It’s Good to Go Bad

A food’s expiration date is a good indication of how processed it is. If your food takes years to expire, it’s probably full of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Fresh produce, on the other hand, takes just days or weeks to meet its demise.
 
Pick up good health this week by choosing foods that go bad. Start this Monday by selecting some recipes that include fresh foods. If you have a plan you’ll be able to enjoy your ingredients while they’re fresh!

Healthy Monday: Be Environmentally Conscious

It can be hard to stick to healthy intentions when you’re living in a less-than-healthy environment! A coworker’s candy dish, leftover snacks in the cupboard at home or an easily accessible takeout menu can all lead to mindless munching.
 
Prevent diet disaster before it strikes by fool-proofing your environment this week. Get rid of the unhealthy foods in your refrigerator and cabinets and leave nutritious choices where you’re most likely to notice them. Remember that it’s easy to make healthy choices when they’re all around you!

Register for the April Supermarket Tour

Decatur Active Living invites you to register for the free April Supermarket Tour to be held on Saturday, April 14th at 10am at the downtown Decatur Kroger. The tours are led by Georgia State University Nutrition Graduate Students on the second Saturday of each month and last one hour. Learn how to read food labels, plan a healthy meal and avoid marketing traps. Cruise through fresh, frozen and canned food aisles to learn about healthy eating and how to “shop healthy”.

Tours are limited to 6 participants each and registration is required. Register today by emailing cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com or call 678-553-6541.

Healthy Monday: Have a Supermarket Strategy

A good mood or hunger pangs can make a big difference in what you bring home from the grocery store. Both feelings tend to lead to a pile up of unnecessary junk and other impulse buys. And once these items are in your home you may feel obligated to eat them!
 
Have a plan of attack this week! Write a grocery list and stick with it: even include a few healthful snacks so you don’t feel deprived. Still tempted to stray? Stick to the perimeters of the supermarket (where you’ll find the most whole foods) or bypass the junk entirely with a trip to the farmer’s market.

To receive Healthy Monday tips from the Healthy Monday campaigns, click here.

Want to learn more about healthy choices while shopping?Join us for our Supermarket Tours held the second Saturday of each month. Tours are led by Nutrition Graduate Students from Georgia State University. For more information or to register, contact Cheryl Burnette 678-553-6541 or email cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com.

Healthy Monday: Cooking Method Matters

Raw fruits and vegetables usually provide more vitamins than their cooked counterparts, but there are ways to prevent nutrient loss while still savoring prepared foods! Careful cooking with minimized heat and water may only result in a 5-15% nutrient loss (compared to processed foods, which can lose 50-80%!)
 
This week, try steaming or quick sautéing vegetables and cooking meat over low heat to preserve as many nutrients as possible. You might even discover a new favorite recipe!

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A Bite in the Right Direction

Incorporating new habits into your daily life takes work, so aim for progress, not perfection! Start with small changes that you can easily fit into your daily routine and go a little further each week. Swapping a breakfast Danish for whole grain cereal, having water instead of soft drinks with meals, picking veggies as a side dish or trying fruit for dessert are all doable actions that will lead to long term results.
 
Look at your usual eating habits and commit to one “swap out” this week. Make sure your new habit is something that you can integrate seamlessly into your routine. Use your New Year’s momentum to consider other situations where you could easily make a change

Healthy Food Tips for 2012

Beans, lentils, nuts and pumpkin are among the foods registered dietitians recommend adding to the menu for a healthier 2012. Hillary Wright also suggests adding more seafood for lean protein and omega-3 fats, and Jill Weisenberger says nonfat Greek yogurt provides calcium and probiotics that promote digestive health. Read about what top food experts recommend you put on your menu for 2012 at Nutrition Nation.

Supermarket Tours Continue in 2012

Decatur Active Living is happy to announce that the popular Kroger Supermarket Tours will continue in 2012 the second Saturday of each month at 10am at the downtown Kroger. The tours, led by Nutrition Graduate Students at GA State, teach participants about food labeling, making healthy choices and share healthy recipes. The students have also chosen a theme for each months tour.

A recent participant said, “The tour turned out to be very helpful. I really like the fact that Lori taught us how to read the labels correctly. She also took the time to answer questions very patiently.  I am into healthy living and eating, yet I learned so much especially during the tour of the dairy and seafood department.”

Start off the new year right and join us for the January 14th tour. Tours are free, but since space is limited you must register by January 9th by calling 678-553-6541 or email cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com .

Give a Delicious Gift

Thanks to the wonderful interns from Georgia State who have been leading our monthly Grocery Store Tours. This month, they shared recipes for Healthyy and Delicious Treats. For those who didn’t get to attend the tour, here are two recipes:

Pretzel Kisses

1 bag of salted mini pretzel twists
102 bags of Hershey’s kisses

Preparation:
PReheat oven the 275 degrees. Place pretzels on baking sheet and top each one with a Hershey Kiss. Bake for exactly three minutes, remove from oven. Gently tap the top of each Kiss with a spoon until it flattens onto the pretzel.
Optional: top with colored sprinkles or M&M. Let cool until firm. Portion into brightly colored mini-gift bags and tie with ribbon. Calories: 33 per pretzel kiss.

Yuletide Granola

Yield: 3 cups (serving size 1/3 cup)

Ingredients
2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup dried currants
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dried cramberris
2Tablespoons sugar
5 Tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor; pulse ten times or until coarsely chopped. Combine oat mixture, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; toss well. Spread out mixture on a baking sheet; bake at 325 degrees for  20  minutes or until lightly browned; stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from baking sheet; stir in currants.
3. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; coat paper with cooking spray. Combine cranberries, sugar, molasses, canola oil and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4  minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Pour the cranberry mixture evenly over the oat mixture, tossing to coat. Spread the granola evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minute or until mixture is lightly browned. Remove granola from oven, and cool completely. Break into small  pieces. Store granola in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or package and give to friends. Calories per serving: 214

December Supermarket Tour Features Healthy Holiday Snack Recipes

There are still a few spots left for the December Supermarket Tours led by Graduate students in nutrition. Participants learn about selecting healthy foods, how to read labels and more. The theme for December is “Delicious Gifts”. In addition to the regular tour, you will receive recipes for snacks and mixes that can be attractively packaged and given as holiday gifts.

The tours have become so popular we have added an additional tour to be held on Saturday, December 10 at 11am. To register for the free tour contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com or call 678-553-6541.