Your extension connection to nutrition and fitness

Healthy People. Environments. Economies.

Save Money, Eat WellWhen grocery prices go up, it may not seem possible to eat healthy foods while on a budget. However, eating healthy on a budget is possible when following a few tips.

Five tips to save money while eating nutritiously:

1. Look for deals and plan your meals! Plan your meals around weekly ad specials and what you have on hand in the refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards.

2. Buy in season. Seasonal produce often costs less and has better taste. Visit snap.nal.usda.gov/nutrition-through-seasons/seasonal-produce to find out which foods are in season.

3. Schedule a day to cook. Cook large batches of your favorite recipes to portion out and freeze for quick-fix meals throughout the week. For easy recipes to freeze, order the cookbook Healthy in a Hurry—14 Main Dishes for Now or Later from the ISU Extension Online Store (store.extension.iastate.edu).

4. Get creative. Make it a game with leftovers to find ways to incorporate them into meals and snacks before they are no longer safe to eat. Use fruit in smoothies, put leftover vegetables in pasta, or use leftover meat in a stir fry.

5. Shop smart. Check the unit price on items and compare brands to get the best value. Use unit prices to not only compare brands and product sizes but also to compare forms of a food like fresh, frozen, and canned. Visit the ISU Extension and Outreach Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website (www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings) for more information on unit prices.

Source: Choose My Plate Tip Sheet: Eating Better on a Budget, www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-eating-better-on-a-budget

Serving Size: 2/3 cup and 1 T dipServes: 6

Ingredients• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

(about 4 medium)• 1 tablespoon oil (canola or

vegetable)• 1/8 teaspoon saltDip• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise or salad

dressing• 1 tablespoon ketchup• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

pepper, chili powder, or paprika

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 425°F.2. Rinse potatoes under running

water. Scrub potatoes well and peel, if desired.

3. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.

4. Lay each potato half flat and slice into half-round shapes about 1/4” thick.

5. Combine potatoes, oil, and salt in a bowl. Stir so potatoes are covered with oil.

6. Grease cookie sheet with oil and lay potato slices in a single layer.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

8. Mix the dip ingredients while potatoes are baking.

9. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving: 150 calories, 4g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium, 26g total carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 6g sugar, 2g protein

This recipe is courtesy of the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website of ISU Extension and Outreach, www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings.

…and justice for allThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is de-rived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cathann A. Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

PM 2099I October 2015

www.extension.iastate.edu

Leftovers Don’t Last ForeverSometimes “leftover night” can be a fun game of take-your-pick for dinner! However, it might not end up so enjoyable if the food is no longer safe to eat. Follow these tips for safe leftovers:

•Setyourrefrigeratortemperatureat40°Forbelow.Whenstoringhot foods, store them in shallow containers no more than 2” deep, so that the food cools to 41°F (or lower) quickly.

•Followthe“4-DayThrowAway”rule:iftheleftoversarenoteatenonthefourthdayafterstoring,throwthemaway!Downloadthe4-dayThrowAwayappatwww.4daythrowaway.orgforyoursmartphone.

•Leaveapenandstickynotesnearthefridge.Labelleftoverswiththe date when you prepared them.

•Makea“use-up”list.Listtheleftoversyouhaveintherefrigeratorand the freezer. Post it on your fridge. Create meal combinations to use up the leftovers while they are still safe to eat.

Sources: ISU Extension and Outreach Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website, www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings

ISU Extension and Outreach Food Safety website, www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety

Walk Your Way to FitnessTheAmericanHeartAssociationsaysthat a 30-minute walk a day can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, and Type-2 diabetes.

The following tips can help you start walking with maximum safety and the most success.

•Talk to your doctor. Consult a health care professional before starting a workout routine if you are not physically active.

•Wear appropriate attire. This includes supportive shoes, good socks, breathable active wear, and a hat or cap to shield you from the sun or keep your head warm.

• Remember to stretch.Avoidsoremusclesandinjurybystretchingbefore and after you walk.

•Start slow. Progressively increase the intensity and length of your walking regimen over time.

•Plan a route. Use www.mapmywalk.com or another similar website to plan a walking route. There are also many free online walking videos that can be used indoors with no equipmentotherthanshoessuchasSTART!WalkingatHomeAmericanHeartAssociation3MileWalk(www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYuw4f1c4xs).

Sources:AmericanHeartAssociation,“WhyWalking?”www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/Walking/Why-Walking_UCM_461770_Article.jsp; eXtension Network, www.extension.org