Healthy Holiday Meals
The holidays are a lot about family and a whole lot about family meals.
The US Department of Agriculture is sending good wishes with some ideas to keep your family’s food choices healthy this season.
The USDA’s Gary Crawford spoke with Rutgers University Extension nutrition expert Dr. Karen Ensle.
She says there are a few simple tips to make family meals fun, delicious and not too fattening or too full of sugar.
Ensle: “Don’t cook five times the meal for the folks you’ve invited. You don’t have to cook a tremendous amount of extra food. That’s number one. The more food you put out the more the group is going to eat. Limit the number of selections and limit the amount you’re putting out. Use a supper plate rather than a dinner plate. And you want people to have half their plate be fruits and veggies. Make sure you have one salad maybe two salads. Make sure you have two to three vegetables, not just meat and potatoes.
And she says one big tip is to avoid serving the food buffet style. Serving family and friends on their plates is much better to allow everyone to enjoy the meal without going overboard.
Colorado’s Department of Ag has some tips at www.coloradoproud.org on how to choose and prepare local prime rib.
