Healthy Summer Beverages

Summer is here!  Now is the time to stock your refrigerator with beverages to quench the thirst of active family members.  Choose wisely, though.  The beverages we drink can have a big impact on our health so it is important to make healthy choices from the wide variety of choices at the grocery store.


Limit Sweetened Beverages
People are drinking more and more sweetened drinks such as soda, juice, Kool-Aid and sports drinks.  These beverages contain a lot of calories and have little or no nutritional benefit.  Sugary drinks increase our risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  Sweet drinks also affect dental health, causing dental cavities and damaging, tooth enamel.  And because kids are drinking more sweetened beverages than milk, many are getting too little calcium for growing teeth and bones.

You can have an impact on the health of your family members by choosing healthy beverages and limiting sweetened beverages.

Many people think if the name of a beverage has the word "fruit" in it, it must be healthy.  But fruit juice drinks, fruit juice beverages, and fruit juice cocktails are really only a lot of sugar water with a small amount of fruit juice.  Many of these fruit drinks have more in them than a can of soda.  Even 100 percent juice has a lot of sugar.

When choosing beverages for you and your family, read the labels on containers carefully to see how much sugar the products contain.  Take a look at the comparisons below:

Drink	Serving Size	Amount of Sugar
Soda	8-ounce cup	26 grams
Fruit punch or fruit drink	8-ounce cup	30 grams
Fruit juice cocktail	8-ounce cup	34 grams
100% juice (no sugar added)	8-ounce cup	26 grams

What are the most healthy beverages?
Water should be the beverage you and your family members drink most of the time.  Water quenches your thirst and rehydrates your body.  And when it comes from the water faucet at home, it costs almost nothing. 

Milk is an excellent choice, too.  It is a key source of Calcium and Vitamin D for both children and adults.  Low-fat milk and non-fat milk are the best choices because they have fewer calories and fat.

How Much Do Children Need?

If we want children to be healthy, this is what they should be drinking each day:

             Milk -- 2 (8-ounce) cups  (Serve low-fat milk to children over 2 years old)
             100% juice -- 1 (6-ounce or 3/4 cup) cup
             Water -- as much as the child wants

For recipes ideas for making your own healthy and refreshing beverages this summer, check out these recipes!

Cantaloupe Cooler
Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Shake
Fruit Slush
Summer Breeze Smoothies

Vegetable of the Month: Asparagus!

Spring brings the start of the growing season in Maryland.  Over the next several months there will be plenty of fruits and vegetables to choose from that are in-season.  Now is a great time to buy spring fruits and vegetables at your local farmers' market or grocery store.  Fruits and veggies that are in-seaon now include spinach, parsnips, and radishes.  We will highlight one more yummy veggie that is in-season right now -- Asparagus!  Check out below the many ways you can eat this veggie.

Raw
Serve asparagus spears with low-fat dip or cut spears into smaller pieces and add to salads. 

Baked

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place fresh asparagus in a plastic zip-top bag, drizzle with vegetable oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Shake until asparagus is coated with oil and seasonings. 
4. Remove asparagus from zip-top bag and place on a baking sheet.
5. Bake in oven until asparagus begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Steamed

1. Microwave asparagus in a safe bowl, or cook asparagus on the stovetop in a pan.  Add a small amount of water before cooking.
2. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled

1. Coat asparagus spears with vegetable oil spray.
2. Place on a pre-heated grill and cook for about 5-8 minutes until tender, turning occasionally.
3. Add your favorite herbs and spices.

*For all recipes, wash asparagus and remove tough white ends before preparing.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!



Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!  Cinco de Mayo is considered a Mexican holiday, which many people celebrate here in the United States.  Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is a time to dance to lively music, enjoy baked tortilla chips and homemade salsa and learn a new word in Spanish.  This holiday is a great time to let children try foods from another culture.  Try some of these Mexican foods to celebrate with your family this year!

 

1. Pico de Gallo.  A tasty salsa with just a few ingredients!  Serve with baked chips or fresh vegetables like celery and carrots sticks.
2. Guacamole.  A popular Mexican dip made with avocados.  Just smash them in bowl and add a little lime juice and chopped tomato.  Kids can help smash the avocado.
3. Make a Mexican flag.  Try making a Mexican flag out of fruits and veggies.  Use sugar snap peas for the green, sliced and peeled apples for the white and red pepper slices for the red.  Put vegetables side by side on a plate! 
4. Black Beans! A great addition to any meal as a good source of lean protein.
5. Fish Tacos.  Fish Tacos are a quick and easy dinner!  Try this healthy recipe below!

 

Fish TacosMakes 6 servings

 

Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (fat-free)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped), or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 package taco seasoning (low-sodium)
1 pound tilapia or white fish fillets (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

6 corn tortillas

1 tomato, diced

6 lime wedges (optional)

1 small cabbage (shredded)

 

Directions

1.  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 Tablespoons seasoning mix to make taco sauce.

2. In a medium bowl, combine fish, oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix; pour into large skillet.  Cook stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

3.  Fill warm tortillas with fish mixture.

4.  Top with cabbage, tomato, sour cream mixture, lime wedges (optional) and taco sauce.

 

 

Source:  Centeres for Disease Control and Prevention, More Matters Recipes

 

How do you plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year?

Practice Makes Perfect -- Gardening Series

This is the last post in our gardening series.

