Cottonwood Connections July 2024 | Page 13

Eating Healthier

Choose whole foods whenever possible. These include fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meat and seafood, and nuts and legumes.

Drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda and sports drinks.

Choose foods made from whole grains rather than refined grains. For example, eat whole grain bread or pasta and brown rice instead of white bread, pasta, or rice.

Keep healthy snacks on hand, like vegetables and hummus, fruit, low-fat yogurt, nuts, and seeds. That can make it easier to choose healthy foods when you’re hungry.

Read nutrition labels. Choose nutrient-rich products with simple ingredients. Limit those that are high in sugar and salt. Learn more at  Nutrition.gov.

Eat a variety of foods—vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat, seafood, eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Limit foods that are low in vitamins and minerals.

Avoid foods with added sugar.

Replace foods containing saturated fats (like butter or lard) with healthier unsaturated fat options.

Watch out for foods high in salt.

Learn about healthy portion sizes.

Consider measuring foods or learning tips about how to visualize a healthy portion.

Seek support. Get help from your family and friends. Consider consulting a dietitian.

Join Karissa from 9 am- 1 pm at the Barton County Extension office. Participants will learn about food safety and become Serve Safe Food Handler certified. This certification is accepted in Kansas for restaurants and other commercial kitchens. The course is for those ages 16 and up and costs $15. Participants will receive a Serve Safe Guidebook and have the opportunity to take the test on the day of the course.

Serve Safe Food Handler’s Class August 6th-Barton County