Better Living for Texans

The “Three Sisters” refers to the Native American process of planting corn, beans, and squash together. Each has an important role in helping the others grow. Although they can grow individually, they grow better together. This is the same for us humans as we think about food: it's not just what we eat that is important. Why we eat and how we eat are just as important when we consider food's role in “feeding” our happiness and quality of life.  https://blt.tamu.edu/2024/11/01/grow-better-together/#more-3337

How we eat and who we eat with has a powerful influence on what we eat. Eating with friends and loved ones can have benefits that lead to making healthier food choices.Connect With Each Other and With Yourself Mealtimes are a good time to connect, talk about your day, or take a moment to relax and reflect. Put away phones, turn off the TV and minimize other distractions to help focus on the present moment and the meal. Being in the moment can also allow you to listen to hunger and fullness cues better and can help avoid overeating.Family Friendly Meals and Snacks Make healthy food choices an everyday pattern for all. Offer a variety of foods or ingredients at meals and snack time, and highlight new and different foods as an exciting addition to the meal. If children are present, include them in the food preparation process. Knowing how to prepare food is a wonderful skill to have, and children can start learning by helping with simple tasks! Some easy jobs children can do include choosing recipes, helping with grocery shopping, washing fruits and vegetables, stirring pots, throwing away trash and scraps, and putting food on the table or back in the refrigerator. By being included in the cooking process, children are more likely to want to eat the food they helped make.Mealtimes Are Better Together Making an effort to eat most of your meals with others may be a challenge with busy schedules or if you live alone. Research shows that sharing meals with others may reduce the risk of poor nutrition and health-related illnesses, help to reduce skipped meals and increased snacking by allowing for accountability, and provide a more enjoyable meal experience. Have fun with meals together and try adding interesting twists with ideas like meal themes and “ingredient highlights”.Connect with those around you and make healthier choices together!Recipe of the month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzcWzU6UrS0&t=15s

A healthy, balanced lunch is important to help us focus and perform our best at school, work, and throughout the day. Sometimes it can be a tricky meal to plan. It is all too easy to forget to make lunch and instead reach for snacks, eat out or simply not eat until dinner. Eating a healthy lunch can also help us avoid cravings and low-energy crashes. Nutritionally balanced, energizing lunches that are easy to take on the go can make all the difference! https://blt.tamu.edu/2024/08/01/low-maintenance-lunches-to-go/

July marks the beginning of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Not only are the Olympics fun to watch, but they can inspire some great physical activity. However, you don't have to be an athlete or join a gym to participate in them. Have fun and do what moves you!

Food safety is an important part of the cooking process, and safe cleaning practices can help prevent foodborne illness. Cleaning up as you prepare and cook food not only reduces the chance of bacteria spreading from one food to another (known as cross-contamination), but also means you will have less to clean up when you are done cooking! During this episode, we break down the Core Four Practices to learn more check out these great resources: https://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-chartshttps://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety

Join us as we discuss some helpful “secrets” for creating tasty, flavorful dishes using herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. Salt is commonly used to enhance the flavor in foods; however, reducing sodium intake can decrease the risk of chronic disease.Check out the recipe of the month for Elote (Mexican Seasoned Corn).

Learning how to save and store seeds from fruits and vegetables can be very useful in starting or continuing to grow a flourishing produce garden. It can also save money on seeds and transplants for the following planting season! For more information: https://blt.tamu.edu/2024/04/02/seeds-and-harvest-saving-the-right-way/Aggie Horticulture reference: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2013/09/EHT-075.pdf

Welcome back to the Better Living for Texans Podcast! March is National Nutrition Month, and this year's theme is “Beyond the Table”. There is a lot more that goes into food than just eating it. Many of us get food from the grocery store. But how did it get there? On today's episode we spend some time talking about where to learn about where our food comes from. Episode highlights include farmers' markets or community gardens, starting your garden, a favorite vegetable (OKRA!), and a delicious gumbo! To learn more about National Nutrition Month, visit https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-month! Celebrate healthy eating at the table and beyond! For gardening resources mentioned in the podcast, visit Aggie Horticulture at https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/. For more information on the Better Living for Texans program, visit us at https://blt.tamu.edu/#betterlivingfortexans #txextension #celebratebetterlivingtx #SNAPEDworks

