MAY / JUNE 2021
How to help teens with
PANDEMIC
stress + Keys to student motivation + Are you a stealth parent? + Keep post-pandemic spending in check
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ital to your well-being, sleep affects every tissue of your body and both your mental and physical health, according to Dr. Merrill Mitler, a sleep expert and neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that sleep also affects our immune system and that a good night’s sleep is crucial before getting a vaccine. “There was a study with influenza vaccine that showed that people who were sleep deprived the week before getting the vaccine did not produce enough antibodies after the vaccine, compared to the people that slept good nights, the right amount of sleep,” said Dr. Lourdes DelRosso, an associate professor of pediatrics and sleep medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “So, sleep is very
important, even around your vaccination time for your immune system to produce the right amount of immune response after the vaccine.” “Get a really good night’s sleep all the time,” but especially before getting a vaccine for COVID-19, the flu or other infectious diseases, DelRosso said. The pandemic wreaked havoc with many people’s sleep schedule. If you haven’t returned to a good sleep schedule, now is the time to make changes, she said. “Go to bed at the right time, wake up at the right time, try to get a restful sleep, have a regular diet, avoid caffeine,” DelRosso said. To ensure a beneficial rest: • Turn off electronics at least an hour before bed and switch to relaxing activities like reading or singing, which is calming for children.
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• Avoid caffeine six to seven hours before bedtime. • Get regular exercise. • Eat dinner a couple hours before bedtime and have a bedtime snack if needed but nothing too sugary. • Avoid too many liquids before bed, which will make you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. FREEPIK.COM
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Melissa Erickson
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How to help teens with
PANDEMIC STRESS Melissa Erickson
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ocial isolation took its toll on everyone during the pandemic but its effects were especially severe on teens, who rely heavily on their friends and social networks for their personal feelings of self-worth and for emotional support.
Feelings of anxiety and depression spiked for teens 13 to 18 who were isolated during lockdown. Not only were they stuck in remote learning and facing an uncertain future, sports and activities were cancelled and they could rarely if ever see their friends. Three in four parents say COVID-19 negatively impacted their teen’s mental health, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine. Teen girls fared worse, with 1 in 3 experiencing new or worsening anxiety since March 2020 versus 1 in 5 teen boys. COVID-19 precautions hit teens at an age when they were primed to seek increasing levels of independence, said Dr. Gary Freed, poll co-director and Mott pediatrician. Pandemic lifestyle changes wreaked havoc on teens’ lives, not only disrupting normal routines but impacting their mental health, he said. In addition to their teens feeling frustrated, anxious and disconnected, parents also reported that the pandemic disrupted teens’ ability to sleep, which affected 24% of girls and 21% of boys. A smaller percentage of teens (14% of girls and 13% of boys) withdrew from their families, while 8% of girls and 9% of boys exhibited aggressive behavior. Teen depression during the pandemic is associated with teens’ own fears and uncertainties, as well as elevated levels of parental stress, Freed said. “Isolation during the pandemic may be triggering new problems for some teens but for others, the situation has exacerbated existing emotional health issues,” he said. To meet these new challenges parents employed different strategies to help their teens, including relaxing family rules, seeking help FREEPIK.COM
from experts and using web-based programs and apps. “Parents play a critical role in helping their teens cope with the stress of the pandemic,” Freed said. Here are some strategies parents can use to engage and help their teen, whether or not they are showing signs of problems. • Keep lines of communication open. Ask open-ended questions about how they are doing. Create space where family members can speak openly and honestly. • Be there for teens even if it’s at arm’s length. It’s normal for teens to crave privacy. Give them space where they can enjoy alone time, which can be helpful to their mental health. • Share your own worries and frustrations (but don’t go overboard) as well as successful strategies to cope. • Encourage social interactions that follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, such as spending time outside or participating in socially distanced activities wearing masks. • Limit social media use so it doesn’t interfere with a teen’s sleep. This might mean banning electronics close to bedtime, or encouraging or only allowing social media use during designated times of the day. • Reach out for help. Apps make therapy accessible, but parents should consult their primary care provider or other trusted sources for app recommendations as well as for online resources about teen mental health, Freed said. A well-adjusted teen will benefit from a healthy and productive routine that includes a regular sleep schedule, responsibilities around the house and interactions with peers and family.
