Take a Swing at Healthy Cooking

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Hollis Bass

With Major League Baseball playoffs coming up next month, join in the excitement by encouraging your students, clients, or employees to take a swing at cooking healthy meals.

Our Home Run Cooking book with leader guide and PowerPoint shows will make you a hit with any audience. Even cooking demo rookies will be ready to step up to the plate with help from the Professional Cooking Demo Guide.

Whether you hold a one-time cooking demo, offer a class series, or record a cooking webinar, Home Run Cooking covers all the bases. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Batter On Deck: Start simple with a series covering the basics – setting up your kitchen, stocking your pantry, knife skills, food and kitchen safety, and different cooking methods.
Base Hit: Focus on one meal and run with it. Show your audience the many ways to get on base with a healthy breakfast, for example.
Fielder’s Choice: Add to your cooking demos with health and nutrition lessons, cost-cutting tips, a supermarket tour – whatever works for you.
Double Play: After you show your audience how easy it is to prepare healthy meals, send them home with their own Home Run Cooking Book or copies of recipes and handouts.
Perfect Game: Use the 50-slide PowerPoint show full of beautiful photos of easy-to-prepare meals to encourage everyone to take a swing at healthy cooking.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Home Run Cooking Printed Book and Cooking Demo Leader Guide

$59.00

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5-Step Breakfast Challenge

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Hollis Bass

Breakfast made a resurgence last year, when working and learning from home gave us more time to prepare and eat this morning meal. This trend is expected to continue.

FoodNetwork.com declares that “breakfast at home is back” in 2021, going on to give examples of new food products like Cinnabon’s CinnaBiscuit Chicken Sandwich and Jimmy Dean Casserole Bites. High fat, low fiber, processed frozen foods – for the most important meal of the day? Yikes!

Get your clients or students on course to a healthy breakfast habit with the Start Your Day with Breakfast PowerPoint. You could break the show up into five mini-sessions so that participants can practice adding one component of a healthy breakfast at a time:

First add fruit: So many traditional breakfast foods go well with fruit, making it easy to add some to what you’re already eating. Top oatmeal, cereal, or toast with your favorite fruit.
Don’t forget about veggies: Work them into breakfast at least a few times a week. Try a little salsa with your eggs or add some greens to a smoothie. You get the idea!
Go all out with whole grains: Look for whole grain options of foods you already eat, like whole wheat English muffins, bread, mini-bagels, cold cereal, and old-fashioned or steel-cut oats.
Mix up the dairy: Milk isn’t the only way to get a good dose of protein and calcium in the morning. Mix your cereal or fruit with some yogurt or sprinkle low-fat cheese on a veggie omelet.
Make the protein healthy: Eggs get a bad rap, but they can definitely be part of a healthy breakfast. Find ways to add in nuts and seeds, nut butters, and lean meats.

Once they complete all five sessions, participants will have mastered the art of making and eating a healthy, delicious breakfast every day — for 2021 and beyond!

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

History of Nutrition Poster - Classroom Poster - Nutrition Month Poster - Nutrition Education Store

History of Nutrition Poster - Classroom Poster - Perfect for March as Diet and Nutrition Awareness Month Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Healthy Diet Makes Stronger Body Building Blocks 18" x 24" Laminated Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Healthy Bucket List Poster 18" x 24" Health Poster - Laminated

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Nutrition A to Z Nutrition Poster - Nutrition Education Store

Nutrition A to Z Nutrition Poster - Nutrition Alphabet Poster 18" x 24" Laminated

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Breakfast Banners Developed for Dedicated Foodservice Director

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Admin

Here are three banners that are custom-designed for Lisa Durand, a foodservice manager who works for Thompson Public Schools. She wanted to make sure all of her students know that breakfast is free by installing very colorful banners in her cafeteria. We gave her three choices because she has 3 grades: elementary, middle, and high school ages. She chose all three so one of each will be going into her schools shortly. The oranges are from a photo we made in our studio using 9 different oranges from a farmer who was selling direct to consumers in a farmer’s market here in California. The dancing people filled plant foods. And the running figure is filled with fruits and veggies.

Students are reminded to “fuel up to play 60” so they eat well and get physical activity for 60 minutes a day!

We love custom projects! Let us know if you need one!

Are Your Holidays Healthful? A Quiz

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Stephanie Ronco

Do you keep your holiday celebrations good for your health? Find out with this brand-new quiz!

Questions:

1. What is the most featured item in the display of foods at your holiday party?

a) Cookies
b) Meats
c) Fruits and vegetables
d) Cheeses

2. True or false? I make sure to get at least some physical activity during most days of the week.

3. Some smart ways to control portion size at meals include…

a) Making a healthy plate.
b) Sharing a meal
c) Being aware of the calorie content of the foods you purchase.
d) All of the above

4. True or false? I make sure to eat a healthful high-fiber breakfast every morning.

Answers:

1. c) Fruits and vegetables
For the most healthful holiday celebration, make fruits and vegetables the start of any buffet you set up. You can keep things simple with crudités and some yogurt-based dips, or you can get fancy and roast up your favorite vegetables and serve them on a platter, drizzled with a little bit of sauce and garnished with parsley. Add bowls of berries and sliced fruit too!

2. True
To stay healthy during the holidays, it’s wise to sneak in a little physical activity whenever you can, even though things are busy. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, “Being physically active is one of the most important steps that Americans of all ages can take to improve their health.”

3. d) All of the above
If you’re having a holiday gathering at a restaurant or coffee shop, check out any nutrition information that’s available online. Make sure that the portion size of what you want to order is reasonable. If it’s not, look for alternatives. Then, if you want to get or make something that only comes in a large portion, share it with a friend or family member. Finally, if you’re picking up a treat for a holiday gathering, check the labels! Use the Nutrition Facts to calculate serving size, nutrient content, and much more! Making a healthy plate will help you put your foods in the right proportions, too.

4. True
Starting your day off with a balanced and high-fiber breakfast is a smart way to stay healthy this holiday season. After all, breakfast is associated with a lower BMI, fewer calories consumed during the day, and a better diet. Plus, a healthful breakfast not only gives you energy, but also increases cognitive function. Some ideas include high-fiber cereal with nonfat milk, and fruit, or lowfat yogurt and fruit, or egg whites and fruit. A smoothie made with fruit and skim milk is also a great start.

How did you do? Do you know the nuts and bolts of staying healthy during the holidays?

Eat More Oatmeal!

Posted on February 7, 2017 by cheryle

How are you doing with making small changes to your eating pattern that can make a difference in your health? One of the ideas in my New Year’s resolution article was to “eat more oatmeal.” Did you try it? How are you doing?

The concept behind that little goal is to have oatmeal instead of processed cereal. There are several things going on here: saving money by not buying expensive boxes of cereal, knowing exactly what you’re adding to the cereal, and knowing that oatmeal is good for you.

How good? Well, oatmeal is naturally low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. It’s also a good source of iron and provides protein, B vitamins, and other minerals. Oatmeal is an excellent source of whole grains too. Eating oats may even help protect against high blood cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

There used to only be a couple different types of oatmeal available, but now the choices are many. All this variety can get a little confusing, so let me clear some things up. All types of oatmeal start with oat groats, which are oat grains without the hulls. Choose your oatmeal based on the time you have to prepare it, the texture you prefer, and any added ingredients you may or may not want.

Scotch or Irish oats have been cut but not rolled. They have a hearty texture with a nutty flavor. The traditional version can take up to 30 minutes to cook, though there are quicker-cooking options.
Steel-cut oats are whole oat groats that have been sliced into pieces. These cook in about 20 minutes with a chewy, coarse texture.
Rolled or old-fashioned oats are whole oat groats that are steamed and rolled to flatten them; they cook in about five to ten minutes.
Quick oats are rolled oats that have been cut into even smaller pieces. These cook in about one to five minutes.
Instant oats are whole oat groats that are rolled thinner and cut finer than the others. Since they’re also pre-cooked, you can just add boiling water or heat them in the microwave for about 90 seconds.

According the USDA Nutrient Database, all plain oatmeal types are about the same when it comes to nutrients. One cup of cooked (with water and no salt) old-fashioned or quick oats has 166 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, no sodium, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and less than a gram of sugar. Watch out for instant oatmeal packets, since most of them have added flavors which usually add calories, sodium, and sugars. To steer clear of these, keep an eye on the ingredients list and Nutrition Facts label.

You can make oatmeal in the microwave as quickly as you can pour a bowl of cereal and milk.

To try it for yourself, don’t miss this edition of one of Chef Judy’s recipes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. The big key here is to make sure you have a large bowl, so that it won’t overflow! I like to make it in a 1 quart measuring cup and then just eat out of the cup. Voilà! Only one dish to clean.
Add your own skim milk, fruit, nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, and spices to the cooked oatmeal — you are in control. To save even more time in the morning, make your own little “instant oatmeal” packs, adding spices or dried fruits. That way, all you’ll need to do in the morning is add water, microwave, and eat!

And what if you don’t think that you have time to make oatmeal every day? My solution is to make a large batch of oatmeal over the weekend and reheat single servings quickly in the microwave. That way, you’ll have a speedy meal without losing any of its nutritional benefits. Cooked oatmeal will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and makes a quick and healthful breakfast.

By Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University

Here are a few of the other top breakfast resources, just for you!

Breakfast Poster Handouts Download PDF

$10.00 ~~$10.00~~

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Start Your Day with Breakfast PowerPoint and Handout Lesson - DOWNLOAD

$49.00

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Erasable School Breakfast Tray Menu Poster 18"X24"

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

Add to Cart

Spotlight on Breakfast

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Stephanie Ronco

My team and I just updated the Breakfast Poster that comes with the 12 Lessons of Wellness and Weight Management program, so today I want to preview the free PDF handout that comes with it!

Take a look!

Breakfast: Start Your Day with a Healthy Meal

Make Healthy Choices!

Eating breakfast is a good way to get the energy you need to face the day, while also making sure that you get some key nutrients that will boost your health and help you feel full until lunchtime.

Many participants in the National Weight Control Registry, a large investigation of long-term successful weight management, begin each day with breakfast.

Make healthy choices, building a breakfast that is nutrient-dense and low in empty calories.

Kids and Breakfast: Fun Facts

Did you know that, according to the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA, “Children who eat breakfast are more likely to behave better in school and get along with their peers than those who do not.” They continue, “Breakfast helps children pay attention, perform problem-solving tasks, and improves memory.”

Breakfast is also a great opportunity to help kids get the nutrients they need to stay healthy. These include…

Calcium
Fiber
Folate
Protein

Multiple studies also indicate that breakfast can help kids manage their weight successfully, reducing their risk of becoming overweight or obese.

Here’s the printable handout — how will you use your copy?

Want more breakfast resources? Check out these options…

Erasable School Breakfast and Lunch Tray Menu 18"X24" Set

$24.50 ~~$36.00~~

Add to Cart

Start Your Day with Breakfast Poster

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Start Your Day with Breakfast PowerPoint and Handout Lesson - DOWNLOAD

$49.00

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Make Your Salad a Rainbow!

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Stephanie Ronco

Did you know that four final rules for implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) were just announced?

In a nutshell, the USDA finalized its rules for nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, including breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

According to a press release sent out by the USDA, “As a key component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to raise a healthier generation, the rules will ensure that children have access to healthy snacks and that nutrition standards for the foods marketed and served in schools are consistent. The rules will also promote integrity across the school meals programs.”

Want to help communicate the key nutrition lessons that are central to these new rules?

Check out this fantastic new salad bar sign!

After all, making healthful food available is only half the battle. We need to make it appealing to kids too.

This new salad bar sign is a better design and at a lower price than the previous version, and the video above offers some great inspiration on how to use it.

And that’s just the beginning. Here are some other “eat from the rainbow” resources that can help make healthful foods appealing to kids of all ages…

Eat From the Rainbow Poster 18x24

$22.75 ~~$25.50~~

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Make Your Salad A Rainbow Buttons 3" - Pack of 10

$28.00 ~~$32.00~~

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Eat From the Rainbow Banner 36" X 24" Vinyl

$65.00 ~~$110.00~~

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Rainbow Salad Floor Sticker

$49.00

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Rainbow Salad Stickers 2" - Pack of 100

$12.99 ~~$12.99~~

Add to Cart

And here’s a free printable handout about eating a variety of healthful foods…

4 Breakfast Options for Everyone

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Stephanie Ronco

Mornings are busy. That’s just how it is. But does that busyness mean that a healthful breakfast is impossible?

It doesn’t.

Yes, it might be impossible to sit down to a multi-course, elaborate breakfast each and every morning, but there are a surprising number of simple, balanced, and healthful breakfasts that can please the whole family. Let’s take a look at some top contenders.

Breakfast Option #1: Make Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are infinitely adaptable, easy to travel with, and great vehicles for healthful ingredients. Scramble some eggs or egg whites, add drained and rinsed canned beans and some salsa and you’ve got a great base for endless innovation. Sauté some peppers and onions to roll into the burritos, or bulk them up with cubes of sweet potato. You could also add nonfat plain Greek yogurt for a creamy tang. Plus, with a few basic ingredients, everyone can mix and match, ensuring a breakfast that can please a crowd without having to make at least 3 totally different entrees.

By prepping the ingredients the night before, you can make it even easier to make the burritos for breakfast. Just reheat everything while you scramble the eggs. You could even make and assemble breakfast burritos as a family and then freeze a bunch for later. All you’d need to do is reheat and go!

Here are some great ingredients that you can use in breakfast burritos. Which will you pick?

Scrambled eggs or egg whites
Scrambled tofu
Hot sauce
Salsa or pico de gallo
Drained and rinsed pinto or black beans
Cooked lentils
Shredded chicken
Sautéed peppers and onions
Brown rice
Cilantro
Tomatoes
Cubed sweet potatoes or potatoes

Breakfast Option #2: Make Parfaits

You’ll minimize cleanup and maximize options with simple breakfast parfaits. And the best part is, everything is infinitely adaptable. Simply layer some granola, nonfat yogurt, and fruit in a glass and you’re good to go. Plus, you can make these in travel mugs if everyone really needs to get out the door in a hurry.

Here are a few fun combinations…

Strawberries, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and granola
Oranges, fortified soy yogurt, and oat cereal
Raspberries and blueberries, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and granola
Apples, nonfat plain yogurt with cinnamon, and oat cereal

With protein, calcium, and fiber — not to mention vitamins — these parfaits are nutrient powerhouses.

Breakfast Option #3: Make Oatmeal

Oatmeal doesn’t deserve it’s blah reputation. With a myriad of toppings, it is infinitely adaptable, and quick-cooking varieties come together speedily, which makes them winners for the morning routine.

If you make a big pot of oatmeal, everyone can top it with whatever they wish. Or you can make different types throughout the week.

Since I’m such a big fan of oatmeal, I’ve made quite a few variations. Here are some of my favorite free recipes…

Banana Nut Oatmeal
Crockpot Steel-Cut Oats with Apples and Cherries
Microwave Dutch Apple Oatmeal
Oatmeal with Strawberries and Skim Milk
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Super-Fast Oatmeal Base (top however you’d like)

Breakfast Option #4: Smoothies for Everyone

Here’s another option that can be varied infinitely. Try a few different combinations to find out which ones are best for your family. All you need is…

Liquid
- Skim milk
- Calcium-fortified soy milk
- Orange juice
- Water
- Nut milk
- Green tea
Fruit
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Cherries
- Oranges
- Apples
- Banana
Ice
Extras
- Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- Low-fat light vanilla yogurt
- Peanut butter
- Cocoa powder
- Ground flaxseed
- Cinnamon
- Oats
- Silken tofu

You can assemble these in the blender the night before, put the blender in the fridge overnight, then whirr everything together in the morning.

Oh, and for more smoothie inspiration, check out the free smoothie recipe collection.

Whew!

That was a lot of information about breakfast. Which options will your clients love? Which will you try? For a great recipe to help everyone get off on the right foot, try this Sunrise Smoothie, excerpted from our top-selling Home Run Meals Cookbook. The handout is free, it’s here, and it’s yours. Get your copy today!

