Registered Dietitian Kelly Vass, MS, RD, LDN, is Nutrition Services
Coordinator for Friendship Trays.
Her entries cover a range of issues raised by her visits with
Friendship Trays recipients
and her work helping to plan the nutritional content of Friendship Trays
meals.
Reach Kelly at 704-333-9229 extension 4845, or e-mail her.
Aug. 29, 2011
I deliv
ered
a microwave to a recipient Sunday. The microwave had been donated earlier
after an e-mail appeal. The recipient was very appreciative. He phoned
Monday to say he had used the oven and it worked very well. He
indicated that with his limited income he was not able to afford the
purchase of an oven so the microwave was a blessing to him. If you would
like to donate a microwave, please bring it to our South End office at
2401-A Distribution St.
When your days get hectic, plan your meals ahead of time. Try planning meals
for a couple of days to get a feel for shopping for ingredients and
completing some food preparation ahead of time. As an example, if you know
you need chopped onions for meals on Monday and Tuesday, chop all the onions
you need for both recipes. If the onions need to be sautéed alone or with
other vegetables, sauté them at the same time to save time, labor and pans
for washing.
.
I plan meals
according to protein type, color, and texture. I try to alternate between
beef, pork, chicken, fish, breakfast and vegetarian meals for dinner. Once I
decide on how the protein or main dish will be prepared, I think about the
side dishes. Will rice, potatoes or pasta go well with the main dish? I
select my vegetables based on color and texture. I like a color-rich plate.
As an example: If I am having a chicken noodle casserole made with red
peppers, onions and celery, I would skip the starch and add some color with
steamed broccoli. Adding a whole wheat roll and a serving of mandarin
oranges will make the meal nutritious, delicious, economical and easy to
prepare. Check out
www.myplate.gov for some healthy suggestions for meal planning.
Dec. 20, 2010
"I
don't know what I'd do without the meals," says Mr. J. And that Christmas
present that a volunteer driver delivered last year, courtesy of the Be a
Santa to a Senior program? That gift was the only one he received.
Save the ham bone from the holidays for soup stock. The meaty bone may be
frozen until you are ready to add vegetables and split peas or lentils for a
hearty winter soup.
To increase
your intake of Vitamin A as well as to add a rich color to your quick
breakfast, consider adding 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin to an envelope of
instant oatmeal. With pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, going on sale after
the holidays, purchase several cans and place 1/4 cup portions in snack bags
to freeze for later use. The flavor addition will be one you will repeat
often.
Oct. 25, 2010
"I am in the
process," Mr. J said, "of moving to a new address and have been very busy
getting myself packed. I am so thankful that I had my Friendship Trays meal
to get me through the stress of the days I have been getting ready to move."
Having trouble deciding what to have for dinner? Consider a hearty soup made
with cooked dried beans or peas (black, white, lentils, split peas, and the
like) or cooked dried beans and meat, vegetable or meat broth, and some
colorful sautéed vegetables. Use some crusty whole wheat bread to soak up
the delicious broth on the soup. Add a fruit salad and you have a healthy,
delicious evening meal.
"Life has been
tough for me," said Mr. D, "since I had a death in my family and my dad was
put in a nursing home. I am thankful for the nutritious Friendship Trays
meals to help me get through these days."
Has time
slipped away from you for a dinner meal? Check your pantry for some pasta
and your refrigerator for some cheese, cooked meat and milk. Are there
frozen peas in the freezer? How about boiling off the pasta and making a
white sauce with cheese?
Cut up the cooked meat (ham or chicken or fish) and add to the pasta and cheese. Add the frozen peas and you have a great dinner entree. Adding a cooking vegetable such as carrots or mixed vegetable blend and a fruit salad will provide a quick, healthy, delicious evening meal.
Oct. 4, 2010
Be sure to sign
up or register for store coupons or discount cards to earn more savings on
your grocery bill.
Decide what
meals you will be enjoying during the week. Make a grocery list based on
the meals you have planned. Stick with the grocery list when you shop so
that any tempting food purchases will not exceed your food dollar budget.
Review weekly
grocery store ads to determine how to stretch your food dollar using sales
and any coupons the store may offer or coupons you have clipped from the
Sunday sales papers. Adjust your menu to serve the most economical meals.
Sept. 29, 2010
Give generic
products or store brands a chance. Often a generic items and store brands
are similar in quality, taste and yield, plus you may save a few cents up to
a few dollars.
When planning
meals, consider how your plate should be filled. One half of your plate
should include fruits and lower carbohydrate vegetables with one fourth
filled with higher carbohydrate vegetables or other carbohydrates (rice,
bread, cooked dried peas or beans, pasta, potatoes, and such) and the last
one fourth as your meat or protein choice.
Give oven fried
recipes a chance instead of deep fat frying to cut back on your total fat
intake.
Make sure that
you consume at least 1/2 ounce of fluid per pound of weight per day except
if you have a health condition that limits your fluid intake.
