Nutrition and Food
Eating a balanced, nutritious diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. In this section, access resources on nutrition, diet, and health, including healthy recipes, eating healthy on a budget, Mediterranean, and DASH diet. In addition, find information on how to balance fast food with smart choices and how to get enough nutrients.
Cooking and Eating Healthy Food
Cooking your own meals is a great start to living and eating healthier. Preparing healthy food at home, alongside exercising, can lower the risk of developing health problems such as obesity and type-2 diabetes.
The best way to master healthy cooking is to understand the foods that you eat and their nutritional value. To ensure a wide variety of nutrients, focus on including more produce, proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats to your diet.
Fruits and vegetables are a nutritious way to add color to any kind of meal. You can use fresh, canned, or frozen produce but beware of added sugars and sodium.
While often disregarded, healthy fat is a great nutrient that is not only filling but also helps your body absorb vitamins. Whether you’re cooking for weight management or general health, choose unsaturated (e.g. nuts, fish, tofu) over saturated fats (e.g. fried and processed foods). Additionally, opt for cooking oils such as olive, canola, and avocado.
Eating Healthy on a Budget
If you are on a tight budget, cooking healthy meals may seem daunting. Many recipes, however, are versatile and easy to make with non-perishable pantry staples.
To make a casserole, for instance, you can mix and match ingredients such as rice, potatoes, pasta, canned beans and vegetables, and canned chicken.
If you want to eat healthily but have limited resources, Penn State Extension’s Nutrition Links classes might be for you. Nutrition Links offers science-backed education on topics such as food preparation, nutrition, food safety, and food budgeting.
Healthy Diet Plans
The key to an effective, healthy diet plan is finding one that you can enjoy and – most importantly – is supported by research.
The Mediterranean diet, for instance, is a very popular diet that can help improve general health and prevent heart diseases. Cooking Mediterranean includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, seafood, whole grains, legumes, and herbs. Eggs, poultry, and dairy are consumed in moderation.
Similarly, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is a heart-healthy diet that promotes eating fruits, vegetables, and grains. The diet limits foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat.
Another popular way to eat healthily is by following a vegetarian diet that involves plant-based foods and excludes meat and meat-by products. Plant-based diets can vary depending on the types of animal-derived foods they include.
Creating healthy meatless meals that keep everyone at the table happy can be challenging. Learn how to make delicious vegetarian recipes – including shopping tips and cooking techniques – with Penn State Extension’s Let's Cook Vegetarian class.
Reading Food Nutrition Labels
If you are purchasing packaged foods, learning how to read the nutrition label can help you make healthier, more informed decisions.
When checking the labels, compare the nutritional value of a similar food item. Opt for the item with fewer ingredients such as sodium and more nutrients like calcium, potassium, iron, and vitamin D.
It is sensible to pay attention to the label date marking, as well. Although food is often safe to consume beyond that date, remember to ensure proper storage and keep other general food safety precautions.
On this page, find in-depth information on food and nutrition. Gain access to a number of useful videos, webinars, and online courses.
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Whole Wheat Pasta with Lemon Kale Chicken
This simple and hearty pasta recipe is a great way to make use of leafy greens like kale. - Articles
The Garden in Your Freezer
Even when locally-grown produce isn’t available, you can still create easy, nutritious, and inexpensive meals just by looking in your freezer. - Articles
Smoothies: a Great Blend of Flavor, Convenience, and Nutrition
Smoothies can be a great tool for adding fruits and vegetables to your diet in a way that fits into your busy life. Read on for tips, tricks, and recipes to help your whole family. - Guides and Publications$0.00
Dining with Diabetes - Amerihealth Flyer
A flyer advertising the availability of Dining with Diabetes programming at no cost to Amerihealth members. Dining with Diabetes helps increase knowledge of healthy food choices and diabetes management. - Videos
When Healthy Foods are Hard to Find
Length 9:30Finding a variety of food in your area can be difficult when you live in a food desert. Learn some tips and tricks on how to find good, affordable food when options are limited. - Videos
DASH Serving Sizes for Heart Health
Length 6:20Learn about the DASH eating plan food groups, the recommended number of servings needed each day and the serving sizes, based on a 2000 calorie-a-day diet. - Videos
DASH Recommendations for Heart Health
Length 4:16Learn about the DASH eating plan and how to follow this heart healthy way of eating. - Articles
Garlic Roasted Tomato Flatbread Recipe
An easy and delicious appetizer or light meal with sweet cherry tomatoes, smooth mozzarella cheese, and crispy flatbread. - Articles
Managing Picky Eaters
Do you have a picky eater at home? Try some of the tips below to help your picky eater become more adventurous at meal time. - Articles
Eating Abundantly for Optimal Health
The Volumetrics weight management plan allows you to eat to fullness by helping you be more selective about the foods you eat. The secret is calorie density. - Articles
Finding Fiber in Plant-Based Foods
Fiber is an important part of our daily diet, and plant foods are our only source of it. - Webinars
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Let's Cook at Home: The DASH Diet
When 11/15/2023Create a heart-healthy eating style for life! Learn about the DASH eating plan and how to prepare recipes following the DASH principles to manage blood pressure. - Articles
Staying Balanced During the Holiday Season
Holidays can be stressful times where our healthy routines are thrown off-track. This article provides helpful tips on how to honor your own wellness needs during the season. - Articles
Nutrition Links
The Nutrition Links program offers free nutrition education programs to participants eligible for public assistance to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve a healthful diet on a limited budget. - Articles
Easy Cooking from Pantry to Table Newsletters
Easy Cooking from Pantry to Table is a newsletter from Penn State Extension Nutrition Links that provide families with ideas for healthy, low-cost recipes. - Articles
DASH Toward a Healthier You
Learn about the heart-healthy DASH eating plan and about how you can create DASH-friendly recipes simply by following a few guidelines. - Articles
"Rhubarb - Love it for its Taste, Eat it for Your Health"
Learn about the benefits of harvesting and consuming rhubarb, a nutrient-rich vegetable with numerous vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that offer various health benefits. - Articles
Why Can't I Lick the Spoon?
Eating raw cookie dough or raw dough of any type may put you at risk for a foodborne illness! - Articles
Italian Roasted Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Tomatoes Recipe
The delicious flavor of these Italian-seasoned vegetables is elevated by the roasting process, which brings out their natural sweetness and results in an explosion of flavors. - Articles
Eating for a Good Night's Sleep
Not sleeping well? This article explains that the culprit can sometimes be found in when, how, and what you eat. - Articles
Creating a Healthy Charcuterie Board
Learn the basic steps to create a fun family meal or a creative appetizer. - Articles
Foodborne Illness and Listeria monocytogenes
The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is particularly harmful to pregnant women, newborns, children, elderly, and immune compromised individuals. - Videos
Nutrition Links - Teaching People to Eat Better for Less
Length 5:51Penn State Extension Nutrition Links offers free nutrition education to people eligible for public assistance to gain knowledge and skills necessary to achieve a healthful diet on a limited budget. - Articles
Fresh Catch
By following a few simple guidelines, eating what you catch from Pennsylvania's lakes and rivers can provide you with a healthy and inexpensive seafood alternative. - Articles
The Sheet Pan: A Multiuse Kitchen Tool
Whether you're partial to a baking sheet or a cookie sheet, this article explains why the difference matters and even provides a delicious recipe for each type.