National Salmon Day - Recipe, Nutrition Profile, and Health Benefits

Salmon with Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Ingredients
3 ounces Salmon, grilled
1/3 cup Rice Pilaf
1/2 cup Green Beans

Health Benefits of Salmon

1. Salmon is a fish high in omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that may help lower cholesterol levels and support heart health.

2. Salmon is rich in high-quality protein. Your body requires protein to heal, protect bone health, and prevent muscle loss, among other things. Salmon provides 22–25 grams of protein per 3.5-ounce serving.

3. Salmon is an excellent source of several B vitamins, which are needed for energy production, controlling inflammation, and protecting heart and brain health.

4. 100 grams of salmon provide 11–18% of the RDI of potassium, which helps control blood pressure and prevent excess fluid retention.

5. A 100-gram serving of salmon provides 59–67% of the RDI of selenium, a mineral involved in protecting bone health, improving thyroid function, and reducing the risk of cancer.

6. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant found in salmon that may benefit heart, brain, nervous system, and skin health.

7. Consuming salmon can help protect against heart disease by increasing levels of omega-3 fats, decreasing levels of omega-6 fats, and lowering triglycerides.

8. Consuming salmon may help you control your weight by reducing appetite, boosting metabolic rate, increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing belly fat.

9. Salmon and other fatty fish can help lower inflammation, which may reduce risk factors for several diseases and improve symptoms in people with inflammatory conditions.

10. Frequent salmon consumption may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, protect fetal brain health in pregnancy, and decrease the risk of age-related memory problems.

11. Salmon has a delicious flavor and can be prepared in many ways. Canned salmon is a convenient and inexpensive option.

Resource
1. 11 Impressive Health Benefits of Salmon, Healthline, Franziska Spritzler, #RDN
2. Salmon Recipes, delicious

National Pierogi Day - Potato Pierogis

The origins of pierogi date back hundreds of years and are deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Eastern and Central Europe. While their exact origins are debated, most historians attribute their beginnings to Poland, where pierogi became a national dish and cultural symbol. Early mentions of this dish appear in Polish cookbooks as far back as the 13th century, describing filled dumplings served during holidays and celebrations.

Some theories suggest that pierogi were influenced by Asian dumplings, which were brought to Europe by traders or travelers along the Silk Road. Others link their spread to Ukrainian, Russian, and Slavic communities, where similar dumplings—such as varenyky, pelmeni, and pirohy—developed regional variations.

Pierogi were traditionally made for special occasions:

• Christmas Eve (Wigilia) – filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms

• Easter – sweet versions with fruit or cheese

• Harvest festivals – hearty potato or buckwheat fillings

When Polish and Eastern European immigrants arrived in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they brought pierogi recipes with them.

Today, cities like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit proudly celebrate their heritage with pierogi festivals, family recipes, and even pierogi races at baseball games.

These little dumplings have evolved into a global comfort food, symbolizing home, tradition, and togetherness — delicious reminders of the cultural journeys that shaped them.

Recipe

Pierogi are often semi-circular, but triangular and rectangular ones are also found. Typically, it may be stuffed with mashed potatoes, fried onions, cheese, cabbage, sauerkraut, meat, mushrooms, spinach, or other ingredients, depending on the cook's preferences. Dessert versions of the dumpling can be stuffed with cheese or a fresh fruit filling, such as cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, or apples.

Potato Pierogis
4 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup cold mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (2 ounces)
24 wonton wrappers, (about 6 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions
1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in mashed potatoes and cheese.
3. Lay a wonton wrapper on a cutting board. (Keep remaining wrappers covered.) Cut wrapper into a circle with a 3-inch round cookie cutter, preferably serrated.
4. Place about 2 teaspoons potato filling just to one side of the center of the circle.
5. Moisten the edges with water, using a pastry brush. Fold wrapper over filling and press edges together to seal.
6. Flute the edge with the tines of a fork. (Be careful not to pierce the wrapper.)
7. Set the pierogi on a baking sheet and continue filling pierogis until the filling is used up. (Keep prepared pierogis covered with a damp cloth as you work.)
8. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; add sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly caramelized, 10 to 20 minutes. (Reduce heat and/or add a little water, if necessary, to prevent scorching.) Set aside and keep warm.
9. Drop in about half the pierogis in boiling water. Cook until wrappers are tender and pierogis float to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. Retrieve the pierogis with a slotted spoon and place them in a pan with onions. Repeat with the remaining pierogis.
10. Place the pierogis and onions over medium-low heat and shake the pan to coat the pierogis with onions; warm through. Serve immediately with reduced-fat sour cream.

Resources

History of Pierogi” — Upstate Pierogi Co. describes how pierogi evolved from peasant food into a staple across social classes, with special varieties for holidays.  https://www.upstatepierogico.com/history-of-pierogi 

“Poland’s Most Famous Dish: PIEROGI” — Discusses regional variety, meaning of pierogi ruskie, and their role in Polish cuisine.  https://culture.pl/en/article/polands-most-famous-dish-pierogi 

“Pierogi | Meaning, Types, Recipe & Polish Culture” — Encyclopædia Britannica. Covers origin stories, first mentions in Polish cookbooks (e.g. Compendium Ferculorum 1682) & filling varieties.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/pierogi 

“Where Did Pierogi Originate From? The History Of …” PolishFoodies. Explores theories linking pierogi to Asian dumplings via travel routes and describes arrival in Poland by 13th century.  https://polishfoodies.com/where-did-pierogi-originate-from/

October 6, National Noodle Day - Vegetarian Pad Thai

Noodles are a food made from doughs containing such foods as rice, wheat, potato, buckwheat, maize, legumes, and nuts. There are various shapes, from long, thin ribbons, strips, curly waves, pipes, tubes, and strings. Noodles are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil. Depending upon the type, noodles may be dried or refrigerated before cooking.

Vegetarian Pad Thai, premade 
(stir-fried rice noodle)

Nutritional Analysis

Resources and References
1. The Nibble: Noodles
2. Wikipedia: Noodle
3. EatingWell, Healthy Noodle Recipes

Nutritional Analysis Services
Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus, utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites, and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services.

Contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND
recipenews@gmail.com
954-294-6300

Family Health and Fitness Day USA

Family Health and Fitness Day USA is a national health and fitness event for families on the second Saturday in June.  

The event aims to promote the importance of regular physical activity for children and their parents. Families will participate in health promotion events at hundreds of locations nationwide, including YMCAs and health clubs, park districts, schools, houses of worship, and state and local health organizations.

It's Family Time!

You can jump rope, ride bikes, and take a walk as a family. Remember to be safe by using sunscreen, bike helmets, and staying hydrated.

National Punch Day

FDA does not have a specific definition or standard of identity for punch, or any other requirement that a punch contains fruit juice. A punch may be an artificially flavored beverage, with or without natural flavorings, or it may be made from tea and other ingredients, exclusive of fruit juice. Such products must be clearly distinguished from products which are made from fruit juices or fruit concentrates or purees. Products containing artificial or natural flavors must be labeled in accordance with 21 CFR 101.22.

Read the Label. An educated consumer has the knowledge to make wise decisions.

Monte Cristo Sandwich - Make it Light

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Ingredients
3 tablespoons honey mustard
8 (1-ounce) slices white bread
4 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese
4 (1-ounce) thinly sliced smoked ham
1/3 cup fat-free milk
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Directions
1. Spread 1 teaspoon honey mustard over each bread slice.
2. Place 1 oz swiss cheese slice on each of 4 bread slices.
3. Divide ham evenly over cheese.
4. Cover with the remaining 4 bread slices, mustard sides down.
5. Combine milk and egg whites in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into milk mixture.
6. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
7. Cook sandwiches for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
8. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar.

National Read a Book Day for the Young Foodie

  National Read a Book Day for the Young Foodie 

A day to inspire children to pick up a book and get reading. 

The Girls Who Lived in the Refrigerator Hardcover – July 30, 2024, by David Grotto (Author), Brian Dumm (Illustrator)

Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition
by Lizzy Rockwell  

Healthy Foods around the World
by Beth Bence Reinke, RDN  

National Geographic Kids Cookbook:
A Year-Round Fun FoodAdventure
by Barton Seave  

Kid Chef Junior: My First Kids Cookbook

by Anjali Shah  

Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are
Good for You: AllAbout Staying Healthy
by Tish Rabe  

National Food Bank Day - How we can make a difference?

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children, and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.

It’s time to educate ourselves about the causes of hunger in America. 

Feeding America network of 200 food banks across the country are first-class organizations in the fight against hunger. They are more than just distribution centers, they are core to providing hope to the communities they serve.

The following is a summary of the information found on the Feeding America Website. 

Nearly 49 million people in America face hunger. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5 children. Don’t let their struggles go unheard. Join the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks and Speak Out Against Hunger. 

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Feeding America provides emergency food assistance to an estimated 37 million low-income people annually, a 46 percent increase from 25 million since Hunger in America 2010.

Among members of Feeding America, 74 percent of pantries, 65 percent of kitchens, and 54 percent of shelters reported that there had been an increase since 2006 in the number of clients who come to their emergency food program sites.

Hunger can affect anyone. Feeding America has identified groups at risk, including young children, hunger in the suburbs, rural hunger, senior hunger, and the working poor.

