Nutrition Bites 2021 Vol. 24:0

Winter
In This Issue

Staying Safe – Practice Food Safety Guidelines 

Recipes and Nutrition Tips – A Healthy Dessert to Try Chocolate Mousse

Physical Activity Tips – Lower Stress with a Tapping Technique

Food Access Resources in Massachusetts - HIP and P-EBT benefits, Project Bread, SNAP, WIC, USDA

 

Staying Safe

adult and child baking together Practice food safety guidelines when baking this holiday season.

Celebrate special occasions by spending time in the kitchen, baking with your family. It can be tempting to taste a bite before it is fully cooked. However, you can get sick from raw dough and batter. Follow these tips to stay healthy when handling raw dough.

  • Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after you handle raw eggs and flour.
  • Keep raw foods such as flour or eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods.
  • Thoroughly wash utensils and work surfaces with warm, soapy water after contact with flour and raw dough.
  • Do not taste or eat raw dough or batter.
  • Follow the directions. Cook foods to the recommended temperature and time.
  • Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before tasting cooked baked goods, serving them, or packaging them up.

 

Recipes and Nutrition Tips

bowl of chocolate mousse A healthy dessert that tastes good—is that possible? We think so!

Our Chocolate Mousse recipe is delicious and is made with silken tofu to lower the calories and fat. When baking, substitute unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas for butter. Use spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to add flavor and cut down on sugar. Start a new tradition and set up a parfait bar where everyone can build their own parfait with low-fat yogurt, different types of sliced fruit, and granola or crushed cereal.

 

Are you looking for a healthier apple pie recipe? Click the link for a recipe from our friends at Texas A&M Extension. https://video.link/w/I0b2b 

 

Physical Activity Tips

woman showing tapping technique Lower your stress with a tapping technique.

Are you feeling stressed or anxious? Try the tapping solution technique! Start by thinking of what is stressing you; then begin tapping. Using your fingertips, tap on specific places on your body. This helps to calm the nervous system.

Locate the following points on your body and complete five to seven light taps on each area with your fingertips.

  1. Top of your head
  2. Beginning of the eyebrows, just above the sides of the nose
  3. Sides of your eyes, just at the ends of the eyebrows
  4. The sinus area under your eyes
  5. Under your nose
  6. Your chin
  7. Your collarbones (you can use your whole hand for the tapping)
  8. Under your arms (next to your chest) After completing the set of tap points, check in with yourself. Start again, but this time think of a positive thought. The “tapping” sends a calming signal to your brain that helps lower stress.

Food Access Resources in Massachusetts

box of food from food pantry Healthy Incentives Program – It’s HIP to Be Healthy! Massachusetts residents can use their HIP benefits at winter farmers’ markets. To locate markets near you, visit this interactive map.

 

P-EBT provides food support to help families with children who receive free and reduced-price school meals. If you think your student qualifies but you did not receive a card or a letter in October, call the DTA Assistance Line at 877-382-2363.

 

Project Bread – Learn about food assistance resources available to the Massachusetts residents. Visit ProjectBread.org or call Project Bread's Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. This number is toll-free and confidential. Hotline hours: Monday–Friday, 8am to 7pm; Saturday, 10am to 2pm.

 

SNAP – You may be eligible for the Massachusetts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides monthly food benefits to individuals and families who qualify. Apply for SNAP benefits and learn more about recipes and healthy eating through SNAP education.

 

The Massachusetts Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program – WIC is a free nutrition program that provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, referrals to healthcare, and other services to Massachusetts families who qualify. You can check your eligibility and apply for WIC online.

 

USDA extends free meals for kids through June 30, 2021. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extends summer meal programs to continue serving free meals to all children. For more information, visit https://meals4kids.org/find-summer-meal-site to find free meals for kids. If you have questions about receiving meals from your school district, contact them directly.

 

To learn more about nutrition education lessons provided by the UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program, visit https://ag.umass.edu/nutrition.