We are back! The Better Living for Texans program is excited to be back, and on today's episode, we share tips for healthy eating habits and how healthy eating can be easier with a plan! For more information and to view this month's recipe visit: https://blt.tamu.edu/2024/01/03/making-healthier-choices-with-a-plan/

Getting children to eat healthy can be challenging; however, gardening can be a fun and inexpensive way to spark children's curiosity in trying vegetables and fruits. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is available to help and teach you about what grows best in your area and make your family's experience a positive one. Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can use their food assistance benefits to purchase food-producing seeds and plants to grow their own food. Let us dig-in to find out more!https://counties.agrilife.org/https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator

Social media and television constantly have advertisements that highlight ‘nutrition gurus' or sell magic pills for better health. It can be overwhelming trying to decide what advice to follow; however, finding accurate information can be easier if you focus on trusted sources with information based on scientific research. One trusted source for nutrition and physical activity recommendations is MyPlate.gov and today on the podcast we have with us Ingrid to teach us more about what MyPlate is!

Summertime is near which often brings a sigh of relief as schedules become less hectic. Take advantage of this extra time with family mealtime! Researchers have discovered when families eat together, adults and children eat more fruits and vegetables, have a balanced diet, and eat less fast food. With us on the podcast is Tracie who is here to share more about family mealtime!

There are a variety of energy boosting snacks available; however, when we are hungry it is easy to reach for less healthy snacks like chips, candy bars, and sodas. Today on the podcast we have Sarah with us to talk about energy boosting snacks!

Every year during the month of March the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates National Nutrition Month. This year's theme is “Celebrate a World of Flavors,” and focuses on celebrating foods and flavors from different cultures all around the world. Today on the podcast we have with us Christina who is here to share more about this month and how we can celebrate our culture through food!

During the month of February, store isles are filled with a variety of Valentine colors, and many heart-shaped cards, snacks, and sweets. While all these items are focused towards one day, the entire month is American Heart Month which is dedicated to our heart health. The heart plays an essential role in our body. With each beat, the heart pumps blood throughout our body supplying it with oxygen and nutrients. It is no wonder why we need to take care of our heart! Here to help celebrate with us is Julie is here to share tips from the heart for the heart!For more information about visit: https://www.heart.org/en/

We cannot see or smell bacteria that can make us sick. To help keep your family safe and reduce your risk of a foodborne illness use the four principles of Fight BAC! Join us as Wendy teaches us about Fight BAC! is all about!

Many popular New Year's resolutions focus on health and wellness. If you are looking towards a healthier 2022 one step you can do is increase your fruit and vegetable intake. These two food groups are packed with nutrients that help our body preform at its best. On the podcast we have Heather who will be sharing with us some tips to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

Ending the year on a healthy note can be a challenge for many. From the continuous chocolate advertisements on television to the delicious aromas of baked goods at your local grocery store, temptation to overindulge is around every corner. Today on the podcast we have Natalie here to share some simple ideas to maintain a balanced diet and still celebrate with flavor.

The holiday season is HERE which often means a busier schedule. From planning family meals to cleaning or decorating, when our schedules pick up, it is easy to skip one thing that we all need, physical activity! Our episode guest, Daisy Castillo is here to share four ways to move more during this holiday season.

Often, life gets busy and cooking a meal can feel like a chore. On those kinds of days, have you considered microwave cooking, rather than heading to a drive through? This can save money and often results in a more nutritious meal than going out to eat. Our episode guest, Christy Curran is here to share some helpful tips on microwave cooking.

Grocery store food prices typically increase by about 2% each year, however, prices increased by 3.5% in 2020. As we continue through 2021 food prices continue to steadily rise. Our episode guest, Katie Sotzing, goes over some simple but effective ways to save money on food that will help you avoid the rising food costs from cutting too much into your wallet.

Eating a nutritious meal pattern is important for everybody, however, there are stages in life when nutrition makes an even greater impact on your health! One of those stages for women, is during lactation/breastfeeding. Episode guest, Jade Edgar, an Extension Agent for BLT, shares some excellent information on this topic! If you're a breastfeeding mom, prepare to soak in some great tips and if you're not a breastfeeding mom, consider sending this episode to someone who is or soon will be!

It is hot outside! While not everyone enjoys the heat, harmful bacteria found on food thrives in warm weather. On this episode we're talking about important food safety practices to follow during these hot summer months. Tune in to find out how to prevent bacteria from growing on your food!Guest: Natalie Knesek, Family and Community Health County Extension Agent.

Today's episode answers the question - how can physical activity improve joint health and mobility? Our joints allow us to run, walk, dance, play sports, pretty much everything we like to do that involves moving! Keeping our joints healthy will allow us to keep doing the movements we enjoy for a long time. So if you ever experience the occasional achy knees or shoulders, maybe your back seems like it's always a little sore...this is the episode for you! Even if you don't experience issues with your joints, you'll learn a few things that will certainly help limit joint issues in the future. To talk about how physical activity helps our joints, we have Adan Ruiz, Extension Agent for BLT as a guest.

Is it okay to eat something if it is past it's use-by/best-by date? Do you really need to use those bins at the bottom of the refrigerator for meat only? If you have ever had these questions, you will want to listen to this week's podcast!We are celebrating World Food Safety Day (June 7th) a little early by sharing some fantastic food safety tips on this week's podcast episode. To share these tips and answer some common food safety questions, we have AgriLife Extension's food safety specialist, Rebecca Dittmar as a guest today.

Today’s episode is the season 3 finale! Don’t worry though, we will be back in a few weeks. Today we’re answering the question - “What challenges and successes did Better Living for Texans (BLT) agents and educators experience during the past year?”. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has made some significant impacts on the way go about our daily lives and the BLT program is no exception to that. As a guest today we have BLT Extension Agent, Bonny Mankin, here to tell us about some of the challenges she experienced as an agent as well as things she learned and successes that she saw during this less than normal year.Check out Bonny's nutrition and physical activity video's by going to her BLT facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bltpottercounty

Basil, parsley, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, dill, and more! There are so many herbs you can grow and use when cooking. In this episode, we're talking all about how to successfully grow and cook with herbs! Better Living for Texans - Extension Agent, Christy Curran and Horticulture County Extension Agent, Jeanette Castanon, share a lot of great tips that will surely inspire you to grow some of your own herbs, you may even find yourself listening to this episode again.

Have you ever wondered what to do when you grow more fruits or vegetables than you or your family can eat? After all the effort of growing and maintaining a garden, the last thing you want to do is let the produce you have grown go to waste. In this episode we are answering the question – how do you preserve the produce from your garden? Or in other words, how can you make it last longer. To answer this question we have BLT extension agent, Andrea Torres-Barragon as a guest today.

Better Living for Texans (BLT) offers gardening programs to youth and adults. Participants of these programs have expressed improved accessibility to and intake of fruits and vegetables. Today we are joined by BLT extension agent, Amy Smith-Shively and returning guest, Greg Grant a county extension agent who specializes in horticulture. In this episode Amy and Greg talk about the youth gardening program they’ve been doing in Smith County and the benefits it has had on their participants and the community.

How do you grow a successful vegetable garden? To answer this question I have Greg Grant, a county extension agent who specializes in horticulture on the podcast today. Greg goes over the top 3 most important things you need to know when growing a vegetable garden. Whether you are planning on growing a garden or you’ve already started a Springtime garden, the tips shared in today’s episode will surely help you have a successful garden this season!

Its the fourth and final podcast episode of our series celebrating National Nutrition Month! The last key message from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for National Nutrition Month is Consult a Registered Dietitian, during this episode we talk about what a dietitian is but we also shift this message a bit to better fit within the context of the Better Living for Texans program. So in this episode we answer the question – What can a BLT Extension agent do for you? And to answer this question, I’ve got BLT Extension agent and registered dietitian, Ingrid Macias as a guest.

We continue our series celebrating National Nutrition Month by talking about useful skills for creating tasty and nutritious meals. Tune in to hear from our agent, Natalie Ramos, as she shares practical tips to help you prepare meals that both delicious and nutritious! Also, try out the easy salad dressing recipe from Natalie.Homemade Salad Dressing:1 tablespoon olive oil (canola oil can substitute),1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (lemon juice or red wine vinegar works great too),1 teaspoon dried or fresh dill,1 teaspoon garlic powder,Pinch of pepper (optional),Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar. Feel free to add more herbs such as oregano or parsley. Mix together and top over a bowl of your favorite greens.

