LOGAN, Utah (AP) - Stacey MacArthur says she knows people's nutritional focus during the summer is not on fruits and vegetables.
"Sometimes we'e only thinking about what meat we can grill," the Utah State University Extension nutrition assistant said.
But both fruits and vegetables can be incorporated into summer meals, MacArthur said, and they need to be.
She and other Extension employees are helping to conduct "Eat Healthy Stay Healthy & Viva Vegetables" classes this summer in an effort to teach the public about different ways to cook - in a healthy way.
The June focus was on jicama, a root typically grown in Mexico that can be used in dishes from salad to stir fry. MacArthur and a handful of other USU Extension employees teach a class to a few dozen members of the public each month. Remaining classes this year focus on topics including cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, squash and sweet potatoes.
Adrie Roberts, the Extension agent for family and consumer sciences, says there's one main focus to these classes.
"Our main goal is to get people to cook again," she said.
For women like Logan resident LaDaun Olson and her friends, the classes are something to look forward to.
"I love recipes," she said. "I just love to find new things to cook."
As a retired registered dietitian, Georgiana Banellis of Logan attends because she says she values good nutrition.
"It isn't just to come and socialize and eat, but it's to get the knowledge (of how to eat) ahead of time," she said.
Roberts hopes people do learn to plan ahead - and try new things.
"We want to introduce them to vegetables that they may not be eating or be familiar with," she said.
The classes are paid for through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Assistance Program, but several organizations are involved, including USU' Extension and Cache County.
MacArthur, the Food Sense nutrition assistant, told the class in June that nutrients come in a variety of colors.
"One thing that we need to remember to do is to sample the spectrum of colors," she said about fruits and vegetables.
She also encouraged people to go to places like the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market to obtain food while it's in season.
For Edie DeSpain, a Logan woman who attends the classes and also works as a field editor for Taste of Home magazine, the courses teach new information and provide her with knowledge to report back to the magazine.
The nutritional hints both the magazine and classes provide are relatively consistent, she said.
"Theyre pretty much even-steven," she said.
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"Eat and Education" Workshop Series 2009
July 9: Food storage cooking school - dry milk
Aug. 13: Food preservation update
Sept. 10: Freezer mixes and meals
Oct. 8: Grab-and-go boxes
Nov. 12: A holiday happening
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