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MOTIVATE YOUR TEEN STUDENT Melissa Erickson More Content Now USA TODAY NETWORK
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ny parent knows that motivating a teen is complicated. There’s a lot to consider, but when it comes to school and grades a new study shows that academic motivation often changes for the better over time. Increasing a student’s sense of belonging is key to increasing academic motivation, according to a new study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology. “Academic motivation is not static. It’s a dynamic process and can change over time,” said Kui Xie, lead author of the study and professor of educational studies at Ohio State University.
About the study
“People are complex and malleable. We can do something to change people’s motivation in a positive way.” KUI XIE, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Motivation is complex. Students may want to do well because of a love of learning. They may want to do well to please their parents. They may want to do well academically to get a good job in the future. Public high school students who start out with lower levels of motivation tend to shift and adapt over time, becoming more motivated over their high school careers, Xie said. The study followed 1,670 students at 11 public high schools in central and northeastern Ohio over two consecutive school years. Motivation was measured by asking students how much statements like these described them: “I go to school because I experience pleasure and satisfaction while learning new things” and “I go to school because I need at least a high school diploma to find a highpaying job later on.” The study’s finding should give parents hope that younger kids can change their attitude and behaviors, Xie said. “People are complex and malleable.
We can do something to change people’s motivation in a positive way,” he said.
Keys to motivation The study divided students into six motivation profiles: two of them maladaptive, two of them adaptive and two in the middle. Over time students changed across all profiles. Most often they switched to one of the adjacent profiles. Finding out ways to motivate students can help move them into a better profile, Xie said. • Getting older and more developmentally mature helped students realize the need to move in a positive direction in terms of motivation. • Prior achievement also helps booster motivation. Students who had higher grade point averages the first year were more likely to shift to or remain in profiles characterized by higher levels of academic motivation in year two of the study. • Students who felt a sense of belonging in school were also motivated to do
better. Some factors like prior achievement can’t be changed, but others can. “The whole school climate can be changed to promote inclusiveness,” Xie said. It’s not even that complicated. Simply asking why a student does not feel they belong can go a long way, he said. Extrinsic motivation helps, too. Think about what gets a student engaged outside of school, Xie said.
How to help Parents should encourage their kids to get involved, do well in school and think about their future, he said. But it’s not just the parents’ or teachers’ job. “It’s a tricky topic. It starts with autonomy. Let [students] believe it’s their choice,” Xie said. “They may develop the interest versus forcing them to be motivated. Give students the opportunity to succeed.” His best advice: Be a strong advocate for your student and check in with them often.
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ARE YOU A
STEALTH PARENT? Melissa Erickson
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elicopter parents hover over their children with a goal of keeping them safe and shielding them from negative consequences. “Stealth parenting” takes this phenomenon further.
Even more attached and protective, for their child, but this extreme parentstealth parents often operate under the ing style can undermine a child’s ability to radar, striking quickly when needed and develop resiliency and create issues with intervening in their child’s life without their motivation, self-esteem and a huge gap knowledge. in soft skills that are essential to success, From authoritarian to uninvolved, parTingley said. enting styles reflect how moms and dads “During my years as an academic advisor, interact with their children and vary with I met many 15- to 18-year-old students who the times. had never made a phone call, scheduled an “Stealth parenting is like the high-tech appointment or made their own purchases version of helicopter parenting. It relies at a store. If we want children to be able on apps, cameras and technology to track, to navigate a complicated world, we need monitor and intervene on behalf of their to show them how and create a dialogue child 24/7,” said Lauren Tingley, a certiabout the best steps for them to take in fied Simplicity Parenting discipline and order for them to be able to advocate for guidance coach and creator of Simply Well themselves,” Tingley said. Balanced (simply-well-balanced.com), a A parent’s job is to act as a guide. website that offers parenting and home“We should be there to support and help making tips. them learn to help themselves. To compare the differences If parents always jump in to fix between stealth and helicopter everything for the child, they parenting, motherhood expert will never learn how to solve Abigail Wald gives this example: problems themselves,” Tingley “Whereas a helicopter parent knew said. “They may also not realize a child had a test the next day and how challenging some situamade sure they studied for it, the tions may be if they have been stealth parent uses the advent of shielded from adversity by ubiquitous technology to text the parents who swoop in to save child before the test, reminding them before they even know them to have a high protein snack. Stealth parenting something has gone wrong.” is like the highMaybe they even check the school Before condemning stealth tech version portal to learn of the student’s parents, consider the world of helicopter grade before the student does. in which we live, Wald said. parenting. It “In other words, smartphones School shootings are comrelies on apps, and the internet have dramatically monplace, and there are entire cameras and altered parenting’s reach, enabling websites devoted to backpacks technology to the helicopter parent to make even that can double as a protective track, monitor more targeted and intrusive strikes shield. and intervene on into the landscape of what used “We have spent the last year behalf of their to be a child’s set of responsibiliin a pandemic, telling our chilchild 24/7. ties,” said Wald, a certified Hand dren that breathing the wrong LAUREN TINGLEY in Hand Parenting consultant and air might kill us. Yes, it’s true, Mother Flipping Awesome podbut it’s terrifying,” Wald said. caster. “Teenagers now have to conStealth parenting thrived during distance tend with their mistakes being digitized learning in the pandemic, Tingley said. forever and perhaps even screenshotted for “These parents simply cannot stand all to see, resulting in temporary teenage allowing their student to fail and suffer mistakes that wipe out lives with a wand of the consequences,” she said. “For younger unforgiveness for those same teens. I feel children this may be a parent who comfor them.” pletes an online learning assignment on Being a parent requires adults to love and behalf of their child that they refused to do care for another being with all they have themselves.” and then let them go, Wald said. For older children, stealth parents may “As much as we would love to have the complete job or college applications or illusion we can control the outcome, we use the child’s email address to act as the can’t. And some of us have a harder time student. with that than others,” she said. “The “There are even instances of parents question is not just what will this do to our using their child’s social media accounts individual child, but also as a society. What to smooth over disagreements with their will be the outcome of children who are friends,” Tingley said. electronically monitored to make sure they Parents may think they know what’s best grow right?”
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TO DEGREE OR
NOT TO DEGREE?
Study: Higher education leads to better jobs but less satisfaction Self-employed people do not experience these negative effects, perhaps because they may have more control over their work and environment. “Choosing what to work on, when to work on it, and how to arning higher degrees leads to earning more money and go about that work is key for those who are highly educated and better job opportunities but is also connected to workself-employed,” Solomon said. ing longer hours, higher job pressures and added stress, I don’t think this Higher education can be considered a mixed blessing. which equals lower levels of job satisfaction, according study or findings “It is also possible that people who strive to attain ‘better to a new study from the University of Notre Dame. like these should jobs,’ those that come with higher income, more control and The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, so on, may be unrealistic in their expectations,” Solomon said. discourage found almost no relationship between people who have invest- pursuit of higher They may not fully consider the tradeoffs because they are ed in formal education and a meaningful work experience. exclusively or too focused on the desirable aspects of these education “To clarify, in our research, better job opportunities actually better jobs. or advanced reflect greater autonomy and job variety in addition to earn“Having more realistic expectations should help people better degrees. It’s not ing more money,” said Brittany Solomon, assistant professor of that the highly manage their job-related stress and other job demands that management at the Notre Dame College of Business. Higher job educated cannot undermine how satisfied they are in their jobs,” Solomon said. pressures include things like task pressure, job intensity and People considering pursuing advanced degrees should clarify experience time urgency, she said. for themselves what they value and what will make them happy higher job This is important because most adults spend most of their satisfaction, but when they go to work on a day-to-day basis, Solomon said. waking hours at work, which is a large part of a person’s core Consider both the rewards, such as income and autonomy, as higher education identity. does not ensure well as the demands and stress. The study also investigated gender differences and found that Be true to yourself, rather than pursuing a path based on it. highly educated women experience higher levels of job dissatiswhat your parents want, what you thought you wanted to do in BRITTANY SOLOMON faction than highly educated men do. high school, or what you think sounds impressive when some“We can only speculate why women experience this phenomone asks or looks good on paper, she said. enon more than men. It’s possible that juggling more roles outside the “I don’t think this study or findings like these should discourage labor market could have an impact,” Solomon said. pursuit of higher education or advanced degrees. It’s not that the highly Because they tend to be achievement-striving, highly educated women educated cannot experience higher job satisfaction, but higher education may shoulder greater responsibility in the household and in the labor does not ensure it,” Solomon said. “Moreover, formal educational attainmarket to adhere to gender role expectations while aiming to advance ment is certainly valuable if one is realistic about what the costs and their careers, while their male counterparts are not, Solomon said. benefits are of the program as well as job prospects.” Melissa Erickson
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tips
Make your kitchen restaurant-quality with chefs’ expert advice
f you’ve ever wondered how professional chefs create such high-quality culinary experiences, you’ve probably thought about what their kitchens are like. A chef ’s kitchen is more than a beautiful and functional place to prepare your favorite recipes and gather with family and friends. It requires space, organization, and the right tools and mindset.
