Stretching Your Food Budget for Better Health
How you spend your food dollar is more important than ever. One great way to get more value for your dollar is by including fruits and vegetables in your family meals. Fruits and vegetables are not only full of health-promoting nutrients and fiber, they may help you feel full and delay hunger longer. There are many bargains to be had in the produce department, as well as the canned, frozen, and juice aisles. Here are some ways to get the most nutritional value for your money.
Check for specials on fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables before planning meals. Consider what’s in season that may be less expensive.
Compare the prices of different sizes and varieties to get the best value.
Be adventurous – try a new recipe or a new fruit or veggie. Have you tried butternut squash? What about a new kind of pear?
Make fruits and veggies the center of the plate: try vegetable stir-fry with quick cooking brown rice, bean and cheese quesadilla, vegetable curry, or a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich with low-fat cheese. I like to sauté diced zucchini and grated carrots until soft and then add them to a jar of pasta sauce. Serve this veggie sauce over a multi-grain pasta.
Replace half the meat in a recipe with veggies, fruit, and/or dried beans. Think “vegetable stew with beef,” “veggie chili with ground turkey,” or “Asian vegetable salad with diced chicken.”
Plan ahead and take fruit and veggie snacks with you. If you get hungry while on the go, you won’t be in a situation where expensive, high calorie snack foods are your only option.
Check out www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org for more family-friendly ideas and recipes that include fruits and vegetables.
Since the calendar rolled over to 2010, I find myself in a clean-out mode. I’ve been dumping out drawers and organizing cupboards that haven’t been looked into for a while. Like many of you, I have set resolutions to unclutter, simplify, get healthier, eat better… you know the routine! So since we’re in the mood, why not venture into the pantry for a healthy makeover? If your pantry is filled with high calorie, low-nutrient foods (like the one in the picture) it’s definitely the time for an intervention. When you’re hungry, you will grab what you have on hand… so it’s time for a meal plan and a pantry stocked with healthy foods. Recent research has indicated that we can significantly reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers by choosing nutrient-rich foods. What better incentive do we need!
Parents often ask me how they can help a child who is overweight. If you have had to address this issue with your child, you know it can be a difficult and emotional discussion. It is however extremely important to talk about maintaining a healthy weight because being overweight is not just a matter of size and shape – unhealthy weight gain can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, as well as other chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and certain cancers.
On Tuesday, December 15, I was lucky enough to travel to Ridge Park Charter Academy to tape a fun segment for Where You Live with Miss Feyen’s second grade classroom. The school was celebrating Christmas around the world and this class focused on Japan. The children were very excited to have us there and greeted us in their handmade costumes and decorated room. My job was to talk about healthy eating – which is not easy during this season full of holiday cookies and candy. I reminded the kids that it’s important to eat healthy most of time so we can stay strong and enjoy all the fun winter activities. We then worked together to create some good-for-you snacks that were colorful, seasonal and delicious! 
It has become a tradition in our home to have a Christmas brunch. After the presents are opened we all gather around the table to share family time over a delicious meal. But the last thing I want to do Christmas morning is make multiple, time-consuming recipes. My easy menu below allows you to get some of the prep done ahead of time so you can have a relaxing morning while still putting out a delicious, home-baked brunch. (And by the way. it’s pretty healthy too!)
I always had an interest in food and nutrition and attended Central Michigan University to earn a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics. Several years later, I went back to college to obtain my Masters degree in Human Nutrition from Andrews University. I have been a Registered Dietitian for 27 years and have spent the last 20 years working with Supermarkets. I discovered years ago that grocery stores were a great place to reach consumers and help them obtain accurate nutrition information. I also realized that busy families are looking for quick, affordable, and healthy ideas for meals. In my position as Healthy Living Manager at Meijer I spend a lot of time working with food manufacturers and commodity groups to search out and create easy recipes that can become part of family-pleasing menus. Although my two daughters are now grown and married, my husband and I continue to enjoy cooking together and creating new recipes with nutritious ingredients. I hope my information provides you and your family with easy ideas to live a healthy life!
