Health Awareness

July is

• Eat Beans Day 3rd
• Macaroni Day 7th
• Hamburger Day 28th
• Berry Month
• Blueberry Month
• Culinary Arts Month
• Grilling Month
• Ice Cream Month
• Picnic Month

Chew on This: Meal Planning Tips with Limited Grocery Store Access Part 2

• Pull out the cookbooks that might be hidden somewhere and find a recipe that you have all the ingredients on hand for and try a new recipe. You might be surprised and find a new family favorite.
• Make leftovers into something new or cook once, eat twice. Repurpose that leftover cooked chicken into either chicken salad sandwiches or quesadillas or make a big batch of spaghetti sauce or gumbo and eat at least 2 meals on it.
• For ideas of how to “Cook Once, Eat Twice”, the following link has videos from the LSU AgCenter along with some tasty recipes.

• If you have a lot of breakfast foods in your inventory, mix things up a bit and do break-fast for dinner. Most kids will enjoy having breakfast at night and they can get in the kitchen to assist you in the meal preparation.
• Hang your meal plan calendar either on the pantry door or refrigerator so everyone can see what will be offered at meals and it will help remind you once it is time to start preparing meals.
• Make sure you get everyone involved in the meal planning and preparation process kids can wash vegetables; help chop ingredients or measure out ingredients; or locate items in the pantry, fridge or freezer. Older kids can help cook the meal with some supervision.

Get Moving: Go Play, Your Way!

Physical Activity and Hypertension

With the current pandemic, Americans are moving more by taking walks and riding bicycles. We know that physical activity is beneficial, but what about for those with chronic diseases like hy-pertension? Hypertension is defined as high blood pressure and is the most common, yet pre-ventable, cardiovascular disease seen in adults. Physical activity, along with a healthful diet, can be the key in reducing your risk. Just 90 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity can actually help reduce your blood pressure! Moderate-intensity physical activities in-clude playing tennis, doing general gardening work, taking a brisk walk, and even dancing in your home. If you can talk but not sing while being physically active, you are reaching the right intensity level. The more physical activity you do per week, the greater the benefit! Of course, it is always recommended to consult your physician before starting any physical activity program.

Stirring it Up: Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup sliced fruit (any kind)
• 3 tablespoons granola type cereal
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds or other nuts (optional)

Directions

Place 1/4 cup yogurt in the bottom of a small cup.

Top with 2 tablespoons sliced fruit.

Layer 1 ½ tablespoons cereal on top.

Repeat layers.

Top with almonds or other nuts (can be omitted if you have nut allergies)

Notes: Nutrition information will change if substitutions are used.

Nutrition Information for one serving

Calories 190, Total Fat 3.5g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 10mg, Sodium 115mg, Total Carbohydrates 33g, Fiber 2g, Total Sugars 27g, Protein 10g, Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 4%, Calcium 30%

Source: https://ncefnep.org/participants/youth_recipes/201...

Attention! It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability.

Get Growing: Gardening

Lay the foundation in July for successful fall planting. It is time to clear raised beds of any weeds or old plants and turn the soil to loosen it in preparation for new growth. Preparing the beds ahead of time will lay the foundation for August plantings. There are a few crops that can be planted now, but take this time to prune and care for your perennial crops like blackberries. Blackberries are native to Louisiana, and you might even find them growing in the wild. Summer months are the perfect time to prune your blackberry bushes. Snip off any growth from the top. It is ideal for the bush to continue growing out, not up.

Healthy Communities Showcase

To learn more about Healthy Communities in your parish please contact your local extension office.

SW Region Nutrition Agents: Mandy Armentor, MS, RD, LDN, FCS Regional Coordinator; Shatonia McCarty, MS, RD, LDN; Becky Gautreaux, MA, RD, LDN; Tiffany Williams, MS, RD, LDN; Amanda Gibson, RDN; Jessica Randazzo; Maria Gonzales

COVID-19 Survey

Dr. Bailey Houghtaling, is conducting a study on the impact of COVID-19 on health behaviors and food security. Please consider completing the survey: Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Louisiana to Build a Food System Responsive to Public Health Crises for the Spanish version please use this link: Explorando el impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en la seguridad alimentaria en Louisiana para construir un sistema alimentario que responda a las crisis de salud pública.