Once your garden has had time to grow, it's time to harvest some of those veggies.  Children love to help in the garden and really enjoy trying the foods that they help to grow.  Have a healthy snack with the foods that you harvested by making a garden on a plate.  Below is a recipe for some veggies and dip that you can arrange on a plate like a garden and can be a "practice run" for your planting.

Garden on a Plate

Ingredients
4 celery or carrots or baby carrots, washed
4 tablespoons refried beans or hummus
2 tablespoons canned corn kernels, drained
2 tablespoons shredded reduce fat cheddar cheese
6 broccoli florets, washed
1 jar salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Place carrots sticks on the plate in the shape of a rectangle.  This represents your garden bed.
2. Fill the rectangle with beans or hummus.  This represents the soil.
3. Place corn kernels evenly spaced over the surface of the soil.  This represents the seeds that are planted in a garden.
4. Cover the surface of the beans (or hummus) with cheese.  This represents mulch that will keep the plants moist and prevent weeds.
5. Place broccoli florets upright in the soil.  This represents the plants that grew from the seeds.
6. You can "water" your garden with salsa, if you like.
7. Eat your garden by dipping the broccoli and carrots into the beans.

Create a Top-Down Garden with Your Kids

A great way to get your kids to eat more vegetables, reduce waste and start a low-cost indoor garden is to start your own top-down garden. A top down garden uses the top of root vegetables like beets, carrots or radishes to sprout greens.  These greens will not grow new root veggies but the greens can be eaten and fun to grow!

The next time you are planning a meal with carrots, beets, or radishes, buy them with the greens still attached.  To plant a top down garden, re-use a food container such as a pie pan or plastic food container with no holes.

1. Cut the carrots, radishes and/or beets (the part that you would eat), leave some of the vegetable (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) attached to the top.  Save the cut carrots, radishes and beets for a salad or snack later!
2. Place the veggie tops with leaves attached, cut side down in the container and fill with just enough water to cover the remaining vegetable.
3. Put the top down garden in a warm, sunny window and check daily to make sure the cut side is in the water.  Change the water if it becomes cloudy.  Top down gardens look great when you have several tops in one container. 
4. Keep your garden growing by replacing tops as they are used or start to look droopy.  You can also dress up your garden by adding decorative rocks or marbles.

Once your garden has sprouted new greens, it is time to starting thinking about harvesting them. Baby radish greens are delicious and high in nutrients.  They can be added to salads, sauteed with mustard seeds, added to smoothies, and so much more!  Carrot tops are also high in nutrients and are great in soups, salad, or infused to make a tea. Finally, beet tops are "tops" in salads, but can also be sauteed in olive oil and garlic, or roasted.  If you are growing all three tops in your top-down garden, put them together in a salad for a tasty treat.

Your kids will have fun growing top down gardens and will have the chance to try new foods!

Water -- Gardening Series

This is our 5th post in our Vegetable Garden Planning blog series.

Each plant needs a different amount of water to grow.  Some plants, like a cactus, needs a little bit of water every once in a while.  Most plants that are in the house need to be watered every two weeks.  Vegetable and fruit plants need a lot more water.  Each plant is different but most vegetables like about 2 inches of water per week.  Try watering your garden for about 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a week if there has not been any rain.  Another tip is to leave a plastic cup in your garden to see how much rain the plants may have gotten when it does rain. 

Vegetables plants need moist soil that is not too dry but not soaking wet either.  You want to make sure that the water has been able to get down to the roots and is not just at the top of the soil.  Try sticking your hand or a stick down a few inches into the dirt to see if there is water getting to the roots.  Using a mulch (woodchips, newspapers, landscape fabric) can help to keep the water in the soil and prevent the soil from drying out.  This is also a great way to save water!

For more great online resources for learning more about vegetable gardening visit:

• Grow It Eat It Maryland:  http://extension.umd.edu/growit
• Home and Garden Information Center: http://extension.umd.edu/hgic
• Free Master Gardener Workshops.  Check this link to free vegetable gardening classes by the Master Gardeners for each county:  http://extension.umd.edu/growit/classes-and-events

Physical Activity for Spring

 

Spring has arrived and it's time to fill up a water bottle, put on a pair of comfortable shoes and get moving!  After all, the warm weather and extra daylight is a great time to get outdoors and get active.  Getting physical activity into your family's daily routine will help to reduce stress, boost your family's energy levels and improve your overall health!

Here are some ideas to get you moving this spring with fun and easy physical activites:

1. Have a day at the park.  Go to a local park and fly a kite, find a walking trail, play baseball or kickball, jump rope, take the dog for a walk, or throw a Frisbee.  Bring a picnic lunch and large blanket for everyone to sit on for a family meal.
2. Plant a vegetable garden.  Growing and eating from your own garden can be very exciting.  Kids love to see how food grows and they have fun helping to pick their own veggies. If you have limited space at home, try growing lettuce, tomatoes, or fresh herbs in pots that can sit on your porch.  Kids love to eat the foods that they have helped to grow.
3. Turn off the TV and go for a walk.  Limit your family's screen time and go for a walk around the neighborhood instead.  The sunlight helps your body get Vitamin D.  Being out in the sun also helps to improve our mood and energy.
4. Create a routine with family and friends.  Find a friend or family member to be physically  active with on a regular basis. Create a routine such as taking a walk after dinner at least 3 times per week.  This will give you something to look forward to and you can support each other's physical activity goals.

As you become more physically active this spring, you'll boost your energy level and find yourself needing a cool treat.  Try a Yogurt Berry Parfait for a healthy treat to help cool you down!