It’s Christmas! Celebrate this Special Holiday with Fill Your Plate

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

Who loves Christmas? Who loves Hanukkah? Who simply loves this time of year? We do!

For all the busyness of the holiday season, it’s still our most special time. We extend to you a special “thank you” for hanging out with Fill Your Plate this last year and hope to have you hang out with us in 2025. We’ll be covering all sorts of nutritional topics and issues just like we did this last year.

In the meantime, enjoy this list of Fill Your Plate’s past Holiday season articles and Christmas articles. And, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

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It’s the Holidays! Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

I’ve come to the conclusion that hot chocolate is probably the most popular cold-weather drink ever. The moment the weather turns slightly colder it feels like I am constantly making hot chocolates at the coffee shop I work at! But hey, a warm, creamy cup of chocolatey goodness really is a good way to brighten up a cold day! What’s not to love?

While a traditional, plain hot chocolate is always a tried and true favorite, it’s always fun to experiment with different flavorings and toppings. Read on for a few suggestions on flavors and toppings to add to your hot chocolate to make it extra fun and special!

 

Add flavored syrups!

Drink syrups come in all sorts of flavors! Some that pair very well with chocolate are hazelnut, almond, salted caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, or spearmint. You can make these syrups at home with sugar, water, and flavoring, or you can buy them from the store!

 

Add natural extracts!

Adding a drop or two of a natural extract is a great way to add a flavor without the extra sugar that comes with flavored syrups. Vanilla, almond, rum, and peppermint are all delicious in hot chocolate. But these are very very potent, and a little goes a long way!

 

Add some spices!

Growing up, my grandma always made us Mexican hot chocolate in the wintertime, and let me tell you, it was amazing! The secret ingredient? Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks! While cinnamon is the most popular spice to use, feel free to experiment with some of the other spices in your cabinet!

 

Melt chocolate candies into your cup!

This might sound weird at first but think about it. A Reese’s melted into your hot chocolate? Or a Snickers? Or a Heath? It’s kind of a sugar overload, but at least it tastes good! Even a scoop of peanut butter melted into your cup is pretty darn good too!

 

Get creative with your toppings!

Move over marshmallows and whipped cream! Try topping your hot chocolate with some other fun toppings, such as crushed cookies or graham crackers, candy bits, chocolate shavings, coarse sea salt, caramel, chocolate, peanut butter, or cookie butter drizzle, or fun sprinkles!

Take your hot chocolate to the next level this year and try making all sorts of fun combinations!

For more holiday articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

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Start Your Holiday Salads with Arizona Grown Greens!

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

I don’t know about you, but I love a good salad. It’s always the one thing I’ll always offer to bring to any family party! I know I’ll definitely be making a few this holiday season!

When making salads, the most important part is always the lettuce or other greens you decide to use. I mean, it’s literally the base for all of the other yummy toppings you might choose to add! Did you know that Arizona agriculture produces the most (and the best!) leafy greens during the winter season? Luckily for us, this means that finding fresh and delicious greens couldn’t be easier! Read on for a few of the best salad recipes that would be even better using locally grown leafy greens!

 

  1. Apple Cranberry Salad with Walnut and Dijon Dressing
  2. Pomegranate and Pear Winter Salad
  3. Winter Broccoli Salad
  4. Roasted Beet and Kale Salad
  5. Arugula and Persimmon Salad
  6. Winter Kale and Quinoa Salad
  7. The Ultimate Winter Salad
  8. Winter Greens Salad with Maple Dressing
  9. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

The Fill Your Plate blog is a great resource for learning more about Arizona’s winter production of lettuce and other leafy greens. It’s honestly pretty fascinating how much growers can produce thanks to our unique climate! So, check it out to read more, and also find some other delicious recipes!

 

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Holiday, But Healthy Cheer!

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Director of Communications

It’s December. We tell ourselves we’ll put our healthy nutritional habits on hold. After all, I’ll be off track with my eating for only a month. Right?!

Christmas holiday decoration ideas

Follow these tips to maintain healthy eating habits during the holidays. (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

But our expert nutritionists suggest it’s not that difficult to eat right during the holiday season. I quizzed a few of my “health nuts” and here’s what they suggested.

Keep portion size in mind: Okay, we may eat a few more baked goods and other foods not indulged in the other 11 months of the year, but you can actually enjoy a slice of pie, just make it a thin slice. Additionally, keep the same “size of your fist” rule when eating. We don’t need to pile it on to overflowing.

Limit sugar: I didn’t say cut it out. In fact, I’m not suggesting that you abstain from enjoying the sweets of the holiday season just keep in mind what is the sugar content of some of your food choices. Holiday drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often adding the most sugar to the mix. Having a glass of wine? Maybe add one ounce of wine and a few ounces of seltzer. Plus, some mixed drinks have less sugar than others. Find out what they are. For example, vodka mixed with soda water has less sugar.

Add Vegetables and fiber to your plate. Vegetables and other high-fiber foods are healthy for you and will fill you up so that the other foods that may be more of an overindulgence won’t be so appealing since you’ll already feel full.

Drink plenty of water. We often are a bit dehydrated anyway. Plus, a glass of water might fill you up before you fill up your plate.

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Phyto-Whats? – A Closer Look at Phytonutrients and Their Health Benefits

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

The word “phytonutrient” is a word that sounds very complicated, like one only a person well-versed in all things science might understand. But before you go whip out your old high school biology textbook, keep on reading for a quick crash course on phytonutrients and what they do for our bodies.

Grocery cart filled with nutritious fruits and vegetables.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals, are naturally occurring plant substances that are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. These phytonutrients play an important role in the health of plants, as they help protect them against bugs, fungus, and other environmental threats.

Registered dietician Amber Sommer says that phytonutrients do similar things for our bodies. While they’re not actually antioxidants, phytonutrients have antioxidant effects, meaning they help to protect our cells from free-radical damage and oxidative stress. They also offer anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting benefits, which help with cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and protect against cancer and disease.

Getting phytonutrients into your diet is easy, as there are more than 10,000 types of phytonutrients. Some of the most common include carotenoids, ellagic acid, flavonoids, glycosylates, and phytoestrogens. Sommer says that the best way to get them into your diet is to eat a wide variety of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Luckily for us Arizonans, our local famers produce a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, even through the winter months due to our climate! So, getting your hands on quality produce to up your phytonutrient intake is easy! While the term phytonutrient may sound complicated, the health benefits that they provide aren’t!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

 

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