Healthy Living
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.
Make Food Shopping Fun!
Although my girls are now grown, I remember that taking them to the supermarket sometimes seemed more like a chore than a fun experience. However, the grocery store is a great place to get your children involved and start teaching basic nutrition concepts. Check out these get tips from Bridget Swinney, RD, author of Baby Bites, to make food shopping more fun and educational:
1. Focus on touch. Have your child hold a fuzzy kiwi or a smooth pepper. Ask her to describe how it feels and looks.
2. Make some noise. Give him a box of pasta to shake and point out the different shapes.
3. Play the numbers game. One your preschooler recognizes numbers up to ten, have her pick the cereal with the most fiber (show her where it is on the label). If your children are old enough, introduce them to the NuVal nutrition scoring system at Meijer and have them pick out the pasta with the higher score – the higher the number the more nutritious!
4. Take a tour. Point out the different food aisles and talk about the foods offered. “We should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day so help me find some yummy choices.” “Milk, cheese, and yogurt keep our bones strong as we grow up, what’s your favorite yogurt flavor.”
5. Play the color game. “Can you find 4 different colors of fruits and vegetables to put in our cart?” See how many purple produce items your child can find (grapes, eggplant, cabbage, etc.)
6. Use your nose. Take a whiff of garlic, onion, mint and ask your child what these items might taste good in.
Happy shopping!
Trade Up for Better Nutrition
You’ll find thousands of products at Meijer that are tagged with NuVal scores. The NuVal nutrition scoring system considers 30-plus nutrients and boils it all down into one simple number you can trust to help you choose healthier food. Scores range from 1 – 100, higher numbers are more nutritious foods. The NuVal scores can be found on Meijer shelf price tags and can be used to compare foods within similar food groups. For example, the average score for cereals is 25; a cereal score over 25 has above average nutrition! Currently there are 16,300 foods scored with more to come.
“Trade up” foods to get a higher score at your meal. For example:
*Flavored Instant Oatmeal Score 16; Quaker Old Fashioned Oats Score 57
*Regular Canned Peas Score 33; Delmonte No Added Salt Canned Peas Score 96
*Sweet & Salty Granola Bars Score 10; Quaker 25% Less Sugar Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Score 26
Want to see more scores? Go to www.nuval.com
Q&A: Making Meals with NuVal
“Do I need to buy foods that all score close to 100?” The answer is “no”.
Score ranges vary greatly by food category so choosing foods within food groups that have higher scores will boost your nutrition.
“Does it cost more to buy foods with higher scores?” Again, the answer is “no, not necessarily”.
It’s simple to compare the NuVal scores and the prices of products at the same time, at a glance, while shopping making it easier to get the best nutrition value for your money. For example: Fresh green beans score 100 and cost about 30 cents per serving, DelMonte canned green beans, No added salt, score 100 and cost about 18 cents per serving.
“Should I eat more higher scoring foods?” Yes and no.
Keep in mind that scores are based on specific portions (how much nutrition a food delivers per 100 calories). So, choosing foods with higher scores is wonderful, but over-consuming any food, including healthy foods, can lead to weight gain. Portion control remains an important factor for health.
“Does this mean I can never eat sausage again?” No—think about counter-acting that low scoring sausage with high scoring foods, such as whole wheat toast and orange slices.
“What is a good score for a food category?” Compare food scores with the average for the food category – as a general rule, scores above average will be more nutritious.
NuVal Median Scores (see www.meijerhealthyliving.com)
A Sweetheart of a Dinner
In January many of us made resolutions to develop a healthier lifestyle but who said healthy eating has to be boring? Start by adding lots of colorful fruits and veggies to your daily diet and switch to lower fat dairy products.
If you want to show your loved ones how much you really care this Valentine’s Day, prepare this delicious, heart-healthy meal. Take care of your heart and your sweetheart’s!
Pan-Seared Salmon with Pepper-Pineapple Salsa
Makes 4 servings
Red Pepper-Pineapple Salsa:
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 T. minced red onion
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 T. Meijer honey
1 T. chopped fresh mint
Salmon:
4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
½ t. lemon pepper
2 t. chopped fresh chives
Sea salt
1. In a medium bowl combine bell pepper, pineapple, onion, jalapeno pepper, honey and mint. Set aside for flavors to blend.
