Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables All Month Long OHCE Kay County May Leader Lesson Lindsay Grace, FCS Extension Educator
Top 10 reasons to eat fruits & veggies 1. Color & Texture 2. Convenience 3. Fiber 4. Low in Calories 5. May Reduce Disease Risk 6. Vitamins & Minerals 7. Variety 8. Quick, Natural Snack 9. Fun to Eat 10. Nutritious AND Delicious! Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org 2
The buzz The cost of vegetables & fruits is so high, it s hard to afford them. There are bargains in the produce section, and the canned, frozen, dried and juice aisles. Evaluate your shopping cart to see if you re getting the most nutrition bang for your buck. Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org 3
What s in your cart? Generally, the cost of a serving of fruits and vegetables will be similar to, or less than the cost of a serving of a snack food. Example: Chips 1 ounce chips (about 15 chips) = 28 cents Eat 30 chips and the cost doubles to 56 cents 1/2 cup carrot sticks = 16 cents Medium naval orange = around 35-40 cents
Compare the cart totals: 1 pound cookies, 1 pound bag chips, 2 liters soda and 1/2 gallon ice cream = $13.00 2 pounds apples, 2 pounds oranges, 1 pound bananas, 2 pounds potatoes, 1 pound broccoli, 1 pound cabbage, 1 pound carrots, 1 pound romaine lettuce = $13.38 Inflation may raise the totals but the comparisons remain the same 5
Fitting fruits and vegetables into the budget Meal planning Smart shopping Improving storage Planting your own Cooking smart Sources: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org http://www.choosemyplate.gov 6
Meal planning to fit the budget To start Make a list and stick to it Include fresh, frozen, canned and dried forms Make sure you have staples you use on a regular basis 7
Meal planning to fit the budget Plan for fruits or vegetables to be the center of the plate, then add protein and grains Stir-fried vegetables with rice, add chicken or fish if desired Pasta primavera with Parmesan cheese Vegetable lasagna Veggie chili, carrot and celery sticks Black bean soup with brown rice Vegetable soup with whole grain bread Baked potato topped with broccoli and sprinkled with grated cheese 8
More than 1 way to use produce Carrots: Use 1/2 as carrot sticks and 1/2 in a stirfry. Broccoli: Cut the tops from broccoli and serve as cooked florets. Use the stalks in vegetable soup or shred and add to salads or slaw. Apples: Choose fresh as snacks or a side dish. Make baked apples for dessert. Oranges: Eat as snacks. Add slices to tossed or spinach salad or add sections to a stir-fry. Bananas: Often a snack. Slice and add to canned fruit cocktail. Grapes: Add halved grapes to chicken or tossed salads. Freeze whole grapes for a summer treat. 9
Shopping smart sticking to the budget Buy in season taste better, often less expensive Buy more when on sale use it or store it Don t shop when hungry harder to stick to the list and have more money for produce Comparison shop Compare serving costs, not by weight or size bigger is not always better Compare store brands to national Keep it simple buy produce in their simplest form Pre-cut, pre-washed, ready-to-eat and processed will cost more Limit or avoid expensive snack foods, desserts and soft drinks pay for nutrition 10
Shopping smart What you get for $1* Nutrition Value for Your Money 4 ounce bag of chips Calories (primarily from fat), salt 1 pound carrots Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber 2 small cookies Calories from fat and sugar 2 small apples Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber 2 liters soda Calories from sugar 1/2 pound broccoli crowns Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber *Prices are approximate and will vary depending on location, sales, coupons, etc. 11
Shopping options Superstores Prices not necessarily the lowest, too large for some shoppers, variety of forms Supermarkets/grocery stores Offer store brands, sales, variety of forms (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, convenience) Farmers markets Fresh, seasonal and local, prices may/may not be lower Convenience stores Costly, less selection Specialty stores May be more costly 12
Improving storage Fresh, in general Use within a few days (if not possible, consider another method of storage) Some can and/or should be left at room temperature to ripen, then refrigerated Frozen Store at 0 F or less Use before the use by date on the package for best quality As a rule, use within 6 months 13
Improving storage Canned Check the use by date on cans for best quality Most have a shelf life of about 2 years Store in cool, dry, dark place Dried Store in a cool, dry, dark place Some dried foods may be refrigerated- check the package Use before the Use by date on the package for best quality Most will last from 4 months to a year Freezing will extend shelf life 14
Planting your own Consider using some yard space to grow food Remember the food isn t free (seeds and/or plants, water, fertilizer, equipment ) Food is fresh, nutritious and flavorful & may prompt kids to eat more produce No yard? Grow a few edibles in pots Tomatoes Herbs Lettuces Peppers 15
Cooking smart Prepare more so you have leftovers. Use them for lunch, or create a new dish. Replace half the meat. Substituting half the meat in a recipe with beans and/or vegetables will reduce fat and increase fiber, as well as save you money. Keep canned and frozen fruits and vegetables on hand for a quick-fix meal. Use fruits and vegetables as snacks. It s easy to have fruits and vegetables available as grab and go snacks 16
Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits & Vegetables Baked Boiled Steamed Stir-fried Sautéed Roasted Grilled Stewed Blanched Microwaved Or served raw 17
Review Produce can fit in the food budget Be smart about fruits and vegetables Plan Shop with a plan and a list Cook with all forms of produce, with unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and try new recipes and new methods Think about growing some of your own 18
Resources Eat Healthy. Be Active Community Workshops curriculum at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/download s/eathealthybeactivecommunityworksh ops.pdf Fruits and Veggies More Matters at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters. org/ USDA ChooseMyPlate at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ 19
To lead the lesson Before the lesson Attend Leader Training Have the ice breaker activity ready Make copies of handouts and evaluation Find Someone Who ice breaker activity sheet Demonstration/Sampling Recipes handout Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits and Vegetables handout Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits Fruit/Veggie Selection, Storage/Handling Wheel Evaluation Review slides and script to use at lesson Decide on a recipe to demonstrate at the lesson or prepare ahead for sampling Have ingredients precut and measured ahead for demonstrations Keep those items that require chilling in the refrigerator or on ice until needed Collect needed equipment Have a serving tool, plates, cups, napkins and an eating utensil ready for sampling 20
To lead the lesson At the lesson Ice breaker activity Distribute handouts Go through slides Ask members how they stretch fruit/vegetable dollars Demonstrate and/or sample recipe Wash hands before beginning Decide when to begin the demonstration based on the amount of cooking time needed After the presentation is complete ask members to sample the food Complete and collect evaluations After the lesson Turn in evaluations to County FCS Educators 21
Please turn in the evaluation. Thank you for coming. 22