6 / 6
Understanding
food safety labels
By Crystal Petersen, GCMH
Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist
LET’S
give a hand to fruits and
vegetables! They’re the nutritional
stars of your plate. But American
consumers waste an estimated 15
to 20 percent of food we purchase.
How do we shop healthy and get
those fresh items to the table? My
suggestions are simple—and can
help you save on your food dollar
while preparing wholesome meals.
1
Shop your refrigerator first.
Look to see what you have on hand.
Use short-lived fresh fruits and
vegetables, like berries, leafy greens,
cucumbers and mushrooms, within
a couple days of purchasing. Fresh
apples, potatoes, carrots, onions and
winter squash with a longer life can
wait to be made into meals.
2
Get creative.
Don’t know what
to do with that half jar of salsa and
leftover chicken breast? Check out
supercook.com. Enter what in-
gredients you have, and it tells you
what meals you can make and how
to make them. Use pureed, cooked
veggies to thicken stews and gravies.
Mash up soft fruit into a sweet, nu-
tritious pancake topping. Turn a jar
of plain spaghetti sauce into a veggie
feast by adding mushrooms, peppers
and onions.
Waste not, want not
3
Coax the most out of produce
with proper care.
Store perishable
fresh produce in the refrigerator, and
make sure the temperature in your
fridge is set to 40 degrees or below.
4
Make use of leftovers.
Try soup
made up of turkey, a partial jar of
salsa, broth, and leftover beans and
corn. Keep whole grain pizza crust
on hand and use your bits and pieces
of leftovers to create a one-of-a-kind
masterpiece. Create a salad with lettuce
that has been lingering in the refrig-
erator, tomatoes at their ripest and the
last bit of cheese from the package.
5
Don’t forget canned and frozen.
Canned and frozen vegetables and
fruits can be nutritious too. Just be
sure to read the Nutrition Facts label
and look for low- or no-sodium veg-
etables and fruits that are prepared in
their own juice.
Check out
grundycountyhospital.orgor the
GCMH Facebook page for recipes
that help you avoid food waste.
Facebook “f”Logo
CMYK / .ai
Understanding the various labels manu-
facturers use on purchased foods can
help you avoid tossing out what’s still
healthful and safe:
Download the free app
“Is My Food Safe? for an easy
way to determine whether
food is still safe and how long
you can keep it.
Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics;
American Heart Association; American Institute
for Cancer Research
BEST IFUSEDBY
FEB102017
SELLBY
FEB102017
USEBY
FEB102017
Jennifer Havens
CEO
Keely Harken
Foundation Development
& Community Outreach
Manager
Newsletter Editor
Crystal Petersen
Health Promotion
Manager
LIVEWELL is published as a community service for the
residents of the service area of Grundy County Memorial
Hospital, 201 E. J Ave., Grundy Center, IA 50638,
www.grundycountyhospital.org,319-824-5421.
Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Grundy County
Memorial Hospital
Information in LIVE WELL comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health,
please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations.
2017 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
201 E. J Ave.
Grundy Center, IA 50638