Sign Up for Monthly Cook It Quick E-mails

Quick Tip of the Month

Food Theme Month Links

Food Theme Month Links for February Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy Chocolate! The news keeps getting better about chocolate. Enjoy these chocolately links! A study by researchers at Cornell University found a glass of cocoa contained more antioxidants per serving than red wine, green tea or black tea. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, December 3, 2003 issue.) Cook It Quick Tip: Compared to plain milk, chocolate milk only has about 60 calories more per serving. If you'd like to keep calories at their lowest when making your cocoa, use fat-free or 1% lowfat milk and a no calorie sweetener that is heat stable, such as Splenda® Granular (this is the bulk form that can be substituted on an equal volume for sugar). Chocolate in moderation can fit into a heart-healthy eating plan according to the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Dark chocolate is especially high in antioxidants. This ADA link includes a recipe for Dark Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. A small amount of a delicious piece of chocolate at the end of a meal may help you control your appetite, according to Dr. Barbara Rolls, author of Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer Calories. Check foodandhealth.com for LOTS of chocolate links! See Red on Valentine's Day. Serve a "red-hot and healthy" meal on Valentine's and throughout the year. Check HERE for details. Help Your Kids Have a Healthy, Happy Valentine's Day. Check here for quick and easy ideas to make Valentine's Day special for children without serving a lot of candy. American Heart Month For heart-healthy recipe ideas, visit the American Heart Association's virtual cookbook Delicious Decisions. Get Nutty! In 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this health claim for nuts on package labels: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Check these charts from the International Tree Nut Council Research and Education Foundation for more information about nut nutrition: Number of nuts per ounce or handful nuts (PDF format) Nutrients (including calories) in one ounce of tree nuts and peanuts For some "nutty" ideas and recipes, check this online booklet (PDF format) offered by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. Learn how to give nuts a flavor boost by toasting them in your microwave by clicking HERE. Color your meals healthy. Eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables is good for your overall health and may help protect against heart disease. Check these tips and recipes from the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the National Cancer Institute. Go with whole grains. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined foods containing 51 percent or more whole grain ingredients (such as wheat or oats) by weight can make a claim similar to the following: "Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers." Check with the Wheat Foods Council for a Whole Grains Shopping List. Search out soy. 25 grams of soy protein per day may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The FDA permits soy products that provide at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving to include this health claim on their packaging. Several sites offer soy recipes: Soyfoods.com Simply Soy Jump on the bean bandwagon. Dried beans or legumes -- black beans, red beans, garbanzo beans, adzuki beans, navy beans, pinto beans and others -- provide soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. As part of a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet, they may be helpful for your heart. They're also a great source of folate, another nutrient that may help your heart. For more information on cooking with beans, check the tips and recipes offered by the American Dry Bean Board. National Sweet Potato Month Sweet potatoes are fat free, sodium free, high in vitamins A and C and a good source of fiber and potassium. A medium, 5" long, 2" diameter sweet potato only has about 130 calories. Check these links for more ideas for cooking with sweet potatoes. North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes Cook It Quick Tip: A plain oven- or microwave-baked sweet potato, cut open and sprinkled with a little cinnamon/sugar mixture, is a quick and delicious addition to meals. Recipe Archive Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission Recipes National Potato Lover's Month Potatoes are fat free, sodium free, high in vitamin C, a good source of fiber and high in potassium. One medium potato (5.3 ounces) has 100 calories. For links to recipes and information about potatoes, check www.healthypotato.com back to top

