Health and Fitness : 2016 December Words on Wellness (WOW) newsletter

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Healthy Gifts from the Heart Giving gifts of homemade cookies, cakes, and candies is a happy holiday tradition. But for many people, the gift of a plate of high-sugar, high-calorie goodies may not be as welcomed as it used to be. Two-thirds of adult Iowans are overweight, and many of them are struggling to keep a healthy weight. For them, the holidays can provide too many temptations to overeat. So how can you give a delicious food gift from your kitchen that will also support the health of your loved ones? Think outside the cookie box. You can make these healthier treats packed with good flavor and loving care: Individual snack packs of healthy trail mix or granola, attractively packaged.spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipes/crispy-granola Individual bags of homemade and high-calcium cocoa mix, with a cinnamon-stick stirrer.www.ag.ndsu.edu/food/recipes/mixes/cocoa-mix A fresh loaf of homemade whole grain bread, wrapped in foil and ribbons.spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipes/no-knead-whole-wheat-bread A healthy soup basket with a bow! In a basket or other gift container, place all the ingredients for a healthy winter soup. For example, for a winter black bean soup kit, assemble a jar or can of black beans, a small bottle of canola or olive oil, an onion, a packet of premeasured chili powder and cumin, a can of tomatoes, a lime, and a copy of the recipe.spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/recipes/winter-black-bean-soup If you like, you can accompany these gifts with items from the ISU Extension Store: Healthy and Homemade Cookbook ($5) store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/SSES92017 Healthy & Homemade Nutrition and Fitness Calendar ($3) store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/SSES230A Popcorn Trail Mix Serving Size: 1 cup Serves: 14 Ingredients: 6 cups air-popped popcorn 2 cups chocolate-flavored Chex® cereal 2 cups toasted oat ring cereal 2 cups mini pretzels 2 cups honey-flavored mini shredded wheat Optional: 1 cup unsalted peanuts Instructions: 1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or bag. 2. Divide into servings using measuring cups. 3. Place each serving in individual resealable bags or bowls. 4. Decorate each bag or container with ribbon and/or a gift tag. 5. Optional: Put a nutrition label on bag or container. Nutrition information per serving: 110 calories, 1.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 22g total carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 4g sugar, 2g protein This recipe is courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach's Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website. For more information, recipes, and videos, visit spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu Take Safe Food to the Potluck Potluck meals are a fun, low-cost way to celebrate the holidays at friend's homes and in offices, classrooms, and churches. During the rush of the holidays, show your concern for others by following these food transportation safety tips: Car seats are often contaminated with germs that can cause illness. Cover your car seat with a clean sheet or large towel before placing the food container on it. Keep cold foods cold, 40°F or below. Take cold foods out of the fridge just before leaving home. Keep them in insulated containers with a cooler pack. Keep hot foods hot, at least 140°F. Put your piping hot food in a slow cooker set on low. Just before getting into the car, unplug the slow cooker and put it in a quilted carrier or insulated bag. Do not keep the food in the car for more than an hour. At your destination, plug in the slow cooker immediately. If hot food has cooled during the car trip, or if you brought refrigerated food that needs to be served hot, do not try to reheat it with a slow cooker. Reheat the food in a microwave or on a stove top until it is 165°F. (For more tips on slow cooker safety, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/content/slow-cookers.) Snowshoeing! An Easy Way to Enjoy Winter's Beauty Many people who enjoy a walk in the woods stay away from parks and nature preserves after a heavy snow. If you don't know how to cross-country ski, it may seem that the trails are impassable. Unlike skiing, however, snowshoeing is a way of getting around in the snow that nearly anybody can do almost anywhere. Snowshoeing allows you to enjoy the crisp, cold air and the sparkling beauty of a new-fallen snow while burning more than 400 calories an hour! Snowshoes can cost from $50 to $300. If you want to try them out, you can rent them for as little as $10 a day from some county conservation offices, and also, for a little more, from bike, ski, and sport shops To learn more, visit www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/things-to-do/snowshoeing/ or read how a woman discovered the joys of snowshoeing with dogs at extension.unh.edu/articles/Snowshoeing-Dogs