The International Federation for Home Economics is celebrating World Home Economics Day on March 21. This day focuses on one of the main challenges for the future, which is promoting development that is socially desirable, economically viable and ecologically sustainable. The goal of this day is to promote the aims of home economics.
The federation is convinced that home economics can contribute experiences and ideas for sustainable development. This is an opportunity for home economics associations to discuss urgent social and family problems, point out social developments and demand effective solutions. The theme motivates networking with other professionals in discussions on food, health, poverty, water and energy consumption.
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Exotic animal farm loses beloved camel and pony to huge hail storm that gripped the Brooks, Alta. area as a community member starts a fundraiser to help the family recover from the financial and emotional damage.
The United Nations theme for 2005-14 is a decade dedicated to promoting sustainable development. Sustainable lifestyles and ways of working are central to overcoming poverty and conserving and protecting the natural resource base for all forms of life. Sustainable methods of production are encouraged in agriculture, forestry, fishing and manufacturing. Use of resources needs to be minimized, and pollution and waste reduced.
Breakfast treat
Dear TEAM: I would like a recipe for English muffins like the breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s. – L.H., High Bluff, Man.
Dear L.H.: I’ve tried and adapted this recipe, which is similar to what you are looking for. I grind our wheat for whole grain flour and store it in the freezer until I need it. Using half of this flour and adding cornmeal helps to make it more like the restaurant chain’s
product.
English muffins
3 cups flour 750 mL
2 teaspoons dry active yeast 10 mL
11/2 teaspoons salt 7 mL
1 teaspoon sugar 5 mL
7 ounces warm water 198 g
Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add any flavourings, such as polenta (a thick porridge made of cornmeal) to make a corn flavoured muffin that also work as soft taco shells. Then add most of the warm water. Mix
thoroughly, taking care not to make the
dough too wet.
To speed up the rising and ensure that the dough is not too moist, you can scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured board and knead for 30 seconds. When fully mixed, cover the dough with freezer wrap and place the bowl in a warm place to rise, until double in size.
Tip the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Divide the dough evenly into 12 pieces and shape each into smooth round balls. Muffins can be made larger or smaller.
Flatten the balls of dough to about three-quarters of an inch (two cm) thick and set aside on a lightly floured surface to rise to double in size, usually about 15-20 minutes. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and lightly oil. Cook each muffin for five minutes each side, longer if thick. They can then be split and slowly toasted or can be used as hamburger buns.
Makes 12 muffins.
Note: Muffins taste less floury if you brush off the flour, and before cooking dust with semolina, which is the coarsely ground parts of wheat that remain after the finer flour has been sifted through. Vary the ingredients to make sweet and flavoured muffins.
Food consumption
Information from Statistics Canada
suggests that Canadians continue to avoid their vegetables, but they are reaching for more fresh fruit.
In 2004, per capita consumption of fresh vegetables fell for the third consecutive year, and hit its lowest level since 1992, falling to 74.8 kilograms per person from 75.7 kg in 2003.
Consumption of processed vegetables, including canned and frozen varieties, fell from 15.8 kg to 15.1 kg. Not surprisingly, Canada’s favourite vegetable, potatoes, accounted for half of the decline in vegetable consumption. Consumption of potatoes, many of them eaten as french fries or chips, has been dropping for three years. Onions, lettuce and carrots are also lower.
On the other hand, each Canadian ate 37.6 kg of fresh fruit, up from 37.1 kg. Apples, bananas and oranges remained the fruits of preference, accounting for nearly half of all fresh fruit eaten.
Tropical and foreign fruits are making inroads in our diets with guavas and mangos accounting for over half a kg per
Canadian. Consumption of pineapples has doubled since 1999 to 800 grams per person. Juice consumption has declined slightly. Orange juice was the preferred beverage, accounting for half of all juice consumed, followed by apple juice.
Overall use of oils and fats continued to rise, reaching 23.6 kg from 23 kg the previous year. Much of this use is in the form of salad oils and shortening, for salad dressings, deep-fried products and baked goods.
I like to think Canadians are getting healthier and was disappointed by the decline in vegetable consumption. However, if it means fewer french fries and chips, that is good. When it comes to higher use of oils and fats, I would like to think we are consuming more salads with oil and vinegar dressings, particularly canola oil.
On that note, for those of us who enjoy beets, here is a healthy salad for you.
Mixed greens and beet salad
1 can (10 oz.) mandarin 284 mL
orange segments, undrained
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette 125 mL
dressing
4 cups mixed salad greens 1 L
1 can (14 oz.) canned beets, 398 mL
drained, cut into slivers
1/2 cup almonds, chopped 125 mL
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Drain mandarin oranges, reserving two tablespoons (30 mL) juice; add to dressing.
Mix greens with mandarin oranges, beets, almonds and red onion in large bowl. Mix lightly with dressing.
Makes eight servings, 3/4 cup (175 mL) each.
Beyond the basics
Beyond the Basics is the Canadian Diabetes Association’s meal planning tool for healthy eating. Although it is set up for diabetics, it is an appropriate guide to be used by most of us. The diabetic diet is an all round healthy diet.
- Limit intake of saturated and trans fat since these fats are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Use food labels, the most accurate source of nutrition information, to estimate the size of a carbohydrate choice.
- Choose low Glycemic Index foods where possible. GI is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels. The index helps with diabetes control. Foods with a low glycemic index raise blood glucose levels more slowly than foods with a higher GI. Foods with a low GI include most vegetables and fruit, legumes, whole grain bread, pasta, and milk. These are the best choices.
- How food is prepared, what foods are eaten together, and the amount and type of carbohydrate eaten all affect blood glucose.
- For carbohydrates, 15 grams is the equivalent to three teaspoons or three packets of sugar.
- Common household measures, such as 1/2 cup (125 mL) are used to identify a portion size.
- Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries are high in fibre. A two cup (500 mL) serving yields about 15 grams of carbohydrates, or about a whole carbohydrate choice.
- Portion size matters. Use your hands to estimate appropriate portions.
- When planning a meal, use portion sizes as a guide, but be aware that two fists may represent 45 to 75 grams of available carbohydrate.
- For grains and starches, choose an
amount the size of your two fists, but for
fruit, use one fist.
- For protein, choose an amount the size of the palm of your hand and the thickness of your little finger. This is a smaller portion than many of us have chosen in the past.
- For vegetables, choose as much as you can hold in both hands. Choose low-carbohydrate vegetables such as green or yellow beans, broccoli and lettuce.
- Limit fat such as butter, oils and salad dressings to an amount the size of your thumb.
Barbara Sanderson is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