Special on Childhood Hunger
Kate is a fictional character who represents the very situation in which many children find themselves when their parents lose their jobs. Find out how you can help.  http://www.feedingamerica.org/ways-to-give/

Childhood hunger hinders a young person's ability to learn. They are more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens. Insufficient nutrition puts children at risk for illness and weakens their immune system. The immature immune systems of young children, ages 0 – 5, make them especially vulnerable to nutritional deprivation and as a result, the ability to learn, grow, and fight infections is adversely affected.

Please find out how you can help during National Food Bank Day. 

More Herbs, Less Salt Day and National Lemon Juice Day

Instead of salt, use spices, herbs, lemon juice,
and/or vinegar to enhance the taste of your food.
The health benefits are life-long.

Wikipedia has provided an extensive list of culinary herbs and spices. The list does not contain salt (which is a mineral) or plants used primarily as herbal teas or medicinal herbs. Explore the different flavors and cultures.

Tips for Selecting and Storing
Herbs and Spices

Spice it Up with
Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD

Where does sodium come from?

Sodium comes from natural sources or is added to foods. Most foods in their natural state contain some sodium. However, the majority of sodium Americans consume comes from sodium added to processed foods by manufacturers. While some of this sodium is added to foods for safety reasons, the amount of salt added to processed foods is above what is required for the safety and function of the food supply.

Reading Labels
When you buy prepared and packaged foods, read the labels. You can tell the sodium content by looking at the Nutrition Facts panel of a food. Listed are the amount for sodium, in milligrams (mg), and the “% Daily Value.” Also read the ingredient list to watch for the words "soda" (referring to sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda), "sodium" and the symbol "Na" to see if the product contains sodium.

Salt and/or Sodium Descriptors

• Salt-Free:  Meets requirements for "sodium-free."
• Sodium Free: Fewer than 5 milligrams sodium per serving.
• Very Low Sodium:  35 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
• Low Sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving 
• Reduced Sodium:  At least 25 percent less sodium per serving.
• Unsalted:  Has no salt added during processing. To use this term, the product it resembles must normally be processed with salt and the label must note that the food is not a sodium-free food if it does not meet the requirements for "sodium-free".

The FDA and USDA state an individual food that has the claim "healthy" must not exceed 480 mg sodium per reference amount. "Meal type" products must not exceed 600 mg sodium per labeled serving size.

Sodium and Hypertension.
In order for a food to make an Allowable Health Claim, it must contain a defined amount of nutrients. In relationship to sodium and Hypertension, the amount is 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving.

American Heart Association (AHA)
The American Heart Association recommends you choose and prepare foods with little or no salt to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (less than 3/4 teaspoon of salt).
The AHA is working with federal agencies to identify ways to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply. The association is encouraging food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in foods by 50 percent over a 10-year period. AHA will help Americans lower the amount of sodium they consume by the following strategies:
 1. Reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply,
 2. Make more healthy foods available (e.g., more fruits and vegetables); and
 3. Provide consumers with education and decision-making tools to make better choices.

 Tips for reducing sodium in the diet
 1.  Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
 2.  Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas, and lentils.
 3.  Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
 4.  Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
 5.  Select unsalted, lower sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
 6.  Select fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses, and low-fat yogurt.
 7.  Use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food. 
 8.  Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables.
 9.  When dining out, ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
10. Don’t use the salt shaker.

National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day and Raisin Bread French Toast

Raisin Bread French Toast with Banana 

Topped with Crushed Gingersnap Cookie 

Recipe Resources
CDKitchen, Inc.

National Coffee Ice Cream Day - Nutrition Profile and Coffee Ice Cream Soda

Coffee Ice Cream Soda

National Tailgating Day - Food Safety Advice from the USDA

Tailgate Parties Food Safety Advice From USDA

A tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which originated in the United States, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts. People attending such a party are said to be 'tailgating'. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates. Tailgate parties also involve people bringing their own alcoholic beverages, barbecues, food etc. which is sampled and shared among fans attending the tailgate. Tailgates are intended to be non-commercial events, so selling items to the fans is frowned upon.

Tailgate parties have spread to the pre-game festivities at sporting events besides football, such as basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball, and also occur at non-sporting events such as weddings, barbecues, and concerts

National Welsh Rarebit Day

Welsh rarebit is a dish made with a savory sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot, after being poured over slices (or other pieces) of toasted bread, or the hot cheese sauce maybe served in a chafing dish like a fondue, accompanied by sliced, toasted bread. The names of the dish originate from 18th-century Britain. Despite the name, the dish does not actually contain any rabbit.

Welsh Rarebit - delicious. magazine  

The first recorded reference to the dish was "Welsh rabbit" in 1725, but the origin of the term is unknown.

There is some suggestion that Welsh Rabbit derives from a South Wales Valleys staple, in which a generous lump of cheese is placed into a mixture of beaten eggs and milk, seasoned with salt and pepper and baked in the oven until the egg mixture has firmed and the cheese has melted. Onion may be added and the mixture would be eaten with bread and butter and occasionally with the vinegar from pickled beetroot

Resource

Welsh rarebit, Wikipedia  

Lemonade Day

Lemonade Day
Do you remember the Lemonade Stands? 