Make space “Space is the No. 1 challenge. Most people don’t have 10 square feet of countertop to work with in their homes,” said Tyler England, director of culinary operations at DiAnoia’s Eatery in Pittsburgh. In addition to ample countertops, restaurant kitchens make use of all space. “Work vertically. The No. 1 way to optimize space is to go vertical,” England said. Hang pots and pans. Add open shelves above work surfaces. Don’t hide what you use most. “It’s efficient to have the equipment you need to use out on the countertop, not hidden away in a cabinet,” said renowned pastry chef Jacques Torres, a judge on Netflix’s “Nailed It!” and owner of Jacques Torres Chocolate in New York.
Get equipped Professional kitchens are designed with stainless steel because it’s easy to clean, germ-resistant and durable, Torres said. Professional chefs also have bigger and better equipment, he said: Big ovens, commercial refrigerators, stand mixers, deep fryers, grills, griddles and temperature-controlled holding cabinets.
Home chefs may or may not need a professional oven that blasts out 22,000 BTUs, but they do need to think about what type of cooking they enjoy doing so they can stock their kitchen with the right equipment, Torres said. For example, if you’re known for lasagna baked to golden perfection, a good broiler is a must. “Think about what you’re cooking, who you’re cooking for, what you love and need, and design your kitchen around that,” Torres said. Buy the best equipment you can afford. “If you’re going to be using it, don’t be afraid to spend money on it. You will have it for a long, long time,” Torres said.
Work clean Working clean in the kitchen is another way that professional chefs work safely, quickly and efficiently, England said. When cutting different types of vegetables for a meal, don’t just cut the carrots then sweep them to the side of the cutting board to make room to cut celery and onions. Instead, swipe those cut carrots into a vessel like a prep bowl. Then wipe down your cutting board and move on to the next task. It’s an extra step, but it helps to keep your prep
Think about what you’re cooking, who you’re cooking for, what you love and need, and design your kitchen around that. JACQUES TORRES
against possible cross contaminatio between ready-to-eat food and raw m poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy.
Everything in its place
“Mise en place” is a French culinary that translates to “put in place.” “Gathering all your ingredients is th step in the process,” England said. “Do your cutting. Get all of your measuring the way before you start, then when it to cook your focus is on execution.”
y phrase
he first o all of g out of t’s time
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on meat,
Invest in convenient storage solutions. England is a big fan of Tupperware and Ikea stainless steel bowls for prep work, but whatever you have on hand works.
Read the recipe through Too many people jump right into a recipe only to stumble when they get to step four and realize certain ingredients need advanced work such as marinating, softening or chilling. Even worse is starting a recipe without having all the ingredients
available. Professional chefs don’t read recipes the same way as home cooks, either. “Look at a recipe by the steps, not by ingredients,” England said. For instance, if a recipe calls for garlic, onion and chili powders to all be added together, prep them in the same bowl to save time.
Label leftovers Use clear containers to save leftovers and be sure to label them, England said.
Another great idea is to save all your vegetable scraps in a plastic bag in the freezer. When the bag is filled, dump it into a pot with some seasonings and herbs like thyme, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves to make a vegetable broth. Cook for about an hour and strain through a mesh sieve. The broth can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or frozen for later use in soup, rice or pasta dishes. “You can even go a step further and add the peels, stalks and leaves from vegetables like carrots, onion and celery,” England said.
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Make the most of your
AIR FRYER Melissa Erickson More Content Now USA TODAY NETWORK
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ooks love their gadgets, and one of the newest, most popular is the air fryer. Almost 40% of American households now own an air fryer, according to market research firm NPD group. “I was very much against yet another piece of equipment coming into my house to once again start collecting dust, or for me to scoff at and say, ‘I am a classically trained chef with 35 years’ experience. Why would I ever need this?’ I now stand corrected,” said chef Gerard Viverito, director of culinary education for Passionfish, a non-profit that teaches and promotes environmentally sound alternatives to endangered seafood species. “Although air fryers can take up some room, they are indispensable when I am short on time, want to minimize cleanup or trust the kids to cook without burning themselves,” said Viverito, an associate professor at the Culinary Institute of America. Kind of like a countertop convection oven, these trendy appliances “fry” foods with swirling super-heated air. Because they use little to no oil, air fryers are a healthier alternative to deep fryers. The trick to yummy air fried foods is adding a bit of oil so food turns out delicious, not dry, Viverito said. “I love that I can make food super crispy with just a little Malaysian-certified sustainable palm oil, which plays into my sustainability side as well as my desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle on lockdown,” he said.
