USDA MyPlate Nutrition Games and Activities Make Healthy Eating Fun and Easier

BY SUZIE WELLS

Healthy eating is important at every age. As the weather turns and farmers markets open, it seems to get easier, so let’s make this year the one in which we make a change toward healthier choices.

When we think of eating healthier, we sometimes feel overwhelmed by the wide variety of opinions and options out there. Healthier choices don’t have to be complicated or daunting, though, and thankfully today’s markets tend to have more options available to shoppers.

e main food groups (fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, dairy) remain constant as the ideal foods to comprise the bulk of human daily consumption. Generally, the closer to fresh we can keep those foods, the more nutrient-dense and thus healthier those foods are for us.

e area farmers unanimously agree: Eat local as much as you can and your family will be healthier (with less or no preservatives added to foods to keep them fresh from the farm to your table) AND you’ll help keep the local farmers and the adjacent economy going strong. e closer a product’s source, the fresher it should be and consequently the healthier it should be for you and your family.

Check out your local farmers markets for the week’s freshest produce, meats, and other agricultural products grown and made in your community.

Check out your county’s Cornell Cooperative Extension for more information as well. e Livingston County Cornell Cooperative Extension,forexample,supportsaBuyLocalCampaign,acommunitybased initiative to help sustain local agriculture and build a stronger local food system in Livingston and surrounding counties. ey also work to increase farm to restaurant connections, establish farm to institution connections, and provide access to fresh and nutritious food to low-income families. ey are de nitely a great resource for families across the area.

To make easy healthy choices, start simple. Infuse a new food or two in the week’s grocery shopping. Try a new fruit or veggie. Sample an alternative grain or protein. Just once a week, try something new. See who likes what and if something makes the cut, add it to the regular rotation. If not, try something else.

Keep ready-to-eat healthy choices in the pantry or fridge. If the apple or pear slices, the cheese sticks or yogurt cups, the carrot or celery sticks, the nuts, are readily available and need no cutting or other prep work, the kids (and let’s be honest, even the adults) will more likely to grab it to snack on instead of the bag of chips or other prepackaged, likely high preservatives-added food choices. So, prep the healthy choices when you have the energy and they’ll be ready when you need them.

To get children involved in healthy nutritional choices, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests the MyPlate nutrition guide, and their website https://www.myplate.gov/life-stages/kids is rich with games and activities to help guide children on a healthy eating adventure, having fun while learning about healthy nutritional choices.

Parents and families can even use the MyPlate app to make healthy meal prep and shopping easier, whether for everyday meals or holiday celebrations. ey o er interactive downloadable and online games and apps so kids can have fun while learning about nutrition choices.

To be a MyPlate Champion, the USDA recommends children (and all of us): ink about what you drink – Choose water or milk when you’re thirsty. e USDA o ers ideas for creating MyPlate menus children can engage with at home and take an active role in planning (and hey, maybe then even the pickiest of eaters will eat those green beans or brussels sprouts!). e USDA even o ers suggestions for holidays and other celebrations. Try hosting a holiday brunch to spice up the traditional proteins or add fun and healthy options with a festive yogurt parfait bar instead of ice cream sundaes.

Eat more fruits and veggies – Make half your plate fruits and veggies every day.

Try whole grains - such as oatmeal, whole wheat breads, or brown rice .

Mix up your protein foods - including seafood, beans, lentils, nuts, eggs, meats, and poultry.

Get involved – Help put away groceries, stir ingredients, peel fruits, assemble salads, or set the table.

Be active your way – Find ways to be active and move your body for at least 1 hour a day.

Or take the Grocery Store Bingo board on your next shopping trip to keep the kiddos occupied and engaged with healthy food choices as you tackle the chore. ere are even MadLib-style word blanks, mazes, and word searches and scrambles. Maybe make a Food Group Friend out of food from each food group.

Use mealtimes to connect with those you love. Eat meals together whenever possible. Maybe work together to cook/make the meals. Turn o devices so you can “unplug” and focus on healthy foods and each other.

“ e bene ts of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.” – USDA MyPlate program

Agriculture is the greatest and fundamentally the most important of our industries. e cities are but the branches of the tree of national life, the roots of which go deeply into the land. We all ourish or decline with the farmer.

Bernard Baruch

Recognizing area businesses and individuals who support, participate or contribute to Agriculture in our area.

