TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR FRUIT INTAKE

The fruit group provides many health benefits to our bodies.  The USDA recommends 1.5-2 servings a day (depending on age and weight).  Fruits are loaded with vitamins and minerals that strengthen our immune systems and prevents against chronic diseases such as certain types of cancer, heart disease and type II diabetes.  Increasing your fruit intake can be an easy transition with these simple tips!

KNOW YOUR GOAL- What constitutes 1 serving? In general 1 cup of fruit, 100% juice OR 1/2 cup dried fruit (such as raisins) is equivalent to 1 serving of fruit.  If your a visual person imagine the size of a tennis ball when eating whole fruit.

MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE- You eat what you see, so make fruit more visible.  Place a bowl of fruit on the counter or in the refrigerator. Consider cutting up fruit, and dividing into portion size baggies for quick snacks or lunch access.

 INCLUDE FRUIT WITH YOUR MEALS- Take advantage or any opportunity to incorporate fruit into a meal.  Top cereal with bananas or peaches, make fruit a side with your lunch or dinner.  Try adding fruit to a salad or incorporating it into a meat dish.  The possibilities are endless. 

PURCHASE A VARIETY- Buy fruit frozen, dried, fresh and canned (in water or 100% juice AKA no added sugar) to always have a supply on hand and increase its convenience.



Increase your fruit consumption and notice the difference in the way you feel!  Simple nutritional changes make a drastic impact on your health and wellbeing. ♥


https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruits-tips

PACKING LUNCHES

Now that school is back in session, it's time for a little pep talk.  Back to school means lots of busy mornings and lunch packing.  A fair share of home lunches contain more sugar than an entire days ration. A nutritious lunch doesn't have to be elaborate or difficult.  In fact,  it doesn't even have to be your responsibility.  With a little direction and guidance your children can become healthy lunch packing pros with these 5 simple tips!





#1 MYPLATE GUIDE - Myplate is a great resource to reference when creating meals for your family.  It encourages consumption of all 5 food groups and proper portion sizes.  CLICK HERE for a FREE printable MyPlate fridge poster for your kids to reference when packing their school lunches.  Make it a game, create a lunch that is MyPlate approved and praise them for their efforts.



#2 COLOR ME HEALTHY- Aim for a variety of colors. Not only will a colorful lunch seem more enticing to eat, it also ensures vast vitamin content. Vitamins and minerals are found in all fruits and vegetables, the type and content however, vary one from another.  Eating a rainbow of colors provides the necessary vitamins and minerals for proper growth and 
development.



#3 DIVIDE AND CONQUER - Portion distortion is a nation wide epidemic.  The type of food, as well as the amount of food we eat, plays a vital role in our health and well being.  Consider portioning foods into individual serving bags and storing in a container in the pantry, for an easy morning grab-and-go philosophy. Refer to THIS HANDOUT for proper portion control and management. Decreasing intake will not only cut calories, it will also cut grocery costs.  Making your food last longer, and stretching that food dollar even more.

#4 TEMPER YOUR TEMPERATURE - Food untempered, can be an ideal place for bacteria growth.  Keep food safe and out of the danger zone (40℉-140℉), by keeping hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. Control your food temp with reusable ice packs,  CLICK HERE for some inexpensive DIY ice packs tutorials. 

#5 MODERATION IS KEY- Allow for a small treat every so often.  There is no such thing as a "bad food", too much of anything isn't good for you.  The real secret of eating a balanced diet is moderation. Moderation in the good and the bad, finding a healthy balance that will increase your health and wellness longterm and consistently.  




In the thick of the back to school chaos, don't let your nutrition focus fall to the back burner.  School lunches can be a nutritious home run with a little thought and good intent.  

Consider these lunch ideas:

OPTION #1

Turkey + Cheddar Roll-up
Fresh Berries
Yogurt
Trail Mix 

OPTION #2Hummus
Pita Bread
Grape Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sliced Oranges

OPTION #3
Cheese Quesadilla
Guacamole
Salsa
Tortilla Chips
Strawberries 

OPTION #4
Deli Meat + Cheese Kabobs
Red Pepper Slices
Apples
Fruit Leather or Snacks

OPTION #5
Hard Boiled Eggs
Baby Carrots + Ranch
Pretzels
Peaches or Applesauce

OPTION #6
Pasta Salad
Yogurt
Granola Bar
Raspberries

OPTION #7
PB&J
String Cheese
Fruit Cup 
Chips

OPTION #8
Crackers
Cheddar Cheese Cubes
Grapes
Carrots

OPTION #9
Bagel + Cream Cheese
Yogurt Tube
Baby Carrots
Apple

OPTION #10
Veggie Wraps with Hummus
Snap Peas
Clementine orange
Granola Bar

https://www.modernhoney.com/back-to-school-kids-lunch-ideas/

FREE FAMILY FUN NIGHT

Our annual FREE family fun night is back!  Come celebrate family dinner month with Kanab's FREE family night.  Enjoy FREE recipes, dinner, games and much more, with your family on September 10, 2018.

