"As some of us spend many hours in meetings, changing meeting practices can help us eat well and fit enough physical activity into our days. Setting policies, resolutions, or value statements around these healthy practices can help us build a culture of wellness in our organizations and workplaces."
-- Alison Crane.
Garland County Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Science Agent Alison Crane works with other county Extension offices across the state, to test and perfect well-balanced meals. Crane and the Extension office collaborates with HER Around the Table to bring our readers great new recipes to try at home. Check out page XX for "hacks" on healthy habits to take to your next meeting.
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
½ cup white sugar
1 ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple, diced (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, stir together white sugar, applesauce, oil, and eggs until well combined.
- In a large bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, and the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir together just until combined.
- Gently stir in diced apple.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Spread batter evenly through the pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Recipe from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Spend Smart.
Veggie Patties
Ingredients
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded potatoes
½ cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Form vegetable mixture into small firm, flat patties.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. Cook patties on both sides over medium heat for about 8 minutes.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Recipe adapted from Nutrition Matters.
Zucchini Pizza Bites
Ingredients
2 large zucchini
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup pizza sauce
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
¼ cup mini pepperonis
Sprinkle of Italian seasoning, opt.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut zucchini into ¼ inch thick rounds. Spray both sides of zucchini rounds with nonstick cooking spray and place on baking sheet. (Parchment paper will make cleanup easier.) Roast zucchini rounds for 5 minutes on each side.
- Top each round with a small amount of pizza sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and pepperoni pieces. Roast for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted, being careful not to burn. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and serve.
Recipe adapted from Garland County Extension Service Agent Alison Crane
There's good evidence (for both nutrition and physical activity) that the choices we are presented with, and how they are presented, strongly affect the decision we end up making. For example, if you're at a meeting or event with a plate of cookies in front of you, you may end up reaching for a cookie -- even though you weren't hungry or were thinking about eating fruit instead. And if you're sitting for several hours -- or all day -- in a meeting, it can be difficult to fit enough physical activity into your day.
Some hacks -- or easy ways to make changes to your meetings to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
• Offer infused water in place or soda or other sugary drinks. You can experiment with fruits, vegetables, and mint to add some variety. Unsweetened tea and coffee are also good options.
• Simply using smaller plates, bowls, and serving utensils can encourage smaller portions and prevent overeating.
• Place fruits and vegetables first in the buffet line. Research shows we are more likely to eat what we see first.
• Instead of serving traditional desserts, which are usually high calorie with lots of added fat and sugar, try just serving fruit as your dessert.
• Serve dressings and condiments on the side. Too much dressing can add excess calories to otherwise nutritious salads.
• Serve veggies with hummus instead of ranch dip for another easy swap. Hummus is lower in calories and saturated fat and higher in fiber than ranch dip.
• Organize a walking group during meeting breaks. If you're planning on meeting for more than an hour or so, try scheduling a walking break.
• Provide "workout time" on the agenda. If you're involved in planning an all-day meeting or a conference, provide time in the agenda for attendees to do morning or evening workouts, or plan extra time around lunch for physical activity.
We can also apply these tips to our family get-togethers or events.
If you would like to download the leader lesson, Healthy Meeting Tips and Tricks: Eat Smart, Move More EHC -- Lesson Guide by Laura Balis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor -- Health or more information on ways to eat healthy visit our website www.uaex.edu.
Go Magazine on 02/15/2020