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April 28, 2005
Prairie Fare: Cooking on the Run
Picture this: You’ve just come home from a busy day and everyone is “starving.” A tower of laundry is waiting, the floor could use a mopping, a pile of unread mail is on the countertop, one child has a soccer game, another has music lessons and a book report due, and you have a meeting. You have guests arriving tomorrow. This scenario is a common one across the United States. Families are busier than ever. “Ordering in” food or going through a drive-through restaurant has become a way of life for many families. “The most influential cooking appliance isn’t the microwave, but the power window,” said Harry Balzer, vice president of a marketing group, only half in jest. We seem to be seeing a slight reversal in the eating-out trend. A published report on the eating patterns of Americans shows that the number of meals eaten at home has stabilized and the number of meals eaten in restaurants has decreased. About 77 percent of all meals now are eaten at home, according to one study. Meals eaten at home tend to be lower in fat, calories and higher in fruits and vegetables, which is music to the ears of nutrition professionals. While food is among the most basic of needs, cooking is becoming somewhat of a lost art. According to the results of a cooking skills quiz used in the Betty Crocker Kitchens’ “how America cooks” study, 70 percent of the participants rated themselves “above average” in cooking knowledge. When their quizzes were graded, however, only 38 percent scored “above average.” The researchers also reported that 70 percent of kids are willing to do some cooking if it would help the family eat together more often, and 94 percent of kids enjoy it when the whole family eats together. Here are a few questions from Betty Crocker Kitchens quiz: 1. How much uncooked rice is needed to yield 1 cup of cooked rice?
2. One stick of butter is equal to:
3. Which cooking method would retain the least amount of nutrients in vegetables?
4. You would use a Dutch oven when preparing which of the following?
5. How many teaspoons are in one tablespoon?
The answers are 1. a; 2. c; 3. c; 4. c; 5. b. If you didn’t do so well, don’t throw in the dishtowel. You can find lots of information and links to other resources on the NDSU Extension Service nutrition, food safety and health Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a fast and healthy snack, or you could make it a meal by adding some carrot sticks, sliced apples and low-fat milk.
Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
