Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

fruits and vegetables

National Nutrition Month

Did you know March is National Nutrition Month? As defined by Merriam-Webster, nutrition is the act or process of nourishing or being nourished. We can nourish ourselves by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a healthy balanced diet includes making half of […]

WRITTEN BY: Caitlin Mathews-Smith, OSU Extension, Guernsey County, Family and Consumer Sciences

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Franklin County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • "MyPlate Servings". Gleaners Nutrition Hub, http://www.gleanersnutritionhub.org/blog/archives/12-2020.
  • Photo taken by Caitlin Mathews-Smith

REFERENCES:

  • MyPlate | U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). MyPlate | U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.myplate.gov/
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. National Nutrition Month. https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-month-2023

Salad Toss Up

Salads can be designed in so many ways that we could eat a different combination each day throughout National Salad Month. Although lettuce might be the most common base, don’t forget pastas, fruits and potato salads. The UC Davis Department of Nutrition shares ways for families to enjoy salads with these easy tips: Welcome creativity […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Perry County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • pixabay

REFERENCES:

  • Celebrate National Salad Month! (2021). Produce for Better Health. https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/celebrate-national-salad-month/
  • Celebrate National Salad Month! (2019). Center for Nutrition in Schools (CNS), UC Davis Nutrition Department. https://cns.ucdavis.edu/news/celebrate-national-salad-month
  • Create a Salad, (n.d.). Create better health, SNAP-Ed, Utah State University Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/fscreate/ou-files/2020-22-staff/Create_Salad.pdf
  • English, E and Miller, B. (2020) Salads and Dressings. https://scotland.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/05/salads-and-dressings/
  • Henneman, A. (n.d.). 12 Tasty Salad Toppers. University of Nebraska Extension. https://food.unl.edu/12-tasty-salad-toppers
  • How to make salad dressing, (n.d.). Spend Smart Eat Smart. https://www.extension.iastate.edu/jasper/sites/www.extension.iastate.edu/files/jasper/How%20to%20Make%20Salad%20Dressing%20-%20May%20%2714.pdf
  • Lobb, J. (2018). Spring Salad. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/food/lobb-3osu-edu/spring-salads/
  • Salads, (n.d.) University of Maine, Cooperative Extension https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/recipes/salads/

Here Figgy, Figgy

If you’ve ever eaten a fig before, raise your hand.  If that fig was in a cookie form (you know which one what I’m talking about), put your hand down. I thought so. The majority of people in this country have never eaten a plain fresh or dried fig. So you might not know that […]

WRITTEN BY: Melissa Welker M.Ed., B.S., Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Fulton County, Maumee Valley EERA, welker.87@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Donna Green, Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County, Erie Basin EERA, green.308@osu.edu

SOURCES:

  • www.bonappetit.com
  • www.californiafigs.com
  • www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org

A Tomato A Day…

  Ohio farmers and gardeners harvest a cornucopia of tomatoes in late summer. Yes, they are a fruit from a horticultural perspective, but nutritionists would say they’re vegetables since they’re low in fructose but high in phytonutrients, vitamins A and C. A tomato a day, no matter what the form whether consumed fresh, frozen, sauced, […]

Delicious Foods: Brought to You By Pollinators

How can you enjoy National Pollinator Week, June 20- 26, 2016?  Eat some great food! National Pollinator Week is a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what you can do to protect them.  The Pollinator Partnership has great information about Pollinator Week, “a celebration of the valuable ecosystem service provided by bees, […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, Ohio State University Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Donna Green, Family and Consumer Science Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County

SOURCES:

  • Bees Create a Buzz with Annual 4-H Challenge http://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/bees-create-buzz-with-annual-4-h-challenge
  • USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Infographic%20008_March%202016%20FINAL_0.pdf
  • North American Pollinator Protection Campaign Pollinator Friendly Meal Ideas http://pollinator.org/Resources/Pollinator%20Recipes%204%206%2007%20AZ.pdf
  • The Pollinator Partnership http://pollinator.org/pollinatorweek/

Asparagus Season is Here!

Spring brings about the growth of gardens and the opening of many Farmer’s Markets in Middle America. One of the first vegetables that we typically see available in Ohio, locally grown, is asparagus. If you plan to purchase this tasty treat, look for asparagus that is nearly all green with medium size and firm stalks. […]

WRITTEN BY: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County.

REVIEWED BY: Liz Smith, Regional Program Specialist, SNAP-ED, Ohio State University Extension.

SOURCES:

  • National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store/ksu_refrig_freeze.pdf, http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/blanching.html
  • Penn State Extension: http://extension.psu.edu/health/nutrition-links/pennsylvania-produce/produce-buying-guide/asparagus
  • Fruits and Veggies More Matters: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/asparagus
  • Penn State Extension: http://extension.psu.edu/health/nutrition-links/pennsylvania-produce/produce-buying-guide/asparagus

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