Blog
Fruit or Juice –Which is Smarter?
Children and adults need 1.5 – 2 cups of fruit a day. It is definitely smarter to buy fruit than juice if you are thinking only about nutrition. Check out my list below of the top 5 reasons why fruit is better. If you are thinking about cost and nutrition, the answer is more complicated.
If You Do Not Eat Breakfast, Neither Will Your Children
There is research to back up the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Breakfast contributes to higher achievement, lower rates of absence and tardiness, increased concentration, fewer calories, and better nutrition for youth and adults. We also know that children learn from watching parents. It stands to reason that if you do not model eating breakfast; your children will not get the benefits either.
The Whole Grain Maze
Bread used to be made from either whole wheat or white flour; although, many times coloring was added to white flour to make it look darker (healthier) . Now we have “whole white bread” and many claims on the label to wade through such as 5 grams fiber, 20 grams of whole grain and 40% fiber. How do you know which is the best? What’s a person to do if we want to make half of your grains whole as recommended?
Grilled Peaches…Yum Yum
Our SpendSmart.EatSmart poll the past month asked how many of you have cooked fruits or vegetables on the grill? 73% of you said you have grilled fruits and vegetables which is great! Grilling brings out great flavors without a lot of added fat or sugar. You do have to be careful that your food does not char on the outside before it heats all the way through.
2 Great Recipe Websites
When you are looking for an easy, low cost, nutritious recipe, I hope you browse our SpendSmart.Eat Smart recipe site. If you cannot find what you are looking for consider trying these two sites: foodhero.com and http://www.quickhealthyrecipes.msstate.edu/index.php. They are both sponsored by other land-grant universities, whose purpose like ISU Extension, is to turn university research into learning opportunities.
Potato Recipes: Healthy, Cheap and Tasty
Do not forget about potatoes when you are looking for a healthy and cheap meal that will fill you up. I especially like baked and roasted potatoes and try to cook extra so I have a good start for another meal later in the week.
5 Minute Meal Makeovers
Have you ever started out your week with the best intentions of eating healthier but had the realities of life get in the way? If setting and maintaining healthy habits was simple, we would not struggle with it so much. The realities of limited time, picky eaters and tight budgets create challenges for all of us. Why not build healthy meals around these challenges? Click the links below to find healthy meal makeovers for family favorites that take no more than 5 minutes and a dollar or two.
It is not Always a Bargain
Situations change and we change. What once saved you money a year ago might not be a good technique today. That is the theme of Trent Hamm’s The Simple Dollar, October 9th blog, When Deals Become Less of a Bargain. I agree with Trent and have some examples from my life that show this is true.
Six Scarily-Easy Ways to Save
Halloween is a fun time of year for all ages, but the holiday can be hard on budgets and waistlines. How do we get into the spooky spirit without breaking the bank or our belts? Here are some tips:
Holiday Fruit Salad
This month we are featuring the Holiday Fruit Salad recipe. This salad is great anytime, and looks so good and tastes so fresh it is perfect for special meals.
Organizing your kitchen
Organizing your kitchen will save you time and stress (any time of the year, but especially when we are doing lots of extra holiday cooking).
Top 5 tips to save time, money, stress and calories for Thanksgiving dinner
Are you having guests over for dinner on Thanksgiving? Dreading the extra stress, expense and calories? Here are some helpful ideas.
