UC CalFresh Fresno/Madera Counties - <span style='font-size:0.5em;'>Tasty Tips</span>

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UC CalFresh Fresno/Madera Counties - Tasty Tips

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Author: Emily Harris

Published on: January 9, 2017

Happy New Year! To start the new year off right and encourage healthy resolutions, this month's Tasty Tips is all about fiber during National Fiber Focus Month.

What is fiber?

Fiber is a nutrient found in plants. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

"Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion. This slows digestion. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, which can help prevent heart disease."
"Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. It appears to speed the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines and adds bulk to the stool."

Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002470.htm

Watch Out!

Adding fiber to your diet too fast can lead to negative side effects, such as gas, abdominal cramps and bloating. Slowly adding fiber-rich foods to your diet will decrease these side effects as you begin increasing your fiber consumption.

Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002470.htm

Where's the fiber?

Find a complete list of food sources of fiber here.

Not sure how much fiber you need every day? Check out your general fiber recommendation in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines.

Tags: fiber (1), Healthy Eating (3), Healthy Resolutions (1), National Fiber Focus Month (1), Tasty Tips (12), UC CalFresh (16), UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (20), uccalfreshfmc (15)

Comments: 0

Tasty Tips- Winter Wellness

Author: Emily Harris

Published on: December 20, 2016

Winter brings holidays filled with family and a new year filled with possibilities, but what we often forget is that winter can also bring colds and an overall feeling of being under the weather. Take control of your winter wellness this year by making sure you eat nutrient-dense and hearty meals. Check out the warm recipes below to keep yourself well this winter:

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or canola oil)

16 ounces 93% lean ground turkey

1 large onion (diced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 medium zucchinis (diced, about 3 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup bulgur

2 tablespoons dried oregano

4 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cans 15-ounce no salt added white beans (rinsed)

2 cans 4-ounce green chiles (mild and hot)

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is starting to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add bulgur, oregano, cumin, coriander, white pepper and salt and cook, stirring until aromatic, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Stir in white beans and chiles, then pour in broth; bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and thickened and the bulgur is tender, about 50 minutes.

Image and Recipe Source: http://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/myplate-cnpp/white-turkey-chili

Chinese Winter

Melon Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 large winter melon seeded and chopped

2 cups Chicken broth

4 dried black mushrooms rehydrated

2 teaspoons grated ginger root

1- 1/2 cups cooked chicken shredded

1 cup asparagus tips

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place melon in pot of boiling water; simmer 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain.

2. Add remaining ingredients; simmer additional 5 minutes.

Image and Recipe Source: http://eatfresh.org/recipe/main-dish-side-dish-soups/chinese-winter-melon-chicken-soup#.WE8qZfkrJPY

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients: Pumpkin Oatmeal

1 cup rolled oats

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup raisins

1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener optional

Directions:

1. Heat water over medium heat in a skillet until bubbles form. This takes about 3-5 minutes.

2. Stir in oats. Cover and lower heat to low.

3. Cook oats until thick, about 5 minutes. Lift lid and stir every minute or two.

4. Stir in milk and other ingredients.

5. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Image and Recipe Source: http://eatfresh.org/recipe/snacks-breakfast-desserts/pumpkin-oatmeal#.WE8qR_krJPY

Meatball

Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups water

1/3 cup brown rice

3 low-sodium beef or chicken flavored bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon low-sodium bouillon powder

4 sprigs fresh oregano finely chopped (or 1 Tablespoon dried oregano)

8 ounces lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 tomato finely chopped

1/2 onion peeled and finely chopped

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine water, rice, bouillon cubes, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ground meat, tomato, onion, egg, and salt. Form into 12 large meatballs.

3. Add meatball to broth mixture and simmer 30 minutes.

4. Add vegetables. Cook 10-15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked and rice and vegetables are tender. Serve hot.

Image and Recipe Source: http://eatfresh.org/recipe/soups/meatball-soup#.WE8p1_krJPY

Tags: Recipes (9), Tasty Tips (12), UC CalFresh (16), UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (20), uccalfreshfmc (15), wellness (1), winter (1), winter wellness (1)

Comments: 0

Tasty Tips- National Parfait Day

Author: Emily Harris

Published on: November 23, 2016

Balance your Thanksgiving feast with a pretty parfait on Black Friday, which just so happens to be National Parfait Day! Choose a parfait below or create one of your own.

