Blog@Hunger

Urban Harvest Offers Auqaponics Class

March 11th, 2010

Aquaponics is a system of growing fish and edible plants in a closed circulating system that creates a bio-system in which fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and plants filter and clean the water for the fish.

Urban Harvest is offering an aquaponics workshop to introduce the basic concepts of the system. The class will help people decide if they want to invest in establishing one of these systems through hands on learning. It will be held on March 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost to attend is $25.00.

The aquaponics class will consist of two components (lunch on your own between 12:00pm and 1:00pm; Urban Harvest will provide beverages if you want to brown-bag-it):

• 9:00–12:00: Introductions followed by a film and lecture based upon the Urban Harvest experience of building and operating a greenhouse aquaponics system. A walk-and-talk will introduce the students to the commercial system located in the greenhouse.

• 1:00-4:00: Students will assist with the construction of a “low tech” aquaponic system that could be adapted to home or small business with relatively low financial investment. The system will become the Urban Harvest nursery for baby Tilapia.

At the Regional Food Bank, we have been experimenting with two different systems since 2006 and have had great results. Our experience has come from formal training and a lot of trial and error! The first system was based upon the low-tech Growing Power model from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a vertical system of plant beds connected to a tank that held 100 tilapia. The system worked well, successfully growing out both fish and various edible plants and herbs.  Later, a larger commercial system modeled after a concept developed by the University of The Virgin Islands was established. Our current system consists of a tank that can hold up to 800 tilapia, connected to two 50 foot long floating grow beds that accommodate up to 800 plant units. Typically, lettuce grows to harvest size in 5 to 6 weeks in this system. This type of system can be smaller or larger based on needs and goals.

Tilapia is the fish of choice for most growers as they grow from fingerling to 1.5 pounds in as little as 9 months while leafy greens and herbs grow quickly, producing nutritious food faster than field growing.

Pound For Pound Challenge Update – Wanted: Birthday Cake for derailing weight loss success

March 10th, 2010

Birthday cake has turned into my Achilles Heel. I was doing well by losing or maintaining my weight –  even progressing enough to go from plus size clothing to misses sizes. But alas, the birthday cake has derailed me. This week, it really isn’t looking good for me. Not one stinkin’ bit.

Needless to say, I was anxious about weigh in… so I went to the see what Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser had to say to see could find some words of wisdom. Here they are:

“Set realistic goals and stay positive. Achieving any goal takes time and patience, and always remember your over-arching goal: to lose weight, get in shape, and be the best person you can be.” – Bob Harper

I am happy with that. If I think it is hopeless it will be. A bad week doesn’t mean the end of a successful and fruitful journey – just a brief detour. The main point is, I started the trip and I know my final destination.  So all aboard! It isn’t too late to join the Pound for Pound Challenge – sign up today. For every pound of weight you pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to your local food bank.

Updates:

Food Bank staff who have joined the challenge are holding steady at 91 pounds lost!  Woo Hoo!!!

Oklahoma is still in 24^th place, with Okies pledging to lose 60,095 pounds!  But gang – Tulsa is creeping up on us – we need to stay in the lead within our state!

- By Melanie Anthony, Grants Manager

“Healthified” Mediterranean-Style Chicken and Pasta

From eatbetteramerica.com

Do-Ahead
Prepare the veggies and cook the chicken ahead of time; cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the recipe.

Prep Time:  25 min
Start to Finish:   25 min
Makes:  6 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

2 cups uncooked multigrain penne pasta (6 oz)
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/3 cup)
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups 3/4-inch pieces cooked chicken breast
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) Muir Glen® organic tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
**If you want to reduce the cost of this recipe, sliced black olives can be substituted for the Kalamata.
3/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (3 oz)

1. In 4-quart Dutch oven, cook and drain pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Return to Dutch oven; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add zucchini and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and basil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and mixture is hot. Stir in olives.
3. Pour chicken mixture over pasta. Top with feta cheese; toss to coat.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 540mg; Total Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 7g); Protein 23g
Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 10%; Iron 15%
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat
Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Chefs’ Feast Raises Nearly $100,000 for Food 4 Kids

March 8th, 2010

Though donations are still being counted, nearly $100,000 was raised at the 23rd Annual Chefs’ Feast, which will support 500 children in the Food 4 Kids program.

Thank you to all of the chefs, sponsors, volunteers and guests who helped make the event possible.

View the full photo set on Flickr!

Pound For Pound Challenge Update – Check Up

March 2nd, 2010

About now, most of those participating on the Pound for Pound Challenge have been at it about six to eight weeks. It is that time frame where folks are either very excited about how they are doing on their healthy living and weight loss journey or they are frustrated which detour (or road block) their journey has run into. Making a plan to lose weight is a challenge for most of us. It isn’t like a road map that shows you how to get from Point A to Point B. You know the general direction you need to go, but the route isn’t clear, especially since weight loss is different for everyone.

The common thread of all weight loss is proper diet and exercise, which not only aid in weight loss, but also keep our bodies healthy. We all know this; the challenge is making a plan and following through.  Others have lost weight by following some of these simple guidelines – and you can too!

Step 1 – Set small, realistic goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, try for 5 pounds, relax a bit and then go for 5 more.

Step 2 – Start a regular exercise program and stick with it.

Step 3 – Sneak in extra exercise in addition to your regular program. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk; take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Step 4 – Healthy foods are an important ingredient in losing weight. Eat healthy fats from nuts, seeds and olive oil, and high-fiber foods such as vegetable salads and whole-grain pastas.

Step 5 – Choose foods that you like. Learn to prepare healthful, low-calorie foods that taste good by checking healthy cook books for new recipes. Eating well doesn’t have to mean eating dull.

Step 6 – Eat smaller, more frequent meals. This way, your body starts to increase its metabolism so that calories are burned faster. Also, mini-meals can prevent overeating.

Step 7 – Plan ahead. Keep the fridge stocked with healthful food and you’ll be less likely to run out for high-calorie, high-fat junk food.

Step 8 – Determine your favorite snack time and be sure to have plenty of healthful options available when you get hungry.

Step 9 – Keep a food diary. This will help you pinpoint where you can improve your diet.

From: eHow.com

One of the first tips you will hear is to join a group or tell a friend that you want to change your lifestyle and lose weight. It helps accountability and provides important support and feedback you need. It isn’t too late to join the Pound for Pound Challenge, or the join the Pound for Pound Challenge – Team RFBOK on Facebook. Consider joining us and sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge today. For every pound of weight you pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to your local food bank.

Updates:

Food Bank staff who have joined the challenge are holding steady at 81 pounds lost!

Oklahoma is still in 24^th place, with Okies pledging to lose 7,761 pounds!  That is 1,000 more pounds than this time last week!

Triple-Berry Granola Crisp

From eatbetteramerica.com

Berries are fiber giants. Just 1 cup of blackberries or raspberries gives you a whopping 8 grams of fiber, one-third of your daily fiber needs.

Prep Time: 10 min
Start to Finish: 1 hr
Makes: 9 servings

1 bag (8 oz) frozen organic blueberries
1 bag (10 oz) frozen organic strawberries
1 bag (10 oz) frozen organic raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups organic oats & honey granola
Vanilla reduced-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, mix frozen berries, sugar and flour until fruit is coated. Bake 20 minutes.
2. Stir. Sprinkle with granola.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until light golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 15); Total Fat 2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 30mg; Total Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 14g); Protein 2g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6%

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat

Carbohydrate Choices: 2

Walmart Supercenter Employees Volunteer With the Regional Food Bank

March 2nd, 2010

On Saturday, Walmart Supercenter employees sorted 93,425 pounds of food at the Food Bank! In addition to their volunteer time, Walmart donates $500 for every five associates that volunteers 5 hours of time to the Food Bank, so the effort will also result in a donation of nearly $15,000 through their Volunteering Always Pays program.

View more photos on Flickr.

Big thank you to Walmart and all their employees for helping to fight hunger in Oklahoma!!

How can you fight hunger?

March 1st, 2010

Jennifer Arlan, Development Manager at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, visited with Oklahoma Horizons about how the public can help fight hunger in Oklahoma. Great interview!

Miss America 2007 Visits Regional Food Bank, Fights Hunger

February 26th, 2010

Miss America 2007 and Lawton-native, Lauren Nelson Faram, stopped by the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma today for a tour and meeting. She is a new member of the Regional Food Bank’s Celebrity Council, a group of community leaders who have stepped up to fight hunger and become public advocates for the cause. Faram said she is particularly interested in fighting childhood hunger in Oklahoma.

Pound For Pound Challenge Update – Exercise

February 25th, 2010

Overall, the Pound for Pound Challenge – Team RFBOK is doing an amazing job. We are sharing tips, making healthy meals, bringing our lunch or “eating fresh” at Subway. All are great steps, but as we reduce portion size and cut back on calories, fat, sugars, processed foods, etc – we really cannot forget the other important component of healthy weight loss and a healthy lifestyle – and that is exercise.

I feel that this blog topic should really be called “Boot Camp Babes.” There are three folks on our Pound for Pound Challenge team that are participating in boot camps – non-military! They are throwing everything they have into some incredibly intense workouts. Debbie T. is one of these brave ladies. When I talked to her this morning, she was talking about how great she felt. She said she had so much more energy, felt great and was ready for Monday. I could literally see the spring in her step.

Another one of our team member’s son has put together a workout regimen for her and there are several folks who are walking the volunteer center a couple of times a week over their lunch breaks. Yep – we have some guys that I know are working out too – but alas, guys don’t share as much as girls (on the norm).

While the newscasters are sharing some not-so-promising news on the weather the next several days, we can all still get a little extra movement in our day. So make that a goal for yourself this week. Find a way to add more exercise or just movement in your daily activities.

Consider joining us and sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge today. For every pound of weight you pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to your local food bank.

Updates:
Food Bank staff who have joined the challenge have lost a combined total of 81 pounds.

Oklahoma is still in 24th place, with Okies pledging to lose 57,266 pounds! That is 1,000 more pounds that this time last week!

- By Melanie Anthony, Grants Manager

Turkey Ratatouille

From eatbetteramerica.com

Prep Time: 15 min
Start to Finish: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings

3/4 pound turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 cups frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions, (from 1-pound bag)
1 small eggplant, cubed (2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, cubed (1 cup)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Sprinkle turkey with pepper.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook turkey in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.
3. Stir in stir-fry vegetables. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant and zucchini. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in tomatoes; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is desired consistency. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Or, go vegetarian! Skip the turkey, pepper and oil and steps 1 and 2. Add 2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) garbanzo beans with the tomatoes in step 4. It’s that easy!

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 225 (Calories from Fat 65 ); Total Fat 7 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 440 mg; Total Carbohydrate 21 g (Dietary Fiber 5 g); Protein 25 g
Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 18 %; Vitamin C 56 %; Calcium 14 %; Iron 12 %
Exchanges: 4 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

A Word from Chefs’ Feast Coordinating Chef Don Thiery

February 23rd, 2010

I really love acting as a Coordinating Chef for the Chefs’ Feast every year. I’ve been involved with this event so long that even Rodney Bivens (the Regional Food Bank’s Executive Director) looked young back then. (Then again, so did I!) That first year that I was involved, we were expecting about 275 guests. Boy, have times changed. This year, we are expecting more than 800 people to attend!

I encourage you all to come out and taste what the chefs have prepared, while keeping in mind that the money raised will help sustain the Regional Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids program throughout the year. The Food 4 Kids backpack program is particularly important to me – it ensures that the chronically hungry kids on the program have something good to eat during the weekends and school holidays. We hope to raise enough money this year to be able support 250 kids through the program.  Even though nearly 8,000 children in 263 elementary schools participated in the program last year, there are still thousands of children who need this help.

The theme this year, Food Fight at the OK Corral, will fit right in with chefs and their excellent dishes. How can you go wrong with so many amazing chefs, the incredible restaurants they represent, and this amazing cause?  Come out and sample some of the finest food in the region.

Get your ticket and/or table now before it’s too late by contacting Angie Gaines today at againes@regionalfoodbank.org or 405-604-7109! We’re hoping for a sell-out event !

Urban Harvest Sustainable Home Gardening Classes

February 16th, 2010

Learn the basic knowledge and skills you need to get a home garden started with Urban Harvest Sustainable Home Gardening Classes. Urban Harvest is an urban agriculture program offering a series of basic home gardening classes to help Oklahomans glean the skills needed to grow food in their own yards.

Students learn in both a theory (classroom) and hands-on setting, while exploring everything from basic seed starting and composting to building their own home aquaponic system.

Classes range in cost from $10-$25 and take place at the Regional Food Bank, located at 3355 S. Purdue in Oklahoma City. All payments go to further the work of Urban Harvest in its sustainable organic gardening projects. Because limited space is available, advanced registration is required and early signup is encouraged.

Class scheduling and pricing is as follows:

February 2010
Basic Raised Bed Gardening: February 20, 1-4 p.m. $15
Basic Home Composting: February 27, 1-4 p.m. $10
Basic Seed Starting: February 28, 1-4 p.m. $10

March 2010
Basic Raised Bed Gardening: March 6, 1-4 p.m. $15
Basic Seed Starting: March 13, 1-4 p.m. $10
Drip Irrigation for Sustainability: March 18, 1-4 p.m. $10
Basic Raised Bed Gardening: March 20, 1-4 p.m. $15
Intro to Building a Home Aquaphonic System: March 27 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $25