A quarterly newsletter from the Washington State Department of Agriculture Food Assistance SENIOR NUTRITION NEWSLETTER Nutrition Information, Recipes, and Resources for Seniors

SPRING 2021 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3

Spring has sprung, bringing more sunshine, warmth, and bounty from our Washington farms.

Eat a Variety of Vegetables Days to Celebrate! As you get older, your body requires fewer calories, but you need just as many nutrients.1 March Older adults need to make the most of the food they fuel their body with by eating nutrient- dense foods like vegetables. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggest adults 60 years and older 1 Peanut Butter Lover's Day eat 2 - 3½ cups of vegetables a day. 7 Cereal Day Vegetables are versatile, nutritious, colorful and flavorful. Vegetables do not contain 23 Agriculture Day cholesterol. They are naturally low in calories, and sodium, and important sources 26 Spinach Day of nutrients. They include potassium, , folate, and A and C. These nutrients have the following benefits: April • Potassium: Helps maintain healthy blood pressure and reduces the risk of 7 World Health Day osteoporosis. • Dietary Fiber: Helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of heart May disease. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. 10 Washington State Day • Folate: Helps form red blood cells and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. 13 International Hummus Day • A: Keeps eyes and skin healthy, and helps to protect against infections. 26 Senior Health & Fitness Day • : Aids in iron absorption. Helps heal cuts and wounds, as well as keeping teeth and gums healthy.2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Washington State Basic Food Program can help provide a healthy diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Eat a Variety of Vegetables, continued from page 1 It is important to eat a variety of vegetables. Vegetables are organized into five subgroups based on their nutrient content. See the list below for vegetables in each subgroup, the common nutrient content in each subgroup, and the recommended weekly intake.3

Vegetable Varieties Nutrient Content Females Males Ages 60+ Ages 60+ (cup eq/wk) (cup eq/wk)

Dark Green Basil, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, chard, Great Source of Vitamin 11/2 cups 2 - 21/2 cups Vegetables cilantro, collards, cress, dandelion greens, kale, A and C, folate, fiber, mustard greens, poke greens, romaine , potassium, and magnesium. spinach, nettles, turnip greens, and watercress.

Red and Carrots, red chili peppers, red or orange bell Rich in , 4 - 51/2 cups 6 - 7 cups Orange peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter potassium, and fiber. Vegetables squash and pumpkin.

Beans and Dry or canned black beans, black-eyed peas, Good source of , 1 - 11/2 cups 2 - 21/2 cups Peas bayo beans, brown beans, chickpeas (garbanzo fiber, minerals, and folate. beans), cowpeas, edamame, fava beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pigeon peas, pink beans, pinto beans, split peas, soybeans, and white beans.

Starchy Cassava, corn, jicama, lima beans, raw peas Source of 4 -5 cups 6 -7 cups Vegetables (e.g., cowpeas, black-eyed peas, green peas, and fiber. Since starchy pigeon peas), plantains, potatoes, salsify, vegetables are higher in tapioca, taro root, water chestnuts, yam, and calories than other vegetables, yucca. watch your portion size of these vegetables.

Other Artichoke, asparagus, avocado, bamboo shoots, The vegetables in this 31/2 - 4 cups 5 - 51/2 cups Vegetables beets, bitter melon, brussels sprouts, cabbage, subgroup vary in their cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chives, cucumber, nutrient content and have eggplant, fennel bulb, garlic, ginger root, unique contributions to green beans, iceberg lettuce, kohlrabi, leeks, your diet, so eating a mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, radicchio, variety is key. radish, rutabaga, seaweed, snow peas, summer squash, tomatillos, and turnips.

1 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020- You may notice your CSFP box 2025.9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov. might contain fewer cans of 2 U.S. Department of Agriculture. vegetables than normal. “Vegetables.” MyPlate, 2020, myplate.gov/ eat-healthy/vegetables. Unfortunately, USDA has been struggling to 3 Garzon, Raquel. MyPlate—The Vegetable find a source for canned vegetables for the Group: Vary Your Veggies, New Mexico State CSFP program. This will not be a permanent University, College of Agricultural, Consumer change. We apologize for any inconvenience and Environmental Sciences, 2018. this may cause. Lower-income Resources

SNAP Market Match Double SNAP Market Match is a new program that gives Supplemental Nutrition Your EBT Assistance Program (SNAP)/EBT customers extra dollars to use on fresh Dollars! fruits and vegetables at farmers markets across the state. This program was launched by the Washington State Department of Health in April 2020 and replaces other SNAP/EBT matching programs. To learn more, check out the FAQs below and visit doh.wa.gov and search for SNAP Market Match.

