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Decorate Your Dinner,
Add A Vegetable

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October 2007 - Times-Standard Articles

October 3, 2007 - Healthy Food and Exercise Will Make a Difference Herbed Vegetable Combo

October 10, 2007 - Take Care When Feeding Children Banana Pancakes

October 17, 2007 - Help Kids Grow Up With Healthy Teeth, Gums Fresh Vegetables with Dill Cucumber Dip

October 24, 2007 - Beware the Empty Calories of Halloween Pumpkin Spice Bars With Orange Ginger Glaze

October 31, 2007 - Healthy Holiday Snacks Orange-Date Pumpkin Muffins

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October 3, 2007 - Healthy Food and Exercise Will Make a Difference

October is Breast Health Awareness Month. Ongoing research shows that what we eat and how much we exercise can contribute to breast health. The foods and nutrients most frequently linked to breast health are fruits and vegetables, fiber and fats. Regular, moderate exercise is also identified as an important factor in decreasing breast cancer risk. In fact, regular exercise may lower the chance of breast cancer by up to 40 per cent! That’s a lot!! Doing some kind of physical activity at least 4 days a week can help reduce breast cancer risk, even if it's taking 10-minute walks 3 or 4 different times during the day. Every little bit helps!

We are encouraged to eat between 20 and 30 grams of fiber each day, and many of us fall far short of that amount. Increase the amount of fiber in your meals by determining where you can use more whole grain products such as whole wheat bread, whole grain pastas and crackers, brown rice, and other whole grains, as well as dried peas and beans. Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables and fruits also contribute a healthy amount of fiber. Fruit juices are pretty much fiber free. Read food labels to determine how much fiber is in packaged foods.

Be aware of how much fat you're eating. At the same time you look at a food label for fiber, check it out for fats. Ideally, look for foods that have none or very little saturated or trans fats. Both are now clearly marked on the food label, and both can be bad for our health.

If a food choice contains more than 3 grams of fat for each 100 calories, try to avoid adding more fat before you eat it. Currently women are encouraged to eat no more than 55 grams of fat each day, and men are encouraged to eat no more than 65 grams each day.

Food labels make it easy to keep track of how much fat we’re getting in packaged foods, but we also need to be aware of excess fats in mixed dishes, dairy foods (including cheeses, sour cream, yogurts, etc.), and foods with sauces. Choose lean meats and limit beef, pork, or lamb to small portions (about the size of a deck of cards), and eat beans, fish, or white meat of chicken and turkey more frequently as sources of protein.

Limit extra butter or margarine, mayonnaise, sour cream or cheeses on foods, and when you do use them, emphasize the reduced-fat or nonfat options, or use small amounts and/or stronger flavors (such as small amounts of grated extra-sharp cheese rather than large amounts of mild or medium cheese). Using reduced-fat or nonfat products is a good decision, but don’t consider them foods that can be eaten in unlimited quantities.

All women over 40 need to check with their health care provider to determine when they should have a mammogram, whether this month or another planned time of the year. This is a good month to encourage your women friends and relatives to get a mammogram. For all women, it’s never too young to start doing monthly self-breast examinations.

Here’s a very tasty, simple recipe that will help your family enjoy some of the last summer squash of the season.


Herbed Vegetable Combo
(adapted from Produce for Better Health)

2 Tbsp. water
1 c. thinly sliced zucchini
1 ¼ c. thinly sliced yellow squash
½ c. bell pepper (your choice of colors), cut into 2-inch strips
¼ c. celery, cut into 2-inch strips
¼ c. chopped onion
½ tsp. caraway seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder (or one small clove of garlic, minced)
1 medium-sized tomato, cut into 8 wedges

1. Heat water in a medium pan (or use 1 Tbsp. water in a microwaveable dish with a lid).
2. Add zucchini, squash, bell pepper, celery, and onion (garlic also, if using fresh). Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are crisp tender, about 4 minutes (approximately 2 minutes using the microwave).
3. Sprinkle seasonings over vegetables. Top with tomato wedges.
4. Cover again and cook over low heat until tomato wedges are warm, about 2 minutes (1 minute using the microwave).

Makes 4, ½ cup servings, with 26 calories per serving, 0 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 10 mg. sodium, 2 g. fiber, 6 g. carb., 1 g. protein.

