Shopping for healthful foods doesn’t have to put a dent in your budget, and it doesn’t have to be hard. Learn what product labels mean and some tips to make your grocery shopping easier. From Cooking 101 (Week 4): Quick and Easy Menus, Recipes and Tips for Singles and Couples
The National Institutes of Health recommends 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily for older children, adolescents and adults. Increase your fiber intake slowly, and drink plenty of water to avoid digestive upset.
Many people are pressed for time, but making a meal does not have to be a time-consuming task. With a few helpful tips, cooking a quick and healthful meal will be a breeze. From Cooking 101 (Week 5): Quick and Easy Menus, Recipes and Tips for Singles and Couples
Poultry, red meats, game and seafoods are low-acid foods and must be processed in a pressure canner to assure their safety. This publications provides general tips for high-quality products, general procedures and recipes.
Never thaw food at room temperature or in warm water. If food is warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but colder than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria will multiply quickly. From Cooking 101 (Week 2) Quick and Easy Menus, Recipes and Tips for Singles and Couples
Find out about the difference between cleaning and sanitizing.
Chef's should not depend on their instincts, cooking time, oven temperature or product appearance to determine when a product is done: thermometers are important tools for protecting foods.
You’ve probably heard the expression “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Research continues to show that the fiber and natural antioxidants and other phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in apples may help prevent chronic diseases.
Corn, or maize, has been consumed for thousands of years. This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving corn.
This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving potatoes.
Winter squash is a nutrient-rich food and an excellent source of fiber. This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving winter squash.
Zucchini is a type of summer squash that can be used in a variety of ways. Whether you make it sweet, spicy or savory, it provides a nourishing amount of vitamins A, C and K, plus potassium and other minerals. This handout provides tips and recipes for preparing and preserving zucchini.
How about some chips and salsa? While many excellent types of salsa are available in supermarkets, you can tailor homemade fresh salsa with fresh vegetables or fruits to suit your own taste buds. By following research-tested recipes, you can process salsa safely in a water-bath canner for later enjoyment. If your recipe has not been tested to determine its acidity and safety for canning, you can freeze the salsa
Is anything better than fresh baked muffins or warm banana bread? Wouldn’t they taste even better if they were made in a fraction of the time? Consider making this Baking Master Mix so you can make fresh-baked goods in a snap. The mix uses common ingredients such as fl our, baking powder, sugar and salt. This recipe includes white and whole-wheat fl our, so it will help make half of your grain choices whole grains.
Have you ever tasted lefse, fleischkeukle, tacos, pizza or curry? Most likely you have tasted at least one of these foods even though all of them originated in other countries. During holidays in particular, you may enjoy recipes your grandparents or their grandparents enjoyed. Food goes beyond providing nourishment for the body. Food also helps nurture family traditions and connects us with other cultures. Food can help different groups of people understand and appreciate each other’s differences.
We invite you to enjoy this recipe collection from around the world, which also is a sampling of the cultures found in North Dakota. We thank our old and new friends for contributing and testing the recipes.
Providing nutritious snacks doesn’t have to be expensive but you may need to do some planning to make them readily available for your child. Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables can be difficult. Make snack time fun. For example, provide a variety of cut-up fruits and vegetables and let your kids create their own kabobs. You also may want to try serving vegetables with low-fat dip to make them more appealing.
Family meals promote family togetherness. Family meals provide a time to share what is going on in each other’s lives and enjoy a nutritious meal. Families who eat together are more likely to have more balanced meals. Preparing the meal is an important part of mealtime. Have children help in every aspect of the preparation, from choosing the menu to setting the table to making the meal. Including children in the preparation can lead to lifelong knowledge and memories.
Enjoying more family meals adds up to better nutrition, stronger family bonds and children who are less likely to participate in risky behavior. Be flexible with meal schedules and locations of your family meals. If evenings are too hectic, would a regular family breakfast work for you?
Beef is a versatile menu item whether you’re cooking for one, two or a crowd. Beef provides protein, vitamins and minerals. A typical serving size for beef and other meat is 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards. A 3-ounce serving of lean ground beef has about 180 calories, 10 grams of fat and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for iron.
Pork can serve as the basis of a wide variety of tasty meals for you and your family. Today’s pork is very lean and healthful to eat. Pork provides a host of vitamins and minerals. Today’s pork has 16 percent less fat and 27 percent less saturated fat compared with pork in 1991. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has analyzed pork for trans-fatty acids (bad fats), and the results confirm that pork contains no artery-clogging trans fat.
An increasing number of children and teenagers are eating more meals and snacks away from their home and family. They may be choosing unhealthy ready-to-eat food options rather than spending time preparing a healthy snack or meal – and eating with their families. Encouraging children and teenagers to cook can build healthy lifestyle skills, creativity and healthy food choices. You also are helping them form good eating behaviors that will last a lifetime.
More children and teenagers are eating meals and snacks away from their home and family. Encouraging teens to help prepare food and clean up can help busy families manage their time. Teens learn important cooking skills and have fun, too. Cooking promotes creativity and helps teens form good eating behaviors that will last a lifetime.
Children who eat with their families are more likely to meet their calcium needs and drink less soda pop. That’s good news because children are building strong bones and need calcium and other nutrients as the building blocks. Teens have the highest calcium needs due to their rapid growth. Children who meet their calcium and other nutrient needs are less likely to get the bone- thinning disease osteoporosis when they grow older. Adults should meet their calcium needs to keep their bones strong throughout life. About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 18 million are at risk of getting it due to low bone mass. Even though osteoporosis often is associated with women, about 20 percent of those who suffer from it are male. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures a year, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Family meals give parents/caregivers a chance to be good nutrition role models for children. Whether you’re sharing a meal at a park, in a car or at the family table, children who eat with their families eat a more nutritious diet. They eat more fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods. Shared meals give families a chance to reconnect and talk about the events of their day. Children can learn communication skills, manners and their families’ values as they share food. Sharing meals also creates memories that will last a lifetime. Keep mealtime pleasant and allow enough time to eat because children eat better in a relaxed setting.
Enjoying more family meals takes a little planning, but it’s worth the effort. Children who eat with their families do better in school, are less likely to take part in risky behavior (such as smoking and drinking alcohol) and are less likely to have
symptoms of depression. Children who eat more family meals have an overall healthier diet, compared with children who eat fewer family meals. They eat more fruits, vegetables, grains and calcium-rich foods, and they drink fewer soft drinks.
Enjoy more family meals by taking some time to plan your menus and your shopping trips. Involve your family in menu lanning, shopping, preparation and cleanup. Children can learn valuable life skills, such as cooking and communication kills, when helping in the kitchen. They learn to appreciate a variety of foods as they help plan and shop for meals.
Imagine this: You have just walked in the door and are greeted by the aroma of a tender beef stew simmering in your slow cooker. You slice a loaf of whole-wheat bread and toss a simple spinach and strawberry salad. Dinner is served! Evenings like this can go from a dream to reality when using a slow cooker.
In today's busy world, cooking a meal completely from scratch may be difficult. However, convenience foods usually cost more and may be higher in calories, fat and sodium. This is the fifth in a series of publications to help you eat well but spend less at the grocery store. It includes time-money-saving tips and sample menus with recipes that you can adapt to meet your family's tastes.
Planning menus, shopping for foods and using your leftovers wisely can pay off in many ways. Your family can enjoy healthy meals with lots of variety, and you can stretch your budget.
Menu planning can help you serve your family healthier meals and it can help you save money at the grocery store. After Planning your menus, the next step is developing a grocery list so you have all the necessary foods for each meal. This is the second in a series of publications to help you eat well but spend less at the grocery store. It includes grocery shopping tips, sample menus and recipes that you can adapt to meet your family's tastes.
Planning menus, buying food and fixing meals your family likes can be challenging tasks. Staying within your food budget can add to the challenge. This is the first in a series of publications to help you eat well but spend less at the grocery store. It includes sample menus that you can adapt to meet your family's tastes.