If you like what you see in the handout, consider getting a copy of the Home Run Cooking Book. I wrote this book as the perfect introduction to healthful cooking, and included all of my favorite meals that have been home-runs for family and friends alike. This book walks its readers through grocery shopping, meal planning, proper knife use and safety, food safety, cooking with moist or dry heat, cooking basics, measuring basics, etc. Then it features a wide variety of guaranteed-hit recipes that have been rigorously tested and beautifully photographed, from breakfast to lunch to dinner, and even snacks and dessert! Get your book today!

Home Run Cooking

There are tons of other cooking resources in the Nutrition Education Store. Here are some of our newest bestsellers…

Learn to Cook Workbook

Kitchen Math and Measuring DVD

Portion Control Tearpad

Shopping Presentation

Breakfast Puzzle

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Stephanie Ronco

Celebrate breakfast with this fun, free puzzle. There’s even a handout that you can share as you see fit!

Across:

1. This low-calorie breakfast bread is a great option when you’re grabbing a meal on the go. Hint: Think muffins.
2. A ___ ____ food is a food that includes the entire grain kernel. It has more fiber and nutrients than a refined grain food.
3. This MyPlate food group includes oranges, grapefruits, bananas, and berries.
4. This is the title of your first meal of the day.
7. The name of this warm, heart-healthy, cooked grain cereal begins with the letter “o.”
8. Choose whole grain versions of this grain food for breakfast.

Down:

1. This is the fat-free part of the egg.
4. This thick-skinned, yellow fruit is great to eat on the go. It even comes with its own wrapper.
5. Fat-free milk is also known as ___ ____.
6. This dairy food is great for a quick breakfast on the go.

Stumped? The answers are at the bottom of this post!

Don’t miss these other great nutrition education materials!

Erasable Breakfast Menu Poster

Health Fair Wellness Kit

Salad Secrets Cookbook

Puzzle Answers:

Across:

1. EnglishMuffin
2. WholeGrain
3. Fruit
4. Breakfast
7. Oatmeal
8. Cereal

Down:

1. EggWhite
4. Banana
5. Yogurt
6. SkimMilk

Breakfast Out

Posted on March 24, 2014 by cheryle

For many eating breakfast out is a real treat. It’s a great way to start the day and also reconnect with family and friends. But, how can you eat breakfast out and still strive for “healthful”? I asked this question of the participants in my weight loss and healthy eating class. They had some great responses:

• Only eat one egg—you can be satisfied with just one. Many people eat two out of habit.

• One couple liked to share a two egg breakfast at a local restaurant –each got one egg, one slice of whole wheat toast and one slice of bacon. It saves calories and helps the budget, too. I was pleased to hear this response because at an earlier class session they were complaining about what a restaurant charged for two eggs without the bread. They learned that they should keep the bread—make it whole grain– and just cut the portions. Yeah!

• Go for a veggie omelet— one class member really liked spinach omelets. She confessed that she hasn’t gotten the “nerve” to “hold the cheese”, yet. My thoughts…for her…why not go for an egg white vegetable omelet and keep the cheese. It’s a trade-off. Vegetable omelets are a great way to help meet that daily vegetable recommendation.

• There was also a discussion of splitting that veggie omelet breakfast to control portion sizes. That gives each diner ½ an omelet, one piece whole-grain toast, a ½ fruit, a small amount of potatoes. They admitted that they didn’t need that larger meal and weren’t really hungry with just half.

• Egg white sandwiches at fast food breakfast places aren’t awful. You can take the Canadian bacon off, or feel comfortable that it has more protein and less fat than “regular” bacon.

Overall we were in agreement that oatmeal at a restaurant can be costly and quite often “instant” and not a good source of fiber. Also eating cold cereal out didn’t usually offer good options for high fiber and low sugar. Restaurants tend not have low-fat or skim milk or yogurts available. It’s also a budget thing—most did not want to spend the money for what they got for these items out.

Overall, eating breakfast at home provides more healthful options. But we all agreed, with some careful selections, a friendly restaurant and perhaps even an agreeable dining companion; eating breakfast at a restaurant does not have to sabotage an otherwise healthful diet.

Here are a few delicious recipes to make breakfast at home

Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS
Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University

Check out our breakfast poster:

and our new My Plate Photo Poster in 18X24 (also available as 12X18)

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