Tips and Recipes

Reduce Your Holiday Stress

Is just thinking about the holidays stressing you out? As moms, we know we have the house to clean and decorate, gifts to buy and wrap, meals to plan and prepare, and money to squeeze from somewhere to support it all.

This year, to eliminate the stress and truly enjoy the holidays, follow these easy tips. Make it a family affair and you just might find the true meaning of the season! The key to it all is planning ahead.
1. Begin by creating a simple budget. Using cash only is the best way to stay within your means. Start setting aside cash well in advance. Stash a little at a time until a self-determined date. Vow to work with whatever amount is collected. When it comes time to buy food and gifts, divide what you’ve saved appropriately. Remember, food doesn’t have to be expensive to be healthy and flavorful; and gifts don’t have to be big-ticket items to be treasured. Stop the temptation to supplement your spending with credit cards by remembering the bills that will come in January. And, don’t dip into your emergency fund! You’ll pay to replace that later as well. When you use cash, your spending is over with the holidays. That’s the greatest stress relief of all!
2. To help ration your cash, make a list of all the people to whom you want to give a gift. Then, divide the list into three groups – Paid, Made and None. Knowing how much cash you’ve collected will tell you how extensive your Paid list can be and how much you can spend on each gift. Taking a good look at the time you have available will help you determine how long your Made list can be. To get inexpensive, homemade gift ideas, check the Internet. It’s loaded with creative suggestions! Lastly, those people on your None list might simply get a card into which a heartfelt note is written. What could be a more personal gift and, at the same time, better convey the true meaning of the season?
3. Start thinking about food preparation well in advance of the holidays. Ask your family to help you plan the holiday meals and decide on the baked goods they want to enjoy. If you know in advance, many of the items needed to create their favorite foods can be purchased on sale and stored safely until used. Knowing in advance also gives you an opportunity to prepare dishes and goodies that can be frozen and pulled out as needed during the season. Planning your menus ahead of the holiday crunch will not only stretch your cash budget, but your time as well. It will free you to truly enjoy the season.
When you plan ahead and work from a budget, you have the time to focus on holiday fun and truly appreciate the season. The decisions are made. All you have to do is execute them… and that’s as easy as enjoying a piece of Red Velvet cake! Happy holidays!
-Virginia
Source: http://extension.umd.edu/news/stop-seasonal-stress-holiday-spending-budget

Oats Make a Meal: How do you eat yours?

Did you know Saturday October 29^th is National Oatmeal Day?
Why do we love Oatmeal? Oatmeal contains fiber, which stays in the stomach longer and helps us feel fuller, longer. This can help kids easily get through the school morning until lunchtime, help prevent overeating and help maintain a healthy weight.
Once cup of oatmeal contains only 150 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein. In addition to the fiber and protein, oatmeal is rich in thiamin, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and iron.
There are three types of oatmeal, steel-cut oats (whole oat grain), rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats), and instant oats (most processed and frequently loaded with sweeteners). As good rule of thumb is to choose the less processed because they will have more fiber and health benefits.
Oatmeal should be a pantry staple because it’s so versatile. Oatmeal can be prepared minimalistic with just milk and honey or you can jazz it up with berries and nuts. Sprinkle some dried oatmeal to your yogurt for extra texture and fullness. Out of breadcrumbs; oatmeal can be used to crust baked chicken for dinner. Check out more ways to prepare oatmeal: http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/Meals-Recipes/Browse-Search-Recipes.aspx?kWord=oatmeal
To learn more about oatmeal’s history, health benefits, fiber, and ways to mix up the oatmeal bowl click here: http://www.healthyeating.org/Healthy-Eating/Healthy-Living/Weight-Management/Article-Viewer/Article/208/Health-Benefits-of-Oatmeal.aspx
Jasmine
Jasmine is an EFNEP intern.

Family Meals: More than just eating together

Family meals help provide regular, consistent opportunities to create shared experiences that are meaningful and offer a sense of belonging to all. Research has shown that regular and meaningful family meals offer a large variety of benefits to children and parents.

• Family meals provide a sense of family unity and identity. Family meals become a vehicle for carrying on valued family traditions, such as having a particularly favorite dish on someone’s birthday or going to a favorite place to eat together on special occasions.
• Family meals make a positive impact on young children’s language acquisition and literacy development. Family meals furnish a daily opportunity for a parent or sibling to speak to an infant or toddler, and help them learn words, understand language and build conversation.
• Family meals are associated with improved dietary intake among family members. For example, several large studies have shown that regular family meals are strongly associated with increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains and other healthy food choices while also linked with lesser consumption of fried or fatty foods, soft drinks or other less healthy food choices

Learn more about strengthening family bonds and improving your family’s wellness here: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/eatsmart/eat-smart.-play-hard.-magazines-1/2009-eat-smart-play-hard-magazine/test-item
Susan

