March 2007 Feature:
STARTING OVER

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Eat Well, Be Well ~ STARTING OVER

Before joining the Food Bank team, Ms. Germaine was between full-time jobs and took the time to practice what she’d learned by cooking healthier meals for clients in Kids Cafe. Making time for breakfast each morning and getting regular exercise helped her shed 20 pounds in about 3 months.

As the Nutrition Coordinator with the Food Bank, Ms. Germaine spends lots of time cooking and driving out of town to share what she has learned in her own life with agencies and clients. Just before joining the LCFB staff, she also started dating — that meant lots of late dinners and movies with popcorn (no butter). The extra time that had been there for breakfast and exercise was G-O-N-E. Now a newlywed and 15 pounds heavier, Mrs. Jenkins has a new challenge: How do you make the MyPyramid Plan work when you’re the only one in the house that needs to lose weight?

For starters, ALL caregivers—parents, teachers, member agency volunteers and community health partners—need to fit time for themselves on their to-do list. So pull out your calendar and put these healthy living tips on your schedule.

Making MyPyramid Work for Our Families

Salad for breakfast?

  • Breakfast does not have to be cereal and milk. Think more about which foods are missing from your diet and try a healthier start with lots of veggies and lean protein in the morning.
  • If you’re still hungry any time of day, eating vegetables is the most filling, low calorie snack you can enjoy (as long as you don’t add fat).

Regular eating will get your metabolism in the fast lane.

  • Skipping meals may seem like a quick and easy way to lose weight. The fact is that missing breakfast, lunch or any other meal will cause your body to think its starving and your body will hold on to all the fat it can store.
  • Get on a regular schedule of small meals and snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism up and stop that hungry feeling. Also, try to stop eating around 7:30 at night. If you are eating fiber filled whole grains, veggies and fruit (not the juice) you won’t feel hungry.

Being fit does not cost a thing.

  • To lose weight, MyPyramid recommends 60-90 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Just try this a few days to start.
  • Try Mrs. Jenkin’s favorite free exercise! Walk and see the sites on the new Ravenel Bridge! It’s a 3 mile trip one way, 6 miles round trip. If you need to start slow, begin your walk on the Mt. Pleasant side. For more of a challenge, start in Charleston.
  • No bridge, no problem! Walk up and down stairs or pick different tourist walking spots around your area to keep it interesting.
  • Need a partner? Mrs. Germaine will be walking walking at least twice a month on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. (Her complete bridge walking schedule is posted on her door at the Food Bank.)
  • Join the Food Bank staff and do the Cooper River Bridge Run/Walk on Saturday, March 31, 2007. For more details, go to bridgerun.com.

Oven Fried Chicken

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 small container plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 t garlic powder
  • 1 t onion powder
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups Garlic Cheese Croutons, crushed (or dried whole wheat bread seasoned with 1 t each Italian Seasoning and poultry seasoning)

    In a large bowl mix together yogurt and seasonings. Soak chicken in yogurt for an hour or overnight. Coat yogurt chicken with crumbs and place in a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spray tops of chicken pieces and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done.

Did you know that your body cannot tell the difference between 100% fruit juice or a regular can of soda?

Why? Because fruit without its natural fiber will run sugar through your system the same way that a sweet snack does. Choose small servings of fruit juice and add whole fruit to your eating plan to get a balance from that food group.

What is a “Food of the Month”?

Our “Food of the Month” is a product available in our Lowcountry Food Bank's warehouses. It is one that meets our criteria of a healthy food.

What is a LCFB's “Healthy Food”?

Healthy foods are fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat and poultry, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and foods that do not contain excessive amounts of fat or caloric sweeteners.

How are our recipes designed?
Our recipes are designed with the clients of our agencies in mind: those who are hungry and poor.

The recipes:

  • Use ingredients common in Lowcountry kitchens.
  • Are tasty and easy to prepare.
  • Meet our criteria for a healthy food.
  • Limit high priced herbs and spices which may included as optional ingredients.

We’d Like to Hear from You
We encourage your comments. They will help us understand concerns and interests of those who use “Eat Well; Be Well”. Please contact Germaine Hall Jenkins, Nutrition Coordinator at the Lowcountry Food Bank, (843) 747-8146 ext.. 113 or ghall@lcfbank.org.

Sources: www.mypyramid.gov, www.cahe.nmsu.edu, www.foodsthatkeep.com.

Check out www.allrecipes.com! This site allows you to find other healthy recipes for our food of the month and even customizes a recipe when you change the number of servings.