Safe Summer Grilling

As the weather warms up many people enjoy using a grill to cook meats. The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day marks the time to break out the backyard barbecue grill. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.

From the Store: Home First

When shopping for meat and poultry, put them in the shopping cart last, right before checkout. Load meat and poultry into the air conditioned car—not the trunk—and take the groceries straight home. At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately.

Marinating

Some recipes state to marinate meat and poultry for several hours or days, either to tenderize or add flavor. Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade. Don’t put raw meat and poultry in it. Don’t re-use the marinade used on raw meat or poultry unless it’s boiled first to destroy any bacteria.

Keep Everything Clean

Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters for separately handling the raw foods and the food after cooking. Don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Any bacteria present in raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked meat. This is a major cause of food borne illness.

Cook Thoroughly

Most people think they know when food is done just by eyeballing it. But cooking by color can fool you. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Research shows that 1 out of 4 hamburgers turn brown in the middle before it has reached a safe internal temperature. Use a thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.

Serving the Food

When taking food off the grill, don’t put the cooked items on the same platter which held the raw meat. Any bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate the safely cooked meat or other grilled foods. Food should never sit out for more than two hours, and in hot weather (90 degrees and above), food should never sit out for more than one hour.

Now let the grilling begin!!

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Can Your Toddler Drink Too Much Juice or Milk?

Your child gets important nutrients from drinking milk and 100% fruit juices. Milk has calcium and vitamin D, while 100% fruit juice may have added vitamin C and calcium. However, children can get too much of a good thing! Toddlers who fill up on milk or juice are too full to eat other nutritious foods. And drinking too much fruit juice can lead to diarrhea. Try to limit your toddler to 2 or 3 cups of milk a day and b cup of 100% fruit juice a day. Offer water to satisfy your child’s thirst during the day and save the milk and juice for mealtimes. Remember. your habits help kids make smart food choices. Kids will do what you do. If they see you drinking milk and eating vegetables, they will too. Have healthier foods in the house. Let kids choose snacks from two healthy choices, such as apples or graham crackers. Eat meals with your kids as often as you can. Meals are a nice way to be with each other and to break up busy days. Use meals to talk about new foods. Keep trying new foods, it may take a few tries before the family likes a new food. Let your kids help pick foods, plan meals and snacks, and fix meals.

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Lighten Up The Fat:

Fat tastes good, but at a price:
Fats occur naturally in all food groups. Fats give food flavor; impart a creamy, smooth mouth feel, and aroma to food. Many of our favorite foods, especially meats, desserts & snacks are high in fat. Fat adds flavor but the risks of high-fat diets are excess weight, unhealthy hearts and increased risk for many diseases such as cancer (breast, colon) and diabetes. So what are we to do? Are we sentenced to a life free of all fat and fatty foods, never to eat ice cream or steak or cheesecake?


No, but there is a better way. Let’s learn more about fat and how to lighten up without sacrificing everything, especially flavor. Fat is the body’s chief storage form from energy from food. If we eat more calories than we need, the body stores the excess as fat. This is true with carbohydrate, fat, and protein calories. Fats are important for energy. Fat provides twice the energy or calories of carbohydrates or protein. Fats pad major organs & insulate the body – protects organs & bones; keeps us warm; skinny people do feel cold faster

Fat is a source of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) – these vitamins are important for health. Fats add flavor, aroma & mouth-feel to foods. Fat tastes good to many people. When we leave fat out of recipes or substitute other ingredients for the fat, the food product tastes differently. "Grandma’s Cheesecake" doesn’t taste the same without the fat. Mouth-feel means the smooth, creamy feel in the mouth. Fat gives aroma and mouth-feel to foods such as bacon, French fries, ice cream or mayonnaise that are rich sources of fat in our diets.

Fats make baked products tender – too little fat makes the crust crumbly, hard and dry, the product goes stale more quickly, too. Fats conduct heat during cooking – low fat products often take longer to bake or cook and may brown less. High fat foods can burn if not watched.

