Healthy Eating for an Active Life

Spring is here along with longer days and plenty of sunshine!  It is a great time of year to get outside and get moving with activities you enjoy, especially with your family. For youth and adults participating in physical activity like hiking, swimming, or various sports, healthy eating is essential for optimizing performance. Combining good nutrition and physical activity can lead to a healthier lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate website (www.choosemyplyate.gov) has great recipes and tips to combine good nutrition and physical activity to make the most of your summer.

First, maximize with nutrient-packed foods. Give your body the nutrients it needs by eating a variety of nutrient-packed food, including whole grains, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Eat fewer foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt).

Next, energize with grains. Your body’s quickest energy source comes from grain foods such as bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereals, and tortillas. Be sure to make at least half of your grain food choices whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, tortillas, pasta, and brown rice.

You do not want to forget to power up with protein. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle.  Choose lean or low-fat cuts of beef and pork, and skinless chicken or turkey. Change things up a bit and choose seafood as your protein sources once or twice a week. Quality protein choices may come from plant-based foods, too. Beans and peas (kidney, pinto, black or white, beans, chickpeas, hummus), soy products (tofu, veggie burgers, tempeh), and unsalted nuts and seeds are great sources of protein and help variety in your diet.

We all know eating fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet. You can get the nutrients your body needs by eating a variety of colors; try blue, red, or black berries; red, green, or yellow peppers; and dark greens like spinach and kale. You do not have to limit yourself to fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen, low sodium canned, dried, and 100% juice are easy options, and they keep longer!

Dairy foods, such as fat-free and low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, and fortified soy beverages (soymilk), help build and maintain strong bones needed for everyday activities. As we age, we often drink less milk or avoid cheese product, but remember to include dairy in your diet to achieve a balanced diet.

One of my favorite things to mention is hydration. Hydration is critical to our health and especially in the hot Texas summers. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding sugary drinks. Try adding a lemon or orange slice for a change of flavor.

Remember, physical activity is essential for good health. Aim for at least 2 ½ hours of physical activity each week that requires moderate effort. A few examples include brisk walking, biking, swimming, and skating. Spread activities over the week but do that at least 10 minutes at a time.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, you may call (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view additional information or upcoming events please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ and follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Food Preservation through Canning: Dial Gauge Testing

Canning is one of the easiest and most common methods of food preservation. Proper canning practices create a vacuum tight seal and preserve food by removing oxygen, destroying enzymes, and preventing growth of undesirable microorganisms, yeasts, and molds (National Center for Home Food Preservation, 2021). Canning has been in practice for centuries, but the USDA produced the first publication on home canning in 1909 (Andress & Kuhn, 1998). The two main types of canning include boiling-water (water bath) canners and pressure canners. Over the next few weeks, I will be discussing various aspects of food preservation through canning.

Over the past few years there has been an increased interest in backyard and community gardening across the country. Gardening attracts people for a variety of reasons; whether it be the security of growing your own food, the allure of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, or the stress relief associated with working the soil, people are exploring gardening at an impressive rate. If you have ever grown a garden then you know it is not easy and if you are lucky enough to be rewarded with an abundance of your own produce, then you also understand the importance of food preservation.

Before getting into more specific topics, it is important to discuss dial gauge testing on your presser canner. As you handle and use your pressure canner the calibration of the dial gauge can become in accurate and should be tested each year before you begin the canning process. If your dial gauge is inaccurate (providing a lower or higher pressure reading), your food may not reach the proper temperature needed to kill harmful bacteria (lower pressure reading) or the temperature may get too high and overcook your food, resulting in quality and texture issues (higher pressure reading). Canning food at too low a pressure is a safety issue. If you have a pressure canner with a weighted gauge, you do not need to be check annually for accuracy as a weighted gauge does not get out of calibration.

