foods into your diet can help make your body strong inside and out.  The nutrients found in green fruits and vegetables can help the immune system, fight and prevent diseases and also help with managing your weight.

Check out the list below.  How many green foods can your family eat this week?

	Green Fruits	Green Veggies
	·         Avocado ·         Green Grapes ·         Honeydew Melon ·         Kiwi ·         Green Apples	·         Artichoke ·         Asparagus ·         Broccoli ·         Brussels Sprouts ·         Green Beans ·         Leafy Greens ·         Celery	·         Cucumbers ·         Peas ·         Green Peppers ·         Snow Peas ·         Spinach ·         Zucchini

Check out the SNAP-Ed recipe finder for easy, quick recipes.  You can search by food, so enter in any of your favorite green foods for a yummy recipe to try.

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day!

Did You Know? March is National Nutrition Month!

Every March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) hosts National Nutrition Month to help highlight the importance of making healthy food choices.  This year's theme is "Get Your Plate in Shape". 

By now, hopefully you have seen the USDA's new food icon, MyPlate, which replaced the food pyramid last year.  MyPlate shows the five food groups on a plate, making it easier to see the variety and portion size of each food group.  This month we hope you and your family can fine-tune your plate by following these simple tips. 

1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables:  Any way works!  Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried.  Make sure to eat a variety of colors.
2. Choose whole grains: Make at least half your grains whole.  Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa, and barley, provide more nutrition than processed, white grain products.
3. Lighten up your dairy:  Select fat-free or low-fat dairy products to lower calories and fat intake.  Great choices include low-fat yogurt, 1% or non-fat milk, and low-fat cheeses like mozzarella and swiss. 
4. Smart protein choices: Choose lean meats or plant-based proteins.  Good choices include: chicken, turkey, fish, beans, eggs, tofu or nuts.  Avoid greasy or fried foods.

For more information and free National Nutrition Month materials, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ChooseMyPlate