Where can I find SNAP Market Match? SNAP Market Match is available at more than 100 markets across the state. Find a market near you by going to doh.wa.gov/SNAPMarketMatch.

How can I get SNAP Market Match dollars? Go to the information booth at a participating market and tell them you want to use SNAP Market Match. Swipe your EBT card for the amount you want to spend. You will receive that amount in EBT tokens and that same amount in SNAP Market Match dollars.

Is there a limit on how much SNAP Market Match I can get? Markets match $10 or more per day. Check with your local participating market to find out their daily match amount.

What can I buy with SNAP Market Match? Fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, mushrooms, fresh herbs, seeds, and plants that produce food (for example, tomato seeds or tomato plants).

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Participant Survey coming in April

Have you enjoyed this newsletter? Is there anything else you want to see or learn about? Do you have any suggestions for improvements to your CSFP box?

In April, your CSFP box will include a short survey. The survey is your chance to provide feedback on the services you receive through the program, including this newsletter. Your answers are anonymous and will be kept confidential.

If you would prefer to take this survey online, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSFP2021 or use the QR code reader on your smartphone or tablet to scan the code to the right. The survey will be available online from March 1st - May 31st. Stay Active

These exercises are designed to help you build strength, improve balance, and increase flexibility. In addition to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, include these exercises in your daily program.

Toe Raises • Stand behind chair, holding the back with both hands • Lift straight up, rising onto toes • Hold this position for 5 seconds • Lower to a resting position, with heels on the floor • Repeat 10 times

Recipe of the Season Beef Stew Macaroni Serves 4 Nutrition Facts 1 Serving Ingredients: Serving Size 2 cups elbow macaroni • Amount Per Serving • 1 cup diced yellow onion (about half an onion) 500 Calories • 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, no salt added % Daily Values* • 1 can (15 oz.) peas and diced carrots drained, 25% no salt added Total Fat 16.3g 22% Side Leg Raises • 1 can/pouch (24 oz.) beef stew Saturated Fat 4.4g • 2 tbsp. olive oil Trans Fat - • Stand behind chair, • 1 tbsp. chopped garlic Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4g Monounsaturated Fat 5g • ½ tsp. pepper 4% holding the back with Cholesterol 11mg • 1 tsp. sugar 15% one hand Sodium 371mg • 1 tsp. dried thyme 25% Total 74.9g 37% • Keeping back and both Dietary Fiber 9.3g Directions: legs straight, slowly lift Sugars 12.1g 1. Bring to boil 2 quarts of water in large stockpot. Add Protein 15.2g right leg 6-10 inches out macaroni and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Vitamin D - to the side Drain and set aside. 16% Calcium 460mg 2. In a large pan on medium heat, add 2 tbsp. of 63% • Hold right leg out for 10 arlic. Cook for 5 Iron 16.7mg oil. Add chopped onions and g 7% Potassium 426mg seconds minutes, or until onions are translucent. 678% Vitamin A 33900IU 164% • Repeat 5 times 3. Add the beef stew and diced tomatoes to pan of Vitamin C 98.1mg onions. Bring mixture to a boil. Add pepper, sugar, * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a • Repeat with left leg and dried thyme. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general minutes. nutrition advice. 4. Stir in macaroni, peas, carrots, and heat for 2 minutes. *Content from USDA's Eat Smart, Live Strong Activity Kit Looking for more great recipes? USDA’s MyPlate Kitchen has hundreds of healthy, budget-friendly recipes at: www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen

Food Assistance On the internet at: Phone: (360) 725-5640 agr.wa.gov/services/food-access Email: [email protected]

AGR PUB 609-770 (R/2/21) Do you need this publication in an alternate format? Contact WSDA at (360) 902-1976 or TTY Relay (800) 833-6388.