Download County Visions - Warren County

RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION of WARREN COUNTY
County Visions
FALL
2009
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES
165 County Route 519 South y Belvidere, NJ 07823 y 908-475-6504
Welcome to Warren County Visions!
What’s Inside?
f Looking for ways to make your
family meals chock-full of
healthful choices for your growing
family? Eating Together - Eating Well:
Nutrient-Rich Family Meals is
attached to help. Try this delicious
family-friendly recipe too.
f If you have preschool-aged
children at home, the updated
MyPyramid for Preschoolers
website is a must see. There are
great suggestions for parents and
caregivers. Take a look at some
ways to Make Your Job Easier by
checking
out
the
website
www.mypyramid.gov and clicking
on Preschoolers.
f Learning
positive
money
management techniques can help
you and your family adapt to
tough economic times. eXtension
is a great new website that can
provide you with a wealth of
information on this and other
topics.
Check
it
out
at
http://www.extension.org.
Welcome to the Fall 2009 edition of County Visions, Warren County’s quarterly
newsletter from the Family & Community Health Sciences department of
Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Contact us at [email protected] for questions or suggestions and be sure to
visit us at our website for up to date class offerings at
http://warren.njaes.rutgers.edu .
Wishing you and yours a bountiful fall!
Sherri Cirignano, MS, RD, LDN
FCHS Educator/Assistant Professor
Join us for a
“Pink Tea Party”
in honor of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
A Tea Seminar: Drink to your Health
E Brief lecture followed by Afternoon Tea and Lunch
E Learn about the history, culture and health benefits of tea
E Enjoy tea tasting, recipes and more
E Breast Cancer Information and Door Prizes available too!
Presented by Sherri Cirignano, FCHS Educator
Thursday, October 22, 2009 @ 11:30 a.m.
NORWESCAP
350 Marshall Street
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
Registration is required
Call 908-387-9888 to reserve your space!
Share and Learn in Your Neighborhood
Join us for the evening for good food and a bi-lingual conversation
about Colon Health.
St. Joseph Church Community Room
200 Carlton Avenue
Washington, NJ 07882
Free Dinner Provided
Thursday, October 29, 2009
6:00 PM
Speaker: Dr. Ana Gomes
Registration is required as seating will be limited.
Please call (908) 387-9888 to reserve your seat.
Eating Together - Eating Well:
Nutrient-Rich Family Meals
Fact Sheet FS1110
Cooperative Extension
family and c o m m u n i t y h e a l t h s c i e n c e s
Sherri Cirignano, MS, RD, Warren County FCHS Educator
Eating together as a family as often as possible is important for
growing families. The list of benefits of family meals continues
to grow and includes promoting a healthy weight in young children
and nurturing healthy lifestyles in older children. Studies also
show that children who eat regular family meals eat more of what
is good for them: fruits, vegetables, grains, and calcium-rich foods.
Family meals seem to be on the upswing, increasing 11% between
1998 and 2005, according to the National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). Despite
this good news, childhhood obesity rates are still climbing, and
teens in particular are eating less than the recommended amounts
of fruits and vegetables. As a result, planning and making family
meals that are nutrient-rich is as important as ever.
What is a Nutrient-rich Meal?
There are six groups of nutrients in food that provide what our
bodies’ need for energy and good health. These nutrients are
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, (only these three can provide energy)
vitamins, minerals and water. A nutrient-rich food is one that
has a significant amount of vitamins and minerals, yet a reasonable amount of energy, or calories. Examples include plant foods
such as vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains, and protein
foods such as fish, poultry, lean meat, and low-fat milk products.
The opposite of a nutrient-rich food is an energy-rich or energydense food. These foods supply a lot of calories, but few vitamins
or minerals. Examples include candy, cakes, pies, fried foods
and snack foods such as chips and soft drinks.
Nutrients Needed for Growing Children
To meet the needs of growing children, and all healthy Americans
ages two years and above, include a variety of nutrient-rich foods
and healthy beverages in your family’s meals everyday, while
limiting saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugar and salt. This,
along with regular physical activity, is important in promoting
the future health of our children. Meeting these needs can be done
with ease at family mealtime by focusing on the foods that are
recommended: a variety of whole plant foods and lean protein
foods, with sensible fat and beverage choices.
Choosing Whole Plant Foods
Include whole plant foods as a significant part of your family’s
diet by choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
legumes. These foods provide a large variety of vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients that contribute to growth and overall health.