Food Theme Month Links for March March National Nutrition Month® Enjoy these recipes from registered dietitians during the American Association's National Nutrition Month®. Recipes from Registered Dietitians Nebraska dietitians share recipes and tips for healthy eating. American Dietetic Association: Fact Sheets Browse these easy-to-read fact sheets -- find recipes, tips on grocery shopping, cooking, food safety, healthy eating, fitness and more. A Recipe for Healthy Eating Enjoy recipes from registered dietitian cookbook authors. National Peanut Month Peanut butter is a convenient and inexpensive staple to keep in your kitchen. The DASH diet to lower blood pressure found a healthy diet included 4 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds and legumes weekly. For some sample DASH menus containing peanuts and peanut butter, check HERE (pdf format). A tablespoon of peanut butter has about 95 calories; enjoy in moderation. For some unique recipes made with peanuts and peanut butter, check these Web sites: www.peanutbutterlovers.com (Peanut Advisory Board) www.peanut-institute.org (The Peanut Institute) St. Patrick's Day (March 17) Go for the GREEN on St. Patrick's Day. Get healthy with green fruits and veggies. Check HERE for some green ideas for St. Patrick's Day and throughout the year. Pecan Day (March 25) Pecans are source of protein, potassium, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, carbohydrates, and folic acid. They contain mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat -- the type considered “heart healthy." A handful of nuts a day, such as pecans, can help you stay on a diet by contributing to satiety. This means they will help you feel full longer. For a recipe booklet featuring pecans and other tree nuts from the International Tree Nut Council, check HERE (pdf format). National Frozen Food Month Frozen foods, picked and frozen at the peak of maturity, can equal fresh foods in nutritional quality. They're washed and ready to go -- pour from the bag only what you need. Check these cooking tips and recipes from the American Frozen Food Institute. Back to top

Food Theme Month Links for April Easter (April 16, 2006) Learn how to "Handle Food Safely for Easter and Passover" with these recommendations from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) HERE. Hard-cooked eggs -- a part of both Easter and Passover celebrations -- should be cooked thoroughly: View tips on hard-cooking eggs from the American Egg Board HERE. For safety tips when handling eggs, check with USDA/FSIS HERE. Learn now to read the date codes on an egg carton HERE. A meat often served during springtime meals is lamb. For more information on preparing lamb, check a USDA/FSIS fact sheet HERE. Decorating Easter eggs: Discover different ways to decorate eggs from the American Egg Board HERE. National Egg Salad Week (April 17 - April 23, 2006) If handled properly (see second bullet under "Easter" above), hard-cooked eggs will keep in their shells in the refrigerator for 1 week. For a quick, low calorie egg salad recipe, check Curried Rice Egg Salad from the American Egg Board (AEB). For more egg recipes, check the AEB Web site HERE. Soyfoods Month The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of health claims about the role of soy protein in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) for foods containing soy protein. This is based on FDA's conclusion that when soy protein is included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, it may reduce the risk of CHD by lowering blood cholesterol levels. A typical claim on a soy product might read: "Eating 25 grams of soy protein per day may reduce the risk of heart disease." For a food to contain this health message, it must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving. Follow this link to tips and recipes to help you ENJOY SOY! Nebraska Web Site: nesoybeans.unl.edu National Web Sites:  www.talksoy.com soyfoods.com/recipes/index.html www.soycooking.com www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com Cancer Control Month Eating a healthy diet can help reduce your risk of cancer. For recipe ideas, check: National Cancer Institute: Eat 5 to 9 A Day Produce for Better Health Foundation American Institute for Cancer Research National Garlic Day (April 19, 2005*) Garlic contains a group of phytochemicals that may offer heart- and cancer-protective features. WARNING: Do NOT store home-prepared garlic-in-oil mixtures in the refrigerator or at room temperature because of the danger of toxin production of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. For more information, read the following article by University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension at http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g1425.htm#target8 Following are some Web links to help you cook with garlic: For quick access to garlic recipes, visit the Produce for Better Health Foundation Web site and search on the word garlic in the box below the "On the Menu" heading. For more information about different types of garlic, check the Epicurious Food Dictionary. Selecting and storing garlic: Pat Kendall, PhD, RD, Food Science and Human Nutrition Specialist, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension gives these recommendations for selecting and storing garlic: When selecting fresh garlic, look for firm, large-cloved bulbs in which the outer skin is tight, unbroken and free of soft spots. Store fresh garlic in a cool, dry place that allows good air circulation. A mesh bag or specially designed, covered terra-cotta jar with holes in the sides works well. Avoid storing garlic in plastic bags or sealed containers as this tends to cause the garlic to whither and rot. Properly stored, most garlic bulbs can last for up to six months at cool room temperatures. (Source: Pat Kendall, PhD, RD, Garlic: Breath of Health) Passover (April 13, 2006 -- first day of Passover) Learn how to "Handle Food Safely for Easter and Passover" with these recommendations from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) HERE. * Date stays the same each year. back to top

Food Theme Links for May National Salad Month Learn how you can enjoy a simple, "well-dressed" salad by clicking here: The Well-Dressed Salad lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a01.htm Make It a Super Salad Summer lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a00.htm 12 Tasty Salad Toppers lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-salad-toppers.htm Easy Main Dish Green Salads lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-green-salad.htm Easy Pasta-Pleasing Main Dish Salads lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-pasta-salad.htm Toasting Nuts and Seeds in Your Microwave lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-MicrowaveToastingNutsSeeds.htm Take a Salad Spinner for a Spin lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciqtips-may03-spinner.htm National Strawberry Month Did you know strawberries are full of nutrition with everything from "folate to fiber to phytochemicals." Plus, they have only 50 calories per cup! For more information about strawberries and recipes, go to: www.calstrawberry.com/recipes/default.asp National Barbecue Month Check tips on firing up the grill this month at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/grill-flyer.pdf (PDF format) Find tips and recipes on grilling different meats at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodsafety.htm#grill National Egg Month Eggs are a source of complete protein and are "nutrient-dense," containing only 75 calories while providing over 20 nutrients. Two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, are both abundant in egg yolks. These carotenoids help prevent the increasingly common eye disorder of age related macular degeneration that can lead to blindness. In the past, eggs were frequently described as nature's most perfect food. Then, for a period of years, they were considered a food to avoid because of their cholesterol content. However, they're now making a comeback with research at Harvard University showing an egg a day is OK for most healthy individuals and will not increase their risk or heart disease and stroke (www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1999/04.22/eggs.html). Click below for recipes and food safety tips for egg from the American Egg Board: Incredible, Edible Egg Website (www.aeb.org) National Beef Month Keep beef -- a good source of zinc, iron and protein -- on hand for cooking healthy meals in a hurry. For tips and recipes on preparing beef, click below: Nebraska Beef Council (www.nebeef.org) National Cattlemen's Beef Association (www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipes) National Asparagus Month To learn more about asparagus and access some recipes, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month/asparagus.htm If you'd like to freeze asparagus when it's on sale or you have extra in your garden, learn how from the National Center for Home Food Preservation at: www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/asparagus.html (For best quality, plan to use frozen asparagus within 8 months.) National Osteoporosis Prevention Month Check here for more information about preventing osteoporosis and some quick tips for including more calcium in your diet: lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftm-j01.htm lancaster.unl.edu/food/osteoporosis.pdf (PDF format) View the information in the above handouts in slide-show format at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/osteoporosis.htm#online Educators can learn how to download a related PowerPoint at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/osteoporosis.htm#downloadable National Salsa Month Full of good-tasting and good-for-you foods, enjoy some salsa this month. Here's a recipe (below) courtesy of the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention - 5 A Day Fruits and Vegetables of the Month program at: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month Homemade Salsa Makes 8 servings. Ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped, peeled tomato 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/4 cup yellow or red onion 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 2 Tbsp. vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1–3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (use caution; wear rubber gloves and do      not rub your eyes when chopping peppers) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories: 14, Total Fa:t 0.12g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Carbohydrates: 3.3 g, Protein: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sodium: 95 mg Carbohydrates: 80 %, Protein: 13 %, Fat: 7 % National Herb Week (May 13-19, 2006) Adding fresh herbs to foods is a quick way to transform ordinary meals into extraordinary meals. They flavor foods when cutting back on salt, fat and sugar. Plus, herbs have antioxidants that may help protect against such diseases as cancer and heart disease. Learn more about cooking with fresh herbs at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftapr03.htm (web version) lancaster.unl.edu/food/cookingspicesherbs-color.pdf (PDF format in color) http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/cookingfreshherbs.pdf (PDF format in black & white) View a slide-show on using both fresh and dried herbs and spices at lancaster.unl.edu/food/spiceherb.htm#slideshow Print off the handout for the slide-show at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/spiceherb.htm#handout Educators can learn how to download a related PowerPoint at: lancaster.unl.edu/food/spiceherb.htm#powerpoint Mother's Day (May 14, 2006) Search for recipes for Mother's Day by putting (type in quotes) the words "mother's day recipes" into one of the following search engines or other favorite search engines: www.google.com www.teoma.com http://search.yahoo.com www.dogpile.com http://ask.com www.altavista.com http://search.msn.com www.mamma.com search.netscape.com National Women's Health Week (May 14 - 20, 2006) This week is traditionally begun the week of Mother's Day. An important part of keeping healthy is eating healthy. This site links to heart-healthy African-American Style, Latino, and Stay Young at Heart Recipes. Go to: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/syah To learn more about other healthy activities, visit the home page at: www.4woman.gov/whw back to top

