Celebrating Local Food & Nutrition Education!
Carbohydrates Fiber
Sunflower Seeds | Popcorn | Oats
| Lentils | Blackberries
Potassium Protein Zinc
Vitamin E
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and supports the immune system.
Antioxidants help protect against damage caused by exposure to harmful substances in the environment.
Vitamin E helps keep the immune system healthy.
Vitamin E promotes skin.
The harmful substances that antioxidants protect against are called
Vitamin E is often added to creams for the skin.
Vitamin E helps the body produce blood cells
Vitamin E is a group of essential vitamins.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient –meaning it needs to be consumed with a healthy fat (like olive oil) to be properly absorbed in the body.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are commonly harvested for their edible seeds.
The outer shell of a sunflower seed is called the hull & the edible interior is called the kernel.
Sunflower seeds come from the center of a sunflower.
The world record for TALLEST sunflower was 30
Young sunflowers turn and face the sun as it rises and then continue to follow it throughout the day.
Sunflowers follow the SUN!
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s energy.
The body cannot make carbohydrates on its own - it has to come from food, like popcorn!
Carbohydrates support the nervous the system that helps all parts of the body communicate with each other.
Carbohydrates are also commonly
Carbohydrates improve health supporting good moods, memory power and concentration.
Carbohydrates are classified into
Popcorn
Popcorn is a variety of corn kernels expand & “pop” when heated up.
The U.S. is the number 1 & consumer of popcorn in the world.
Most of the popcorn grown in the U.S. is grown in the Midwest
Popcorn can pop up to 3 feet in the air!
Popcorn is the only type of corn that pops!
Popcorn kernels can expand 3 times their size when popped!
Popcorn stalks can be up to 8 feet tall.
Today, many movie theaters make more profit sales than movie tickets.
Popcorn pops in 2 basic shapes: mushroom.
Fiber
Fiber supports movement through the digestive system.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body doesn’t digest, it simply passes through.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water…it helps regulate blood sugar levels and removes cholesterol from
Insoluble fiber is sometimes referred to as “roughage. ”
2 types of fiber:
1. Soluble fiber
Insoluble fiber
Fiber is ONLY found in plant foods.
Dairy & meat products do not have any fiber.
Fiber helps to regulate the body’s use of sugar.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water…it helps food move throughout the digestive system.
BOTH forms of fiber are important & beneficial to overall health.
Oats
Oats are a type of cereal grain.
Oats are commonly rolled and made into oatmeal.
Oats are grown mainly in the Midwest & northern regions of the United States.
Farmers commonly use oat straw as bedding for cattle.
Oats are a cool season crop. 95% of the oats grown in the U.S. are used for livestock feed.
There are 2 different kinds of oats: husked & naked.
Farmers use a “combine harvester” to harvest the oats.
January is National Oatmeal Month!
Oats are also used to make
Oats are stored in silos. Oats are planted during the summer and early fall.
Potassium
Potassium supports balancing fluid in the body & proper function of the
Once potassium enters the body, it functions as an electrolyte
Helps to keep the body
Electrolytes help amount of water in the body.
FUN FACT:
Potassium is THIRD most abundant mineral in the body.
Potassium helps promote bone health.
The body is made up of approximately 60% water.
Potassium helps to regulate muscle contractions.
98% of the body’s potassium is found in its cells.
Many runners eat foods high in potassium before a run to prevent muscle cramps
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a type of starchy root vegetable
There are 400+ varieties of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are grown underground!
Sweet potato roots are harvested 90120 days after planting.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins and minerals!
Sweet potatoes are a popular Thanksgiving side dish.
Jewel most popular sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes and yams are NOT the same thing!
Sweet potatoes can be orange, yellow, red, white or purple.
Orange sweet potatoes are the sweetes t.
Protein
Protein builds, maintains and replaces the tissues in the body.
Protein helps to transport & nutrients throughout the body.
18 - 20% of the body is protein.
EVERY cell in the human body contains protein.
The body cannot store protein long term… which is why protein needs to be consumed daily.
Protein plays a big role in building and repairing muscles.
Protein is a MACRONURIENT . A macronutrient is a nutrient that the body needs in LARGE
Protein helps maintain fluid balance throughout the body.
Lentils
Lentils are the seeds of a lentil plant.
June - July, pale blue flowers grow on the leaves
Lentils are a type of edible legume
The U.S. makes up only 5% of the global production of lentils.
Lentils are a crop - lentil plants never reach more than 2 feet in height.
Lentils grow the pods of the plant.
4.
Each pod on a lentil plant holds 1-3 lentils.
Brown lentils are the most common type of lentil.
1. Brown
2. Green
3. Red/Yellow
Specialty
Zinc
immune system, the metabolism function.
the body cannot produce it on its own
Minerals, like zinc naturally occur in soil, water & rocks.
After iron, zinc second most common mineral found in the body.
Zinc is a trace mineralmeaning the body only needs it in small amounts.
Foods like blackberries contain minerals because their plants roots absorbed them.
Zinc promotes healthy skin & eyes.
Zinc can help shorten the length of being sick with a cold.
Zinc plays a role throughout the whole process of healing a wound. meaning
Blackberries
Blackberries are a type of aggregate fruit.
Blackberries members of the rose family, Rosaceae
There are around 80 drupelets on each blackberry.
SWEET
Aggregate fruits are made up of “drupelets” which are small, individual parts of a berry that contain a seed.
There are main types blackberries –thorny, thornless & trailing thornless.
In total, there are
375 species of blackberries.
A blackberry plant can live for 15 - 20
Blackberry plants are perennials, meaning they will grow back year after year.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports the development & maintenance of bones, teeth & muscles.
Vitamin D is the ONLY vitamin that the body can make on its own.
Vitamin D helps prevent cavities.
Vitamin D is known as “The Sunshine Vitamin. ”
Only a few foods naturally contain vitamin D.
Most people get the majority of their vitamin D when their skin is exposed to the sun.
Vitamin D supports the immune system. Don’t
Vitamin D can help boost happy moods!
Vitamin D helps the body phosphate from food.
Calcium and phosphate are essential for strong bones.
Milk is a type of dairy product –most commonly made from cows. contains
Milk is made up of 85-95% water with the rest being fats, proteins, carbohydrates & vitamins
Breeds of Dairy Cows:
Holstein cows all have a unique pattern of spots!
1 cow produces around 6 gallons of milk per day. Cows can SEE almost 360 degrees and SMELL up to 6 miles away!
