February 2021 – You Asked It!

Category: February 2021

Farmers’ Market Regional Workshops

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

Farmers’ markets and direct-to-consumer opportunities are growing across Kansas and continue to be an important source of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and other value added agricultural products from small towns to large metropolitan areas. In 2020, 76 farmers’ markets were registered with the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Central Registration of Farmers’ Markets.

To support Kansas’ farmer’s markets, six workshops are generally held throughout the state in February 2021. Due to COVID-19, the workshops will be held virtually this year. Register now!

Field to Fork Webinars—NDSU

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

The North Dakota State University Extension Field to Fork weekly webinar series is back for 2021. The first webinar is scheduled for February 10, 2021.

The series includes topics such as growing safe produce, food preservation, high tunnel production, weed control, maple syrup production, nutrition and health, starting and food business and more. Along with NDSU speakers, invited speakers will be from Kansas State University, University of Wisconsin and University of Missouri.

These webinars are free, but registration is required to participate. Learn more and register at www.ag.ndsu.edu/fieldtofork.

New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 is the first set of guidelines that provide guidance for healthy dietary patterns by life stage, from birth through older adulthood, and for the first time, there are chapters devoted to each life stage, including chapters on infants and toddlers and women who are pregnant or lactating.

It is never too early or too late to improve your dietary pattern. Keep in mind this motto, “Make Every Bite Count.” This can be done with these four guidelines:

Eat a healthy diet throughout every life stage.
Choose nutrient-dense foods that fit your personal preferences, cultural traditions and budget.
Eat foods from each food group that are nutrient-dense and within calorie limits.
Limit added sugars, saturated fat, sodium and alcoholic beverages.

Following these guidelines can help reduce chronic diseases that affect about 60% of Americans.

Keeping Groceries Alive

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

In small rural communities, grocery stores are so important to keep communities healthy and alive.

To help prevent grocery stores from closing, plan for new owners, and to address community needs, the Rural Grocery Initiative is hosting an eight-part series called “Keeping Groceries Alive; Successful Ownership Transitions for Rural Grocery Stores” starting January 28, 2021.

These webinars are free, but registration is required to participate. Register now! For questions about this webinar series, please contact rgi@ksu.edu.

When a grocery store closes, the community loses out. In order to maintain vibrant rural grocery stores over the long-term, grocers and communities must plan ahead.

Dining with Diabetes Online

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with diabetes? To help you learn how to plan your food intake, K-State Research and Extension along with other University partners have created Dining with Diabetes Online.

This online course is designed for adults with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and their family members, caregivers, and support persons. This course helps individuals learn strategies to manage their diabetes through menu planning, carbohydrate counting, portion control, and label reading.

The primary portion of this course will start on 02/01/21 and will end on 03/01/21 (after module 4). The final module “Dining Out with Diabetes” will be available starting 05/24/21 through 05/31/21.

A Look at Consumer Food Choices in 2020

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

The year 2020 was rough, but there are some good things that consumers say have changed regarding food and health. The International Food Information Council conducted a year-end survey to see what changes were made since consumers spent more time at home.

In regards to eating habits, 47% said their eating habits stayed about the same, but 32% said their eating habits became healthier.

The impact of COVID-19 on eating habits affected consumers in many ways. Results revealed eating more comfort foods; consumers said anxiety and stress affected their food choices; financial hardships affected food shopping choices; and less frequent visits to food service establishments were noted.

There was a large increase in cooking meals from scratch, especially simple easy-to-prepare foods, trying new recipes, cooking with family and baking homemade bread.

See the complete results at https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IFIC-Year-in-Review-Survey.December-2020.pdf.

KDA Food Protection Task Force

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) Food Protection Task Force is hosting a webinar series for food service establishments.

The series will be once a month starting January 25, 2021. They are 30-minute webinars given by food safety and lodging inspectors and includes the opportunity to ask questions.

There is no cost to participate, but registration is required for each session.

See the KDA website for details, registration and links to newsletters and past meetings.

The Food Protection Task Force mission is to help food service professionals learn about early detection and containment of foodborne illness.

New Videos from FDA

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

The impact of wasted food continues to be problem. It is estimated that a family of four wastes $1,500 food dollars per year on wasted food. It is the single largest component of municipal landfills, which leads to excess methane gas production.

To help educate consumers about the reducing food waste, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has four new videos.

Tips for Reducing Food Waste
Understanding Date Labels on Food Packages
Imperfect Produce
Food Waste Facts

Learn more about food waste at www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/topics/food-waste.html

Do a Dessert Flip!

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

Dessert is a fun ending to many meals. How about a dessert flip! And there is research to back up this choice.

With the continued push to eat more plant foods, why not add them to dessert! Sensory research conducted at the University of California-Davis and the Culinary Institute of America evaluated dessert choices of 118 college students. They wanted to see if increased amounts of plant food garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, would entice diners to make the flip. Instead of the conventional 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts combination, more participants chose a dessert of 80% fruit and nuts with 20% cake.

Making the dessert flip can also reduce the cost per serving while increasing fruits and nuts. It is as simple as cutting a smaller piece of cake and adding fruit to dress it up.

Will you do the dessert flip?

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.15462

What is a Ghost Kitchen?

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Karen Blakeslee

No, it is not Halloween! So do not be afraid! The restaurant industry had to use their creative juices to stay in business in 2020. One way is to be a ghost kitchen, a.k.a virtual kitchen or dark kitchen.

The high demand for online ordering and food delivery or pickup options helped keep many restaurants in business. Starting up a ghost kitchen lowered their capital expenditures. They have reduced costs in real estate, labor and menu creation. There is no in-person dining, all food is delivered by the restaurant itself or a third party service.

These kitchens are not passing ghosts in the night! They are here to stay with a projected 25% growth in the next five years.

Source: www.ift.org; https://bit.ly/361wjr3

Category: February 2021

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