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Good Food Project Garden Newsletter
January 2017 Sprout
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| Is Sugar Sneaking on You? |
Processed sugar hides in many foods that seem innocent, like those popular "energy" drinks.
Processed sugar sneaks up on the best of us! We all know that it is in sodas and candy, but did you know how much there is in some foods that kids and adults consume every day? For instance, an energy drink? 33 grams or 21 packs of sugar! In 2015 the World Health Organization cut the recommended intake of sugar from 10% to 5% of daily calories. That is less than 1 soda per day, or 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of sugar.
Sugar has many names, learning those names can help you and your family avoid foods with excess sugar that research is now saying is metabolically harmful to the body. Sugar is also called: agave nectar, brown sugar, cane, cane crystal, corn sweetener, corn syrup, crystalline fructose, Dextrose, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, Fructose, fruit juice concentrate, Glucose, invert sugar, Lactose, Maltose, malt syrup, molasses, raw sugar, and Sucrose.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that sugar can have a whole host of ill effects on our metabolisms. Heart disease and diabetes are just two of those severe conditions that current research associates with sugar consumption. According to Robin Lustig of the University of California San Francisco, who led one such research study: "This study definitively shows that sugar is metabolically harmful not because of its calories or its effects on weight; rather sugar is metabolically harmful because it's sugar."
Some processed foods to take a closer look at for hidden sugar are fruit yogurt - 19 grams, ketchup - 4 grams per tablespoon, granola bars - 12 grams (3 packs of sugar), cereal - even healthier ones have 10-20 grams per cup, instant oatmeal - 10-15 grams per pack, salad dressing - sweet ones like raspberry vinaigrette, French, and Catalina, Barbeque sauce - 13 grams of sugar in every 2 tablespoons, spaghetti sauce (in a jar) - 12 grams for every 1/2 cup, and gummy worms - 44 grams for every 10 worms or 11 packs of sugar
Ways to avoid too much processed sugar:
Cut back on or give up:
- Sugary sodas (including diet sodas)
- Fruit drinks (they are flavored high-fructose corn syrup)
- Sports/Energy drinks
- Processed canned fruits or dried fruits
- Limit real fruit juice
- Use real cream instead of milk
- Eliminate as many processed carbohydrates as you can
Please join us at Good Food Project for more gardening and nutrition information!
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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
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| Freshly made roasted red pepper hummus is ready to serve to Trinity Episcopal (Natchitoches) Preschoolers from the Nutrition on Wheels Truck of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana this month |
Did you know?
- Hummus is a healthier dip option
- Hummus is high in fiber
- Hummus provides you with protein (from the chickpeas)
- Hummus provides essential vitamins and minerals
What you will need:
2 Fifteen oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, liquid reserved
1/2 Jar of roasted red bell peppers (about 8 Oz.)
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Teaspoons salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 Cup tahini
5 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
Smoked paprika to taste (optional)
Directions:
- Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the garlic, salt, and cumin. Process for 20-30 seconds. Scrape sides of processor bowl; add the tahini and process for another 15 seconds
- Add the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid and process for20 seconds; scrape sides of bowl again. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process another 20 seconds or until smooth
- To serve: transfer the hummus to a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika if desired.
- Serve with an array of fresh veggies cut into dippable sticks: At GFP, we love baby carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, celery sticks, zucchini and yellow squash slices, and cucumber
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| In January plant:
- Beets
- Broccoli (Seed*)
- Cabbage (Seed*, plants)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chard, Swiss
- Chinese Cabbage
- Collards
- Eggplant (Seed*)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Mustard Greens
- Onion, Leek (Sets)
- Peas, English
- Pepper, Hot (Seed*)
- Pepper, Bell (Seed*)
- Potatoes, Irish
- Radish
- Rutabagas
- Shallots (Sets)
- Spinach
- Tomatoes (Seed*)
- Turnips
*Start seed indoors |
In February plant:
- Bean, Bush, Pole, Snap
- Beets
- Broccoli (Seed*)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Chard, Swiss
- Chinese Cabbage
- Corn, Sweet
- Eggplant (Seed*)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Mustard Greens
- Onion, Leek (Sets)
- Peas, Garden
- Pepper, Hot (Seed*)
- Pepper, Bell (Seed*)
- Potatoes, Irish
- Radishes,
- Rutabagas
- Shallots
- Spinach
- Tomatoes (Seed*)
- Turnips
*Start seed indoors |
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| Beautiful Brussels sprouts ready for harvest in the Good Food Project demonstration garden |
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| Good Food Project currently partners with 24 school gardens in six of the eleven parishes (Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, LaSalle, Rapides, and Vernon) served by the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. If someone in your school is interested in having a school garden, please contact the Good Food Project at 318-445-2773  Phoenix Academic Magnet Elementary students
Under the leadership of 4H sponsor, Edna Quinney, the Phoenix students harvested some very nice carrots this month. Super job! GFP supports this school garden project. For more information about how your organization can partner or volunteer with Good Food Project contact us at [email protected] or call 318-445-2773
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| WORK DAY WEDNESDAYS ARE FUN! Join us any Wednesday at the Good Food Project demonstration garden at 3223 Baldwin Avenue from 7:30-11:30 AM for WORKDAY WEDNESDAYS! Come out and harvest with us and learn new things about gardening and make new friends!
If Wednesdays aren't good for you, call us to set up another volunteer day! 318-445-2773
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| UT Arlington Alternative Breaks students pitching in at Good Food Project earlier this month |
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Garden Tips:
Chickens and compost are a "match made in heaven," because of their love of digging and scratching. You can have usable compost available anytime of year. - Backyard Chickens.com
The Rhode Island Red (or Production Red) and the Americana show GFP volunteer, Jaclyn Duncan how they keep the compost turned in the demonstration garden
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Volunteers of the Month
University of Texas Arlington Alternative Breaks Students
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| Alternative Breaks students from UT Arlington volunteering at Good Food Project and the Food Bank of Central Louisiana
"UT Arlington Alternative Breaks is an opportunity for students to travel and participate in weeklong community service projects during every academic break. Alternative Breaks engaging students in social issues through strong direct community services, education and reflection to heighten social awareness, enhance personal growth and created sustainable change in the community." Good Food Project and the Food Bank of Central Louisiana greatly appreciates groups like UT Arlington Alternative Breaks students who come from across the world to help communities such as ours. They spent their break earlier this month helping fill mission and senior boxes in the Food Bank warehouse, and helped in the demonstration garden to rework some beds. They also helped tutor the garden club kids at Pineville Youth Center. Our organization was pleased to work with these humble and kind young people who gave their academic break to serve the Cenla community. We wish them the very best in their studies and look forward to working with Alternative Breaks in the future. We heartily thank them for their service!
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GFP welcomes individual and organizational volunteers at our community gardens and at the Good Food Project on Wednesday mornings in the demonstration garden, 3223 Baldwin Avenue - Food Bank of Central Louisiana 71301 - 318-445-2773.
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