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October 10, 2007 - Take Care When Feeding Children

October is Child Health Month, but of course protecting our children’s health is important throughout the year, and throughout their growing years.

What and how a child is fed during infancy can affect their overall health throughout their whole life. Because so many parents are working, babysitters, an older brother or sister, grandparents or other relatives, neighbors or daycare providers, may feed today’s young children. Unfortunately, there are many different beliefs about feeding babies and young children, and some practices that were popular with former generations are no longer recommended.

Studies have revealed that mothers frequently receive inaccurate or conflicting information from some sources, including relatives and friends. Make sure that the infants and young children in your life receive appropriate, nutritious foods in a safe manner, so they can grow to be healthy children.

Share the following feeding suggestions with your childcare providers. They are part of a list developed by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension:

• Wash hands before preparing food or formula for a baby or child. Thoroughly washing hands will dramatically reduce the possibility of bacterial infection.
• Breastfeeding is best for infants, but if bottle feeding is used, warm the milk by holding it under a running hot-water faucet or by putting it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.  Shake it well and test the milk temperature before feeding the baby. Do not heat baby bottles in the microwave, as microwaves can heat unevenly, create hot spots, and burn the baby’s mouth!
• Hold a baby when bottle-feeding. They benefit from the closeness, communication and eye contact that are inevitable. When a baby is put to bed with a bottle, there are greater possibilities of choking, and they are more likely to develop cavities.
• Use bottles only for milk (formula or breast milk) or water. Cereals should be served with a spoon, not mixed with formula in a bottle. There are many reasons why this is not a recommended practice.
• Wait for juice until a baby is at least 6 months old, when they can drink from a cup. Too much juice interferes with an infant’s interest in eating other nutritious foods. Offer infants no more than a total of 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day.
• A baby is usually ready for solids sometime between 4 to 6 months of age, and they don’t need them before that. To avoid allergic reactions, only offer one new food at a time for five to seven days, and avoid serving mixed foods until the baby has safely eaten each of the foods in the mixture separately.
• Transfer the small amount of food a baby will eat from the container, or baby food jar, to a dish. Avoid feeding directly from a container or baby food jar because of possible bacteria from the baby’s mouth that could later make the baby sick. Throw away any food left uneaten in the feeding dish. Any food remaining in the baby food container should be refrigerated and used within 1 or 2 days. Refrigerate all baby food solids or liquids within 2 hours of opening.
• Keep infants safe from choking by avoiding foods that are round and firm, sticky or cut in large chunks. These include: nuts and seeds, raw carrots and celery, whole kernel corn, raisins, large chunks of meat or cheese, popcorn, chips, pretzels, adult dry cereal, grapes, berries, cherries, unpeeled fruits, hard candies, pickles, hot dogs, marshmallows (regular or miniature), and peanut butter.

The following recipe makes a delicious, quick breakfast.


Banana Pancakes
(adapted from The Great American Eat Right Cookbook)

3/4 c. Whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. All-purpose flour
1/4 c. rolled oats
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 ripe bananas, divided
1 c. nonfat milk
2 Tbsp. canola oil

1. In a bowl, combine both types of flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a bowl, mash one banana with a fork. Add eggs and stir to combine. Add milk and oil and stir to combine. Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined. Cut the remaining banana into thin slices.
3. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray and heat to medium. When hot, pour ¼ c. of batter in the pan for each pancake. When bottom is golden, flip and cook until cooked inside and pancakes "bounce back" when touched.

Serves 5, with 299 calories per serving, 8 g. fat, 86 mg. chol., 371 mg. sodium, 4.4 g. fiber, 50 g. carb., 9 g. protein.

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October 17, 2007 - Help Kids Grow Up With Healthy Teeth, Gums

A healthy mouth is essential for a healthy body, and the foods and beverages we eat and drink affect our overall health as well as the health of our teeth and gums. Today, children are consuming record amounts of soda, sweetened fruit drinks and high sugar snack foods that are contributing to unprecedented rates of both childhood overweight and dental disease.