Explaining Precision Agriculture

How does PA help farmers? Each situation is unique, but the principles of PA can help farmers access a wealth of information. It might have been possible to access such information in the past, but PA has sped up the process and made it more handsoff, allowing farmers to save both time and money. PA technology can help farmers maintain accurate records of their farms; inform their decisions; make it easier to detect and identify problems, sometimes before they escalate into larger issues; and avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Edgewood Farms, 2023 Livingston County Farm of the Year

Edgewood Farms of Groveland was named the 2023 Farm of the Year by the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce and Livingston County Farm Bureau based on its level of community activity, a proactive stance on agriculture and land stewardship, good business practices and integrity, and as an advocate for Livingston County agribusiness.

Health Benefits Of Avocados

Avocados can benefit vision. Avocados contain lutein and zeaxanthin, a pair phytochemicals concentrated in the tissues in the eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin are believed to block blue light from reaching structures in the retina, thereby reducing a person’s risk of developing macular degeneration. In fact, studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology and The Archives of Ophthalmology found that diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with a lower risk of macular degeneration, which the American Macular Degeneration Foundation notes is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States.

e Phelps family has been in Groveland Station at Edgewood Farms since the 1870s. Current owner Craig Phelps’ great-great-grandfather owned a piece of land just north of the current farm and the farmstead grew from there. Craig’s father took over the farm from his great-grandfather, since his grandmother was a school teacher who never actively farmed. Edgewood Farms grows approx. 4500 acres of shelled corn, soybeans, wheat, dried edible beans, onions, grass hay, and straw. e Phelps family also leases out parts of their farm, working with other businesses across the state, bringing dried beans to Genesee Valley Bean company, Caledonia’s Callan Farms, and even sending corn and wheat to Rochester’s Black Button Distillery.

Craig has served on the Groveland Town Council for 20 years, serves on the Geneseo Central School Board, and serves on the Genesee Valley Conservancy Board. A long-time member, past president and board member of the Livingston County Farm Bureau and Livingston County Cornell Cooperative Extension, Craig received NY Farm Bureau’s Outstanding Young Farmer award in 1992, and Edgewood was named Livingston County Chamber of Commerce’s 1998 Agriculture Honoree.

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ACCLIMATING TO A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD Get involved

If you have children, you may have the advantage of meeting people at school functions or at the bus stop. Volunteer with the PTA/PTO or sign up to coach youth sports or serve as a scout leader. These opportunities will help expand the number of people you meet in your new community.

Now is the time to list your

AndSpringaroseonthegardenfair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Sensitive Plant”

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Kitchen Design With Health And Ergonomics In Mind

(NAPSI)—Whether you’re among the 50 million Americans over 65 (90 percent of whom hope to continue to age at home), the 60 percent of families with children at home, have other ability issues or safety concerns or think you could someday, incorporating ergonomic elements that promote a seamless experience in the kitchen can make it a more comfortable place for everyone for many years to come.

Smart Sinks Given the amount of time spent in front of the sink, selecting one that considers your lifestyle and how you cook should be a priority. Details such as the durability and hygienic qualities of a sink’s material along with its style and size can impact efficiency and comfort.

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For example, the latest sink from BLANCO, a manufacturer of finely crafted sinks, is designed to enhance workflow and accommodate all users. A first of its kind, the IKON® 33” Apron 1 3/4 Bowl with Low Divide sink is made with the brand’s exclusive SILGRANIT granite composite material. Easy to clean and scratch resistant, patented SILGRANIT material is a repellent, nonporous surface that eliminates the need to use harsh chemicals when cleaning.

The IKON sink also has a convenient low divide that sits just 5 1/2” from the sink bottom, making it easier to handle large pots and baking sheets while still dividing the sink into cleaning and prepping bowls. The apron front or farmhouse design, minimizes the need to lean over as much and so helps reduce strain.

Optional accessories further enhance comfort and workflow. A floating grid provides an extra level within the sink so handling hot and heavy pots can be safer and easier. A Floating Cutting Board that fits right on top of the sink instantly creates another workspace beyond the countertop.

Faucets Semi-professional and pull-down faucet models help make clean-up more efficient with their easy-to-maneuver design and powerful dual spray features. To make washing hands, food and dishes easier, consider a faucet with sensor technology such as the BLANCO SOLENTA™ Senso Semi-Professional Kitchen Faucet that lets you turn on the water with a wave of your hand. You don’t have to touch the faucet with your hands to get them clean—or if they’re full.

Other ways to enhance the ergonomics in your kitchen include:

• Use drawers instead of cabinets for storage so there’s less reaching

• Install different countertop heights to accommodate various users

• Raise the height of the dishwasher and oven if you can

• Select nonporous counter materials like quartz that are easy to keep clean

• Use LED lights for more brightness from less energy and that are cool to the touch

• Consider an easy-to-clean induction cooking surface—it can reduce energy costs, too

Learn More: For further facts about sinks and faucets that can make your kitchen safer, more efficient and even better looking, visit blancoamerica.com.

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