Healthy Food Shopping and

Meal Preparation with an Emphasis on

Consumer Participation

1) Most importantly, this training focuses on improving the quality of life and health of our consumers. Practicing these methods of shopping and cooking can reduce their risk for a huge number of diseases and medical complications. At the same time, they can be involved in their own health and contribute to their own sense of wellbeing.  2) Could help reduce challenging behaviors

WHY DO WE CARE?

3) Could reveal skills that the consumers have not shown before

4)If we are encouraging them to eat better, it helps staff to eat better. If we keep mainly healthy things in our environment, we as staff will also not be tempted to make unhealthy choices

5) We can feel good about our job because it makes a huge difference to our consumer’s lives.

SHOPPING TIPS!

Stick with whole foods and the least processed.

Tips on how to identify whole foods:

1) foods that are on the FDA’s food guide pyramid

2) check the ingredients—fewer ingredients generally means it is less processed.

3) Shop the perimeter for foods such as produce, meats, dairy, bread/grains

¾ of your cart should include “perimeter foods”

Healthier options

Lean meats like pork, chicken, turkey, lowfat ground beef

Lowfat dairy, 1% or 2% milk (NOT whole milk)

Get olive oil instead of vegetable oil

Whole wheat bread and pasta

Brown rice, couscous, or quinoa instead of white rice

Try substituting soda and sugary juices for club soda and lemon

For things not in the perimeter opt for low sugar, low fat, high fiber and portioned containers or bags.

Cereal: Serving Size 1Cup

Kashi Go Lean Berry Crunch w/ ½ cup milk = 180 cal, 125 mg Sodium, 10g sugar, total fat 3.5g

Wheat Chex w/ ½ cup milk = 200 cal, 270mg sodium, 5g sugar, 1g total fat

Instead TRY

Special K Red Berries w/ ½ cup milk = 150 cal, 190mg sodium, 9g sugar, 0g total fat OR

Total Whole Grain w/ ½ cup = 140 cal, 140mg sodium, 5g sugar, 0.5 total fat

Orange Juice: Serving Size 1 8 ounce glass

Average Orange Juice Nutritional Values from brands like: Great Value, Simply Orange, Minute Maid, and Tropicana= 110 calories, 10g sodium, 20g sugar, 2g total fat.

Instead Try:

Tropicana TROP 50 With No Artificial Sweeteners= 50 calories, 10g sugar, 10 mg sodium, 0 total fat.

Bread: Serving Size 2 Slices

Average 100% Whole Wheat nutritional values for brands like: 150 calories, 2g fat, 210 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 28 g whole grain.

Instead Try:

Earth Grains 12 Grain Bread: 2 Slices= 100 calories, 1.5 grams total fat, 115 mg sodium, 5g sugar, NO ARTIFICAL COLORS, FLAVORING, OR PRESERVATIVES. Average Price $2.50.

String Cheese: Serving Size 1 stick

Average String Cheese Nutritional Values for brands like: Frigo, Sargento’s, Great Value= 80 calories, 6g fat, 200mg sodium, 0 g sugar and they are made with whole milk.

Instead Try:

Weight Watchers, or Sargento’s Light= 50 calories 2.5 g fat, 200mg sodium, 0 g sugar, made with part skim milk.

Chips or Crackers

Quaker Oats Quakes Serving Size 18 mini cakes: 140 calories, 410 mg sodium, 5 g total fat.

Instead Try:

Special K Sea Salt Chips: Serving Size 30 chips, 110 calories, 230 sodium, 0g sugar, 2.5 g total fat.

An even better alternative: Wavy Carrot Chips=Serving Size 30 carrots, and 35 calories.

Fruit

Fresh is always the best

Frozen is second best

But if cupped or canned fruit has to be purchased try items with the NO SUGAR ADDED label

Del Monte Fruit Naturals No Sugar Added 1 container= 80 calories, 24 g carb, 0g fat, 2g protein, 0mg sodium, 4g fiber. (This item is normally found near the fruits and vegetables because it needs to be refrigerated and has less preservatives.)

Vegetables

Fresh is always best, and try different vegetables depending on what’s in season and might be on a better sale.

Frozen is better than canned and has little to no preservatives.

If you have to buy canned like for Garbanzo Beans, or something that is rarly found out of the can. Get NO SALT ADDED

When looking at labels and shopping look for items with:

NO SALT ADDED

NO SUGAR ADDED

SUGAR FREE

SALT FREE

NO ARTIFICAL SWEETNERS

NO PRESERVATIVES

REMEMBER TO COMPARE ITEMS FOR HEALTHIEST OPTION

Include the Consumers!

Take a consumer or 2 grocery shopping with you and try to teach them the skill.

Not only is it a great learning experience, but they enjoy the interaction

It gives the consumers a chance to learn something that they may not have had a chance to do before

Cooking!

Include the consumers!

Ways to have consumers help:

1) Washing produce or meat

2) Opening cans

3) Cutting/peeling food

4) Adding spices

5) Stirring

6) Preparing cooking materials

7) Following a recipe

8) Measuring

9) Set the table

10) Have them help portion bulk items for storage

Community Dinners

Cooking in bulk for multiple consumers. We always try to have one or more consumers help in the whole cooking process.

The way that this generally looks:

-One consumer chooses to host the dinner at their apartment

-That consumer chooses how many people and who they would like to invite over to eat.

-The hosting consumer helps prepare the meal, as well as any guests that would like to help.

-For those not invited, we offer to bring them a plate of the food

These community meals accomplish several things at once:

1)Consumers interact with staff during cooking process

2)Consumers interact with one another at dinner table

3)We as staff have piece of mind that everyone who chose to eat that meal is eating a well-balanced, nutritious meal.

4)Oftentimes there are leftovers after everyone has eaten—this provides future meals for freezing.

Visual demonstration w/ consumers

Portioning

Portioning Methods for different Consumers

TR refrigerator

PD freezer

JG freezer

2 croc-pots full of Chicken Vegetable Soup

Total Calories for entire batch= 1,281 calories

Total Sodium for entire batch= 620 mg

Total servings per batch= This made about 14

1 cup servings

Total calories per 1 serving (1 cup)= 91.5

calories

Total Sodium per 1 serving (1 cup)= 44 mg

PH freezer

Eating Out

Have them request a to-go container while they are ordering their meal. Immediately package half the meal to eat at a later time.

Choose places that offer healthier options: Sweet Tomatoes, Souper Salad, Mad Greens, Sub Shops, Boston Market, etc.

Set a good example!

Success Story

In the last 3 years this consumer has increased activities such as softball, swimming, walking, bowling, bocce ball, and DDRC triathlons.

She has changed her eating habits drastically. She loves to snack on carrots, apples, grapes, oranges, etc. She helps cook community meals and enjoys healthy dinners regularly.

Staff assisted her with these changes by creating a healthier environment and promoting a lot of physical activity.

One of Hillside’s great success stories!

From 2005-2009 she weighed over 218 lbs.

Jan 2009 218 lbs.

Dec 2009 195 lbs.

Jan 2010 192 lbs.

Dec 2010 188 lbs.

Jan 2011to Dec 2011 190-170 (20 pounds this year)

From Jan 2009 she went from 218 to170= 48 pound weight loss!!

Help our folks become competent eaters!

Create an environment that promotes health

Remind them to eat mindfully—eat when hungry, stop when full.

Food should be seen as neither a punishment nor a reward. It is for nourishment. That’s it. Help consumers try to understand that.

Be creative, be positive, be willing to try new things!