Fresh Salsa
Our goal is to help parents and caregivers prepare healthy meals and snacks by sharing recipes, tips and ideas that are geared for children ages 2 to 5. This will help children eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods along with reducing the mealtime stress of feeding young children.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, washed
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion, washed
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional), washed
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt, optional
Directions:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. For better flavor, let the ingredients stand in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat.
- Serve with veggies, tortilla chips, quesadillas, or on a salad or baked potato.
Serving Up Salsa
For many families, one of the joys of summer is tending a garden. If you have a garden, consider planting basic salsa ingredients: tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro. Even if you do not have the space for a garden, a container garden is a great option. You can start plants in pots inside and move them outside when the weather permits.
5 Reasons to Support Your Farmers Market
With a couple months of social distancing under our belts, this farmers market season couldn't come at a better time. Whether you're looking for a change of scenery on your weekly shopping trip or you're wanting to support small businesses, local markets have you covered.
Making the Most of Your Protein Dollars
WHY PROTEIN | LOWERING COSTS | PLANT-BASED | DRY BEANS | EGGS | TIPS FOR MEATS
Dry Beans - The Perfect Staple for Every Pantry
Dry beans are always a good companion to beef, pork, chicken, or fish, but they are also a great protein source on their own. And now more than ever dry beans are the perfect staple for any pantry.
Dry beans, the mature form of legumes, include great northern beans, pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, split peas, and lentils. Here are some reasons to serve beans every week.
Stretching Your Family Food Dollar
There are many ways to save money on the foods that you eat. The three main steps are plan before you shop, find the best price, and prepare meals that stretch your food dollars. Here are a few tips to help you save money:
Handling Produce Safely from the Garden
Tending a garden all season is gratifying work. In the end, you get to consume the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. You have kept your bounty safe from pests and predators and now you are ready to harvest. Following a few simple tips will keep your produce and your family safe from food borne illnesses.
In the garden:
Go Fish! Planning a Safe Family Fishing Adventure
Engaging in recreational activities together as a family is valuable time spent.
Fishing is a popular form of outdoor recreation this time of year. Fishing with your kids can offer benefits to both mental and physical health, while strengthening family connections and teaching life skills. It is important that water safety precautions are in place and children are supervised at all times to ensure everyone has a safe and good time.
Fun with Fruit and Veggie Kabobs
If you have a picky eater or a child who won't eat fruits or veggies, this info is for you! Know that you are not alone. Many children are picky eaters and may struggle with eating enough fruits and vegetables. A few tips to encourage children to eat fruits and vegetables include making food fun, offering healthy ingredients and letting children help prepare the food. One fun way to get children involved in the kitchen is by letting them create their own kabobs.
No Bake Cereal Treats
Our goal is to help parents and caregivers prepare healthy meals and snacks by sharing recipes, tips and ideas that are geared for children ages 2 to 5. This will help children eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods along with reducing the mealtime stress of feeding young children.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- ⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water. Coat a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Combine oats and cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Bring brown sugar and syrup to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until coated. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in raisins and chips. Press into prepared pan.
Get Kids in the Kitchen
The goal is learning, not perfection. Once you get into this headspace, it becomes easier—and more fun—to involve children in the food preparation process. That being said, the best time to do this would be when an imperfect final product, extra time and extra mess will not undo your day. Because if learning is the goal, then it had better be fun, right? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here are five ways to enjoy cooking with your children.
Engage All the Senses
Gardening with Kids
It is not always easy preparing healthy meals that your entire family will eat without complaining. If you have picky eaters, it makes that job even more difficult. One tool to help children establish life-long healthy habits is growing a garden.
Spring Into Health
It's spring in Nebraska! As the weather warms up people usually feel better and have more energy. It is a great time to get up, and go outside to enjoy what spring in Nebraska has to offer. Flowers and trees are in bloom, birds are singing, and kids are outside playing. Join in the fun. Here are a few ideas for you to enjoy during the coming spring and summer while keeping health in mind:
Handwashing
Handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to Wash Your Hands
- Wet hands (Mójese las manos)
- Apply Soap (Aplique jabón)
- Scrub for 20 seconds (Frótese las manos por 20 segundos)
- Rinse (Enjuáguese)
- Dry (Séquese las manos)
- Turn Off Water with Paper Towel (Cierre el grifo usando una toalla de papel)
Handwashing Video
Handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Watch this 30-second video to learn how to wash your hands. View the Wash Your Hands the Right Way directly in UNL's MediaHub to embed and/or download the FREE video.
Handwashing Posters
Handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here are FREE printable handwashing posters in English/Spanish can be used for adults and youth.
How Do You Like Your Eggs?
How do you like to eat your eggs? Do you like them scrambled or fried? Cold or warm? On toast or in a tortilla? How about an egg in a hole, or in a cup? No matter how you like to eat your eggs, they are full of good nutrition, easy to prepare, inexpensive, and can be a part of a healthy diet especially for growing children. Simply put eggs are eggs, there is nothing else in them, just one ingredient...egg.
Egg facts from the American Egg Board:
Berry Good Overnight Oatmeal
Imagine waking up to an already prepared, delicious (and nutritious!) breakfast of berries, oatmeal, milk and yogurt. After trying tasting this overnight oatmeal, you may make it a regular in your house!
Nutrition Software Used: Esha Food ProcessorIngredients:
- ½ cup oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick-cooking)
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- ½ cup low-yogurt (any flavor)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen berries (or any fresh, frozen or canned fruit)
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Add each of these ingredients beginning with oatmeal to a cup or bowl.
- Refrigerate overnight and enjoy for breakfast!
Keeping Foods Warm While Other Foods Get "Done"
If you're preparing several foods that get "done" at different times, you often can successfully hold most hot foods for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven set to 200 to 250°F. For longer than this, check frequently with a food thermometer, to assure the food is remaining at a temperatures of 140°F or above. If necessary, adjust the oven's temperature to a higher setting. Keeping foods hot for extended periods (more than a couple of hours) may reduce the quality of the food.
Examples of ways to keep foods warm include:
Food Safety and COVID-19 Resources
It is always important to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods. However, many of us have specific questions on food safety and COVID-19. Here is some information to help answer those important questions: