Celebrating Ag

by | Mar 20, 2013 | Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was National Ag Day, and as a farmer’s wife and dietitian, I thought it would be fitting to discuss the benefits we receive daily from our friends in agriculture! Many don’t think about where our food comes from or the effort it takes to put it on our tables. I myself didn’t have much of this knowledge or concept until I started learning more about South Dakota’s #1 industry from my husband Adam in college. There truly is an art and science to farming, raising cattle, and livestock. This includes planting techniques, seed technology,  keeping the plants growing to produce a bountiful harvest, harvest timing, and the markets (selling the product).  Successful farmers today truly have to have a vast knowledge of agriculture, animal science, and ag business.

A few fun facts for you about agriculture in South Dakota include:

  • 8% of farms in South Dakota are family owned and operated – in fact, over 2,500 South Dakota farms have been in the same family for more than 100 years.
  • The average size of a farm in South Dakota is 1,374 acres.
  • The average age of a South Dakota farmer is 55.7 years.
  • There are 46,000 producers in South Dakota on 31,800 farms.
  • Each year, one South Dakota producer raises enough food to feed 155 people in the U.S. and abroad.
  • http://sdda.sd.gov/education-outreach/agriculture-industry/

Producing the food that you put on your table, truly is a labor of love and hard work, so in celebration of ag day, I encourage you to thank our local farmers and ranchers for helping put that delicious food on your table….they deserve it!

Here are a few pictures from our life on the farm.

Loading corn to take to the elevator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “nursery” during last year’s calving season (notice no snow!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proof farmers can clean up and look nice! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Kelsey

Mmmmm, Fruit Cobbler

by | Mar 14, 2013 | Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does your sweet tooth ever get the best of you? Mine sure does! County Fair Foods had an excellent and very tasty sweet treat at our lecture on Tuesday. The recipe is easy and it’s very tasty, be sure to give it a try!

Fruit Cobbler

1-16oz bags of frozen fruit

1 boxed angel food cake mix

1 12 oz can diet 7up

Place fruit in bottom of a 9×13 pan. Pour angel food cake mix over the top and add 7up. Do not mix. Bake 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Adding Fish To Your Diet

by | Mar 7, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish is not the most popular protein in our area since we are a land locked, northern state. Our mid-western diet typically includes proteins from beef, chicken, and pork…and fish often gets overlooked. During the Lenten season, it’s a good time to try out some new varieties and types of fish as they are better stocked and often times are better priced (ie- salmon, mahi-mahi, talapia, etc). The frozen bags of fish often have the filets in individual servings or two servings in a wrap so you can just take out as much as you need and then put the rest of the bag back in the freezer. Fish is a very lean and low fat protein so if you are watching your weight, it’s a good choice. Another benefit of some types of fish is the omega 3 fatty acids. Fatty fish such as herring, trout, tuna, mackerel, seabass, and salmon have these good fats. Our fresh water fish from around here such as walleye, northern, and perch, do not have these fats, however they are still lean proteins. It is recommended to incorporate two servings of fish into your weekly intake, so get into the habit of this during Lent and it could stick!

When we eat fish, we often think of it as breaded and fried, however that is not the healthiest choice. Instead of frying try these cooking methods:

  • Grill: Season the fish with herbs and spices and a little lemon juice (from real lemons!). Lightly brush the fish with a little olive or canola oil so it won’t stick to the grill and cook for 10-20 minutes.
  • Saute: You can saute any type of skinless fish. Again, season as desired and then heat a little olive or canola oil in the skillet on medium-high. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on both side.
  • Poach: Place the fish in a saucepan or deep skillet and add enough stock, water, or wine to barely cover the fish. Add your seasonings, herbs, or spices and bring the liquid to a simmer on medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the center is opaque. Then you can dress it up with a sauce if desired.
  • Bake: lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the seasoned fish fillets on the sheet with seasoning. Bake for 7-10 minutes…you do not need to flip the fish. You can also put the fish filet in tin foil so the seasonings and herbs really flavor the fish.
  • Broil: season the fish filet and brush with olive oil. Place on a broiler pan rack and broil 4-6 minutes on each side.
  • If you choose to fry, try making it a little healthier by using an egg white to coat your filet, use canola oil to fry in, and instead of the white flour coating, try whole grain cracker or bread crumbs.
  • When your fish is opaque and flakes easily, your fish is fully cooked.

 

Give it a try…you may be surprised how much you like it!

