Family Living Focus News Articles
The Family and Consumer Science Extension Educators in our district write a news column containing helpful and timeless information on healthy eating, food safety, and more. This is a collection of those articles for your reference and enjoyment.
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Organizing Food Storage Areas for Health
January 4, 2013
- Busy parents . . . do you wish your kitchen was more organized? easy to navigate? conducive to preparing healthy and delicious meals? Are the chores of putting away the groceries and locating meal ingredients the ones you most dread? If so, perhaps it’s time for a kitchen makeover to make your kitchen a “control central” for pulling together healthy meals in a snap!
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Sporting Snacks for School and Play
January 4, 2013
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Soup - It's What for Dinner
January 4, 2013
- Did you know that January is National Soup Month? What’s better on a cold winter day than a steaming bowl of your favorite soup? Soup can be a welcome change of pace after the rich high calorie foods we have during the holidays. Not only a nutritious boost, soups can help ease the budget as many soup recipes use little meat, and/or inexpensive dried beans as a protein source.
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Being Healthy is Easier than You Think
November 28, 2012
- The following fun, easy and time-saving tips are excerpted from the kidnetic.com Real-Life Guide for Parents.
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Tryptophan, Triglycerides and Food Coma! Game Plan for T-Day
November 28, 2012
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Sporting Snacks for School and Play
November 28, 2012
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The Importance of Non-Vitamins
July 27, 2012
- Taking your vitamins? What about non-vitamins? Non-vitamins can be just as important to our health as traditionally recognized vitamins and minerals.
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Rethinking School Lunch
July 27, 2012
- Shorter days, cooler nights, clothes shopping, new back-packs; it must be back-to-school time. As the days become filled with hectic mornings, baseball and soccer practice after school in addition to the normal daily routine, finding time to pack a healthy lunch for your children may seem like an impossible feat. How can we rethink the standard bologna on white bread with mayo?
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Calling All Grill Masters
July 12, 2012
- Here are some tips to make sure your grilled goodies don't make your guests sick with a foodborne illness.
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Exploring Culture Through Food
July 12, 2012
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Foods and Nutrition Trends
July 12, 2012
- Were you ever enticed by a new diet fad? Ever heard a new trendy nutrition term and wondered what it meant? Every year, new food and nutrition trends sweep our nation from fad diets to super foods. What are some current trends, what’s their terminology, and what’s driving their popularity?
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Constipation in Children
July 12, 2012
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On the Go and In the Know
July 12, 2012
- It’s a fast paced world, and eating healthy is sometimes at the back of the pack! For those with less time for food preparation, try pairing foods from at least two food groups for a healthy snack.
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Seeing Green
July 12, 2012
- Remember when your parents advised you to eat carrots for healthy eyesight? New advances in eye health are singling out a color other than orange. Green is the new hue for optimal eye health – and, for many of us, “It’s not easy being green!” in the words of Kermit the Frog.
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Going Greener Can Help Save the Planet While Saving Your Money...
July 11, 2012
- Going greener… does that mean more green for me to spend or that I am saving the planet? I think you will find that the suggestions in this article will help put more green back into your wallet, and help our wonderful planet at the same time.
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Nutri-Fitness: There's an App for That!
April 17, 2012
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Is it Safe to Dine Out if You Have a Food Allergy?
January 9, 2012
- Have you noticed the growing numbers of people who are faced with allergies to food? I don’t seem to recall many friends with food allergies growing up – perhaps we just weren’t very good about detecting them back then. If you suffer from a food allergy you may be apprehensive about whether you should eat out or not. Good news -eating out today is a lot easier - and safer – for those who suffer with a mild, moderate, or even a severe food allergy. One reason: Restaurants are more aware and more prepared.
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Corn Cousions and Other Sweet Relatives
January 9, 2012
- Reaching for the corn syrup for a holiday dish prompted questions about corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup – corn cousins so to speak! Corn syrup is produced by treating corn starch with enzymes to break it down to glucose, which is easily absorbed and utilized by the body for energy. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), on the other hand, is produced by more specific processing of corn starch with enzymes to yield syrup with a mixture of glucose and fructose. Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar that is present in small amounts in fruits (fruit sugar).
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The Return of the Slow Cooker
December 13, 2011
- There is nothing like opening the front door on a cold winter evening and being greeted by the inviting smells of beef stew or chicken noodle soup wafting from a slow cooker. Besides the good aromas there is the satisfaction of knowing that your meal is ready to serve. Winter is not the only time a slow cooker is useful. In the summer, using this small appliance can avoid introducing heat from a hot oven. At any time of year, a slow cooker can make life a little more convenient and it takes less electricity to use a slow cooker rather than an oven.
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Is there a future Rachel Ray or Emeril at Your House?
December 13, 2011
- It has been quite a few years now, but I remember pulling a chair up to the kitchen counter when my children were small so they could stand beside me while I was cooking. They wanted to see what I was doing and be part of the action! Allowing the kids to help was usually messy and took a lot longer, but we had fun and made some great memories. I am happy to say that both my children are pretty good cooks today and my son even uses his culinary skills to impress the young ladies!!
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Going on a Cruise? Some Tips for a More Enjoyable Journey
December 13, 2011
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Winning Hearts and Minds in the Produce Aisle
December 13, 2011
- Blueberries were on my mind as we bicycled through coastal Maine in October. Today I found a new study that shows the continuing promise of better health offered by eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and (coincidentally) berries! The study showed that the risk of heart attack was reduced by one half in people who ate this way over a four year period. The study participants were people with a higher risk of heart disease due to a specific gene.1
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Making the Kitchen Safe and Accessible -- Storage Considerations
December 13, 2011
- The kitchen is considered by many to be one of the most important rooms in the house because of its role in independent living. The ability to cook is a daily activity that helps a person remain independent. Kitchen designs and modifications that foster home safety are essential. There are many products and practices that can help increase accessibility while maintaining a safe working environment.
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Greening My Plate
December 13, 2011
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A Cultured Affair
December 13, 2011
- Since I acquired a “super blender” with a dynamite motor, I have begun drinking summer fruits and vegetables on occasion! When time is short, I can down several servings while working on a project or traveling in the car. For the fruity version, a little known dairy product called kefir is a wonderful base for my fruit smoothie.
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Bitter for a Reason?
December 13, 2011
- Can’t stand Broccoli? Research into the evolution of taste yields interesting food for thought. Our five taste senses– sweet, salty, umami (savory), bitter and sour – equip us for consuming the essentials for survival – energy, salt, and protein – as well as avoidance of poisonous or rotten food.
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What's In A Name?
December 13, 2011
- The term “Amish”, when attached to food products, enhances sales, as the obsession for hand-crafted, artisan foods converges with the natural and local food movements.
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Coco-Loco - The Nutty Truth
November 30, 2011
- Learn more about the coconut and the latest craze.
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Sweetness and Light
November 30, 2011
- A recent study looked at how much consumers know about food energy. How much do you really know?
