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long with warmer days, summer brings opportunities for our 4-H members to attend various camps. I had an opportunity this year to facilitate one of several activities at our Montgomery County Cedar Bluff Camp. Youth were challenged to create a personal pizza which included a food from all five of the food groups. They used biscuit dough to form their crusts and then chose from various vegetables, fruit, ham and cheese to create their own pizza. While the pizzas baked, we reviewed our display depicting the MyPlate symbol and basic consumer health messages found at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/. We talked about how learning to make healthy, nutrient dense food choices can help them stay healthy now and into the future, and reduce their risk of developing a chronic disease.
What is a UPC Label - and how can it help you save?
I had the privilege of sharing our Eating Healthy on a Budget program twice this month. One group included some Spanish speaking families, so we made handouts in Spanish for them. The other program was actually a two-hour workshop that was part of training for foster families and we added some activities and material to accommodate their needs as well.
In the Eating Healthy on a Budget program, we learn that the key to success in getting healthy, budget-friendly meals on the table quickly is “Planning Ahead”. Although, knowing some smart shopping techniques and some tips for easier meal preparation play a big part as well. An activity that most participants seemed to find very helpful emphasized the importance of using UPC labels when shopping. These labels indicate the price per pound of products and make it easier to compare prices between package sizes within the same brand, or prices of similar products among a number of brands. We had some products in class along with photos of their UPC labels and discussed which items would be the best buy to help us stay within our budget. A review of the participant surveys indicated that all participants agreed or strongly agreed that this was a worthwhile program presented in a helpful way.
Serving Food Safely – why does it matter?
According to the CDC, foodborne illness costs in the United States total over $14 billion annually. So, we shared our ServSafe Food Handler class in Parsons this month to give local food handlers the opportunity to learn more about the importance of food safety and the role they personally play in keeping food safe for the people they serve.
Along with lecture time, this three-hour workshop includes activities that emphasize personal hygiene, proper handwashing, and the importance of time and temperature control to reduce growth of bacteria. On the class surveys received, all of our participants indicated that, as a result of this workshop, they now feel more motivated to follow food safety recommendations, and that they plan to take action and make some changes because of what they learned.