Sept. 20, 2010
If you are
trying to limit your calorie intake, consider having 8 ounces of water at
least 30 minutes before you sit down to eat to curb the chance that you may
overeat.
Put your fork
down between bites and be sure you chew well before swallowing. You will be
able to tell better when you are full if you are prone to overeat.
Short on time?
Consider water-packed canned chicken instead of cooking off chicken for a
recipe.
Aug. 6, 2010
I made zucchini bread yesterday and wondered if others were having
trouble using their abundance of zucchini. Although you can Google zucchini
bread and find many recipes, my favorite comes from Better Homes and Gardens
New Cook Book, 9th edition, 8th printing. My mother has an earlier edition
of the cook book and the recipe is not present.
Zucchini Nut Loaf
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini, seeds removed prior to shredding
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped nuts
In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, nutmeg, and
baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, shredded
zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon peel; mix well. Stir flour mixture into
zucchini mixture. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into greased 8 x
4 x 2 -inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden
pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack. Wrap and store loaf overnight
before slicing. Makes 1.
I typically double the recipe so I can enjoy a loaf and share the second. I use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 white wheat flour for the flour measure. My favorite nut is pecans. The batter may be baked in smaller loaves or muffin tins but you need to adjust baking time.
June 28, 2010
I visited Mr. H recently. He had been experiencing issues with elevated blood pressure. He shared that he had a blood pressure cuff but no stethoscope. We pondered how he could obtain a reading, as he lived alone, and decided that he didn't have the correct equipment.
A Sunday School class from a supportive church offered to purchase a blood pressure device for Mr. H. Now Mr. H is able to take blood pressure readings by himself, thanks to friends of Friendship Trays.
June
17, 2010
Recently I shared information about the demonstration garden, Friendship Gardens, with Mr. C. His eyes lit up when I listed the vegetables that are grown in the garden. I shared a few garden vegetables with Mr. C. He was delighted to have green tomatoes for frying, squash and zucchini for sautéing, and cucumber for slicing as an addition to his evening meal.
May 31, 2010
Mr. P loves the food he receives from Friendship Trays, especially the fresh vegetables. He attributes part of his weight gain and improved physical status to the healthful preparation of the meals. Friendship Trays steams, sautés, roasts, and stir fries vegetables to preserve the nutrients as well as to improve the taste and texture.
Feb. 8, 2010
Mr. J says he enjoys receiving meals each weekday.
"I don't know what I'd do without them," he says. "I like the great variety and use of protein alternatives, like the beans and macaroni and cheese, each week."
Mr. J credits the nutritious meals with being behind his improved health and renewed interest in becoming more physically fit.
Dec. 18, 2009
Mr. P moved to Charlotte in May and began receiving Friendship Trays in June. He credits the food from Friendship Trays with being a key explanation for his improved health and well-being. "Thank you," he said, "for the fresh, nutritious foods that are healing me!"
Aug. 21, 2009
Mrs. S has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. After treatments, she's sometimes too tired to prepare a snack – much less a meal. She says she doesn't know what she'd do if she didn't have the Friendship Trays meals.
Aug. 21, 2009
Vegetables and fruits. Delicious vegetables and fruits. That's what Mrs. P says she enjoys the most in her Friendship Trays meals. Gentlemen, are you listening? Vegetables and fruits. Delicious vegetables and fruits. Mrs. P and your mother were right: Vegetables and fruits are not just delicious; they are GOOD for you.
Aug. 4, 2009
Although he loves the food that Friendship Trays volunteers deliver, Mr. M's appetite has declined lately. It's hot inside the two-bedroom apartment that Mr. M shares with his mother. An electric fan on a stand purrs in the room. But that is the only cooling that he and his mother have on this hot summer day.
Aug. 4, 2009
Mr. G's home goes beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, at persistent, regular intervals. It is not long before a volunteer delivering meals realizes that Mr. G has not replaced a dying battery in the home's smoke detector.
The volunteer runs to the store, then returns with two 9-volt batteries – one for the smoke detector, the other as a spare. The volunteer replaces the battery in Mr. G's beeping smoke detector. And in this way too a volunteer has helped create a healthier environment for Mr. G.
Aug. 4, 2009
Ms. M praises her Friendship Trays drivers. Those drivers, she says, bring a huge smile to her face each weekday morning. I know, she says, all about my Monday driver's grandchildren and my Tuesday driver's recent vacation and my Wednesday driver's new job. It's like being a part of one big family.
Reach Kelly at 704-333-9229 extension 4845 or e-mail her.
Friendship Trays, Inc.
Meals-on-wheels in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
2401-A
Distribution St. Charlotte, NC 28203 voice 704-333-9229 fax 704-333-5947
Delivering, in a caring and friendly
manner, balanced meals to individuals in this community
who are unable, because of age or infirmity, to obtain and prepare their own
meal