February 2023 Edition

Family & Consumer Sciences
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Laurel County Extension Homemakers
“We are so much more than you think!”

 

February is so much more

February is more than just chocolate, roses, and romance. February may be the shortest month of the year, but there are so many reasons to celebrate. We have holidays like Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and Galentine’s Day (which takes place on February 13 for you to celebrate loving your friends), it also contains key events like the Super Bowl and President’s Day. We hope that you celebrate the love, whatever that is for you.

 

We wish our February Birthday all the best!

Sandy Harmon Feb 2nd - Mountain Laurel Quilters
Jeri Barnard Feb 8th - Laurel Silver Threads
Elizabeth Greenup Feb 8th - Mountain Laurel Quilters
Jeanette Gaines Feb 9th - Laurel Silver Threads
Jill Olsen Feb 10th - Mountain Laurel Quilters
Tammy Nicely Feb 15th - Sublimity
Freda Philpot Feb 16th - Mountain Laurel Quilters
Norma Denny Feb 24th - Mountain Laurel Quilters
Kim Allen Feb 27th - Laurel Silver Threads

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FEBRUARY C.L.A.S.S.

BINGOcize continues thru April @10am
Feb 7th & 9th
Feb 14th & 16th
Feb 27th & Mar 2nd

Heart Quilt
Feb 7th @ 1-4pm

Made by you :2 sessions
Feb 8th @ 10am-2pm
Feb 9th @ 6pm-8pm

Valentine’s Cookie Decorating
Feb 13th @6pm

Crochet & Chat
Feb 14th @ 6pm-8pm

Craft n’ Creation: Rag Wreath
Feb 16th @ 6pm- 8pm

Cricut: Vinyl layer
Feb 21st @ 6pm- 8pm

Register on-line at HTTPS://BIT.LY/LCESCLASSor by calling (606)864-4167

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MARCH C.L.A.S.S. SNEAK PEEK

NEW!! Lets get moving!
Walking Wednesdays
every Wednesday at 2pm

Bingocize fun keeps going.
Mar 2
Mar 6th & 9th
Mar 13th & 14th
Mar 20th & 21st
April 3rd & 6th

Back by popular demand...Stained Glass, we will be making Quilt Blocks in 3 class sessions 6th, 13th &20th from 6pm- 9pm
Crochet and Chat is a wonderful way to work on projects together, join us March 14th 6-8pm
Made by You has 2 sessions again this month March 8th 10am and 9th at 6pm

And some crowd favorites
Craft n’ Creation on the 16th at 6pm
Homemaker Fundraiser is sure to be a success. Mark your calendar March 17th
Cricut on 21st at 6pm

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Meal Kits: Are They Worth It?

Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Dietetics and Human Nutrition

 

There is high demand for convenience in our society. As a result, meal kit services have become increasingly pop-ular. These meal kits are mailed directly to your front door each week. These kits include recipes and pre-measured ingredients ready to be used right away. Some of the most popular services include BlueApron, HelloFresh, and Plated. Since their beginning in 2012, meal kit services have grown into a $2.2-billion-dollar industry. There are more than 100 com-panies in the United States providing meal-kit services. plan is gone. It is still necessary to spend time preparing the meal. On average, the prepara-tion and cook time for meals in these kits is between 30-60 minutes. This does not include the time necessary to sit down and enjoy the meal. Little research exists on the use of meal-kit delivery ser-vices. Some experts have begun to break down the benefits and drawbacks of the services. This information may help consum-ers decide if they are a good fit for their lifestyle. Benefits Variety. Eating a variety of foods, especially fresh produce, is a great way to receive all the nutrients the body needs to work. For many people, the recipes provided in the meal-kit delivery services increase the variety of vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein con-sumed. It allows individuals to try new foods, cooking styles, and food preparation methods they may not purchase or use on their own. You may have seen an ad on TV or social media, received a flyer in the mail, or know someone who has tried them. Regardless, meal kit services are everywhere. Surprisingly, 1 in 5 U.S. adults has tried a meal-kit service. In a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, about 39 percent have tried a service for a minimum of one week. Only 4 percent of those surveyed had used the service for over a year.These delivery services prom-ise ease, convenience, and time savings for you and your family. With the use of meal kits, the need to grocery shop and meal
2Portion control. With meal delivery kits, customers choose how many meals they would like and for how many people each week. When ingredients are shipped, they come in specific amounts for the exact number of servings needed. The pre-measured and pre-portioned food at each meal may help people with portion control. Food waste. When prepar-ing a homemade dish, some recipes may call for a small amount of an ingredient that can only be purchased in a larg-er quantity or size. For example, a recipe may call for half of an onion, which means you may end up wasting the other half. With meal-kit delivery services, ingredients are pre-measured for the recipe included. As a re-sult, no ingredients are left over that could be wasted.Family mealtime. Research-ers have shown that parents were more likely to establish family mealtime if they re-ceived help in planning, design-ing, and preparing meals. In the same study, it was reported that families ate healthier meals when the recipes and ingredi-ents were provided and they experienced improvements in their family communication. Drawbacks Healthfulness. The word “fresh” is commonly used to describe meal options with delivery services. Many people will assume the word “fresh” means the meal is healthy. That is not always the case. Although meals may boost the variety of foods in the diet, little nutri-tion information is provided with meal options outside of the calorie count. In addition, a common ingredient used is salt. Some entrees include up to 50 percent of your daily intake for sodium. Indi-viduals over the age of 50 and at risk for heart disease and high blood pressure should be cautious about the amount of salt used in the provided recipes. Packaging waste. Meal kits include approximately 30 pieces of plastic and cardboard for safe delivery of food items. This packaging is required to keep foods cold and safe to eat when they arrive. Some individuals are opposed to so much pack-aging waste and the negative impact that could have on the environment. Some meal kit services may provide informa-tion on their website for recy-cling packaging materials. Cost. The most commonly mentioned drawback of meal delivery kits is the cost. On average, the cost per meal per person from a delivery service is $10 to $11 dollars. At this rate, three meals a week for two people would cost ap-proximately $60 dollars. This cost may be less expensive than dining out at sit down restau-rants each time, but is more expensive than grocery shop-ping and building homemade meals on your own. It should be considered that some compa-nies offer heavy discounts upon initial sign-up to bring in new customers, but those discounts typically do not last. See the Cost Comparison table (Table 1) as an example of the cost of purchasing just the ingredients for the recipe at the grocery store versus the meal-kit delivery service.
3Other ConsiderationsMeal-kit delivery services may or may not be a good fit for your family. When deciding whether to try meal delivery kits, there are other consider-ations to keep in mind when making your decision. • Meal-kit delivery service pro-viders use online platforms to select meals and place weekly orders. A reliable in-ternet connection is required through either a computer, smartphone, or tablet to manage accounts. • It is important that those who are eating the meal like to be adventurous. Many recipes included in meal kits may include new ingredients or foods. When purchasing for an entire family, keep in mind picky eaters such as young children may not enjoy being exposed to new foods on a regular basis. • Many people have a personal dietary preference or diet-re-lated health condition (for ex-ample, gluten-free for celiac disease). There are meal-kit delivery services that pro-vide options compliant with almost all common dietary restrictions. • Grocery stores are recogniz-ing the appeal of meal-kit delivery services and are jumping in on the game. Many larger stores have in-gredients bundled for meals that simply need to be taken home and prepared. Typi-cally, these meals come at a much greater cost than pur-chasing ingredients separate-ly throughout the store. Useful TipsBelow is a list of useful tips and final thoughts for meal-kit delivery services. • There may be value in us-ing meal kits as a “cooking school” for trying new foods and learning food-related skills. They could be a tempo-rary option to learn new reci-pes and to add variety to your diet if your meal planning is in a rut. • Meal kits may be appropriate during times of transition for an individual or family when less time can be devoted to meal planning and shopping, such as welcoming a new baby home, transitioning home from a temporary re-habilitation facility, or when a family is managing a crisis. Table 1. Cost Comparison: Traditional meal-kit delivery service vs. groceries.Honey mustard-glazed chicken with roasted sweet potato wedges and slaw, 2 servingsIngredient Recipe amountRecipe amount price*Package price*Boneless, skin-less chicken thighs2$2.06$5.15 / 5 thighsCarrots6 oz$0.37$1.95 / 32 ozSweet potatoes2$1.74$0.87 eachCabbage½ lb$0.25$0.49 / 1 lbMayonnaise3 Tbsp$0.18$1.79 / 15 ozDijon mustard1 Tbsp$0.04$0.99 / 12 ozSugar1 Tbsp$0.01$1.99 / 4 lbApple cider vinegar2 Tbsp$0.07$1.19 / 16 ozHoney1 Tbsp$0.14$3.29 / 12 ozGrocery price**$4.86$18.58Meal-kit price ($9.99/serving)$19.98*Recipe amount prices were calculated using the package price divided by the recipe amount price required for this specific recipe**All grocery prices were determined using store-brand items.
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Nancy M. Cox, Director of Cooperative Extension Programs, University of Kentucky College of Agricul-ture, Food and Environment, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2018 for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at www.ca.uky.edu.4-2018Images © 2018 Thinkstock Photos.com• Some meal-kit services al-low you to specify delivery instructions. For example, those who live in an apart-ment may request to have food delivered to their front door rather than dropped off at the apartment complex of-fice or manager’s office. • If the cost is feasible for your family and lifestyle, make sure you are saving time with grocery shopping and meal planning and truly adding value with convenience to make it worth the financial investment. • Find someone who has used a meal kit and ask about his or her experience.• Split an order from a meal-kit delivery service with another family to learn about the or-dering process.If you are unable to fit meal delivery kits into your lifestyle, look for ways to invest time into meal planning, grocery shop-ping, and meal preparation on your own. Visit your local Cooperative Extension Office for healthy recipes and tips for grocery shopping and meal preparation.

Resources:

Iowa State University Ex-tension and Outreach, Spend Smart, Eat Smart. https://spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/.

References

Utter, J., & Denny, S. (2016). Supporting Families to Cook at Home and Eat Together: Findings from a Feasibility Study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(10), 716-722.

Dhopade, P. (2015). Is a Meal Kit Delivery Service Right for You? MoneySense, 17(6), 62.

Ruhs, B. (2016). Meal Delivery Programs Help You Get Cooking and Eating. Envi-ronmental Nutrition, 39(1), 7.

Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, “Food Safety and Meal Delivery Services.” Ac-cessed November 21, 2017, at: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/food_safety_and_meal_delivery_service.

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Homebased Microprocessing Workshop

Join our workshop!Homebased microprocessors are farmers who grow and harvest produce to use in their value-added products. Homebased microprocessors are required to grow a predominant ingredient in the products they make. The first step to becoming certified as a homebased microprocessor is to attend a Homebased Microprocessor (HBM) workshop presented by the University of Kentucky.

The cost of the workshop is$50.00.

 

Monday,February13,2023 at 9:30am-2:30pm at the Laurel County Extension Office (200 County Ext. Rd., London, KY 40741)

For more information & to register: ukfcs.net/HBM or call 606-864-4167