“I feel like I am cheating when I eat something nice and crispy and know it wasn’t deep fried. That can be true with any course, even desserts.” Malaysian palm oil can take high temperatures without turning carcinogenic, and is nutrient-dense and sustainably produced, he said. What types of food work in an air fryer? “A better question would be what can’t you make in it,” said Viverito. “Right now, I am liking my wings made with sauces from around the world. Chicken can be quite underrated, but it truly is a blank canvas to play with. I also make beignets for the kids. They love the hot pillowy treats and I feel good knowing they were not fried.” Foods that don’t turn out well in an air fryer include foods with a wet batter, raw grains and greens. “A whole roast would be too big for most
I feel like I am cheating when I eat something nice and crispy and know it wasn’t deep fried. That can be true with any course, even desserts. GERARD VIVERITO
models. I would save it for the oven,” Viverito said. Using a small amount of oil on food being cooked in an air fryer helps them turn out crispy, but avoid canned oil sprays. “You don’t always know what is in there, and they are mostly made from pro-inflammatory seed-based oils. They really are terrible for you,” Viverito said. The ingredients that make canned sprays propellants can also damage air fryers’ mesh baskets, he said. Brush oil onto food both before you cook and again halfway through the cooking process. Or, use a spray bottle. Known for being a sustainable chef, Viverito urges readers to be a better friend to the planet. “One of the easiest ways to be more sustainable is to prevent food waste,” he said. “Pay attention to what a healthy portion looks like. Don’t buy or prepare more food than you can eat because you don’t want the leftovers to be dumped into the trash. This creates greenhouse gases, and it’s so preventable. “And when possible, support your neighborhood farmers because they contribute to your neighborhood’s ecology. You want them to stay in business, so their farms don’t get sold and turned into housing projects or gas stations.”
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Keys to healthier
dining out
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or health reasons it’s good news that many people got used to eating at home during the pandemic. A new study finds that eating out regularly is linked to an increased risk of early death.
Eating out frequently, which the study defined as two or more meals a day, is “is significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality.” The study included 35,084 adults 20 or older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2014, who reported their dietary habits including frequency of eating meals prepared away from home in a questionnaire during household interviews. It was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This is a relatively new area of research. “We are dedicated to understanding the health effects of what we eat and how we eat,” said Wei Bao, assistant professor of epidemiology in the UniverDietary quality is sity of Iowa College of Public Health. “Eating out is particularly interesting key, regardless to us because it is a popular eating of eating out or behavior in the United States and worldwide, but there was little sciat home. entific research about its long-term WEI BAO, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA impact on health outcomes. “Emerging, although still limited, evidence suggests that eating out frequently is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes. We were curious whether and how eating out may affect long-term risk of death,” Bao said. It’s not a clear-cut issue that eating out is bad, he said. Some restaurants provide high-quality foods, but others — especially fastfood chains — serve food that is often higher in fat and sodium and with lower
amounts of vegetables, whole grains and protective nutrients such as dietary fiber and antioxidants. “Occasional eating out does not seem to be bad. I am not sure whether postpandemic cooking at home will become more popular, but it is possible,” Bao said. The overall message is that frequent consumption of meals prepared away from home may not be a healthy habit. Instead, people should be encouraged to consider preparing more meals at home, the study found. When people prepare meals at home, they should follow dietary guidelines and make healthier food choices. “Dietary quality is key, regardless of eating out or at home,” Bao said. For tips to healthier eating out, Bao urged readers to follow the advice of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: • Check out menus and nutritional information online when choosing a restaurant. • Know you will be eating out? Eat lighter at other meals during the day. • Commit to eating slowly because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you are no longer hungry. • Splitting the plate may seem like a good plan, but since restaurant portions are so large that still may be too much food. Instead, visualize what your plate
looks like at home and try to replicate it at the restaurant. • Balance your meal with healthy selections from different food groups such as lean-protein foods, lowfat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. • On sandwiches choose vegetable options including lettuce, tomato, avocado and onion. For condiments, choose ketchup, mustard, relish or salsa.
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How to eat more
SUSTAINABLY (and what that means)
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f you are concerned about healthy eating for yourself and the world we live in, sustainable foods are on your mind. Producing foods at the cost of the environment is not sustainable if you are concerned about issues like habitat destruction and biodiversity loss.
“Sustainable eating is a pattern of eating that supports both the health of the individual and the environment,” said Jen Bruning, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “I think people are focusing more on sustainability because we are living in a world that is showing us evidence of poor environmental stewardship in some ways. Because food is such a personal choice, it’s a part of life that people have some control over; they feel they can make an impact with their personal choices that contributes to a larger cause and helps solve a problem.” Food waste is a huge problem. “The most sustainable diet is the one you actually eat,” Bruning said. Here’s an example: The majority of the salad greens purchased in this country are grown in the Southwest, where the climate allows highquality fresh produce to be grown for more months of the year, Bruning said. “That food took water, soil inputs, labor, refrigeration and transportation to reach you. If you then purchase the food, in this case salad greens, and they go bad in your fridge before you get around to eating them, you’re throwing away
not just that food, but wasting all the inputs that went into producing it: the water, the soil inputs, the labor, the transportation, the energy to keep the product cool. You’re also wasting those nutrients that would have gone toward helping to keep your body healthy,” she said. If salad greens fit into your healthy diet, eat them. “The point is that we need to eat what we purchase. It’s one of the easiest ways to eat more sustainably. Plan your meals, only make what you will truly consume, freeze leftovers or safely share food with neighbors who could use the help,” Bruning said. Check labels to see where your foods were grown and produced. “The closer to home, the less inputs from things like transportation and refrigeration on that truck, plus, in the case of fresh foods, what could be a longer shelf life due to shorter transit time,” Bruning said. During colder months you might need to buy foods grown farther away, so be sure to use them up to nourish your body, but look around for local options. “Some cities have year-round growing operations in greenhouses for foods like fresh vegetables. Check out farmers markets during
the season and learn from growers what it means to grow food sustainably. They are the experts on food production,” Bruning said. Try to avoid off-season foods that come from the other side of the globe that require tremendous energy inputs to reach your grocery store shelves. “Think twice before choosing fresh foods whose growing season is opposite the one you’re currently experiencing. They may have traveled from the other side of the world,” Bruning said. Check out frozen or canned options. “These fruits and veggies were picked at peak freshness and preserved in the freezer or can right away, keeping much of their nutritional profile intact,” she said. “Foods like canned tomatoes or frozen fruit will have lots of flavor and versatility, while helping you reduce food waste from fresh produce gone bad or having traveled great distances in the offseason.” Before vilifying specific foods or food groups as unsustainable, look more closely at where and how food was produced. “Learn from growers and eat what you buy to make a big impact on sustainable eating,” Bruning said.
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Keep your budget in check when FREEPIK.COM
SPENDING POST-PANDEMIC Melissa Erickson More Content Now USA TODAY NETWORK
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hether you lost income over the past year or your finances remained stable, post-pandemic budgeting may be difficult as we return to normal activities like dining out and dating. The economy may be rebounding, but people trying to make up for lost time need to watch their wallets. “It’s natural to be tempted to overspend while enjoying the return of normalcy,” said Bankrate credit analyst Ana Staples. “This may become a challenge for our budgets, since in the pandemic the majority of us haven’t spent on dining and entertainment. The savings that came from it required no effort on our part. Now it can become a challenge to get into a habit of budgeting for such expenses, especially because people are so eager to get out and enjoy dining out, drinks, brunches, clubs — all the things they’ve been missing in the pandemic.” Venturing out is safer as more people become fully vaccinated, but it’s natural to be tempted to overspend on going out, Staples said. “We’ve all missed that so much, but make sure it doesn’t leave you with not much left in your bank account or worse, with credit card
Allocate some money for dining and entertainment, consider how your gas or transportation expenses will change, set up a shopping budget if you know you’ll be venturing out to malls and outlets. ANA STAPLES, BANKRATE
debt,” she said. “Look at your budget and see how much money you can allocate to the new expenses that you expect, be it dining, concerts, shopping or travel. Try to stay within the maximum spend you’ve set for these categories so that your budget doesn’t end up with a hangover from all the fun you’ll have.” To prepare for the post-pandemic dating scene, it’s essential to review your budget and plan for new expenses. “Allocate some money for dining and entertainment, consider how your gas or transportation expenses will change, set up a shopping budget if you know you’ll be venturing out to malls and outlets,” Staples said. “It’s not going to be a fun activity, but you’ll be prepared for the change in your spending patterns and know exactly how much you can spend in every category.” Having an enjoyable time doesn’t have to be expensive. “If your post-pandemic budget is tight, come up with inexpensive or affordable