2. Season fillets with lemon pepper, chives and sea salt to taste. Coat a nonstick grill pan or sauté pan with nonstick olive oil cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
3. Arrange fillets in pan and cook 4 minutes per side or until fillets flake easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and serve with salsa.
Nutrition information per serving: 300 calories, 19g carbohydrate, 11g fat, 34g protein, 2g fiber, 101mg cholesterol, 122mg sodium
Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Dill
Makes 6 servings
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, washed, unpeeled, cut into quarters
¾ cup Meijer 2% milk
2 t. Meijer butter
4 green onions, minced
2 T minced fresh dill
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Place potatoes in a large pot and generously cover with water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Set aside.
3. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Gently mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher while slowly adding warm milk mixture.
4. Mash in green onions, dill, and salt and pepper to taste; combine well and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 153 calories, 29g carbohydrate, 2g fat, 5g protein, 2g fiber, 7mg cholesterol, 57mg sodium
Bittersweet Chocolate Dip with Fresh Fruit
Makes 4 servings
6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
¼ t. Meijer cinnamon
1 t. instant coffee
¼ cup strong brewed coffee
2 cups assorted fruit (strawberries, raspberries, apple wedges, banana chunks, pineapple chunks, and pear wedges)
1. Combine chocolate, cinnamon and instant coffee in a small heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan half filled with water. Bring water to boiling; reduce heat to a simmer. Heat until chocolate is melting.
2. As the chocolate melts, slowly stir in brewed coffee; whisk until smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to a small crock to keep warm as a dip for the fruit.
Nutrition information per serving: 253 calories, 32g carbohydrate, 18g fat, 3g protein, 4g fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 1mg sodium
Eat Red Foods for Heart Health!
Since it is the month of February and we are thinking about love and hearts I thought I would share some information on the healthy benefits of eating RED foods from Tina Miller, MS RD. Tina is our Meijer dietitian in east Michigan and she is very knowledgeable about the health benefits of natural foods.
The antioxidant pigments (anthocyanins) that provide the natural red color in fruits and vegetables may be instrumental in reducing heart disease risk. These compounds help decrease inflammation associated with atherosclerosis, and may even help reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Try these delicious ideas to add more red into your diet:
Tart Dried Cherries or Dried Cranberries
• Toss into your morning oatmeal with sliced almonds
• Sprinkle on salads
• Mix with whole almonds for a healthful, satisfying snack
Red Bell Peppers
• Slice up and serve as a quick snack with hummus
• Saute and add to omelets and casseroles
Tomatoes
• Add slices to a grilled sandwich with 2% cheese
• Include canned, diced tomatoes to soups, stews and chili
Red Grapes
• An easy snack or pack a bunch with lunch
• Add to chicken salad
Enjoy a serving of red food every day and have a happy, healthy heart month!
Healthy Snacks for Cold Winter Days
I know many of us complain about the cold weather but it is really healthy to go out and play in the snow.
Try these delicious and nutritious snacks to warm you up after your outdoor activities. We tested them out at Cannonsburg Ski area last week and they were a big hit!
Is it Time for a Pantry Intervention?
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!
Healthy children, healthy weight
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.
Healthy Holiday Break Snacks
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!
Fruit Kabob Tree
Cut the top and one inch off the bottom of a fresh pineapple so it stands up. Make approximately 25 kabobs on 4-inch skewers or toothpicks using red and green fruit. We used kiwi and strawberries. Stick skewers in the sides of the pineapple to form your tree. Decorate the top of the tree with a Star Fruit skewer. When the kabobs are gone you can cup up the pineapple to eat!
Red and Green Pepper “Sushi”
Spread a thin layer of low fat vegetable cream cheese on spinach and tomato wraps. Sprinkle diced red and green pepper on top of cream cheese and roll up tightly. Cut into ½-inch “sushi” pieces.
Shari Steinbach, MS RD
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!