Fruits and vegetables provide an array of health-promoting
nutrients. Think color when choosing them, the more color, the
better! Create your child’s plate as a new palette every-day that
is filled with dark green, orange, red, white and purple fruits
and vegetables. They will love the colors and you will enjoy
knowing that they are eating these nutrient-rich jewels from the
garden. For ease of mealtime prep, choose fresh, frozen, canned
or dried fruits and vegetables, all of which provide similar
nutrient values. Aim for approximately two cups of fruit, and 2-½
cups of vegetables each day, choosing whole fruits and vegetables
over juice for children more often.
Whole grains, on the other hand, cannot always be identified
by color. The proof is in the ingredient list. For most whole grain
products, the words “whole” or “whole grain” will appear before
the grain ingredient’s name, ideally with the whole grain listed
first. Some well-known whole grains include whole wheat, wild
rice and brown rice, but did you know that popcorn is also a
whole grain? With little added fat, popcorn is a great snack that
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525
Phone: 732.932.5000
Eating Together - Eating Well:
Nutrient-Rich Family Meals
Fact
FactSheet
SheetFS1110
XXXX
the whole family can enjoy! Buckwheat, bulgur or cracked wheat,
whole-grain barley, and millet are other examples of whole grains.
Experiment with a variety of them to add something delicious
and nutritious to every meal. Aim for about one-half of your
daily grains to come from whole grains.
Legumes, or dried peas and beans, are also a great whole plant
food choice that packs a powerful nutrient punch by providing
a great source of plant protein. Include them in children’s diets
early on by adding chickpeas, white, black or red beans to
casseroles, soups and salads. Legumes also make great finger
foods for the younger set. Aim for several cups each week,
increasing slowly and eating with plenty of fluids, if your
family is not used to the high fiber content of beans.
Choosing Lean Protein Foods
Protein is an important nutrient in the diet of growing children.
Round out your family’s plate with choices such as fish*, white
breast meat of poultry and an occasional egg, limiting the red
meat choices of beef, pork and lamb. Aim for choices that are
lean, low-fat or fat-free and prepare by baking, poaching or
broiling to limit added fats.
Milk and milk products are also excellent sources of protein.
Recommendations are for children 2 to 8 years of age to include
two cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products,
increasing to three cups per day for children 9 years of age or
older.
*When choosing fish for children or women of child-bearing age, be sure
to check for current recommendations from the Environmental Protection
Agency at www.epa.gov.
Choosing Fats
Fat in the diet has received a great deal of attention over the years
about not only how much fat is “ok” but also what types of fat
to eat or to avoid. It can be confusing. Simply stated, saturated
and trans fats are fats that should be limited in the diet of most
healthy family members. An exception for this is for children
under the age of two who need important fatty acids in their
diets for development, so their fat intake should not be limited.
When choosing food items with fat, it is helpful to know that
saturated fats are found in animal-based foods including meat,
poultry and dairy products and in some tropical oil such as
coconut, palm kernel and palm oils. Trans fats are also found
in animal products, but the majority of them come from fats
that have been changed from a liquid fat to a solid. Saturated
fats also tend to be solid. As a result, a simple rule of thumb when
choosing a fat is to choose those that are liquid at room temperature. Examples of these include vegetable oils such as canola
or olive oils, which contain mostly monounsaturated fats
and safflower or soybean oils, which contain mostly polyunsaturated fats. Aim for these primarily mono- and polyunsaturated fat choices.
Choosing Beverages
For all ages, water is the recommended beverage of choice. It
is important to limit sweetened beverages and juices, even
100% fruit or vegetable juice, for the benefits of water. Beverages
with a high sugar content are energy-dense, with limited other
benefits. On the other hand, water is an essential nutrient that
quenches our thirst without the added energy that is best saved
for whole food choices. Aim for 50 fluid ounces, or approximately
eight cups of water each day.
Providing nutrient-rich family meals are well worth the effort
to promote the health and well being of growing children.
Besides being nutritious and tasty, family meals that spotlight
healthful foods are setting the foundation for the choices that
your children will make when they set out on their own
someday.
Try these tips to make your family meals nutrient-rich:
•
Keep frozen vegetables and canned beans on hand to add to
casseroles, low sodium soups and stews.
•
Add dried fruit to whole grains such as breakfast cereals, brown
rice and couscous.
•
Substitute legumes such as chickpeas, black or white beans for
ground beef or poultry in recipes.
•
Switch to whole grain pasta for all of your favorite pasta recipes
by trying different brands to find the one your family likes.
•
Serve fresh, canned or frozen fruit with low-fat yogurt from the
dairy case to make “sundaes” as a quick and fun dessert.
•
Ask to include a salad and/or fruit instead of fries or chips when
family meals take place in a restaurant.
For more information on nutrient-rich meals, visit:
www.getmovinggethealthynj.rutgers.edu
www.mypyramid.gov
www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
©2009 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Allrights reserved. Photo credits: www.istock.photo.com
For a comprehensive list of our publications visit www.njaes.rutgers.edu
October 2009
Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
88 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525
Phone: 732.932.5000
Barley, Turkey and
Butternut Squash Casserole
Try this quick casserole recipe to provide a nutrient-rich and crowd-pleasing dish for
your next family meal.
Cooking spray
2 small butternut squash
2 tsp. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tsp. dried sage
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley*
1/2 lb. cooked turkey breast, cubed or diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large pot of rapidly boiling water, boil squash halves 5 minutes or until not quite
tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from each half and dice. Set
aside.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, onion and diced
squash. Sauté 3 minutes. Add sage and pepper and stir to coat. Add broth and bring
to a boil. Add barley and return to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, until barley is tender and liquid is
absorbed. Mix in diced turkey. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and top with
feta cheese. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden.
*Most supermarkets and health food stores carry quick-cooking barley.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 275 calories, 5 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 42 g. carbohydrate, 18 g. protein, 10 g.
dietary fiber, 368 mg. sodium.
Recipe adapted from AICR Recipe Corner, www.aicr.org
MyPyramid for Preschoolers
Making Your Job Easier
MyPyramid for Preschoolers is for parents and caregivers of preschoolers ages 2-5. We encourage
professionals to share this in-depth resource. Here are a few highlights of the site.
Addresses Common Concerns
“Michael won’t eat anything green, just because of the color” or “Ebony will only eat
peanut butter sandwiches!” Combines expert guidance and real-life suggestions for
parents and caregivers about their important role in helping their children develop
healthy eating habits. “Mom-tested” messages communicate the information effectively
to parents and caregivers.
Cook together. Eat together. Talk together. Make mealtime a family time!
Body Mass Index and Height-for-Age Calculators
Users simply enter the child’s height, weight, and age to receive
a user friendly graph. It’s ready to print and bring to their
preschooler’s next doctor’s appointment.
Customized MyPyramid Plan
MyPyramid Plan
:
Here is a customized MyPyramid Plan for your preschooler. Use it as a general guide for what and how much to feed your child
each day. You don’t have to be exact in these amounts every day. Try to balance the amounts over a few days or a week.
Put this Plan into action with
meal and snack ideas.
Offer different foods from day to day.
Encourage your child to choose from
a variety of foods.
Serve foods in small portions at
scheduled meals and snacks.
Parents and caregivers enter age, gender, and activity level to get a customized
eating pattern of MyPyramid Plan for their preschooler. Serves as a guide for what
and how much to offer from the food groups each day.
Beverages count too.
Make smart beverage choices.
1 cup
3 ounces
1 cup
2 cups
2 ounces
Limit Extras (solid fats & added sugars) to [xxx] calories.
Use the MyPyramid Menu Planner to find the number of
calories from Extras in your meals.
Oils are different from solid fats. Your child’s allowance
is [x] teaspoons of Oils a day.
Learn more about the food groups and see what counts as a cup or an ounce in each group.
Click on the food group name or go “Inside the Pyramid” at www.MyPyramid.gov.
Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.
This Plan is a [xxxx] calorie food pattern. It is based on average needs for a [age] year old [boy/girl] who is active [less than 30, 30 to 60, more than 60] minutes a day. Your preschooler’s food needs
also depend on [his/her] rate of growth and other factors. Your child’s doctor can track [his/her] height and weight over time to identify specific needs. A preschooler should not be urged to eat these
exact amounts--their needs may differ from the average.
Sample Meal and Snack Patterns
Meal and Snack Patterns
for a 1000
calorie MyPyramid Plan ...
These patterns are examples of how the MyPyramid Plan can be divided
into meals and snacks for a preschooler. There are many ways to divide
the amounts recommended from each food group into daily meals and snacks.
Click on either pattern to see examples of food choices for meals and snacks.
