All Over But The Leftovers

Thanksgiving TurkeysThanksgiving is tomorrow! Are you ready for it? Here’s a fun post from Cheryle Jones Syracuse that will remind your clients about food safety for leftovers, helping them keep their holiday celebrations safe and festive. Don’t miss the free quiz handout!

It takes hours — days if you count the shopping, planning, and chopping — to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. Then it usually takes less than one hour for the bountiful holiday meal to be eaten.

So, what’s left to do? The guests are watching football and it’s time to clean up (already?). This isn’t the time to forget about food safety. While overindulging can cause an upset stomach, so can eating food that was improperly handled or stored. Don’t get careless with those leftovers!

Here’s a quick quiz to use with your students or clients that can help reinforce some basic Thanksgiving (and year round) leftover practices.

Answer TRUE or FALSE to the following questions…

  1. TRUE or FALSE. Since it cooked for a long time, and you checked the temperature when it was done, and the refrigerator is so full, it’s okay to leave the turkey (and all the other goodies) to sit out for hours after the meal so that people can pick at it and make sandwiches.
  2. TRUE or FALSE. Food should be allowed to cool before you put it in the refrigerator.
  3. TRUE or FALSE. Leftover packs for guests should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
  4. TRUE or FALSE. Leftovers will keep for a week after Thanksgiving.
  5. TRUE or FALSE. A quick “zap” in the microwave is good enough to warm up your leftovers.

Answers:

  1. FALSE. Just because it’s a holiday and your refrigerator is full does not mean that the “two-hour rule” isn’t in effect. Food should not be allowed to sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Two hours is enough time for bacteria to multiply to the quantity that could cause foodborne illnesses. This is cumulative too. If you leave the leftovers on the dining room table for one hour, then later leave them out on the counter for 30 minutes to make sandwiches, you will only have a half-hour window left.
  2. FALSE. See above for the “two hour rule.” If you have a large amount of hot food, then it’s best to divide it into smaller portions and put them in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Or, better yet, cool the food by putting it in an ice bath or cold water bath before putting it into the refrigerator. On the same note, don’t store the stuffing inside the turkey.
  3. TRUE. It’s wonderful that you’re sharing the leftovers with your guests, but make sure that this food is safe too. Think about the two-hour rule. If they won’t be leaving for several hours, make sure this food is refrigerated. If they’re traveling for more than two hours, make sure that they have a cooler or way to keep the food cold for the trip.
  4. FALSE Leftovers should be eaten within 3 to 4 days. Keep them in the coldest part of your refrigerator (not the garage or the back porch). If you have more leftovers than can be eaten within the recommended leftover time (Monday), then you can freeze them. Frozen turkey, plain, will keep for 4 months at 0 degrees F or below. Turkey covered with broth or gravy will keep for 6 months at the same temperature. Stuffing and gravy will only be good for about a month. These foods will be safe for a longer time, but may become dry, lose flavor, or drop in quality. This goes for that turkey carcass too! If you don’t have time to make soup out of it right away, wrap it carefully and freeze it. Then it will be there to make soup when you have more time.
  5. FALSE Reheat leftovers thoroughly. Merely warming leftover gravy, sauces, and soups will not get them hot enough to kill bacteria. These foods should be simmered or boiled until they’re steamy hot throughout. If you’re using a microwave, cover your food while cooking and then allow standing time for a few minutes so that the temperatures inside can even out. Leftovers should reach at least 165 degrees F.

And there you have it! A quick quiz to help your clients celebrate Thanksgiving safely and happily, leftovers and all.

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

Here’s an easy-to-print PDF copy of the quiz! Enjoy!

Leftovers Quiz

There are tons of holiday resources in the Nutrition Education Store — which will you try first?

Holiday Secrets Cookbook

Holiday Survival: Keep Off the Pounds PowerPoint and Handout Set

Holiday Poster Set

Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans, and Cece… Oh My!

I have to admit, chickpeas were one of those foods I could take or leave.

Yum! ChickpeasThe only time I ever really ate chickpeas was when they were in three bean salad or hummus. That all changed recently, when I started looking for a way to pep up our meals at home. Now these flavor and nutrient powerhouses have become a regular feature in our meal rotation.

So, what are chickpeas?

It turns out that these hearty little legumes go by many different names. Some folks call them chickpeas, while others insist on garbanzo beans as their moniker. The Italians call them cece. Don’t worry — no matter what you call them, these beans are delicious.

Hummus!The most common form of chickpeas are pale yellow in color, but they can also be black, brown, green, or red. Their flavor and texture have been described as somewhere between chestnuts and walnuts. When cooked, they have a creamy consistency with a mildly nutty flavor profile. This makes them the perfect base for spiced dishes and stronger flavors.

Originally from the Middle East, chickpeas are the most widely-consumed legume in the world. Did you know that? I was surprised!

More Chickpeas!The largest producers of chickpeas are India, Australia, Pakistan, and Turkey, but these beans can also be grown the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Chickpeas are legumes, which means that they have seed pods in the plants, and are similar to beans or peas. Each chickpea seedpod usually contains two to three edible peas.

So, why should you make chickpeas a part of your diet?

Well, for one thing, they are full of nutrients! A cup of cooked chickpeas contains 15 grams of protein, with only about 269 calories and 4 grams of fat. There is no cholesterol in chickpeas, and they are very low in sodium. They are also sources of folate, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Like other beans, they are a great source of dietary fiber (12 grams per serving). For a closer look at the nutrient profile of chickpeas, check out the post MyPlate Flavor Exploration: Beans and Peas.

But how can you make chickpeas a part of your diet?

Chickpeas can be purchased canned and ready-to-eat. This is convenient, but unless they are canned without salt, they are generally pretty high in sodium.

Chickpeas can also be purchased as dried beans. Like other dried beans, they need to be soaked before cooking and generally have a long cooking time. To cook dried chickpeas, drain them and rinse well to remove any foam. Set them in a big saucepan and add water in a 3:1 ratio (3 parts water for every 1 part dried chickpeas). Bring the whole shebang to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. When I made chickpeas, I soaked them overnight and then cooked them on low in the slow cooker for five hours. I ended up with perfectly cooked beans!

Once cooked, chickpeas can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. Since one pound of chickpeas makes about 8 cups, I had lots of beans to use. Once you are open to experimenting, chickpeas can be used as you would other beans. I put them in salads, stews, soups, casseroles or ground as hummus.  Extra cooked beans can be frozen.

Some of my favorite chickpea recipes come from the Food and Health Free Recipe Database. Take a look…

No matter what they’re called, I’m glad I gave these little nutrition powerhouses a try. I’ll do it again!

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

For more health and cooking resources, check out the Nutrition Education Store. Here are some great options…

Fruit and Vegetable Wellness Challenge

Choose Wisely Poster

Home Run Cooking: Guide to Healthful and Delicious Home Cooking

We are here when you want to look your very best right now.

Reader Request: Nutrition Month Coloring Pages

You all know how much I love getting requests, right?

Here’s a fun request that made its way into my inbox a few weeks ago.

Hello, Judy!

Each year, I sponsor a “poster project” at my daughter’s school.  Students in grades pre-school thru 2nd grade are given a page to color. I use the one available from the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics website, based on the year’s theme. However, they have not created a page this year.

Last year, you were able to create 2 pages.   I am wondering if you might have a page that I could print for the students to color, based on the theme, “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle”?

Thank you!
Mary Therese Maslanka, RDN, LDN

How could I resist?

My team and I immediately went to work, and Mary Therese Maslanka had those coloring pages in her inbox as soon as we were done.

But I didn’t want to stop there. Now that it’s National Nutrition Month, what better time to share this wonderful resource with you, dear readers?

So, without further ado, here are two great coloring pages that are based on this year’s theme: Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle. Get your copies today!