-Kelsey

Tasty Dips

by | Mar 6, 2013 | Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

County Fair Foods provided some tasty dips for our STRIVE 2 Survive group last night. These were served with whole grain crackers and baked or whole grain tortilla chips.

 

Mock Tuna Salad (picture above)

1 can (19 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and mashed

2 Tbsp mayo (choose light or FF)

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish

2 green onions, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well in a medium bowl.

 

Asparagus Guacamole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 spears of fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 c. salsa

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic

4 green onions sliced

Place the asparagus in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes, until tender and firm. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place the asparagus, salsa, cilantro, garlic, and green onions in a food processor or blender, and process to desired consistency. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled before serving.

Enjoy!

Fast Food Fish Comparison

by | Mar 6, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Eating Out, Etc., Food, Weight Management

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night’s STRIVE 2 Survive sparked a hot topic about fish options. Many of you are eating more fish right now than you ever do due to the Lenten season. Jeff, with County Fair had some excellent choices of frozen fish that we reviewed and discussed, but it also brought up the topic of fast food fish choices. All of these fish sandwiches are breaded and fried, but how to do know what’s better than others? I did a little research for you to help you make better choices. When you look at the chart below, please take note of the calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat (the only place that has trans fat is Culvers), sodium (recommended to stay below 2400mg/day), and cholesterol (recommended to stay below 300mg/day). The carbohydrates are coming from the bun and a little from the breading and can easily be dropped by taking off half of your bun. Other important things to note is that holding the tarter sauce can save you about 100 calories and 5-10g of fat. Another healthy choice would be to get a side salad, instead of fries with the sandwich. And even better would be to make your fish at home like my picture of grilled shrimp above. We’ll discuss cooking methods tomorrow, so stay tuned!

-Kelsey

 

Nutrient Comparison

References: restaurant’s websites, calorieking.com, and myfitnesspal.com.

Nutrition Facts
Food Item Calories Total Fat Sat. Fat Trans Fat Cholesterol Sodium Total Carbs Fiber Sugar Protein
McDonalds Filet of Fish 380 18g 3.5g 0 40mg 610mg 39g 2g 5g 16g
*McDonalds Filet of Fish-No Tarter 290 9g 2g 0 30mg 530mg 38g 1g 5g 15g
*McDonalds Fish Bites (snack size) 280 13g 2g 0 25mg 420mg 21g 1g 0 11g
McDonalds Fish Bites (shareable size) 740 39g 5g 0 70mg 1260mg 63g 4g 1g 33g
Burger King Fish Sandwich 590 31g 5g 0 45mg 1480mg 57g 3g 8g 21g
Burger King Fish Sandwich-No Tarter 410 12g 2g 0 30mg 1240mg 53g 3g 6g 21g
*Taco Johns Fish Taco 280 14g 4.5g 0 35mg 1160mg 29g 2g 3g 10g
Arby’s Fish Sandwich 570 25g 4g 0 45mg 1010mg 64g 2g 9g 21g
Arby’s Fish Sandwich-No Tarter 450 15g 2.5g 0 35mg 730mg 59g 2g 6g 21g
Culvers Cod Filet 663 40g 7g 1g 76mg 979mg 47g 1g 5g 31g
Culvers Cod Filet-No Tarter
553 27g 5g 1g 58mg 877mg 46g 1g 5g 31g
Culvers 3 piece Cod Dinner 1929 132g 22g 2g 196mg 2444mg 108g 8g 18g 75g
Culvers 3 piece Cod Dinner-No Tarter 1553 96g 16g 2g 148mg 2172mg 106g 8g 18g 75g

STRIVE’s Tasty Treats

by | Feb 6, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had some excellent treats last night at STRIVE 2 Survive thanks to County Fair Foods. Both are very tasty and healthy! Be sure to give these a try!

Angel Lush (above picture)

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 pkg (1 oz) vanilla fat free/sugar free instant pudding

1 c thawed lite cool whip  topping

1 pkg (10 oz) round angel food cake cut into three layers

10 small fresh strawberries

Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently stir in cool whip. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake. Refrigerate for one hour. Top with berries.

 

Chicken Veggie Wrap

Garden vegetable wraps

Cooked chicken breast

Garden vegetable 1/3 less fat cream cheese

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Bell Peppers

Alfalfa sprouts

Lettuce

Dice chicken and vegetables. Spread cream cheese on wrap. Layer chicken and vegetables. Roll, slice, and enjoy!