There are things we can do in our families to make sure our children have the greatest chance for healthy teeth and gums, as well as a healthy weight:

• Offer regular meals and snacks. Children eat better and learn to identify when they are hungry and satisfied if foods come to them at regular times. Eat at least one meal each day together as a family.
• Limit snacks to no more than one or two a day (young children may need two small snacks). That helps improve appetite for meals, and protects the teeth. Frequent snacking provides food for bacteria (plaque) in the mouth, and can increase tooth decay. Encourage swishing with water after snacks.
• For snacks, offer vegetables and fruits that contain a lot of water such as celery, cucumber, bell pepper, pears, melon, and apple. Cheese, raw vegetables, plain yogurt or whole grains offer some "dental protection." They help to trigger saliva flow that helps wash food particles away from the teeth.
• Serve any sugary treat with meals, not as snacks. Extra saliva and beverages at mealtime help wash the teeth.
• Sticky foods such as dried fruits, bananas, granola bars, cookies, sticky candies, honey and syrup are difficult to wash from the teeth. Have your child brush their teeth after eating any of them.
• Make sure water is readily available, and encourage your child to drink it often. It is a better beverage at snack time than juice or soda.  Use fluoridated water, if available to you. It offers even greater protection.
• Avoid sugary items that will stay on the teeth a long time such as hard candies, cough drops, regular chewing gum and mints. The longer they contact the teeth, the more they contribute to tooth decay.
• If your baby needs a bottle at bedtime, fill it with plain water only.

Here’s an easy recipe that encourages snacks of fresh vegetables. Give it a try.


Fresh Vegetables with Dill Cucumber Dip
(adapted from The American Cancer Society’s Healthy Eating Cookbook)

12-oz. nonfat or low fat plain yogurt
1 c. diced cucumber (skin and seeds removed, if desired)
1 tsp. dried dillweed
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Possible variety of fresh vegetables cut into dipping strips: carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumber, green beans, parsnips, sweet potato, snow peas, parsnip, bell pepper (your choice of color).

1. Combine yogurt, cucumber, dillweed and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill until ready to serve.
2. Arrange your vegetable choices on a platter and place dip nearby.

Makes approximately 3 cups of dip. A ¼ c. serving of dip made with nonfat yogurt contains 15 calories, 0 g. fat, 0.6 mg. chol., 66 mg. sodium, 0.15 g. fiber (not counting the vegetables), 3 g. carb., 1.3 g. protein.

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October 24, 2007 - Beware the Empty Calories of Halloween

It’s hard to believe, but Halloween is almost here! This first holiday of the season seems to celebrate the abundance of candy varieties available, and there is endless marketing to strengthen that belief. Unfortunately, candy is an "empty-calorie" treat. That is, it contains no appreciable food value (vitamins, minerals or fiber)...just calories...empty calories! In the United States, the average person eats well over 100 pounds of sugar each year, and the majority of it is found in soft drinks and candy. It’s important to remember that many candies also contain considerable amounts of fat, and therefore lots of calories.

We’re pretty sure that many adults and children will be consuming increased amounts of sweet foods and beverages in the next few months, so it’s especially important to keep several things in mind that we can do to protect our teeth and health:

• Before the sweets, make sure that everyone in your family is getting a good supply of healthy foods most of the time.
• Make sure that teeth are frequently brushed and flossed. If brushing isn’t always possible, encourage drinking water frequently throughout the day, and "swishing" water through the teeth after eating or drinking (especially after having something sweet).
• Continue (or start) being physically active throughout the holidays (as well as the rest of the year).

When shopping for non-candy holiday treats, look for products that are limited in fats, free of trans fats (partially hardened fats) and be aware of total calories eaten with each treat. Items that are advertised as limited fats or limited "carbs" (carbohydrates) are not necessarily good choices. Some of these commercial "goodies" are sweeter or higher in total calories than the regular varieties! In fact, if you look at food labels, you’ll discover that some of the low carbohydrate or reduced fat foods are actually HIGHER in total calories than regular varieties of the same foods, and calories DO count!

Manufacturers "play" with the ingredients in some food items to help them appear low in fat or carbohydrate. They do this by altering other components. For example, a food item can appear lower in fat if more sugars are added. A different food item can appear low in carbohydrate when fats are added. Simply put, always compare the total calories you’re getting in a low fat or low carbohydrate food item to the total calories in a similar "regular" food item. It may surprise you!