Pumpkin Parfait

Ingredients

1 can low-sodium pumpkin (about 15 ounces)

3 cups fat-free or low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup rice crisps

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup brown (or white) sugar (packed)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a blender or with a fork, blend the pumpkin until smooth.
Mix pumpkin, yogurt, and spices in a bowl.
In another bowl, mix the granola ingredients: raisins, quick cooking oats, rice crisps, oil, and sugar.
Spread granola on a baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Let the granola cool down until it hardens. Then, break it apart or crush it into small pieces.
Spoon the pumpkin into 6 medium-sized glasses or bowls.
Put granola on top of the pumpkin in each glass or bowl. Spoon the pumpkin and granola in layers until all have been added to a glass or bowl.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Strawberry Banana Parfait

Ingredients

1/2 medium ripe banana, mashed

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup bran and wheat flakes ready-to-eat cereal

Directions

1. Stir banana and vanilla into yogurt and combine well.

2. In a 10-12 ounce glass, alternately layer the yogurt-banana mixture, strawberries and cereal.

3. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Jean's Banana Pudding Parfait

Ingredients

8 ginger snap cookies (crushed)

7 medium ripe bananas (sliced thin)

1 cup nonfat milk

1 1-oz box instant sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding

1 1/4 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fat-free frozen whipped topping (thawed)

8-oz parfait cups or drinking glasses

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and pudding mix; blend well (about 2 minutes).

2. Add yogurt and vanilla extract; blend until smooth.

3. Stir the thawed whipped topping into the mixture.

4. Line the bottom of the parfait cups with a teaspoon of crumbled ginger snaps.

5. Layer 6 banana slices on top of the cookies; then 2 tbsp of the yogurt mixture on top. Repeat with another layer of the ginger snaps, bananas, and yogurt mixture.

6. Top with cinnamon or crushed cookie for garnish.

7. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

Source: What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl

Tags: Healthy Eating (3), Healthy Holidays (4), National Parfait Day (1), parfait (1), Tasty Tips (12), UC CalFresh (16), UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (20), uccalfreshfmc (15)

Comments: 0

Tasty Tips- Healthy Halloween

Author: Emily Harris

Published on: October 20, 2016

As classroom celebrations and after school snacks call for Halloween-themed treats, we may resolve to have our kids eat healthier after the holidays are over. Why not start now and celebrate Halloween with a healthy twist? Below are some snack ideas to bring Halloween to town without all of the extra sugar:

Let us know about your Healthy Halloween in the comment section below!

Tags: Halloween (2), Healthy Celebrations (6), Healthy Halloween (1), Holidays (2), Recipes (9), Tasty Tips (12)

Comments: 0

Tasty Tips: National Food Safety Education Month

Author: Emily Harris

Published on: September 12, 2016

September brings both National Food Safety Education Month and the end of summer. As we wrap up this great time of year, let's take a look at ways to keep our food safe and avoid food waste as we enjoy the last of our BBQ's, swim parties and warm-weather adventures.

1. When serving food at a buffet, keep hot food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Keep cold food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often.

Once we've finished preparing our food, it's easy to set it out for our families and friends to dig in without thinking about it staying fresh. Make sure your hot foods stay hot and your cold foods stay cold when you serve.

2. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).

Make sure to put all of your perishable foods in shallow dishes and place them in an ice chest or refrigerator within the recommended time frames above.

3. Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Add leftovers to your weekly menu as soon as possible so you don't waste food or eat food when it is no longer safe. For more information about leftovers, click here.

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Have leftover chicken? Use it up with the recipe below:

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli

and Rice Bake

Image Source: tastykitchen.com

Ingredients

5 cups water

2 1/2 cups rice

1/4 cup onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove (chopped)

1 cup milk (skim)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.75 ounces, condensed, 98% fat-free)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, low-fat (grated)

2 cups chicken (shredded, cooked)

2 cups broccoli (pieces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. In large saucepan bring water to
boil. Add rice, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 20 minutes
or until rice is soft.

2. While rice is cooking combine milk, soup, salt, and pepper, mix well. When rice is done combine with milk mixture, chicken and broccoli, mix well.

3. Grease 9 x 13 pan and pour mixture into pan. Bake in the preheated
oven for 18 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for another 6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl

Tags: Food Safety (3), National Food Safety Education Month (2), Nutrition (20), Recipes (9), Tasty Tips (12)

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