Nutrition Nibbles Archive

Nutrition Nibbles Flyer

Nutrition Services

View and Share as Webpage

American Heart Month: Love Your Heart

Valentine's Day is coming up soon, a day most of us associate with eating various chocolates, sweets, and romantic dinners. While it's perfectly fine to indulge a bit on this day, you should never stop being mindful of your health!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. Heart-related illness often comes with three risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. According to the CDC, about half of Americans have at least one of the three risk factors. The good news is that you can take action to prevent this by adopting a few simple lifestyle changes.

Food should give you energy– not weigh you down! With a few simple changes, you can make eating healthy your easiest habit.



• Limit – sugary drinks, sweets, fatty meats, and salty or highly processed foods
• Avoid – partially hydrogenated oils, tropical oils, and excessive calories
• Swap – highly processed foods with homemade or less-processed options
• Enjoy – a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups, especially fruits & veggies
• Keep – healthy habits even when you eat from home

Black History Month: Dr. George Washington Carver

Dr. George Washington Carver became recognized as one of the leading food scientist in United States for discovering over 200 different uses for the sweet potato in the 1930s! Dr. Carver described cooking sweet potatoes as “pleasant with a delicate flavor if cooked properly.” Anybody can cook it, but it all comes down to the technique. Dr. Carver also said, “steaming develops and preserves the flavor better than boiling and baking better than steaming. Sweet potato cooked quickly is not cooked. Time is an essential element.”

Try out Dr. Carver’s Sweet Potato Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• ½ Teaspoon yeast cake
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ¾ cups flour, or sufficient to make soft dough

Directions:

Add the salt to the potatoes, and the yeast; put in the water and flour enough to make a smooth sponge (about a cupful); cover and set in a warm place to rise. When light add the remainder of the flour or whatever is needed to make smooth, elastic dough. Cover and let rise until light; mold; shape into loaves or rolls; let rise and bake. Many variations of the above bread can be made by adding sugar, butter, nuts, and spices.

Source: https://senecacountycce.org/food-family/february-whats-up-with-food-nutrition

Let's Get Movin'!

Don't want to leave the warm house? Just Dance!

Some ideas to get you off the couch:



• Watch a favorite family musical. When there's a song, challenge everyone to get up and dance.
• Have a dance contest in your living room. Include dress-up and karaoke for extra inspiration.
• Find different dance styles on YouTube. Bhangra, Bollywood, African dance, and belly dancing are just a few types that are both heart-pumping and fairly easy to follow, even for little ones.
• Give everyone a chance to pick the songs.

Source: https://www.uvahealth.com/healthy-balance/winter-exercise-family-activities/

Harvest of the Month: Carrots

Fun Facts: Carrots are a great source of vitamin A which is important for healthy skin and good vision! Carrots are also a good source of fiber. Fiber helps us feel full and keeps our digestive tract healthy!

What To Look For: Look for carrots that are firm and crisp, and without any cracks. Carrots can be stored for about 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. Keep them in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel. If you are buying whole carrots, make sure to rinse and scrub well before eating.

Source: https://carolinahungerinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CHI-Harvest-of-the-Month-Carrots.pdf

Recipe Highlight: Applesauce Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) can carrots, drained (reserve liquid)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir applesauce, syrup, mustard and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture bubbles. Stir in pecans or walnuts if using.
2. Add carrots to sauce and stir to coat. Add 2 Tablespoons reserved carrot liquid (or water) to thin the sauce.
3. Cool before serving.
4. Optional step: Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread coated carrots onto the baking dish. Bake uncovered 20 to 22 minutes or until hot.

Source: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG6Rjcuf-Q/-Ij3nHidHOa9SHzq4g3rCQ/edit?utm_content=DAG6Rjcuf-Q&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

What's In Season?

Kids Corner

Source: https://carolinahungerinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Carrot-Activity.pdf

SNAP provides monetary assistance to supplement the food budget of households that meet the financial and resource requirements.

For questions or assistance, call (336) 422-7758 or email fnsoutreach@secondharvestnwnc.org