Food Theme Month Links for June National Dairy Month Enjoy these dairy recipes: www.3aday.org Protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection by using a homemade ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base, commercial PASTEURIZED egg substitutes or without eggs. Here are three possible recipes for you: lancaster.unl.edu/food/icecream.htm National Turkey Lovers Month Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving. Enjoy turkey all year around with these tips and recipes from the National Turkey Federation: www.eatturkey.com/consumer/stips.htm National Beef Steak Month Enjoy the ZIP of beef (zinc, iron and protein). Check these Web sites for beef recipes and preparation suggestions: www.nebeef.org/recipes_cooking_guide.asp www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipes/default.asp Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month National Eat Your Vegetables Day (June 17, 2006*) For lots of healthy fruit and VEGETABLE recipes, visit these sites. www.5aday.org/html/recipes/recipes_home.php www.5aday.gov First Day of Summer (June 21, 2006*) Make it a "Super Salad Summer" with these tips and recipe ideas: lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a00.htm Make sure you "Grill It Safely" at summer cookouts. Here's how: lancaster.unl.edu/food/grill-flyer.pdf * Date stays the same each year. back to top

Food Theme Month Links for July Fourth of July If your fourth of July includes grilling, check out these links for grilling information and recipes: lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodsafety.htm#grill National Blueberry Month Of more than 50 plant foods tested by the U.S. Deptment of Agriculture, blueberries scored among the highest in antioxidant power. Research suggests eating blueberries and other high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables may retard the oxidative damage to tissues associated with aging. Check here for a cool, quick blueberry parfait: Blueberry-Pineapple Parfait lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a02.htm#blueberry National Ice Cream Month The National Dairy Council suggests scooping up vanilla ice cream with raspberries and blueberries to make a red, white and blue ice cream dish for the Fourth of July Protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection by using a homemade ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base, commercial PASTEURIZED egg substitutes or without eggs. Here are three possible recipes for you: Homemade Ice Cream Recipes (no raw eggs) lancaster.unl.edu/food/icecream.htm National Picnic Month Summer is a time for picnics and road trips. Check here to learn from the United States Department of Agriculture what types of foods travel well: www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/onroad.htm Learn about using different types of melons www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month/melon.htm Learn about using different types of watermelons www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month/watermelon.htm Summer Salad Tips Salad Toppers and Flavor Poppers http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a03.htm Make It a Supper Salad Summer http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftj-a00.htm Summer Food Safety (includes storing fresh produce, canning & freezing) http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodsafety.htm#summer back to top

Food Theme Month Links for August National Watermelon Day (August 3, 2005*) Watermelon is high in lycopene, an antioxidant that may help reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases. It's also fat free and low in calories -- 2 cups of diced pieces (1/8 of a medium melon) provides only 80 calories. Check the National Watermelon Promotion Board Web site for RECIPES using watermelon. For tips on choosing a watermelon, click HERE. For storing watermelon for optimal flavor, click HERE. IMPORTANT: Wash the outside of the melon under clean running water before cutting into it, use a clean knife on a clean cutting surface and wash your own hands with soap and water before cutting the melon. Once melon is cut, it should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Don't leave cut melon at room temperature longer than 2 hours TOTAL time.. National Catfish Month Including fish in meals twice a week is a recommendation of many health organizations. Check these links from the National Fisheries Institute to help you prepare safe, delicious and nutritious meals with catfish and other types of fish and shellfish. About catfish Health and nutrition Guidelines for cooking fish National Peach Month Eating "5 to 9 A Day" of fruits and vegetables helps prevent many diet-related diseases and tastes good, too! Learn how to freeze extra peaches from the National Center for Home Food Preservation by clicking HERE. * Date stays the same each year. back to top