Today, the children have better marketing skills.

Lemonade Day is a fun, experiential program that teaches youth how to start, own, and operate a lemonade stand. Participating cities allow youth to experience entrepreneurship each year by setting up their businesses during their city's community-wide Lemonade Day.

By teaching key analytical skills, financial literacy, and decision-making, we foster self-esteem and new mindsets that can propel youth to success. Our mission is to help today's youth become the business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers, and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow.

How to Start a Lemonade Stand: A Guide for Kids and Parents

A lemonade stand is more than just a fun summertime tradition; it’s a wonderful opportunity for kids to explore entrepreneurship, learn valuable life skills, and connect with their community. With the support of parents, children can turn a simple idea into a meaningful experience.

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Why Start a Lemonade Stand?

Starting a lemonade stand offers kids hands-on lessons in business basics, including marketing, budgeting, and customer service. Parents play a key role by offering guidance and resources, helping their children learn how to plan, problem-solve, and work toward a goal.

This activity also provides quality family bonding time and teaches core values like responsibility, perseverance, and creativity.

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Benefits of a Lemonade Stand for Kids

1. Developing Entrepreneurial Skills: Kids learn to create a business plan, set prices, manage inventory, and promote their stand. These early lessons provide a strong foundation for future ventures.

2. Learning Responsibility Running a lemonade stand involves handling money, managing supplies, and serving customers—all great ways to build accountability and independence.

3. Encouraging Creativity. From designing signs to inventing new lemonade flavors, kids get to express themselves and build creative thinking skills.

4. Building Confidence. Successfully managing a stand can boost a child’s self-esteem and encourage a positive attitude toward challenges.

5. Teaching Work Ethic Children learn the value of hard work and persistence, key traits for school and life success.

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Planning Your Lemonade Stand Business

Choose a Great Location. Look for areas with high foot traffic, such as parks, beaches, or outside grocery stores.

Design Your Stand and Signage: Use bright colors and fun decorations to make your stand inviting. Eye-catching signs can draw in more customers.

Decide on a Menu and Price. Offer a variety of lemonade flavors or snacks. Price your items to cover costs and allow for a small profit.

Create a Budget and Track Profits. Help your child outline the costs (cups, lemons, sugar, etc.) and calculate potential earnings. This is a great lesson in financial literacy.

Marketing and Running the Stand

Promote Your Stand: Use flyers, social media (with a parent’s help), and word-of-mouth to attract customers. Offering discounts or special deals can increase sales.

Create a Fun Atmosphere. Add music, decorations, or a theme to make your stand stand out and create a memorable customer experience.

Provide Excellent Customer Service. Teach your child to greet customers warmly, answer questions, and thank them for their support.

Handle Money Safely: Give your child opportunities to count change and track sales—important skills in budgeting and accuracy.

Maintain Cleanliness and Safety. Ensure the stand area is clean, drinks are handled hygienically, and safety rules are followed. Teach kids to be mindful of hazards and respectful of their space.

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Starting a lemonade stand is a rewarding journey beyond selling drinks. It teaches kids how to set goals, work hard, and build confidence. With a little support from parents, young entrepreneurs can develop the skills and mindset they’ll carry for life.

Recipe: Raspberry Lemonade

Raspberries contain high levels of ellagic acid, a polyphenol and antioxidant being studied as a food in the fight against cancer. They are also rich in anthocyanins, a flavonoid compound that gives them their red color. Anthocyanins may help protect the circulatory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber, and are a low-glycemic index food.

National Potato Day

Potatoes are one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers. It is a starchy, tuberous crop. Potatoes are the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice.

Nutrition

One medium potato (5.3 oz) with the skin contains:
110 Calories; Vitamin C (45 % DV); 620 mg potassium; Vitamin B6 (10 % DV); No Fat; No Sodium; No Cholesterol; and Trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids and flavonoids.

About 20% of the potato’s nutrition is found in the skin.  Most of the vitamin C and potassium are found in the potato’s flesh, but fiber is found in the skin.  That’s why it’s best to enjoy every part of the potato.

According to MyPlate, Potatoes are a vegetable.  It counts toward the total recommended servings of vegetables. One medium-sized potato (5.3 oz.) counts as 1 cup of starchy vegetables.

Recipe

Rose, Gold, and Purple Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 Small Round Potatoes: 
  1 Honey Gold 
  2 Enchanted Rose
  2 Purple Splendor
Dash Curry Powder
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Italian Dressing, fat-free

Directions
1. Roast potatoes and dice.
2. In a bowl combine curry, mustard, and Italian dressing. Mix.
3. Add potatoes to the marinade and coat well.

Nutrition Information