National Nutrition Month Page 1

 

National Nutrition Month 2

Looking for more fun ways to get kids involved with National Nutrition Month? Check out these fun games and prizes!

Fruit and Vegetable Pens

I Love Salad Wristbands for Kids

Change It Up Stickers

Goals for 2015

New Year’s Eve is only 2 weeks away! Are your clients ready to jump-start their health goals?

ResolutionsTo help your clients set achievable goals that they are excited to pursue, consider this advice, excerpted from the Communicating Food for Health member newsletter

What kind of goals are you setting?

Unrealistic Goals:

Don’t jump the gun and ask too much of yourself. If you do this, you’ll be starting down an unsustainable and unhealthful path. Make sure the unsustainable goals below aren’t on YOUR list…

  • Exercising every day.
  • Never go out to eat.
  • No snacking or desserts.
  • A strict diet that eliminates macronutrients or whole food groups.
  • Skipping breakfast or lunch daily.

Choose realistic goals instead! Here are some examples…

Realistic Goals:

Realistic goals can be challenging, but should be achievable. Look for ways to improve your lifestyle, diet, and activities. Not all at once, mind you. Start slowly and keep steady. How? Try one of these…

  • Losing 1-2 pounds per month.
  • Exercising for 5-6 days per week.
  • Try new-to-you healthful foods.
  • Find satisfying, low-calorie snacks.
  • Follow MyPlate’s advice and enjoy your food, but eat less of it.

Need a reminder? Here is the 2015 Goal Guide — free! Distribute it however you see fit.

2015 Goal Guide

 

There are more motivation and goal resources in the Nutrition Education Store. Make sure you’re ready for 2015!

Online Wellness and Weight Management Program

Ways to Lose Weight Poster

Healthful Lifestyle: How to Get Started PowerPoint

Fruit and Vegetable Montage Print

New Activity Idea: What’s the Real Cost?

Interactive Activity Ideas Week continues! If you missed the first installment, check out the posts on the Food and Health blog. Today, we’re going to talk about the real cost of food…

Activity #2: What’s the Real Cost?

Grab a bag or two of apples and potatoes before your presentation. While you’re at the store, pick up a container of apple pop tarts and a big bag of potato chips.

Photocopy the Nutrition Facts labels from your purchases or copy the relevant information from each item onto a blackboard or chalkboard that everyone can see.

Once your participants arrive, divide them into groups and have them calculate the cost per ounce of all the foods you bought.

After everyone has calculated the cost per ounce of each item, have them all return to their seats and share their findings. Which foods were more expensive? Which were cheaper? Was this a surprise, or was it expected? What do the results mean when it comes to shopping healthfully on a budget?

Shopping Cart

Activity Debrief:

Many people don’t realize the cost per ounce of the foods they buy. Whole foods are nutrient powerhouses, full of fiber and other keys to a healthful diet. Proving that they aren’t necessarily going to break the bank can make them more appealing and accessible to your clients.

If you would like to take this activity even further, you can talk about the healthcare costs associated with things like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. How does the food they eat play a role? What is the cost of good nutrition?

The fun isn’t over yet! There are more interactive ideas on the way!

Communicating Food for Health Professional Newsletter

MyPlate Handout Stack

3 Steps for a Healthful Life Banner

Top Nutrition Education Posters

Nothing brightens up a space better than a poster, and the posters at the Nutrition Education Store are the best in the business. With colorful pictures and creative text, these posters make it easy to educate your clients in a way that they’ll actually remember.

In fact, one of our customers outlined the benefits of nutrition education posters far better than we could. Doug Barg of Kitchen Cred wrote “We’ve hung [your posters] all over to help transform what was a fairly dingy basement into a warm and educational environment. The posters have been a great resource pedagogically both as primary teaching tools and as ongoing reinforcement.  And even when we’re not paying attention to the specific content, they are visually pleasing. Thanks!”

Now, which poster is best for your audience?