Americans need to reduce total saturated fat levels including foods that contain trans-fatty acids. Cooking methods count and deep fried foods are especially laden with saturated and Trans fatty acids. Changes in cooking procedures from frying to broiling, baking roasting and grilling can make a world of difference in total fat intake. A good rule of thumb is:

Consume 20 - 35% of total calories from fat

• 7-10% of total calories from saturated fats

• About 10-15% from monounsaturated fats

• About 10% from polyunsaturated fats

Fats & Oils

Limit or avoid:

• Butter

• Lard

• Palm, palm kernel or coconut oil

• Stick margarine

• Shortening

Best bets:

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Light margarine : whipped, tub or spray

• Olive, canola oils

Examples of Healthy Snacks:

• Fruit

• Low-fat cheese with low-fat crackers

• Raw vegetables and low-fat dip

• Cereal with low-fat milk

• Angel food cake

• Vanilla wafer, ginger snap

• Low-fat or baked chips with salsa

• Low-fat smoothies

• Pretzels or air-popped popcorn

Low-fat Cooking:

• Low-fat cooking methods - Baking, broiling, steaming, roasting, microwaving, grilling, braising, boiling, stewing, stir-frying and sautéing

• High-fat cooking methods - Frying, basting with fat, cooking in fatty sauces and gravies

More Ways to Reduce the Fat:

• Skim the fat from soups, stews & gravies (if possible) or buy lower fat varieties

• Be creative with seasonings – herbs, lemon, garlic, & spices add flavor

• Use low fat marinades to add flavor and tenderize

• Examples of low fat marinades are: Citrus Juices, Teriyaki, Light Soy Sauce, Fat Free, salad dressings and spices (dry rubs). You can also chill and skim off fat.

Make it a habit to make small changes as above & in no time you & your family will be eating healthier.

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Eating a little more fiber could make a big difference in your health.  Getting the health benefit doesn’t mean just eating oatmeal and bran flakes, although they’re both good sources of fiber. You have a lot of options, which make it easier to eat more fiber. Many adults come up short on fiber. The average American eats 10 to 14 grams of fiber daily; however, the recommended intake is 20 to 30 grams every day. Children don’t need as much. To calculate how many grams of fiber a child needs, add five to the child’s age in years. For example, an 8-year-old child needs 13 grams of fiber per day. Dietary fiber is the indigestible part of a plant and is available in two forms. Soluble fiber has a high water-holding capacity; oatmeal is an example. Insoluble fiber is not digestible and is the type found in dry beans. Both are necessary for a healthy diet. Eating a high fiber diet reduces your risk of death from a heart attack. It also lowers total cholesterol, helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and keeps your intestines working properly. Eating enough fiber also helps you feel less hungry.

Increasing your fiber intake doesn’t mean drastic changes.
•Choose fiber-rich foods, such as whole grain bread (3g fiber), brown rice (3g fiber), whole wheat pasta (6g fiber), fruits and vegetables (2-3g fiber), whole grain cereals (5-14g fiber) and dry beans (7g fiber).


•Start slowly. “Try to mix your standard choices with the higher fiber ones. As your taste buds adjust, increase the amount of high fiber foods. Gradually work your way to 20 to 30 grams. This will help lessen the side effects associated with high fiber diets, such as stomach discomfort. •Drink plenty of fluids to keep things running smoothly
The following example of how small changes can help an adult meet the goal of 20-30 grams of fiber daily.

•Breakfast: 3/4 cup bran flakes, 1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 1/2 cup berries = 9 grams

•Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 ounces fat free turkey, 1 tomato, 2 lettuce leaves, 1 apple = 11 grams

•Dinner: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup cooked peppers, onions and tomatoes = 12 grams

TOTAL DAY’S FIBER: 32 grams

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Welcome to Our New Web Site

Be sure to tell all your friends & family about the new blog here on our web page. Be sure to sign up to follow the blog as well. There will be all kinds of Tips, Ideas, & Articles related to Nutrition, Stretching your Food Dollar, Hurricaine Prepardness etc... So stay tuned...

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