In the second episode of our 4-part series celebrating National Nutrition Month, we're talking about planning nutritious meals in advance! Guests: Valeria Arredondo and Genesis Hernandez.

It's National Nutrition Month! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has provided key nutrition messages for each week in March. Through-out March the Better Living for Texans podcast will be highlighting these key messages of the week!The first key message to kick off National Nutrition Month is Eat a variety of nutritious foods each day. Extension Program Specialist, Danielle Krueger, joins us to share more on this topic.https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month

Welcome back to Season 3! Since February is American Heart Month, we're kicking off the new season by talking about heart health. Tune in to learn more about how eat a nutritious diet and exercise can help prevent heart disease.

We are joined by BLT and FCH AgriLife Extension Agents District 8 to discuss their "Sleigh the Holidays" project. To join, learn more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2086015488195592. Thank you for joining us for the past two seasons. We will see you in 2021 for Season 3!

This week, we finish our 4 part series on eating during the holiday season. Big meals often mean leftovers. Hannah Moore joins us to discuss important practices to keep in mind when cooking, chilling and heating food to help prevent food borne illness.

We love those traditional holiday foods! But, there's a reason we don't eat them often. Even if you're trying to be mindful of what you're eating, we've got some ideas to help make sure you're getting all your daily nutrients! Guest: Hannah Moore

There's a lot of things we love about the holiday season. There's also a lot of food to eat during the holiday season. We get it! Food is an integral part of family moments and cooking those big meals is a cherished memory by many. Sometimes, however, after the meal(s), we can full and even uncomfortable. This week, Hannah Moore joins us to talk about mindfulness during the holidays, to help keep is on track with consuming the appropriate amount of food each of our bodies need.

This week, we kick off our month long series discussing eating around the holidays. Thanksgiving (and the holiday season, in general) can be stressful. Project Specialist Hannah Moore offers recommendations to keep in mind when planning a big meal this holiday season.

BLT Agent Leanne Raborn in Williamson County joins us to discuss how BLT can help expectant mothers in our state.

Better Living for Texans Regional Project Specialist Andrea Stelting joins us to talk about how BLT programming looks different across our big, diverse state.

BLT Program Specialist Hannah Moore join us to discuss purchasing foods at the farmer's market with your SNAP benefits.Mentioned ResourcesProduce Availability Charthttp://www.gotexan.org/portals/1/pdf/produce%20availability%20brochure%202015-nocropmarks.pdfTexas Farmers Market Listhttps://agrilife.org/texaslocalproduce-2/csas-farmers-markets/farmers-market-list/

We talk with BLT Program Coordinator Hannah Moore to learn more about using SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online in Texas.

We talk with BLT Agent Heidi Lopez in Starr County to discuss urban agriculture. Check out her work at Facebook.com/BLTSTARR.

We talk with BLT Agent Jade Edgar in Johnson & Ellis Co's. to learn more about why speaking to others with empathy is important at Better Living for Texans.

BLT Agent Michele Scaife in Montgomery County joins us to give us some tips and tricks to garden on a tight budget, even in the hot Texas summer months! Follow her work on Instagram @BLTmongtomery or on Facebook at facebook.com/bltmontgomery.

BLT Agent Wendy Hamilton in Brown County joins us to talk about why partnerships with Better Living for Texans are so important and make our work possible. You can follow the work in her community at https://www.facebook.com/BrownCountyBLT.

Texas A&M University professor and AgriLife Extension Specialist Dr. Jenna Anding joins us to talk about healthy food safety practices to keep in mind while cooking outdoors this summer.Referred infographic: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/7e6f98c1-ce6d-4ff9-b99b-e81dad762cf9/Is-It-Done-Yet-Magnet-2016.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

We break down a few factors as to why Americans eat too much meat and grains and not enough fruits and vegetables.Map to check out: https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4565491/Fruitsandveggies.png

BLT Agent Kerry Kennedy in Harris County gives us a bit of insight into the journey food takes from farms across the world to end up on our plates. We also discuss how our Learn, Grow, Eat and GO! program contributes to the urban agriculture effort to grow our own nutritious food in our own backyard.