Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Be Grateful, Eat Less

Can practicing gratitude help you make healthier food choices? The answer is, YES! Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology indicated that practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on your food choices. Participants were asked to pick 1 of 3 topics to focus on: gratitude to someone that helped them with their health, […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne E. Scammahorn, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Darke County

REVIEWED BY: Melissa Rupp, MS , Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Fulton County

SOURCES:

  • Conlon, C. (nd). 40 Simple ways to practice gratitude. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html
  • Fritz, M., Armenta, C., Walsh, L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Gratitude facilitates healthy eating behavior in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 81(4-14). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103117308569
  • Harmon, M. (2019, April 11). Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/harmon-416osu-edu/dont-worry-be-happy/
  • Harmon, M. (2017, August 11). Thank you. Live Smart Ohio, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/harmon-416osu-edu/thank-you/
  • Hopper, E. (2019, November 19). Four Ways Gratitude Helps You with Difficult Feelings. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_gratitude_helps_you_with_difficult_feelings#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20grateful%20people,stress%20and%20regulating%20their%20emotions.&text=Feeling%20grateful%20can%20bring%20us,physical%20health%20and%20improved%20relationships.
  • Scammahorn, R. (2020, March 30). Emotional eating…the battle within. Live Healthy Live Well, Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved from https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/03/30/emotional-eatingthe-battle-within/

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/

Water Filling Stations Coming to New School Buildings in Ohio!

“NO WATER FOUNTAIN DUE TO COVID-19” “DRINKING FOUNTAIN HAS BEEN TURNED OFF FOR YOUR SAFETY” “WATER BOTTLE FILLING ONLY – DO NOT DRINK FROM WATER FOUNTAIN” Signs like these went up everywhere in 2020. Drinking fountains were closed because they have “high touch”, moist surfaces that potentially allow the COVID-19 virus to survive and spread. […]

WRITTEN BY: Carol A Smathers, Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, OSU Extension

REVIEWED BY: Candace J. Heer, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Morrow County

SOURCES:

  • Bright, KR, Boone, SA, and Gerba, CP. Occurrence of Bacteria and Viruses on Elementary Classroom Surfaces and the Potential Role of Classroom Hygiene in the Spread of Infectious Diseases. Journal of School Nursing. Volume:26; issue:1, pgs: 33-41, https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840509354383
  • Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010;68(8):439-458.
  • Kempton MJ, Ettinger U, Foster R, et al. Dehydration affects brain structure and function in healthy adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp. 2011;32:71-79.
  • Wang Y C, Ludwig DS, Sonneville K, Gortmaker SL. Impact of change in sweetened caloric beverage consumption on energy intake among children and adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009; 163(4):336-343.
  • Zheng M, Rangan A, Olsen NJ, Andersen LB, Wedderkopp N, Kristensen P, Grøntved A, Ried-Larsen M, Lempert SM, Allman-Farinelli M, Heitmann BL. Substituting sugar-sweetened beverages with water or milk is inversely associated with body fatness development from childhood to adolescence. Nutrition. 2015 Jan;31(1):38-44. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.04.017. Epub 2014 May 9. PMID: 25441586.
  • Community Services Task Force. Preventing Dental Caries: Community Water Fluoridation. http://www.thecommunityguide.org/oral/fluoridation.html.
  • National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, 7 CFR § 210.10(a)(1). http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-28/pdf/2013-15249.pdf.

REFERENCES:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Increasing Access to Drinking Water in Schools. Atlanta GA: US Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2014. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/npao/pdf/water_access_in_schools_508.pdf
  • Voices for Healthy Kids—Water Access in Schools Toolkit, https://waterinschools.voicesforhealthykids.org/
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—Water in Schools and Childcare Facilities http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/schools/guidance.cfm
  • USDA—Memorandum on Water Availability During Meal Service.https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/clarification-milk-and-water-requirements-school-meal-program
  • Ohio Senate Bill 259—Fiscal Note, https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/download?key=15395&format=pdf

Create “New” Family Traditions in 2021

If you are reading this message, I am successful in attracting your attention in today’s world of constant change and distractions.  Perhaps the word that attracted you was “new”, family or traditions.  I used this oxymoron to produce a special effect that highlights our ability to make planned changes.   As we move into 2021 let […]

WRITTEN BY: Margaret Jenkins

REVIEWED BY: Marie Economos

SOURCES:

  • https://u.osu.edu/extensionclermont/2021/01/04/turn-your-resolutions-into-real-solutions/
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5242 Stress Coping Strategies
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5809 Aging

REFERENCES:

  • Jordan, Joelle D. The Evolution of the American Family, http://hdl.handle.net/2148/58, 2006
  • https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5243 Mindfulness Practice
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, (2020) Your Money Your Goals. https://consumerfinance.gov/practitioner-resources/your-money-your-goal

Stocking Up for When You’re Stuck at Home – Part 2: How $180 in groceries fed 2 people for 20 days ($1.50/meal)

Three weeks ago, I wrote about stocking up for staying at home. I had gone shopping on March 13, after being away for over a week. Because many grocery shelves were bare, I had to make some substitutions and compromises and to shop at three different stores in Columbus to get items that would provide […]

WRITTEN BY: Carol Smathers, MS, MPH, Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist in Youth Wellness and Nutrition

REVIEWED BY: Roseanne Scammahorn, PhD, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County and Susan Zies, M.Ed., Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wood County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Carol Smathers

SOURCES:

  • https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/food/smathers-14osu-edu/stocking-up-for-when-youre-stuck-at-home-healthy-food-for-less-than-2-meal/
  • http://cookingmatters.org/tips/10-tips-stock-your-pantry
  • https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-make-better-food-choices
  • https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/media/file/CostofFoodFeb2020.pdf
  • https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/76/6/1207/4689551
  • https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200331-how-to-eat-a-healthy-diet-when-work-from-home-coronavirus
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/04/01/go-grocery-shopping-every-two-weeks-you-can-and-without-hoarding/
  • https://celebrateyourplate.org/tips/shopping

REFERENCES:

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition.

Healthy Eating for Healthy Aging

Most people are aware of the numerous changes that our bodies undergo as we age. Did you know that our nutritional needs also change with age? Metabolism tends to slow with age, yet nutrient needs increase for certain vitamins and minerals. Learning how to balance these changes and continue eating healthy meals may seem difficult. […]

WRITTEN BY: Olivia Levine, Dietetic Intern, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University

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

SOURCES:

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2019). The MIND Diet. https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/nutrition-trends/health-promotion/the-mind-diet
  • Health in Aging (2018). Nutrition. https://www.healthinaging.org/a-z-topic/nutrition
  • Morris, M.C., Tangney, C.C., Wang, Y., Sacks, F.M., Bennett, D.A. & Aggarwal, N.T. (2015). MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia; 11(9), 1007-14. https://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/article/S1552-5260(15)00017-5/fulltext
  • Pearson, K. (2017). The MIND Diet: A Detailed Guide for Beginners. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mind-diet

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.
Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!

Follow us!