Monday, July 16, 2012

Notes from the DASH Frontier

So far, what I like best as a newly minted master food volunteer is helping people who are motivated to change for the better.
Over the last couple months, VCE agent Katie Strong, with me as her trusty sidekick, led a four-session series on the DASH Eating Plan at an area headquarters office.
The participants – usually 15 or so – had multiple reasons for being there. A few had already made positive changes and were looking for new ideas and information to tweak their already good practices. Some had had a medical wakeup call – change now or pay a steep price later. And then there were the OMG moments: One mom wanted to help her daughter, a 110-pound eight-year-old. Another stated that her husband had died of a heart attack two years ago. Her three-year-old son, she reasoned, had his dad’s genes, and she was determined to do what she could to spare him a similar fate. As MFVs, we can help.
The four sessions covered practical aspects of the DASH Eating Plan:

Session 1 – DASH overview; meal planning
Session 2 – Taming salt cravings; shopping and cooking
Session 3 – Lowering calories; dining out
Session 4 – Physical activity; health indicators

Each week armed with new-found knowledge, most participants practiced more of what’s healthy and less of what isn’t. They shared successes, challenges and aha moments:

Successes:
-          Lost weight
-          Felt better
-          Tried new foods
-          Introduced more nutritious foods to their daily diet

Challenges
-          Dining out – Few truly healthy choices are offered. Even the healthier options may be loaded with sodium or other unwanted ingredients. (Sometimes it’s best to share a not-so-great choice to lessen its impact.)
-          Schedule, travel, or power outages compromised success. (Be prepared; keep a supply of nonperishable snacks on hand – unsalted nuts, dried fruits, and juice, for example.)

Aha Moments
-          Most processed foods contain high levels of sodium – read labels, eat fresh foods, or make your own.
-          The best approach to exercise is to vary activity for aerobic, strengthening, and flexibility benefits.

We have a couple resources that may be helpful for people who want to try the DASH Eating Plan – low-sodium recipe book reviews and a table that summarizes what we should have more and less of.

Friday, July 13, 2012

View online canning demo for Ball Can-it-Forward Day, Saturday, July 14

Since I won't be traveling to Indiana this weekend, I'm excited to see that these canning demonstrations can be viewed online. Connect here.

All times are Eastern.
9:15 Mixed Berry Jam
10:15 Kosher Dill Pickles
11:15 Pepper Jelly
12:15 Tomatoes
1:15 Mixed Berry Jam

The makers of Ball® brand fresh preserving products, and the Minnetrista Master Preservers will demonstrate just how easy it is to preserve fresh produce for delicious results. Chefs from the American Culinary Federation will share their recipes using these preserved products.




Ball® has a great canning guide that we could use for our upcoming classes. Download this 7-page pdf for free!




Monday, July 9, 2012

MFVs featured in "Real Virginia" television program


Check out this clip from Taste of Reston with me and Diane and Sue Lagon in B-roll! Real Virginia features monthly half-hour TV programs focusing on agriculture, families, and products from Virginia.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Food safety after the storm


It's been heartbreaking, to see Facebook photos like this from my friends in Virginia and across the mid-Atlantic these past few days. I hope everyone’s lives--and air conditioners--are trending toward normal.


I hated being the bearer of even more bad news to the owners of this house, when I told them they should throw away their wedding cake from the freezer. It thawed and held well above 40 degrees F overnight or longer.

Food Safety Info Sheets
“No, it doesn’t matter that it was wrapped really well,” I told her. “Bacteria were already in the cake. It reached a temperature where the harmful bacteria could multiply rapidly, fast enough to make you and your husband sick.”

USDA has excellent information to eliminate guesswork on safe food handling in severe weather. Last weekend was an unpleasant reminder to have print copies of this sort of resource available. This handy link is useless without power and smartphones!


VCE has great 1-page handouts from FoodSafetyInfoSheets.com posted on our Food Safety resource page. 

Happy 4th

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Food Preservation Workshop, Blacksburg

Canning season is upon us, and I’m pleased to announce that Master Food Volunteer Diane Blust and I are officially trained to lead canning classes!


Diane and I left for Blacksburg at the crack of dawn and spent the afternoon training on safe canning methods. Fellow Master Food Volunteers, Master Gardeners, and Extension staff attended the training, which was part of the 2012 Master Garden College. Extension Specialists Renee Boyer, PhD, and Melissa Chase, PhD, demonstrated boiling water and pressure canning methods for preserving fresh tomatoes.

I’m really excited for our canning classes this summer and fall! So far, we have classes scheduled in two community centers in Reston, Whole Foods Market in Vienna, and at the Fairlington Center in Arlington. Please check the schedule and let me know if you’re interested.

We are looking for help from novices and experts alike! Stay tuned for opportunities to teach and learn about fermenting and other food preservation methods, too. 


VCE has wonderful food preservation resources available! Check them out if you haven't seen them. 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Hummus was a huge hit at the Health Fair in Pentagon City!


Fellow nutrition advocates, I’ve dreamed for years to write the words, “hummus was a huge hit.” Thanks to help from Maritza Castro, Arlington VCE’s summer intern; Latesha Olliston, Master Food Volunteer; and our partners at the TSA Health Unit; my dreams are coming true!


VCE Family & Consumer Sciences hosted a table at a health fair for federal employees by Pentagon City Mall on Wednesday. Maritza and I spent the afternoon educating attendees on healthy protein choices and the important work VCE FCS is doing for the local community. Latesha helped with the event planning and was so sad to be pulled away for work at the last minute. We missed you, Latesha!

We handed out nutrition education information from VCE, “Keep you and your family lean with lean protein.” I love this handout because it includes easy instructions on cooking dried beans. This paired perfectly with our bean dip samples.



I prepared 150 samples of homemade bean dip for employees to taste. I made three batches using bold, flavor-forward ingredients, so people could see how easy and tasty these healthful snacks can be. Since I cooked the beans from scratch and added a just touch of salt at the end, these recipes only had about 110 mg sodium (5% DV) in a ¼ cup serving.

Black Bean Hummus: Black beans, tahini, garlic, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and smoked paprika
Curry Spiced: Chickpeas, curry paste, garlic, a touch of tamarind concentrate, and roasted red pepper
Creamy Basil and Sundried Tomato: Great Northern beans, lots of fresh basil, sundried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh lemon juice

The USDA’s “10 Tips Education Series” handouts were also very well received. People are drawn to the beautiful design and practical tips.

Jennifer and I will have plenty of volunteer opportunities for future fairs, and we hope you can join us!