Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables All Month Long

1. Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables All Month Long Leader Training

2. Top 10 reasons to eat fruits & veggies • Color & Texture • Convenience • Fiber • Low in Calories • May Reduce Disease Risk • Vitamins & Minerals • Variety • Quick, Natural Snack • Fun to Eat • Nutritious AND Delicious! Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

3. The buzz…The cost of vegetables & fruits is so high, it’s hard to afford them. • There are bargains in the produce section, and the canned, frozen, dried and juice aisles. • Evaluate your shopping cart to see if you’re getting the most nutrition ‘bang’ for your buck. Source: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

4. What’s in your cart? Generally, the cost of a serving of fruits and vegetables will be similar to, or less than the cost of a serving of a snack food. • Example: • Chips • 1 ounce chips (about 15 chips) = 28 cents • Eat 30 chips and the cost doubles to 56 cents • 1/2 cup carrot sticks = 16 cents • Medium naval orange = around 35-40 cents Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

5. Compare the cart totals: • 1 pound cookies, 1 pound bag chips, 2 liters soda and 1/2 gallon ice cream = $13.00 • 2 pounds apples, 2 pounds oranges, 1 pound bananas, 2 pounds potatoes, 1 pound broccoli, 1 pound cabbage, 1 pound carrots, 1 pound romaine lettuce = $13.38 Inflation may raise the totals but the comparisons remain the same Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

6. Fitting fruits and vegetables into the budget • Meal planning • Smart shopping • Improving storage • Planting your own • Cooking smart Sources: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

7. Meal planning to fit the budget • To start • Make a list and stick to it • Include fresh, frozen, canned and dried forms • Make sure you have staples you use on a regular basis Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

8. Meal planning to fit the budget Plan for fruits or vegetables to be the center of the plate, then add protein and grains • Stir-fried vegetables with rice, add chicken or fish if desired • Pasta primavera with Parmesan cheese • Vegetable lasagna • Veggie chili, carrot and celery sticks • Black bean soup with brown rice • Vegetable soup with whole grain bread • Baked potato topped with broccoli and sprinkled with grated cheese Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

9. More than 1 way to use produce • Carrots:Use 1/2 as carrot sticks and 1/2 in a stir-fry. • Broccoli:Cut the tops from broccoli and serve as cooked florets. Use the stalks in vegetable soup or shred and add to salads or slaw. • Apples:Choose fresh as snacks or a side dish. Make baked apples for dessert. • Oranges:Eat as snacks. Add slices to tossed or spinach salador add sections to a stir-fry. • Bananas:Often a snack. Slice and add to canned fruit cocktail. • Grapes:Add halved grapes to chicken or tossed salads. Freeze whole grapes for a summer treat. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

10. Shopping smart—sticking to the budget • Buy in season—taste better, often less expensive • Buy more when on sale—use it or store it • Don’t shop when hungry—harder to stick to the list and have more money for produce • Comparison shop • Compare serving costs, not by weight or size—bigger is not always better • Compare store brands to national • Keep it simple—buy produce in their simplest form • Pre-cut, pre-washed, ready-to-eat and processed will cost more • Limit or avoid expensive snack foods, desserts and soft drinks—pay for nutrition Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

11. Shopping smart Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

12. Shopping options • Superstores • Prices not necessarily the lowest, too large for some shoppers, variety of forms • Supermarkets/grocery stores • Offer store brands, sales, variety of forms (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, convenience) • Farmers’ markets • Fresh, seasonal and local, prices may/may not be lower • Convenience stores • Costly, less selection • Specialty stores • May be more costly Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

13. Improving storage • Fresh , in general • Use within a few days (if not possible, consider another method of storage) • Some can and/or should be left at room temperature to ripen, then refrigerated • Frozen • Store at 0°F or less • Use before the “use by” date on the package for best quality • As a rule, use within 6 months Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

14. Improving storage • Canned • Check the “use by” date on cans for best quality • Most have a shelf life of about 2 years • Store in cool, dry, dark place • Dried • Store in a cool, dry, dark place • Some dried foods may be refrigerated- check the package • Use before the “Use by” date on the package for best quality • Most will last from 4 months to a year • Freezing will extend shelf life Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

15. Planting your own • Consider using some yard space to grow food • Remember the food isn’t free (seeds and/or plants, water, fertilizer, equipment…) • Food is fresh, nutritious and flavorful & may prompt kids to eat more produce • No yard? Grow a few edibles in pots • Tomatoes • Herbs • Lettuces • Peppers Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

16. Cooking smart • Prepare more so you have leftovers. Use them for lunch, or create a new dish. • Replace half the meat. Substituting half the meat in a recipe with beans and/or vegetables will reduce fat and increase fiber, as well as save you money. • Keep canned and frozen fruits and vegetables on hand for a quick-fix meal. • Use fruits and vegetables as snacks. It’s easy to have fruits and vegetables available as ‘grab and go’ snacks Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

17. Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits & Vegetables… • Baked • Boiled • Steamed • Stir-fried • Sautéed • Roasted • Grilled • Stewed • Blanched • Microwaved • Or served raw Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

18. Review • Produce can fit in the food budget • Be smart about fruits and vegetables • Plan • Shop with a plan and a list • Cook with all forms of produce, with unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and try new recipes and new methods • Think about growing some of your own Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

19. Resources • Eat Healthy . Be Active Community Workshops curriculum at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/EatHealthyBeActiveCommunityWorkshops.pdf • Fruits and Veggies More Matters at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ • USDA ChooseMyPlate at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

20. To lead the lesson Before the lesson • Attend Leader Training • Have the ice breaker activity ready • Make copies of handouts and evaluation • Find Someone Who… ice breaker activity sheet • Demonstration/Sampling Recipes handout • Healthy Ways to Cook Fruits and Vegetables handout • Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits • Fruit/Veggie Selection, Storage/Handling Wheel • Evaluation • Review slides and script to use at lesson • Decide on a recipe to demonstrate at the lesson or prepare ahead for sampling • Have ingredients precut and measured ahead for demonstrations • Keep those items that require chilling in the refrigerator or on ice until needed • Collect needed equipment • Have a serving tool, plates, cups, napkins and an eating utensil ready for sampling Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

21. To lead the lesson At the lesson… • Ice breaker activity • Distribute handouts • Go through slides • Ask members how they stretch fruit/vegetable dollars • Demonstrate and/or sample recipe • Wash hands before beginning • Decide when to begin the demonstration based on the amount of cooking time needed • After the presentation is complete ask members to sample the food • Complete and collect evaluations After the lesson • Turn in evaluations to County FCS Educators Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

22. Please turn in the evaluation. Thank you for coming. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service