Volume 24 Issue 23 OCT/NOV 2001

WINTER HARVEST

NUTRITION NEWS...

Good nutrition is vital for people of all ages, but it is even more essential as you age. Healthy eating and regular exercise can give you energy and strength to enjoy an active, independent lifestyle for as long as possible. What you eat affects your chances of having heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Making changes to make your diet even healthier doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t have to give up your favorite foods or stop eating out. With some basic information and a look at your current eating habits, you can begin to make gradual changes that can help improve or maintain your health.

Yes – your calorie needs decrease with age, mostly because your not as active as you use to be. Even though your calorie needs decrease, your nutrient needs do not. This makes it all the more important that you select nutritious foods.

The Food Guide Pyramid shows the foods and serving sizes you need to eat each day to maintain a healthy body. The five major food groups are represented on the Pyramid with a range of servings per group. As we get older we need to eat at the lower range. Try to have at least the lowest number of suggested servings from each food group each day.

Foods such as butter, margarine, salad dressing, candy and soft drinks add a lot of calories with no nutrient value. All age groups need to go easy on these types of foods. Balance and moderation is the key to good nutrition, although it is an easy concept it is sometimes hard to follow.

Skipping one or more food groups could prevent you from meeting your nutritional needs. The need for protein

foods is slightly higher for older adults than in younger adults. Some older persons omit meat because of cost, chewing problems, or lack of ability or desire to cook.

One way to meet your protein needs is to include five to seven ounces of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, peanut butter, cottage cheese or cheese in your diet each day. . One deck of cards is about the size of a 4-ounce serving of meat product.

Most of us eat too much fat. Even if your blood cholesterol level is not high, you may want to make some changes in your food choices to reduce the amount of fat you eat. Reducing fat may help to control your weight.

Fat should make up no more than 30% of your total calories each day. How many grams of fat you can eat per day depends on how many calories you need each day. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about the amount of fat that is healthy for you.

RECIPE RECITAL…

Fruit Crumble…

6 cups sliced fruit (try plumbs, apples, berries, or pears)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, combine fruit and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Transfer ingredients to an 8-inch square-baking dish. In the same bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, and flour. With a pastry blender or two knives, work in

Margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake 40 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and fruit is tender. Serve warm. Six servings

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup…

1 can (10.5 oz) unsalted chicken broth

½ cup water

2 cups frozen vegetables if fresh aren’t available

1 can (16 oz) stewed tomatoes

1 cup cooked beef, diced

2 oz narrow-width noodles, uncooked (about 1 ¼ cups)

1-teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

Heat broth and water. Add vegetables, meat and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and boil gently, uncovered 15 min. Add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender—about 6-10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Makes 4 servings.

Keep the Nutrients – Cut the Calories, Fat and Sugar

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION