Eat healthy during harvest

LINCOLN, Neb. — With long workdays during harvest season, it’s easy for farmers to put their own health on the backburner. Making small diet changes can help farmers stay healthy and have more energy.

“Shifts, no matter how seemingly small, can have a big impact on long-term health and well-being when repeated over time,” said Hannah Guenther, food, nutrition and health educator at Nebraska Extension, during a webinar hosted by AgriSafe.

Most Americans aren’t getting enough veggies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends two and a half to three cups of veggies per day.

“Variety is key,” Guenther said. “Keeping variety in mind, try packing a low-sodium can of vegetable juice and a bag of baby carrots with lunch. Then focus on keeping half of your plate vegetables at dinner. This could be steamed green beans with a baked potato, or a quick and easy salad mix.”

Adding a banana for breakfast and an apple at lunchtime can help farmers meet recommended fruit intake.

The remaining food groups, dairy, protein and grains, hold great potential for making small shifts, Guenther said.

“During planting and harvesting seasons especially, it can be easy to rely on red meat and lunch meats when packing meals,” she said. “For more variety, consider a small bag of raw almonds or peanuts, and a hard-boiled egg, for two sources of good-for-you protein to keep your energy up and mind focused on those long days in the field.

“Bone health is integral to keeping up with the physically demanding work. Because dairy is a great source of calcium, try getting three servings of low-fat dairy each day. String cheese is a great, field-friendly option.”

When it comes to grains, try making half of your grains whole wheat. Air-popped, lightly salted popcorn can be a healthy alternative to chips.

Tara Dunker, food, nutrition and health educator at Nebraska Extension, recommended limited saturated fats, added sugars and sodium levels in foods.

“When it comes to limiting saturated fats, focus on shifting to include more healthy fats into your eating pattern,” Dunker said. “These are liquid at room temperature.

“Consider sautéing foods on the stove top with liquid oils, like olive oil, instead of butter. Shake up your routine by incorporating more lean animal protein into your meal prep.”

Plant-based protein such as beans, nuts and seeds can be incorporated into meals, as well.

One small change that can have huge, positive implications is to reduce sugary drinks.

“Sweetened drinks add a lot of unnecessary sugar,” Dunker said. “But because they’re so convenient, we often don’t notice their impact.

“For women, the recommendation is about six teaspoons of added sugar per day. For men, it’s about nine teaspoons. Many sweetened drinks can have 15 to 20 teaspoons of added sugar per bottle.

“To make a shift in the right direction, try sipping water or unsweetened tea most often, with sweetened drinks as an occasional treat.”

Finally, use the nutrition facts labels to shop around for the lowest sodium options of your favorite foods.

Learn more at https://food.unl.edu/foodinthefield.