Meal and Snack Pattern A
Meal and Snack Pattern B
(1000 calorie MyPyramid Plan)
(1000 calorie MyPyramid Plan)
Breakfast
Breakfast
1 ounce Grains
½ cup Milk*
1 ounce Meat & Beans
1 ounce Grains
½ cup Fruit
½ cup Milk*
Morning Snack
Morning Snack
½ cup Fruit
½ cup Milk*
½ ounce Grains
½ cup Fruit
Lunch
Lunch
1 ounce Grains
¼ cup Vegetables
½ cup Milk*
½ ounce Grains
¼ cup Vegetables
½ cup Milk*
1 ounce Meat & Beans
Afternoon Snack
Afternoon Snack
¼ cup Vegetables
½ cup Fruit
¼ cup Vegetables
½ cup Milk*
Dinner
Dinner
1 ounce Grains
½ cup Vegetables
½ cup Milk*
1 ounce Meat & Beans
1 ounce Grains
½ cup Vegetables
½ cup Milk*
1 ounce Meat & Beans
*Offer your child fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
MyPyramid Plan (1000 calories)
Total amount for the day
Grain Group
3 ounces
Vegetable Group
1 cup
Fruit Group
1 cup
Milk* Group
2 cups
Meat & Beans Group
2 ounces
Each MyPyramid Plan calorie level has two different sample Meal and Snack Patterns.
These give examples of how the MyPyramid Plan can be divided into meals and snacks.
Also provides ideas to help plan meals for preschoolers.
Features of
WEBSITE
MyPyramid Plan for
Preschoolers
Gives parents a customized eating plan for their preschooler, based on
the child’s age, gender, and physical activity level. Includes a colorful,
personalized printout of the MyPyramid Plan and links to information
about each food group, snacks, beverages, salt, and “extras” (solid fats
and added sugars).
Growth during the
Preschool Years
Provides information about influences on growth and an option to enter
the child’s height, weight, and age to obtain a customized growth chart.
Both Body Mass Index and Height-for-Age charts can be selected,
viewed, and printed.
Developing Healthy
Eating Habits
Offers a wealth of advice to answer common questions from parents.
Topics in this section include:
Physical Activity
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Setting a Good Example
Offering a Variety of Foods
Helping Children Know When They’ve Had Enough
Follow a Meal and Snack Schedule
Making Mealtime a Family Time
Coping with Picky Eating
Helping Children Eat New Foods
Kitchen Activities Preschoolers Can Help With
Behavioral Milestones Related to Eating
Helps parents identify what types of physical activity are appropriate for
preschoolers and why physical activity is important at this age.
Stresses that parents need to serve as role models not just in healthy eating
behaviors, but in physical activity as well. Lists ideas for family activities,
age-appropriate activities, and indoor activities.
Food Safety
Provides both general food safety advice and specific messages for
preschoolers. Includes information on the importance of hand washing,
foods that should be avoided, and foods that can be choking hazards.
Sample Meal and
Snack Patterns
Shows two examples of a meal and snack pattern to demonstrate how a
MyPyramid Plan (which gives daily amounts) can be divided into three
meals and two snacks. These are presented as amounts from each food
group in the meal or snack.
For each pattern, includes three menu ideas for each
meal or snack in the pattern.
Join us for a
“Pink Tea Party”
in honor of
Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
A Tea Seminar: Drink To Your Health
E Brief lecture followed by Afternoon Tea and Lunch
E Learn about the history, culture and health benefits of tea
E Enjoy tea tasting, recipes and more
E Breast Cancer Information and Door Prizes available too!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
11:30 a.m.
NORWESCAP
350 Marshall Street
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
Registration is required.
Call 908-387-9888 to reserve your space!
Sponsored by the Warren County Cancer Education and Early Detection Program (CEED) and the Warren County Cancer Coalition. The Warren
County Cancer Coalition is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Cancer Control and
Prevention. The mission of the Warren County Cancer Coalition is to implement the New Jersey Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan in Warren
County. For more information on Comprehensive Cancer Control in NJ, please visit: www.njcancer.gov
Share and Learn in
Your Neighborhood
Join us for the evening for good food
and a bi-lingual conversation about
Colon Health.
Free Dinner Provided
St. Joseph Church
Community Room
200 Carlton Avenue
Washington, NJ 07882
Thursday October 29, 2009
6:00 PM
Speaker: Dr. Ana Gomes
Registration is required as seating will be limited.
Please call (908) 387-9888 to reserve your seat.
This project is funded by: The Novartis Outreach and Education Project of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The program is provided in partnership with: NORWESCAP, Inc., The Warren County Health Department, Rutgers Cooperative
Extension of Warren County, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Warren Hospital, East Stroudsburg University, and the
Warren County Cancer Coalition.