Food, Family & Fun

Recipe

How To Use This Guide

Each month we present 4 to 5 easy-to-use recipes. There are main dishes, side dishes, desserts and snacks. In some cases you can combine all the recipes together to make a meal. For other months, the recipes stand alone.

To help achieve balanced nutrition, taste, and economy, we emphasize seasonal ingredients. For example, in winter, winter squash is least expensive (and tastes best!) while tomatoes are cheaper and most delicious in summer.

Some foods, such as citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit) are least expensive in a particular season (winter) but available all year round. So while we emphasize them in winter, we also use them throughout the year. Other foods, such as canned and frozen items, poultry, fish, lowfat beef and pork, beans, and dairy foods are available all the time.

Finding Out About Foods Throughout the Seasons

In each season, we empasize eight themes. Each theme provides nutrition actiities for famil learning and fun. Here are the themes:

	Nutrition, or "How to Eat to Feel Good."These are action items, and nutrition activities that relate to food
	Agriculture, or "Gardesn and Windowsills."We'll show you how to teach your children to grow foods on kitchen windowsills, or in the backyard—and how to get closer to affordable, seasonal foods that are grown in you community.
	Education, or "The School Link."These are activites that relate to what your child may be learning in school as part of Team Nutrition activities.
	Food Facts, or "Where Food Comes From."Food is a perfect way to teach your children about history, geography, and agriculture.
	Practical Home Economics, or "Healthy Food on a Budget."These are suggestions to make shopping and cooking easier, tosave money, and to plan. We'll share these.
	Family Meals, or "Families Eating Together."Sharing meals is important. You know that it can be a special time for families to listen and learn from each other. These are some ideas about how to make family meals easier and more fun.