What’s in season now? Eating! It’s no wonder that with cold temperatures outside and a short amount of sunlight we look for comfort in friends, family and food. With all the holiday parties and gatherings you may be finding food at every turn. But if you and your co-workers try, you can make your worksite a healthy oasis, at least on most of the days of the month. Fruits & Veggies Matter offers these suggestions:

• Bring a colorful vegetable platter to work to celebrate the holidays. Substituting fruits and vegetables for other higher calorie options can help maintain your weight during the holidays.

• Brave the cold weather and get outside. Go for a brisk walk with co-workers during breaks.

• Make physical activity a part of your holiday gatherings; schedule physical activity time into your party time.

• Take a break from the holiday sweets and eat some fresh fruit.

• Consider a festive fruit bowl featuring red and green (Granny Smith) apples in your entry area rather than a candy bowl.

Apples are a holiday tradition, and part of that is due to their peak availability during the early winter months. An apple has 5 grams of fiber and only 80 calories; studies have shown that eating apples and other fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet is linked to heart and lung health and reducing risk of cancer:

                 http://www.usapple.org/educators/research/index.cfm

Try Honey-Glazed Baked Apples filled with Dried Fruit:

                http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Honey-Glazed-Baked-Apples-Filled-with-Dried-Fruit-102520

And apple growers suggest that kids leave Santa an apple instead of cookies – help Santa be able to finish his route!

                http://www.usapple.org/consumers/kids/santa.cfm

Parsnips?! From the common apple to the un-common root vegetable, parsnips can increase the variety in your meals. Parsnips are a root, like a carrot, and are often paired with carrots in recipes. They can easily be added to soups and stews, and taste great roasted, too. For those up for adventure,       Orange-glazed Parsnips

                http://www.baldwinpublishing.com/article/siteCode/
SFBeWell/catgId/129/articleId/60/

Roast a bunch of roots using this tasty recipe with cumin and coriander

                http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00337

More information about the parsnip and other root vegetables

                http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/root_vegetables.html

               http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/holiday_entertaining/
rediscovering_root_vegetables

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