2011 Healthy Eating Challenge

According to the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans our food choices makes a difference in our health and our ability to prevent chronic disease.

The Dietary Guidelines state that:

· 81.1 million Americans are faced with cardiovascular disease

· 74.5 million Americans deal with hypertension and 36% are pre-hypertensive

· 24 million Americans have diabetes, while in the background there are 78 million pre-diabetics

· One out of every two women and one out of every four men are diagnosed with Osteoporosis

· 41% of the US population will be diagnosed with some type of cancer, that is one out of every two woman or men! Dietary factors may influence the risk of being diagnosed with cancer of the colon, kidney, endometrial, post-menopausal breast cancer, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus.

The report finds that the American diet contains too much sodium, solid fats, added sugars and refined grains.

What are the optimal dietary Guidelines?

Simply put a whole food, plant based, fiber filled diet with lean meats and fish and low fat dairy is now recognized as a healthy and sound diet. Limiting alcohol and getting out there for exercise are also important to health.

The 2011 Guidelines state:

“Individuals should meet the following recommendations as part of a healthy eating pattern and while staying within their calorie needs.

- Increase vegetable and fruit intake. (Notice the emphasis on vegetables NOT fruits.)

- Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green and red and orange vegetables and beans and peas.

- Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. Increase whole grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains.

- Increase intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products…

- Choose a variety of protein foods, which include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

- Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry.

- Replace protein foods that are higher in solid fats with choices that are lower in solid fats and calories and /or are sources of oils.

- Use oils to replace solid fats where possible.

- Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which are nutrients of concern in American diets. These foods include:

vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and milk and milk products.”

(USDA, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, www.dietaryguidelines.gov, page 33.)

Are you ready to choose health?

The 2011 Healthy Eating Challenge starts with including one new vegetable, fruit, protein or dairy product a week into your diet. This is a vegetable that you have never heard of or never tried, maybe kohl rabi, daikon radish, kale, collards, gooseberries, acai berries, calf beans, buckwheat, basmati rice or goat’s milk kefir.

Don’t worry about how to cook your new food, just search the web with the name of the food and “recipe” after it and to find an abundance of recipes. Keep a log of your recipes and notes on which ones you have grown to love.

In December we will come back to our 2011 Healthy Eating Challenge to see what our favorite recipes have been. For starters I have a Rutabaga recipe for you to try.

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Winter Veggie Mash
from Farmer John's Cookbook

pinch of salt
1/2 large rutabaga (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 pound of any kind of potatoes, yellow fins to purple potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/4 cup broth, nut mylk, milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few pinches of salt and then drop in the rutabaga:cook for 10 minutes. Add the potato and carrot; cook until everything is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat the broth or milk in a small saucepan, but do not boil.

3. Mash the rutabaga, potato and carrot with the butter until smooth, adding a little of the warm broth or milk at a time until the mixture reaches the consistency you like. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Serves four.