March 2007
Monthly Newsletter; Issue Number 03-07

GO GREEN(ER) WHEN CHOOSING LETTUCE

I've read that lettuce actually has very little nutritional value, but I also hear that people need to eat more leafy greens. Isn't lettuce a "leafy green"?

It depends what you mean by "lettuce." If you're talking about iceberg or some other variety of tightly-wrapped, pale green head lettuce, then you're right, it does have very little nutritional value -- only about 7% of the Vitamin A you need in a day, for example, and 3% of Vitamin C. At the same time, it is 95% water, which means it helps keep you hydrated. And, it has very few calories -- only 10 in a full cup of shredded lettuce.

So iceberg lettuce should hardly be classified as junk food. It's just not the most nutrient-dense choice you could make for your salad.

In contrast, one cup of shredded romaine lettuce gives you 55% of your daily intake of Vitamin A, and 20% of Vitamin C. Green leaf lettuce is almost as good, offering almost as much Vitamin A and about 10% of Vitamin C. Even butterhead lettuce (Boston/Bibb type) offers 35% of Vitamin A; though not much Vitamin C.

Vegetables that are better for you tend to be richer in color. The deep green leaves of "iceberg alternatives" tend to offer more folate, potassium and magnesium, as well as antioxidants of beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and even chlorophyll -- one of the most potent antioxidants around. And the darker the leaf, the more phytonutrients ("plant nutrients") you can expect to get.

If you're the adventurous type, you may consider trying other types of leafy greens in your salad -- spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard and bok choy are among the more mild-flavored. Greens with a stronger flavor include mustard greens, arugula, mizuna and turnip greens. Kale falls somewhere in-between.

The MyPyramid Food Guidance System recommends anywhere from 1.5 to 3 cups of dark green vegetables --
a category that also includes broccoli -- each week. There's a trick, though: leafy greens count for only half -- you need two cups of lettuce or leafy greens to count as one cup of dark green vegetables. Keep that in mind when you're at the salad bar.

OVERINDULGENCE

My husband and I want to give our children the things we didn't have when we grew up. How can we tell if we're going overboard?

Many parents express confusion between healthful, nurturing parental behavior and being overindulgent. The difference is key. Nurturing behavior leads to self-reliance, high self-esteem, and a healthy relationship between parents and children, while overindulgent behavior breeds self-centeredness and immaturity in children.

A 1998 study in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education offers insight into telling the differ-ence: Nurturing behavior combines unconditional love with healthy doses of structure, limits, boundaries and expectations. Overindulgence includes:

• Inundating children with family resources, including material things, time or experiences, at developmentally inappropriate times.
  
• Having few or no consistent expectations that children will perform household chores, complete tasks, learn skills appropriate to their age group, or take other responsibilities.
  
• Allowing children too many privileges or to dominate family life.
  

Interestingly, overindulgent behavior stems from parents' needs to feel competent or good about what they can do for their children, not their children's developmental needs. Adults who described themselves as being overindulged as children reported both feeling loved as a child, but also confused about expectations and embarrassed that they never learned skills they should have learned as children.

The study's authors, who also help manage a web site (http://www.overindulgence.info), said overindulgence can have long-lasting effects: It appears to affect communication and relationship skills, decision-making and time management abilities into adulthood.

So, what can you do? First, take a step back and examine the day-to-day expectations you have for your children. Do you have reasonable rules that are consistently enforced? Do you resist stepping in to "help" your children complete tasks? Do they have chores that allow them to act as contributing members of the family? Do they have limits on their freedom that are lifted as their age and experience merit?

As for gift-giving, first decide what your budget can afford and don't go over that limit. Then, review basic premises of overindulgence: Are you giving your children gifts so you feel good, rather than what's appropriate for them? Do you have few or no expectations that your children will give, as well as receive gifts? Is the entire focus of the holidays dominated by the children? If the answer to any of these is "yes," it's time to refocus -- put less emphasis on the children's gifts and more on family traditions and activities.

100% FAD FREE

March is National Nutrition Month®. This year's theme is 100% Fad Free. National Nutrition Month® was developed and sponsored by the American Dietetic Association as a national nutrition education and information campaign that launched in 1973. The campaign focuses attention on informed food choices and sound eating and physical activity habits. This year's theme of 100% Fad Free encourages:

• developing a healthful eating plan,
  
• making sensible choices to improve health,
  
• learning how to spot a food fad, and
  
• finding personal balance between food and physical activity.

WASHING PRODUCE

Over the years we have all heard advice related to food safety. Some of this advice rings true, while other guidance is just plain wrong. We'd like to debunk one food safety "myth." MYTH: Filling the sink with water and putting produce in the standing water is the best way to clean it. FACT: Soaking produce is risky business. Sinks with standing water can harbor bacteria that can transfer to foods and make you sick. ADVICE: To properly clean fresh fruits and vegetables, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten, rinse them under running tap water. Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean paper towel or vegetable brush. Never use detergent or bleach to wash fresh fruits or vegetables. Bleach and other cleansers are not intended for consumption.
Source: Fight Bac!

Sincerely,

 

Janice M. Ronan	Holly K. Hedstrom
Extension Educator - Family Living/4-H	County Extension Director
Lynn B. Clint		tlv
Extension Educator - Family and Consumer Sciences		3/1/07

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