There are many creative options available for trick-or-treaters, and they aren’t necessarily candy or food. Think about the following ideas:

• Spin tops, mini-frisbees, maze games, hand games, puzzles
• Party favors, notepads, whistles, pencil toppers, trading cards
• Stickers, bubbles, matchbox cars, hair bows, play money, kazoos
• Key chains, toothbrushes, shoelaces, paddleball, yo-yo’s, erasers
• Wax fangs, spider rings, jacks, water guns, charms

If you want to give a food item, consider:

• Pretzels, fruit cups, small packets of commercially prepared and sealed dried fruits, trail mix, granola bars
• Sugarless gum, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or nuts

Try the following recipe for "special spooks":


Pumpkin Spice Bars With Orange Ginger Glaze
(adapted from ...)

2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or half whole wheat pastry flour and half enriched all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon minced candied ginger (optional)
2/3 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup water
2 egg whites
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

1. Combine the flour with sugar, baking soda, and spices, and mix well.
2. Add the pumpkin, molasses, water and egg whites, and stir just until combined. Fold in raisins and nuts.
3. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool for about 20 minutes, and spread on orange-ginger glaze (recipe follows). Cool to room temperature, cut into squares, and serve.

Orange-Ginger Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4-5 teaspoons orange juice

Combine all ingredients and spread on warm bars. To keep these bars their freshest, store in an airtight container. Separate layers of bars with sheets of waxed paper. They’re best if eaten within 24 hours.

Makes 32 bars, with 86 calories per bar, 0.81 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 65 mg. sodium, 1.4 g. fiber, 19 g. carb., 2 g. protein.

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October 31, 2007 - Healthy Holiday Snacks

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! The holiday season is upon us. We now enter a time when lots of snack foods are available at parties, in work lunchrooms or lounges, in schools and just about everywhere else. Snacking plays a big role in our national obesity problem, and a lot of the problem relates to snacking when not hungry (just because the food or beverage is there), and snacking on less than healthy items because that is all that is accessible.

When highly advertised or otherwise appetizing foods or beverages are accessible and contain lots of fats or refined grains and sugars, studies show that it’s difficult to avoid overeating them. Parts of the food industry have studied this, and know that to be true. However, people whose meals include more naturally high fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits are more satisfied for a longer period of time with their food, and are better able to control their weight. (This is especially true if their lives also include regular physical activity)

There are some basic things you can do to maintain your weight (or even lose weight) when considering snacking:

• Snack only if you’re hungry. We usually eat similar amounts of food at mealtimes each day. In between those meals, snacking when not hungry just adds calories and eventually adds weight. It doesn’t help you eat less overall and doesn’t usually postpone your next meal.
• Eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast consume fewer calories the rest of the day than those who don’t eat breakfast.
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals, and base those meals on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and moderate amounts of nonfat or very low fat dairy foods and other protein foods.
• Choose snacks wisely. Watch out for packaged snacks, or those made from refined grains such as many pretzels, crackers, cookies, chips, or muffins. Read labels and choose items that are trans-fat free, have reduced total fat, and contain whole grains. You can also request that your favorite muffins be made with whole grains and that the fat be reduced. ( Many of our local coffee shops make reduced fat, whole grain quickbreads-ask for them!)

Here’s a delicious muffin that fits the holiday, but can be enjoyed any season of the year.


Orange-Date Pumpkin Muffins
(adapted from The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook)

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large seedless orange, scrubbed and cut into 8 sections
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2/3 c. canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
½ c. packed brown sugar (or 1/4 c. Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking)
¼ c. honey
3 Tbsp. canola oil
¾ c. chopped pitted dates
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts or pecans (may be toasted)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat 12 standard 2 ½-inch muffin cups with cooking spray (or place paper muffin liners in pan).
2. Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Place orange sections in a food processor and puree. Add egg, egg white, pumpkin, sugar (or sugar substitute), honey and oil; process until mixed. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and dates, and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with nuts.
4. Bake the muffins until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 muffins, with 223 calories per muffin, 6 g. fat, 18 mg. chol., 280 mg. sodium, 3 g. fiber, 41 g. carb., 5 g. protein.