October
2007
HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE WEB SITES
Check Out These
Web Sites
Yum-O!
Celebrity
Chef, Rachel Ray has launched a new non-profit organization and a new website
designed to help families eat healthier.
From recipes to shopping tips, families can find virtually everything
they need to make healthy and nutritious meals!
Healthy Alternatives
Parents may want to make
healthier choices at the grocery store.
But how? Luckily, one website
offers a variety of tips for including delicious and nutritious foods as part
of breakfast, lunches, snacks and dinners.
Pay
Online for school meals with your
credit card! You may use Visa or
MasterCard by following the link at: http://www.d11.org/fns/payonline.htm
You will need your child’s
student ID number, which may be found on their Student ID card or by calling
the kitchen. Kitchen phone numbers may
be found at:
http://www.d11.org/fns/phone_list.htm
NUTRITION TIDBITS
HARVEST OF THE MONTH:
MUSHROOMS!
In
order to “grow healthy students”, School District 11 Food and Nutrition Services
has developed a program called Colorado School California Colorado
Each month a featured fruit or
vegetable will appear on the school menus and will become a focus for nutrition
education topics (in newsletters like this!).
For the month of October, MUSHROOMS are the star. Let’s learn a little more about this
delicious vegetable.
Mushrooms
have a lot to offer when it comes to a healthful diet! This vegetable is low in calories, fat-free,
cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.
Plus, mushrooms provide important nutrients such as: riboflavin, niacin
and selenium. As you can see…this is a
healthy vegetable to include in your
diet.
More good news…fresh
mushrooms
are truly a cook’s best
friend. There
is no need to peel
mushrooms. Trim
the stem
end and you are ready to easily slice, quarter or chop your mushrooms.
Mushrooms make excellent
additions to salads, sandwiches, sauces and pizzas. Or you can sauté, roast or grill them for a
tasty side dish all by themselves. Get
creative and add this tasty veggies to your menus!
Source:
www.mushroominfo.com
IMPORTANT
HYDRATION FACTS
Did
you know?
·
Water is a
refreshing, no-calorie beverage.
·
Healthy hydration
is essential to several body processes, like muscle and organ health, digestion
and conversion of food to energy.
·
Water is also
great for the complexion. Our skin counts
on water to moisten and replenish it.
·
Many of the
calories that people consume come from sugary beverages. Substituting bottled water for other
beverages can help regulate weight.
Our
brains consist of 75% water! It’s
no wonder that hydration is important for general well-being.- Dehydration doesn’t only make us sticky-mouthed
and uncomfortable, it impairs learning.
Water lubricates the brain cells making sure that they work
properly.
·
Next to oxygen,
water is the human body’s most important nutrient.
·
At normal
activity levels, people lose 2-3 cups of water a day in perspiration.
·
Don’t wait until
you are thirsty to drink water. By the
time you are thirsty, you probably already have lost 2 or more cups of your
total body water.
·
It is wise to
start and end your day with a bottle of water since your body losses water
while you sleep.
·
When it’s warm
outside, cold water is the best fluid for keeping hydrated. Cool water is absorbed much more quickly than
warm fluids and may have a positive effect on cooling off your overheated body.
Make water your beverage choice for
hydration!
Sources: Dasani,
Nestle Waters
HEALTHY RECIPES
A few healthy recipes for October’s Harvest of the
Month: Mushrooms!!!
Mushroom Pita Pizza
Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients:
1 round pita bread
2 Tbsp tomato sauce or pizza
sauce
½ cup shredded part-skim
Mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 400
degrees F. Spread tomato/pizza over the top of the pita. Sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese. Place sliced mushrooms over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup cheese over the
top. Place the pita pizza on a baking
sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown on top.
Source: www.mealsmatter.org
Mushroom Layered
Salad
Makes 8 Servings
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup frozen green peas,
thawed
1 cup chopped bell pepper
(red or yellow)
1 cup chopped red onion
½ cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup plain low fat yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice or vinegar
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp ground black pepper
In a large, clear salad bowl,
layer the following ingredients: spinach, carrots, mushrooms, peas, peppers and
onions. In a small bowl, combine the
mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice/vinegar, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Spread the dressing over the top of the
salad. Cover and store in the
refrigerator several hours or overnight.
Toss before serving.
Per Serving: 123 cal, 5.7 g pro, 12.3 g carb, 6.7 g fat, 3.4 g
fiber, 190 mg sodium
Source: www.mushrooms.ca