Meal planning is a great tool for healthy eating. I find that when I don’t have a plan for our week’s meals, we tend to eat more junk and fast/convenience type of foods. Having a plan will help you not only control your food budget, but also help you eat healthier! Here are some basic tips to get you started:
*Keep it simple: plan your meals with foods you can afford, foods that are available in our grocery stores, foods you enjoy eating, and foods that are convenient for you. Make a list of those foods, check the ads for sales, look at ways you can batch cook or combine ingredients for various dishes.
*Start small: choose a single meal to plan first and then go from there. Break it down day by day. I like to have several meal options for 3-5 days/week. I can decide what I want that day, but have things prepped for various options. I also allow 1-2 days of eating out/take out. You can figure that into your plan! There is no right or wrong way of planning. You can have an exact plan for each meal/day or you can have the options and then decide from there (more of a relaxed approach). I also start planning with my protein, then add in my starch, then my fruit and veggie to complete the plate….paired with a glass of milk or yogurt tub.
*Make it a habit: maintaining good health is all about habits you can stick with! If this is too dreadful of a thing, you won’t stick with it so be flexible, be realistic, and make it work for you and your family!
*Breakfast Ideas: grab and go options are great if you are on the run. String cheese and wheat thins, Greek yogurt and banana, peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread.
*Lunch: leftovers are a great option. Make extra the night before so you have leftovers to enjoy. Be sure to include your produce!
*Supper: batch cook some options such as pork loin, taco meat, shredded chicken, bbq meat, chili, etc. These options can be incorporated into several different meals or eaten for leftovers. You can also keep things simple such as eggs and toast, salad with the fixings, stir fry, etc.
Meal planning is a great tool to help you make healthy choices….if you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to consider it!
You have heard a lot the last 6 months about washing your hands and proper hygiene. Proper hand washing is not only important to prevent the spread of disease, but also important for food safety and consumption. This is nothing new, but the COVID19 pandemic as put a fresh emphasis on it! Are you washing your hands appropriately and effectively? Are you washing them during recommended times (not just after going to the bathroom)? Check out these tips below to help you stay healthy and well!
•Wet hands with running water and apply soap. Wash both sides of hands up to wrists, in between fingers, and in nails.
•Wash hands for at least 20 seconds— about the time it takes to sing two choruses of “Happy Birthday.”
•Dry hands with disposable paper towels, clean cloth towels or air dry.
When to wash hands:
•Before handling, preparing or eating food.
•Before feeding others.
•Prepare or handle raw foods such as poultry or other meats and seafood
•Switch food preparation tasks, such as working with raw meat then cutting vegetables
•Handle egg products
•After using the restroom
•After handling garbage or dirty dishes
Other situations that indicate hands should be washed include: •Changing a diaper •Coughing or sneezing •Smoking •Touching animals or other people •Touching your hair or body or any open cuts or sores •Using the phone •Handling dirty laundry
Corbin and Carson at Grandma Gerry’s & Papa Clarky’s Pumpkin Patch!
Pumpkin is one of, if not, the most common fall flavors that everyone enjoys. Several types of desserts have pumpkin added to them to increase taste or appearance. The pumpkins are ready around here so check out the farmer’s market, local store, or pumpkin patch to get a few for decorations and to enjoy these tasty and healthy recipes with! Here are a few healthy pumpkin recipes to enjoy this fall season without feeling guilty about eating bad:
Healthy Pumpkin Pie •1 can pumpkin puree •1 can full-fat coconut milk •¼ cup rolled oats •2 tbsp ground flax •1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar •pinch of stevia or 2 tbsp of brown sugar •2 tsp cinnamon •1 tsp pumpkin pie spice •½ tsp salt •1 tbsp pure vanilla extract Directions: Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe: Preheat oven to 400F. Blend all ingredients together until smooth, then pour into a prepared pie crust (such as the recipe below) in a 10-inch round pan. Bake 27 minutes (it will still be underdone after this time, which is okay!), let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie to thicken and “set.”
Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread •1/3 cup melted coconut oil •½ cup honey •2 eggs •1 cup pumpkin puree •1 tsp. vanilla extract •½ tsp salt •½ tsp cinnamon •½ tsp. ginger •¼ tsp. nutmeg •¼ teaspoon allspice •1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour •1/3 to ½ cup rinsed millet (optional •1 tsp. baking soda •¼ cup hot water Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. 2.In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and beat well. 3.Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Stir in flour, just until combined. If you’re adding millet, stir that in as well. 4.Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan. 5.Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with the tip of a table knife for a pretty marbled effect. Sprinkle a big pinch of turbinado sugar on top for a light, sweet crunch. 6.Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. If the top of the bread jiggles when you pull it out of the oven, it’s NOT done! Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies •2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour •1 tsp. baking powder •1 tsp. baking soda •2 tsp. cinnamon •¾ tsp. nutmeg •¾ tsp. ground cloves •½ tsp. salt •½ cup butter, softened •1 ½ sugar •1 cup canned pumpkin puree •1 egg •1 tsp. vanilla extract •powdered sugar (optional) Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt). 2.In another medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Use a cookie dough scoop or two spoons to drop one tablespoon of dough onto a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly. 3.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the baked cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar and transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
Physical activity can occur all day long, not only during specified workouts. Now that we’re back to school, students who sit for school most days may find these ideas helpful to get their blood flowing between classes. Working professionals and those who find themselves sitting much of the day may also greatly benefit from these ideas. The following are simple, sometimes fun ideas to add physical activity to your day:
Always take the stairs.
Park in the back of a parking lot and walk to the building.
Schedule meetings to be “walking meetings”.
et a timer for 5 minutes every hour and take a break from sitting to move in a way you enjoy.
Cook dinner. Cooking is an active process that usually involves standing and moving.
Do household chores like laundry, tidying-up, dusting, or vacuuming, all active chores.
Stand while working on a computer. Use an exercise ball as an office chair.
Take active breaks during commercial breaks, like jumping jacks or dancing.
Stretch while watching your favorite show.
Add a few blocks or minutes to a walk. Take your family for an evening bike ride or walk. Enjoy our beautiful trail!
Turn on a good song and dance around the house.
Do squats or knee raises while brushing your teeth or waiting for the microwave.
Keep light weights and use them in one hand while on a phone call.
Packing a lunch can be harder than it sounds. Most people want something that is easy, healthy, and fulfilling that will give them energy for the day.
Here are some steps to take to pack a lunch based on MyPlate. You might find it is easiest to go through these steps once for the whole week or nightly. they can be used for yourself, another adult, or a child. Consider what types of food sound good. The importance of enjoying food can be underestimated. In order to get nourishment from food, we need to eat it…and enjoying food makes us more likely to eat it! Considering what sounds satisfying to you will help with the next steps.
Choose a lean protein. Ex: chicken breast, sliced turkey, taco meat with lean ground beef, fish, beans/legumes, etc.
Choose a whole grain. MyPlate recommendations are to make “half your grains whole” (or more). Ex: brown rice, whole wheat bread (for a sandwich) or roll (as a side), whole grain tortilla, quinoa, whole grain crackers, etc.
Add vegetables and/or fruits. MyPlate recommends half your plate be vegetables and fruits, so don’t shy away from adding more. Fiber in fruits and vegetables help keep you full. If you have leftovers, they can be a great afternoon snack. Ex: steamed broccoli and carrots, roasted cauliflower and sweet potato, raw celery, chopped vegetable salad, tomato soup, whole apple or banana, sliced peaches, grapes, a small 100% fruit juice, etc.
Add dairy. Protein and fat in dairy help keep you full while contributing vitamins and minerals. Ex: sprinkle your meal with cheese, pack a yogurt cup, drink a milk, etc.
Add an exciting flavor booster. Adding a sauce or dressing (such as vinaigrette) can help pull a meal together. Packing a couple pieces of dark chocolate can also the meal more enticing. Bottom line, this is the step to make sure your lunch is enjoyable.
Ask yourself these questions when you are finished and make adjustments if any of the answers are “no”. Will this be enough food to keep me full? Will these foods contribute positively to my energy level? Do I have proper storage and reheating methods for these foods? Does this lunch seem like something I want to eat? Enjoy your lunch with confidence in what you packed!