If you’re teaching a workshop on healthful cooking, food art or recipe posters may be the most helpful, and if you’re doing a seminar on diabetes, a diabetes poster would probably be your best bet, but if you’re just looking to brighten up a space or teach some key health lessons, then you have a lot of options. Check out this list of the top 5 posters that we sell in the store. These 5 posters are the most popular and well-reviewed posters we have.

The question is, which will you get?

Poster #5: MyPlate for Kids

This poster takes the lessons of MyPlate and makes them even easier to understand and remember. With it, you can show kids how they can fill their plates with healthful choices from each food group. This poster is full of phrases and images that will appeal especially to kids. Plus, the illustrations show only healthful foods from each group, coming together to make each plate a winner. It’s also chock-full of tips to help kids get the proper amounts of MyPlate food choices each day. Use this USDA MyPlate poster in your classroom, on a bulletin board, or at wellness fairs.

Debbi Kennedy author of Ditch the Drive-Thru raves, “Just got my posters and they are fantastic!! Can’t wait to hang them up at my classes! So eye catching and very easy to understand… LOVE them! I will definitely be ordering more at the end of the month. Thanx so much!”

Order your copy of the MyPlate for Kids poster today!

Poster #4: Exam Room MyPlate Poster

The lessons of MyPlate aren’t just for kids. In this condensed and simple poster, the keys to healthful eating are clearly outlined, then supported with creative art. Instead of text and drawings, the portions and proportions advocated by MyPlate are represented primarily through photographs. This makes eyeballing balanced portions a snap!

The USDA’s MyPlate is prominently featured on the poster, offering new ways to put a meal together without a complex formula.

This nutrition poster is useful not only because it supports the key message of balancing food groups, but also because it only features heart-healthy, nutrient-rich foods in each category. When creating this poster, we didn’t have to add processed foods and could rely on the latest science-based information, because Food and Health Communications is not supported by big industry advertising.

Get the Exam Room MyPlate Poster now!

Poster #3: 12 Nutrition Posters Value Set

Ha ha, you caught us — this one isn’t a single poster. Nevertheless, this value set outsells all but 2 posters in the store, so we think it has a well-deserved spot on this list.

The 12 posters featured in this set include:

This poster set is so useful that it has already been featured in a previous post on this blog: The Perfect Curriculum for Nutrition Education. Check out that post to discover why each poster was chosen for the set and see what health messages each option communicates.

Own the 12 Nutrition Posters Value Set yourself!

Poster #2: MyPlate Poster

What’s that? MyPlate again? Well, this classic poster is one of the most popular we’ve ever made. It’s perfect for a wide range of occasions, and its attractive design communicates the most important health messages clearly and effectively.

But don’t take our word for it. Check out this rave review from Karen Newton, Program Manager at West Virginia University Cooperative Extension “Thanks! Your MyPlate poster just arrived and it looks great! It is already posted on the hallway for all to see.”

Marla Hill, RD, CD, adds her praise as well, explaining, “many of the posters from Nutrition Education Store are colorful, interesting to the eye, and fun to look at. They are a real draw to a booth, especially in this instance where English skills may be limited for some. Thank you for providing such cost effective and well done posters.”

Purchase a MyPlate Poster today!

Poster #1: Fall in Love with Salad

Here it is — the top selling poster in the Nutrition Education Store. Who would have guessed that salad would be at the front of the line? Well, it turns out that salad, though a healthful nutrition powerhouse, is sometimes a hard sell. Make it easier with this health poster!

Why should people eat salad? Well, eating salad is a great way to get enough veggies, an even better way to consume fewer calories, and a downright amazing way to get more nutrients and fiber! This poster lists 6 salad lover tips, 3 reasons to love salads, and a guide to spicing up your salad.

Of course, if you’d like to offer a more comprehensive look at healthful salads that are both simple and tasty, check out the book Salad Secrets. It comes with multiple photos per recipe, a PowerPoint show about the benefits of salad, and a bonus salad eBook.

Pick up a Fall in Love with Salad poster right now!

So that’s it. The top 5 posters in the Nutrition Education Store. Were you surprised by the results? Which posters will you choose?