What's your resolution?

Happy New Year! What's your (hopefully healthy!) resolution for 2010?

Tips for eating healthy and well in the winter months

As the holidays wind down we tend to think about eating healthy again. Here are a few tips to get you started on eating healthy in 2010!
• Eat Locally, Eat Seasonally. The fresher the healthier. Try some of these local options:
• Winter Squash
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Potatoes
• Turnips

• Pack your shopping cart with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and green beans. Apples, cranberries and pears combine easily for a tasty salad or fruit crisp.

• Stop eating when you are full. Have your leftovers boxed up, or put them away for tomorrow’s lunch. Listen to your body.

• If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, pass it up—a sure sign that the item is not nearly as good for us as the manufacturer would like us to believe, that includes many of the foods that look healthful at first glance.

• Recipe modification for healthier eating
o Instead of using 1 egg, use 2 egg whites. This will save 42 calories and 6 grams of fat.
o Serve a Turkey dog instead of a regular hot dog and save 80 calories and 8 grams of fat. Turkey bacon instead of regular bacon saves a whopping 250 calories and 20 grams of fat!
o Simply substituting Lean Ground Beef (92% lean, 8% fat) for Regular Ground Beef will save 180 calories and 22 grams of fat!

(Thanks to Erika Devore of KC Healthy Kids for these healthy eating tips!)

Healthy Holiday Recipes and Ideas

What do you do to stay healthy during the holidays? Share your recipes and healthy tips below.



Here are a few links to healthier holiday recipes to get the discussion started:
The Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/holiday-recipes/NU00645
The American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1254937725680Start!%20Holiday%20Booklet%2010-09.pdf
Eating Well
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/holiday_collection_1
The Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/holiday-central-healthy-tips/package/index.html
The University of Iowa's $30 Healthy Holiday Meal serves Eight People
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/B0E406BC-9CC3-4713-B3B2-3221A7699B18/113589/TurkeyDinnerRecipeswithnutritionfacts.pdf

November/December 2009 Newsletter

HKI Newsletter November December 2009

October 2009 Newsletter

HKI Newsletter October 2009

View map of Community Gardens in Rosedale

We now have a map of the locations of community gardens in Rosedale. Check it out!
http://tinyurl.com/y8t2tpz

Make Thursday Count!

Make Thursday Count! Ride your bike on Southwest Boulevard to be counted in the National Documentation Project.

Get out of the car and bike to work

http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1485704.html

If you’ve ever biked to work, or even just thought about biking to work someday, Thursday is your day.

That’s because on Thursday, it counts. Or, at least, may count. Kansas City is taking part in The National Documentation Project.

On Thursday and next Saturday, city workers and volunteers will be out on the streets, trying to figure out exactly how many people in this city use their feet for more than pushing the gas and brake pedals on their cars.

Thursday will be focused on biking and walking for work transportation. Saturday is more about biking for recreation. They’re both vitally important to the short- and long-term health of this community.

The point of this effort nationwide is to simply get baseline numbers. The counters want a normal number of bike riders.

But as Kansas City lacks any real biking infrastructure, more is needed here.

A decent number of bikers can help Kansas City join the rest of the world by adding more bike lanes and hiking/biking trails.

At the very least, higher numbers tell city officials there is a reason to stop ignoring this issue.

Today in Kansas City, the argument is that no one bikes or walks so there’s no need for more lanes or trails.

The counter argument: Biking in Kansas City right now isn’t safe, so people don’t ride.

It’s all nicely circular — and a great way to frustrate progress. But there’s no reason to believe Kansas Citians are significantly different than residents of other American cities.

Opponents of a biking infrastructure maintain Kansas City’s sprawl makes it too big and too difficult to bike or walk. It’s made for cars, or motorcycles.

Beyond the size, remember July? Too hot to be outdoors. Remember January? Too cold.

Consider Chicago, however, with 315 miles of bikeways, about 10 times what’s offered in Kansas City.

Or consider Minneapolis, where 2.4 percent of all commuters bike to work, according to the same 2007 U.S. Census Report that noted 0.0 percent of Kansas Citians bike to work. The national average was .4 percent.

Without a safe biking environment, even people who might prefer to commute or run errands by bike are afraid to risk it.

Especially in a time of green initiatives and health initiatives, Kansas City must do a better job backing alternative transportation. Help make that case Thursday: Get out of the car for a day and ride a bike.

The counting will take place at 10 locations, including bridges from the northland into downtown, along Southwest Boulevard and on trails and paths. Counters will be out next Saturday as well, to see how popular biking is for recreation.

If better bike and pedestrian access is important to you, Thursday and next Saturday are the days to convince this city it’s time to change.

Posted on Fri, Oct. 02, 2009 10:15 PM