Nutrition Bites 2020 Vol. 17:0

Fall
In This Issue: 

Staying Safe – Packing a Safe Lunch

Recipes and Nutrition Tips – New Lunch Idea - Hummus

Physical Activity Tips – Try This Inexpensive Workout

Food Access Resources in Massachusetts– Project Bread and COVID-19 Resources

 

Staying Safe

pack a lunch box Pack a safe lunch. Maintaining a regular lunch routine will help your family stay on track. If you are packing food to go, consider these tips to keep you and your family safe.

  • Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
  • Keep perishable items such as sandwiches, fresh fruits, vegetables, and hummus chilled with an ice pack to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
  • Freeze juice boxes and use them as a freezer pack. By lunchtime, the juice should be thawed and ready to drink.
  • Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables with cool, running water before packing.
  • Use an insulated thermos to keep hot foods hot.
  • After lunch, throw out used food packaging and perishable leftovers. Do not reuse plastic bags. They could contaminate other foods. Clean your reusable lunch box regularly with warm, soapy water. Let it air-dry.
  • Pack your own utensils and do not share food or utensils with others.

Recipes and Nutrition Tips

hummus bowl Change up your lunch with hummus. Vary your protein and make hummus for you and your family. Hummus is made with a type of legume called chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Chickpeas are high in nutrients such as fiber to help with digestion and are packed with plant proteins. Try this Hummus recipe and pair with whole-grain pita chips or crunchy raw vegetables or use as a sandwich spread.  

Click the link below to learn how to make hummus with this step-by-step video.  http://foodsmartcolorado.colostate.edu/video-hummus/.

 

 

Physical Activity Tips

2 people exercising inside A workout can be easy, fun, and inexpensive. For this routine, the only equipment needed is a deck of cards and a timer.

  1. Choose four exercises and assign one to each card suit. For example,   
    • Lunges = Diamonds     
    • Jumping Jacks = Hearts     
    • Crunches = Spades   
    • Squats = Clubs 
  2. Set a timer for the desired amount of time you plan to exercise, such as 10 minutes. If more than one person is participating, you can alternate turns.
  3. Flip over a card from the deck and do the activity assigned to that suit. For example, if the card is the 10 of diamonds and lunges is the exercise assigned to diamonds, you should do 10 lunges.
  4. Keep flipping over cards and completing activities until the timer goes off.

 

 

Fall produce Autumn is a good time to plant a cool weather vegetable garden.

There are many cold, hardy crops to choose from. Some cool season crops are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, and kale.

The change of seasons creates new conditions in the garden. Autumn is sweater weather for your soil, too. Mulch around your plantings to keep the soil warm. Frost protection can be a fabric cover that lays over the top of the plants at night.  For more information, visit https://extension.unh.edu/blog/fall-vegetable-gardening.

 

 

 

Food Access Resources in Massachusetts

speaking on phone Project Bread provides COVID-19 food resources for households. Project Bread can answer many questions on their website, and they can assist you on their hotline in 160 different languages.
http://www.projectbread.org/news-and-events/news/covid-19-hunger-food.html

 

Enter your ingredients and find recipes on Click ‘N Cook. Use the Greater Boston Food Bank's Click ‘N Cook resource for healthy, easy  recipes. https://clickncook.org/

 

Find answers to common COVID-19 food questions. Information curated by the Produce for Better Health Foundation on pandemic-related food safety, food shortages, food delivery, and more will help you stay safe and healthy.   https://fruitsandveggies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/covid-19-QA-4-20-20.pdf