How to Buy Pasta

Is there anything more satisfying than a bowl of pasta topped with a delicious, tummy-filling sauce? I don’t think so!! Pasta is used in many cuisines around the world and comes in a variety of sizes and shapes from angel hair to ziti.
When buying pasta look for ones made from whole grain. Pasta that is 100 percent whole-wheat has 4-7 grams of fiber, compared to only 2 grams in regular pasta. You can also find pastas made from quinoa, kamut, amaranth and buckwheat. Flavored pastas such as spinach and tomato aren’t usually made from whole grain and they don’t even count as a serving of vegetables, because they usually contain only traces of vegetables for coloring and a hint of flavor. Be sure to use portion control or you can over-indulge. 2 ounces of uncooked pasta per person is all you need.
Some tips for buying pasta:

• Look for pasta with the most whole grains (you may have to try several brands to find a favorite). If all the grains listed are whole, the pasta is 100 percent whole grain. If you choose a whole-grain blend, compare nutrition labels to get the one highest in fiber.
• Fresh pasta can be delicious—and more healthful if you can find whole-grain varieties. But watch out for extra fat and calories in fresh ravioli and other stuffed pastas. Locally made pastas may not always carry nutrition information.
• Buy spinach and other “flavored” pastas if you like the way they look and taste—not because you think they are more healthful.
• If you shop at a health-food store, don’t assume that the pasta is necessarily whole grain, even if its ingredients sound more healthful. Same for organic brands. A pasta that says “100 percent durum semolina” or “golden amber durum wheat,” for example, is made from refined wheat flour.
• If you’re sensitive to gluten, don’t pass over pasta; pick one made from an alternative grain that is free of gluten, such as buckwheat or rice.
• If you don’t like one brand of whole-grain pasta, try another, since flavors and textures vary. The shape of the pasta can make a difference, too. For a lighter texture, choose thin spaghetti, say, over penne or rotini. And don’t overcook—these pastas can get mushy fast.

Go light on your sauce and try to incorporate more vegetables in your pasta dishes for more healthy eating. And, as the Italians like to say, “Mangia”!!! That means “Eat”!!!
Suzanne

Break the Fast with Breakfast

Since we were kids, we’ve been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, do you know why? Our bodies fast each night as we sleep. By morning, our blood glucose levels have been exhausted and need replenishing. Glucose gives our bodies fuel to function both physically and mentally. Breakfast provides that fuel.

• Here’s a quick list of some breakfast eating benefits:
  Adults and children who skip breakfast have trouble staying focused at work and at school.
• No breakfast means no energy. Breakfast skippers become fatigued and grouchy more easily.
• Breakfast provides the nutrition we need each day. Researchers have shown that people who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their needs for calcium, iron, riboflavin, folic acid, iron, vitamins A and D and other nutrients. They also eat less fat.
• People who eat breakfast tend to eat more healthfully all day.
• Breakfast skippers usually don’t make up for the nutrients they missed at breakfast – and they may end up overeating later in the day.
• Eating breakfast helps with weight management – Grabbing high calorie snacks and overeating increases calorie intake, which in turn, causes weight gain.

So, now that we know why eating breakfast is important, what does a good breakfast look like?

• Aim for variety. Choose foods from three or four different food groups, such as a grain, meat, fruit and milk.
• Have some protein. Researchers have shown that people who eat a protein-containing breakfast performed better on tests involving thinking and concentration. For example, having a glass of milk, container of yogurt, a piece of cheese, peanut butter on your toast or a hard-cooked egg all would add protein.
• Choose cereal wisely. When shopping, look high on the shelves instead of at eye level or lower, where the kids’ cereals often are placed.
• Read the Nutrition Facts labels carefully. Compare fiber, sugar content, vitamins and minerals.
• Compare cereal prices. Consider store brands, and use the unit price found on most store shelves.
• Choose whole-grain cereals and whole-grain breads. To select whole-grain foods, check the first couple of items on the ingredient list. For example, look for oatmeal, whole wheat or whole grain.

Below are some breakfast ideas that might help you start your day.

• Cereal with sliced bananas and milk
• Homemade cereal mix with whole-grain cereal, nuts, dried fruit and milk
• Graham crackers with peanut butter, and a fruit and yogurt smoothie
• Waffles with fresh strawberries, lean ham and low-fat milk.
• Oatmeal with raisins and low-fat milk
• Peanut butter on whole-wheat toast, apple slices and low-fat milk
• Mini-pizzas made with English muffins, pizza sauce, cheese, Canadian bacon or other toppings and orange juice
• Scrambled eggs, whole-wheat toast, orange slices and low-fat milk
• Scrambled eggs with salsa wrapped in tortillas, sliced peaches and low-fat milk

Source:
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/food-nutrition/now-serving-breakfast/fn694.pdf https://njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/message/message.asp?p=Health&m=216
-Virginia