activities to enjoy with your date or your friends,” Staples said. Some low-cost dating options include browsing a bookstore, visiting an art gallery or picnicking in a park, she said. “Go hiking — just don’t do it on the first few dates. It’s not the best idea to go into the wilderness with a near stranger. ... There are so many things you can do without breaking the bank and still connect with the other person and have an amazing time. The limitations of your budget shouldn’t make you stay at home or get into debt to have fun or build relationships,” Staples said. If you’re using a credit card to pay, choose one that comes with benefits. “There are some amazing credit cards that will reward you with cash back or points/ miles on expenses like dining and entertainment. My personal favorite, for example, is the American Express Gold card that earns 4 points per dollar on dining, including takeout and delivery,” Staples said. Another good option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card that earns 2 points per dollar on dining but has a lower annual fee ($95 compared to $250 for the AmEx Gold). “I’d also recommend looking into the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards card that earns 4% cash back on dining and entertainment if you prefer cash rewards to points and miles,” Staples said.
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Who should you trust for
FINANCIAL ADVICE? Melissa Erickson More Content Now USA TODAY NETWORK
P FREEPIK.COM
eople looking for advice about their next new car or how to decorate their home often turn to social media influencers, and increasingly people are also learning about finance in the same way.
A new report from CreditCards. com finds that social media is Gen Z’s (ages 18 to 24) second-most popular resource for financial advice. Overall, Americans’ top source of finance advice was friends and family, while 31% say they do not get any financial advice at all, the study found. Talking about money is a delicate subject for most people, but an important one. “Not everyone needs a financial advisor, but everyone needs financial advice,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Credit Cards.com. The rise of social media over the past decade or so makes it unsurprising that people turn Facebook, Twitter and even TikTok not only to connect but also for advice. “The big thing is what advice are you getting? Social media can be a mixed bag, but so can the advice you get from friends and family,” Rossman said. Family members may think they know what’s right for you, but their advice may be influenced by their own experiences, he said. The key to getting good financial advice is to reach out to a variety of sources. “It’s important to remember that personal finance is very personal. Everyone’s circumstances are a bit different. That’s why it’s important to blend a variety of outside perspectives with your own experiences and goals,” Rossman said. “I don’t think any of these mediums have inherently good or bad financial advice. It’s more about what you do with it.” It’s also crucial for people “to figure out who you can trust,” he said. Friends, family and financial advisors are seen as the most trustworthy sources of advice while the media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, podcasts and social media) is less trustworthy, the study found. Other highlights of the study: • 37% of Americans said their top financial advisor is their friends and family, going up to 53% for Gen Z.
• Gen Zers are nearly five times as likely (28%) to say they get financial advice from social media as adults 41 and older (6%). • When asked who had taught them the most about how to manage money, the most common answer was “myself ” (43%), followed by mother (19%) and father (17%). One common issue is that the American education system does not uniformly prioritize teaching young people about personal finance, Rossman said. Only 21 states have personal finance course requirements in high schools, and those vary widely, according to the Council for Economic Education.
It’s important to remember that personal finance is very personal. Everyone’s circumstances are a bit different. That’s why it’s important to blend a variety of outside perspectives with your own experiences and goals. TED ROSSMAN, CREDITCARDS.COM
“A silver lining of the social media craze is that at least people are talking more frequently about personal finance, and that should be beneficial,” said Rossman, who mentioned the Robinhood/GameStop controversy of early 2021 as well as people’s interest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Make sure to figure out what works for you when tuning into financial advice online from well-known experts like Suze Orman and David Bach or newer influencers like Sahirenys Pierce (@poisedfinancelifestyle) or Humphrey Yang (@humphrey talks). “Don’t take advice blindly. Take everything with a grain of salt,” Rossman said. Ask yourself some questions such as what are your values and goals, what are you looking to accomplish? Talk to your spouse or partner. Financial infidelity, secret spending and hidden credit cards are real issues many couples face, Rossman said. Check out free resources that are available such as workplace 401(k) plans, credit counseling agencies, podcasts and your personal bank.
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