TIP TUESDAY

 Quick tips for keeping your house squeaky clean on a budget!

All-purpose cleaner: Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 5 cups of water to make a window, eyeglass lens or surface cleaner. (This however, will not kill bacteria, so be sure to use a disinfectant on contaminated surfaces. )

Treat carpet spills, such as coffee or soda: Dampen a clean cloth with vinegar and dab the spot to remove excess liquid. Dampen another clean cloth with vinegar. Using cold water (never hot) and the vinegar, gently rub the spot until the stain is gone. 

Remove stains from porcelain: Rub a porcelain surface (sink, tub, commode) with cream of tartar and watch the stains disappear.

Loosen mineral deposits on sink faucets: Soak a paper towel in undiluted vinegar and place it on sink faucets.

HONEY WHEAT MUFFINS

Less than 1 week and it's back to school!  Make breakfast a family priority this school year with these simple, nutritious on-the-go muffins.  

https://eatwellutah.org/2016/08/19/whats-for-lunch-school-lunch-box-ideas/

MEAL PREP-ING

Only a few short weeks of summer, then it's back to school!  Which means new schedules and adjusting to those dreaded "post summer" routines.  Save yourself the headache and begin meal prep-ing now.  Be ready for school night chaos with these 5 simple meal planning tips to make dinner time a nutritious breeze!

MAP OUT YOUR MEALS
Spend one night mapping out meals you plan to eat the upcoming week.  Get a FREE weekly meal planner → CLICK HERE!
Enjoy this FREE COOKBOOK {HERE} with healthy family meal recipes!

FIND BALANCE
Refer to the Myplate diagram for balanced meals.  If you have veggies, dairy and protein for one meal, try to incorporate grains and fruit in the next meal, to cover all 5 food groups.


VARY PROTEIN FOODS
Choose a variety of protein foods throughout your week.  If you have chicken one day, try seafood, lean meats, beans or eggs for another night. 

MAKE A GROCERY LIST
Start by listing ingredients for the meals you plan to make.  Cross off items you already have at home and compile the rest to make your shopping list.

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Prepare enough of one dish to consume multiple nights.  Try the "cook once eat twice" method.  If your family isn't a fan of reheated food, cook double batches of chicken, rice or pasta and reheat in a casserole or stir-fry, to create a whole new dish, (they won't even know its a leftover)!   

If you haven't tried meal planning before, give it a try.  You'll be pleasantly surprised with the increased ease of creating (or recreating) family mealtime in your home.

https://choosemyplate-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/tentips/MPMW_Tipsheet_2_mealplanning.pdf

PIZZA PARTY

Recreate family pizza night!  Save money and calories by creating your own pizza at home. This is a simple family friendly recipe that can be made into individual servings or as one whole. Possibilities are endless!!! AND ingredients are on sale at our local grocery store.

GARDEN PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 12" Wheat Pizza crust (dough recipe below)

1 TBL crushed basil OR oregano OR mix

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp black pepper

2 TBL olive oil

4 Tomatoes (thinly sliced)

1 1/2 cups Mushrooms (sliced)

2 cups Spinach

1/2 cup Red onion (thinly sliced)

3/4 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese(fat-free preferred)

Directions:

1. Place rack in center of oven, preheat oven to 400℉.
2. In a small bowl, mix seasoning with oil.
3. Place pizza crust on pizza pan, brush pizza dough with olive oil blend, then mix vegetables and remaining olive oil blend.
4. Spread coated vegetables evenly over pizza dough, leaving about 1/2" border around the edges.  Top vegetables with shredded cheese.
5. Bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

***Serve with a side salad and a small glass of juice to make this meal MyPlate approved!!!

Nutrients

Amount

Calories

300

Total Fat

17 g

Saturated Fat

3 g

Cholesterol

5 mg

Sodium

300 mg

Total Carbohydrate

42 g

Dietary Fiber

8 g

Total Sugars

0 g

Added Sugars included

0 g

Protein

10 g

Vitamin D

0 mcg

SUGGESTED DOUGH RECIPE: ↴

https://extension.usu.edu/fscreate/ou-files/7_Create_a_Pizza.pdf

https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/myplate-cnpp/herbed-garden-pizza