The Rains County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides free dial gauge testing (for most dials). If you would like your pressure canner dial gauge tested, please call (903) 473-4580 or email sarah.latham@ag.tamu.edu to set up a test time. Following your dial gauge test, you will receive written test results with instructions to adjust the pounds of pressure for proper cooking as well as information on replacement parts, if needed.  Additionally, gaskets and plugs will be inspected. Overtime, rubber seals may become worn or brittle and need replacing. If needed, information on replacement parts will be provided.

Stay tuned for the next Food Preservation through Canning post discussing the difference between water bath and pressure canning methods.

In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains CountyAgriLife on Facebook.

References:

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (2021) General Canning Information. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general.html

Andress, E. & Kuhn, G. (1998). Critical Review of Home Preservation Literature and Current Research. Athens, GA: University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service. 

Improving My Diet - Part 2 (Eating A Rainbow)

As much as I would like to say that this article is about eating a big bag of Skittles, I am sorry, I am actually referring to another rainbow.   Last post I wrote the first part of a series on ways to improve my diet.  I began by addressing meal planning.  In this post I will address eating a rainbow of healthy foods. The more colors you add into your diet, the more vitamins and minerals you are getting form a natural source. 

Even though it is a fun and catchy thing to say, advice that you should eat a rainbow is really based in science.  Yellow and orange items are packed full of vitamins A and C, both of which are beneficial antioxidants.  Vitamin A is beneficial for many organs, including eyes, heart, lungs and kidneys.  Vitamin C helps block damage from free radicals (which play a role in aging) and it is needed to help with the growth and repair of our tissues.   Green foods provide an excellent source of vitamins K, B, and E.  Vitamin K helps us make proteins that support healthy bones and help with proper blood clotting.  The B vitamins include several names you’ve probably heard of (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and folic acid to name a few). The B family of vitamins aid in energy production by transforming the food you consume while vitamin E is vital to our immune system.  Purple foods are a great source of vitamins C and K, already discussed.  Fruits and vegetables get their color from different phytochemicals (a fancy word basically meaning the characteristics of the plant, such as color and smell) that are found within them.

Knowing the vitamins that each color group is made up of can help ensure you get a variety of nutrients in each meal.  So as you are planning your weekly meals try to include a variety of different colors, both fruit and vegetable.  Remember to eat a rainbow, you’ll be glad you did!

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.  

Local Farmers Markets

Just a quick note, as I was working on a program promoting purchasing in season produce (inspired my previous article), I decided it would be helpful to know information about the local farmers markets. I have complied a short list that some might enjoy reviewing.

Click here for a direct link to the list.

Enjoy shopping!!

Purchasing In Season Produce

Most everyone would agree that they need to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet.  One of the best ways to actually do that is to have fruits and vegetables readily available at home.  It’s easier to eat healthy when you have healthy options to choose from throughout the day.  So this brings up the question of when to buy to get the most for your money and the best tasting produce.  Purchasing produce in season has many benefits but most importantly are the cost savings and the fresh flavors.  

It makes sense that buying in season would be most cost effective but that’s not always something everyone knows.  As we approach spring, many local farmers markets will be opening back up.  Utilizing local markets is an excellent way to purchase in season produce and help out a local grower.  Purchasing produce when it is in season and in high abundance is a cost savings you can enjoy.  

Not only can you find a wide variety to choose from when you purchase in season, you can also expect to truly enjoy the fresh flavors.  Purchasing local and in season ensures your produce was harvested on time and not early.  Often times when you purchase produce that must be transported long distances to get to you, they must harvest early and refrigerate to avoid rot.  Although they are available, they will not have the same full flavor as something allowed to ripen naturally and harvested on time.  

So not only is it important to have fruits and vegetables readily available at home to eat, it’s also important to purchase them when they have their fullest flavor.  Who wants to increase their amount of fruits and vegetables if they all taste dull?  If you would like more information about what is in season at different times of the year, I have uploaded a helpful chart to http://hunt.agrilife.org/publications/ or you can stop by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office and pick up a copy.  

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife  Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.  

(Click here for a direct link to the In Season Produce Guide.)