healthy eating

Carrot Recipes

Did you know carrots are packed with Vitamin A?  This vitamin is a key nutrient for healthy eyes! Carrots can be a great and healthy addition to any meal. Put Local On Your Tray has complied a list of carrot recipes to increase their use in school meals. View the recipes here: putlocalonyourtray.uconn.edu/carrots-2

Eat Smart, Live Strong with Heather Peracchio

Registered Dietitian and Assistant Extension Educator Heather Peracchio delivered the USDA Eat Smart, Live Strong session on Tuesday December 13th at Butter Brook Senior and Disabled Housing in New Milford, CT.  Seniors learned about eating fruits and vegetables and moving more throughout the winter. Seniors taste-tested a delicious one pot minestrone soup and received a […]

ConnCAP and SNAP-Ed/EFNEP

Article by Riley Courtney In July, Heather Peracchio, RDN and summer Extension intern Riley Courtney visited UConn’s Stamford campus for the purpose of providing nutrition and healthy eating education to teen members of the ConnCAP program. To start off, the two instructed the group on some principals of nutrition using the USDA’s MyPlate as a […]

UConn EFNEP Celebrates National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! This past year has proven that nutrition and health are more important to all of us than ever. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is UConn Extension’s outreach nutrition program in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Since EFNEP’s inception as a USDA demonstration program […]

Eat SMART in the New Year!

Written by UConn registered dietitian-nutritionist Donna Zigmont, RDN, CD-N   Source: Free goal setting clip art Every January, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions to make positive changes in their lives. After a very difficult 2020 due to COVID-19, we are hopeful that 2021 will be more promising for all of us. Many of […]

Pumpkin’s a Good Pick for Your Health!

Written by UConn Dietetics Student Alexa Horkachuck Autumn is finally here, which means that pumpkin flavored products are flooding into your local grocery store. If you’re a fan, you will find everything from pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin pastas and soups. There is bound to be a recipe that you would […]

Power Up with Breakfast! Go-Grow-Glow!

Written by UConn Dietetics Student Alyson Gaylord You have probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why? The term breakfast means “break- the- fast.” After 8-10 hours of fasting as you sleep, your body is looking for calories and energy. Scientists tell us that kids who eat breakfast tend […]

Italian Veggie Balls Recipe with UConn EFNEP

Heather Pease from our UConn Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) walks us through the process of making Italian Veggie Balls. You can make this delicious and nutritious recipe with a few simple items. It’s healthy and budget-friendly.  

Velazquez Answers Nutrition Questions on Radio Amor in Bridgeport

The global pandemic is challenging everyone. It’s made many of us more conscience of the threats surrounding us every day. Many people are more aware of the food they eat and health impacts of their nutritional choices. Extension educator Zoraida Velazquez is answering questions for Bridgeport and residents of surrounding communities each Friday morning on […]

Pasta Salad – A Healthy Recipe with Dianisi Torres

Dianisi Torres of our UConn Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) makes a healthy pasta salad with you using ingredients from the Dollar Store. The presentation is in English and Spanish. Dianisi Torres, de nuestro programa Educación Alimentaria y Nutricional Expandida de la Extension de UConn, conocido como EFNEP, prepara una ensalada de […]

Halloween is coming, but you can eat healthy

Halloween can be can be scary time of year for folks trying eat healthy. How do you stay selfish with your health when there are so many temptations? Change your mind! Have a plan: Use apps to track your calories – so you know the true calorie cost of eating candy, or another helping of […]

Kid Eats

A new interactive app named Kid Eats, designed to help parents and teachers promote healthy eating and introduce cooking skills, is now available at the Apple app store. The program incorporates youth-adult partnerships, with adult and child working together in the kitchen. Designed for youth grades three to six, the app is a collaborative effort […]

Mix Some Whole Grains with Local Fruits and Veggies

By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator, UConn Extension Lest this article appears to be written by the food police, I confess I am a real fan of a plate of regular, white flour pasta, ciabatta bread, and, once and a while a fried bologna sandwich on good (well, maybe not so good) old […]

Making Soup

At St. Luke’s food pantry in Bridgeport UConn Extension reaches SNAP recipients with healthy eating tips and recipes. Heather Peracchio made minestrone soup with attendees. Canned vegetables are best for our health when labeled “no salt added,” or if you have regular or reduced sodium rinsing and draining the veggies or beans can help to […]

Eat Seasonally: Enjoy Nature’s “Fast Food”

Originally Posted by Danbury News Times Heather Peracchio of UConn Extension is a registered dietitian who lives in Brookfield. But she’s happy to travel if there’s a chance to spread the word about healthy eating. This past Monday she gave two nutrition/cooking lessons, one in Bridgeport and one in Norwalk. Among her messages — the importance of eating seasonally. […]

Holiday Eating Choices

Be present this holiday season  Change your holiday habits! Choose: Lower calorie appetizers, like fruit and vegetables Smaller plates and tall skinny glasses Stay on your regular schedule of eating, exercising and sleeping Know your limits: Eat before you go to a party or out holiday shopping.  You will be less likely to overeat. Make […]

Danbury 4th Graders & Root Vegetables

 “1…2…3…crunch!,”was the sound of  children at Morris Street school in Danbury as the 4th graders bit into a fresh crispy radish slice followed by a soft sweet sliced beet.  Students enthusiastically described the colors, tastes and textures of the root veggies as they explored new flavors this Fall at the Farmers Market. Heather Peracchio, Registered […]