May 28, National Brisket Day Brisket on Rye Makeover

After

The original sandwich contained 6-1/2 ounces of brisket. By cutting back the brisket to 2 ounces lean saves 470 calories. Add vegetables to give the sandwich height, fiber and additional nutrients.

Ingredients

2 oz Brisket, lean

2 sl Rye Bread w/seeds

1 Onion, sliced

1/3 Red Pepper, grilled 

1 Romaine Leaves

6 Grape Tomatoes 

1/3 Cucumber, chopped

1 Tbsp Light Vinaigrette

Food Facts

Brisket is a beef cut taken from the breast or lower chest section, behind the foreshank. Brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut. In order to tenderize, the meat requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues. 

Methods of Cooking
1. Basting
2. Smoking: Rubbing with a spice rub or marinating, then cooking slowly over indirect heat from charcoal or wood.

Tradition / Culture
Jewish: Braised as a pot roast; or cut for corned beef, which is further spiced and smoked to make pastrami.

Hong Kong: Cooked with spices over low heat until tender, and is commonly served with noodles in soup or curry.

Korean: Traditionally it is first boiled at low temperature with aromatic vegetables, then pressed with a heavy object overnight and served thinly sliced.

Britain: Cooked very slowly in a lidded casserole dish with gravy. The dish, known as a pot roast in the USA but more commonly as braised or stewed beef in the UK, is often accompanied by root vegetables.

Resource
Wikipedia. Brisket
ESHA, Food Processor

World Hunger Day

World Hunger Day is an initiative by The Hunger Project. Started in 2011, it aims to celebrate sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty.

This year, the day will highlight the importance of "fostering self-reliance, upholding principles of human dignity and recognizing that every human is inherently creative, resourceful, responsible and productive. Decades of systematic marginalization have kept people from making lasting changes in their communities.

A holistic development approach — one that includes peacebuilding, social harmony, human rights and good governance — is essential to ensuring the empowerment of people living in hunger and poverty.

More than 815 million people in the world do not have enough food.

Join #WorldHungerDay and make a difference in the poorest communities.

The Hunger Project believes ending hunger is possible when we empower people to become agents of change, lifting themselves - and their communities - out of hunger and poverty for the long term.

May, Older Americans Month Nutrition and Wellness for Older Adults

Special Message for Older Americans Month 2020

Theme: Make Your Mark!
Remember to #SocialDistance #WearMask #EatRight #StayinTouch 

Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. The theme for 2020 is ‘Make Your Mark’.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors hold a special significance.

In the early ’60s, only 17 million Americans had reached their 65th birthday. Today we have about 52 million older Americans, and that’s according to the 2018 Census data. 

“We need to continue to protect older Americans as they remain the most vulnerable to the ravages of the Coronavirus,” said Dr. Kostelic.

And that doesn’t end when the country begins to reopen. Dr. Kostelic says, “We can’t forget these vulnerable populations and things that we can still do to support them and help inspire them and inspire joy.”

For some ideas on how to ‘Make Your Mark’, click HERE.

Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging

Take Care of Those Who Took Care of You

Resources

Administration for Community Living. Older Americans Month

AARP. http://www.aarp.org/ 

Nutrition.gov.  Resources for Seniors from Nutrition.gov

National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month

Vidalia onion is a sweet onion with varieties including the hybrid yellow granex, varieties of granex parentage, and other similar varieties recommended by the Vidalia Onion Committee and approved by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The onions are named Vidalia because of where they are grown: Vidalia, Georgia. The growing of Vidalia onions there started in the early 1930s. The different varieties are unusually sweet, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which the onions are grown.

The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official state vegetable in 1990.

Selection

Look for firm onions without decay or blemishes. There should be no sprouts attached and the skins should be dry.

Storage

Store Vidalia onions at room temperature in the legs of clean, sheer pantyhose. Tie a knot between each Vidalia and cut above the knot when ready to use. Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. On elevated racks or screens, not touching and in a cool place. In the refrigerator, wrap individually in paper towels for up to 6 months. Vidalia onions can also be frozen, either whole or chopped. Frozen onions should be used only for cooking purposes.

Nutrition Profile

Vidalia onions are fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol free, sodium free, a good source of vitamin C and chromium.

Skillet-Charred Vidalia Onion Salad, CookingLight

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day

Fruits and Vegetables Key Consumer Message:

Dietary Recommendations 

for Americans, 2015 - 2020 

Fruits and Vegetables 

There are three reasons to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.

1. Most vegetables and fruits contribute a wide variety of nutrients, including folate, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. 

2. Consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

3. Most fruits and vegetables have no cholesterol and are low in calories and fat. Eating more will help maintain a healthy weight.

From MyPlate.gov
What Foods Are in the Fruit and Vegetable Groups?

Fruits. Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.

In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the Fruit Group. The following link lists specific fruits and amounts that count as one cup of fruit (or in some cases equivalents for ½ cup are noted.) MyPlate Fruits. 

Vegetables. Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the Vegetable Group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.  Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups, based on their nutrient content. Dark-green vegetables; Red and orange vegetables; Beans and peas (legumes); Starchy vegetables; and Others. 

In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens is considered as 1 cup from the Vegetable Group. The following link lists specific vegetables and amounts that count as 1 cup of vegetables (or in some cases equivalents for ½ cup are noted).  MyPlate Vegetables. 

Safety with Fruits and Vegetables

* Rinse and wash fruits and vegetables before preparing or eating them. Under clean, running water, rub fruits and vegetables briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. Dry with a clean cloth towel or paper towel after rinsing.
* Keep fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood while shopping, preparing and storing.

Teaching Kids to Eat Their
Fruits and Vegetables


Healthy Kids PSA: Color of Life

Presented by Fruits and Veggies, More Matters

Bring color to your life, and your plate, with nutritious, delicious vegetables.
Visit Fruits and Veggies, More Matters
for healthy recipes, menus,
fruit and vegetable nutrition information,
tips on healthy meal planning and
how to get your
kids involved in healthy cooking!



Fruits and Vegetables Song

Resources

1. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

2. Fruits and Veggies, More Matters

3. MyPlate.gov