Cold weather can definitely make us feel the need for warm comfort food. Unfortunately, these food choices are not always the healthiest choices.

It is essentially important to maintain a steady consumption of fruits and vegetables throughout the whole year. The new American Dietary Guidelines for 2015 recommend that we eat 4-5 cups daily.Take a look at the comparison of Recommended Intake versus Average Intake:

Why eat more fruits and vegetables? Fruits and vegetables provide our bodies with a variety of vitamins and minerals that help support the overall health of our body, yet about three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is LOW in fruits and vegetables. 

So, the next time you want to reach for a comfort food, try a fruit or vegetable instead. Your body will thank you later. 

 Fresno County's UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.

My rotation with UC CalFresh has been one of my very first community nutrition rotations in my dietetic internship. The nutrition education I previously provided was in a very different setting. Prior to starting this rotation, I knew very little about what UC CalFresh offers, however, my preceptors were wonderful at answering my questions, and their passion for their jobs really made me excited to spend two weeks learning from them.

One of my favorite parts of this rotation was going to the schools to observe and teach lessons to the kids. I was amazed at how knowledgeable the kids were about MyPlate and nutrition. To me, this was a reflection of the effectiveness of the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. As I observed more lessons, I realized that the kids get really excited when the nutrition educators visit their classes because they make nutrition education so much fun by including games and songs in their lessons.

On the first day of my rotation I reviewed MyPlate with the kids and then sang and danced to the “MyPlate Shaky” with them. This was a lot of fun and the kids loved it! I really like that some form of physical activity is also incorporated into all of the lessons and that the importance of exercising each day is also stressed.

Haley teaching first graders at Yokomi about MyPlate

On this same day, part of the lesson was for the kids to build their own MyPlate. I like how this activity had the kids work in a group to help encourage teamwork and communication. It was great to hear the kids talk to each other about which foods fall into each food group and how to build a healthy meal.

I also loved observing and teaching part of the adult classes that the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program provides. One of my favorite adult classes was at Rescue the Children in Fresno, which was a combination of lessons three and four of the Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook (PSSC) curriculum. The nutrition educators did a great job with the lessons and I could tell that the participants responded really well to them. The participants were very engaged in the lesson and respectful to the educators.

I taught the physical activity portion of the class and showed them how to do a quick full-body stretch set. The participants really enjoyed the stretches and said that it helped them feel alert and more in the mood to exercise, especially since the class started early in the morning for them. I noticed that this group as a whole was much more invested in learning and they consistently participated in the activities.

The “Three Can Chili” recipe was the food demonstration that was presented on this day. The participants loved the idea of adding flavor to the chili with jalapeños, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder instead of using salt. They also enjoyed the whole wheat crackers that were served to compliment the chili. This class was also different than the two adult classes I had previously observed in that it was much smaller, with only six participants compared to 10-12 participants in the other classes.

First graders at Yokomi completing the MyPlate activity

I was asked by the nutrition educators throughout the week whether I preferred teaching the youth or adult lessons. I still haven't come to a conclusion whether I prefer one over the other because they both have great aspects that I personally enjoy. My favorite part of teaching children is their enthusiasm and excitement for learning. However, with children, it is important to explain nutrition in simpler terms that will make sense to them. One of my favorite parts of teaching the adult lessons was having the flexibility to give more descriptive and detailed explanations of the nutrition topics and be able to help them have a more in-depth understanding of how the food they consume affects their bodies.

Overall, my time during my rotation at UC CalFresh has showed me what a valuable program it is for its participants. One of the participants in the adult classes told the educators that the lessons made her realize that she wanted to pursue a career in the field of nutrition! This rotation has showed me first-hand the impact that community nutrition can make. 

In honor of National Wear Red Day today, this month's Tasty Tips is all about heart health. Whether you are dealing with heart health issues, know someone who is, or want to prevent any heart issues in the future, this post is for you! The best place to start when thinking about your heart health is to think of the foods you eat. Below are some tips and tricks to help your heart:

1.Choose foods that promote heart health more often.

Fruits and vegetables. At least half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

Whole grains. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. Whole grains include:

1. whole wheat
2. whole oats
3. oatmeal
4. whole-grain corn
5. brown rice
6. wild rice
7. whole rye
8. whole-grain barley
9. buckwheat
10. bulgur
11. millet
12. sorghum

Fat-free or low-fat dairy products. These include milk, calcium-fortified soy drinks (soy milk), cheese, yogurt, and other milk products.

Seafood, skinless poultry, lean meats, beans, eggs, and unsalted nuts.

Source: www.womenshealth.gov

2. Reduce your intake of foods that hinder heart health.

Saturated fats. Saturated fat is usually in pizza, ice cream, fried chicken, many cakes and cookies, bacon, and hamburgers. Check the Nutrition Facts label for saturated fat. Less than 10% of your daily calories should be from saturated fats.

Trans fats. These are found mainly in commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, and margarine. The Food and Drug Administration is taking action to remove artificial trans fats from our food supply because of their risk to 

Added sugars. Foods like fruit and dairy products naturally contain sugar. But you should limit foods that contain added sugars. These include sodas, sports drinks, cake, candy, and ice cream. Check the Nutrition Facts label for added sugars and limit the how much food you eat with added sugars.

Source: www.womenshealth.gov

3. Bring heart healthy recipes to life.

Now that you know what's best to eat for your heart, try out some of the recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute below to turn your knowledge into action.  

Spicy Baked Fish

Zucchini Lasagna

Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes

Banana-Nut Bread

Winter Crisp

Sour Cream Substitute

Minestrone Soup

Want more information? Check out the resources below for more tips, studies, and inspiration:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Womenshealth.gov

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service Information Center

The American Heart Association

Have you seen how healthy eating and dietary changes have made an impact on the heart health of you or someone you know? Let us know in the comments below!

Super Bowl 50 brings many opportunities to snack this Sunday. UC CalFresh would love to help you make healthy snack swaps as you sit down to watch the big game. Check out our ideas below: 

Try a twist on a classic with our

Mango Salsa

Makes: 8 (2 Tablespoon) servings | Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (or 1 cup thawed, frozen mango chunks)

1 Tablespoon diced red onion

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lime or 2 Tablespoons bottled lime juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

Need more ideas? Try these:

Whole Wheat Garlic Bread Sticks

Light and Creamy Onion Dip

Turkey Pinwheel Appetizers

Easy Chicken and Cheese Dip