Eat Healthy and Save Money With This Harvest Recipe

Carly Roop RD, CSO, is a registered dietitian at the Joan Karnell Cancer Center (JKCC). She provides nutrition education and support to patients while addressing nutrition-related side effects from chemotherapy and radiation. Dietitians at JKCC provide educational nutrition programs that are open to patients as well as the community.
The standard American diet is made up of 62% processed foods; these are packaged foods that are convenient to eat, inexpensive and have a very long shelf life.

However, there are hidden costs to lifetime of eating this way, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. One of the first obstacles we face in trying to help our clients to eat healthier is cost, especially for someone who receives food stamps. It is understandable to see why someone might opt to use their food stamps on a frozen dinner or peanut butter and jelly over fresh carrots, spinach, and broccoli.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has recognized that many Philadelphia families struggle to put food on the table, regardless, if it is healthy or not. In an effort to help these families eat healthier, they have initiated the program Get Fit Philly. One of their goals is to ensure that all Philadelphians live within 1/4 mile of a supermarket, farmers' market, or healthy corner store.

Many farmers’ markets accept Access cards/food stamps and one way that this program is incentivizing people to use their food stamps at their visit their local farmers’ market is by offering Philly Food Bucks; these are coupons that can be redeemed for $2 worth of fruits and vegetables for every $5 you spend at a participating farmer’s market.

Taking time to plan your meals and make and stick to that grocery list is a great way to start saving money.

Here is a favorite fall recipe to get you started.

Harvest Millet Recipe

This recipe is full of cancer fighting ingredients. It contains millet, a small yellow grain with a sweet, mild flavor. It is a good source of fiber and protein, which will keep you fuller on fewer calories. Just one cup of dry millet yields 3 cooked cups; it comes packaged as well as in bulk. Butternut Squash is more than decoration; it is an excellent source of vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin C and fiber. Walnuts contain omega 3 fatty acids, which fight against heart disease and are abundant in Gamma-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E that may help fight against breast, prostate and lung cancer.

Ingredients:

1 cup of millet
3 cups of water
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 med. onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 Tb. dried parsley

Directions

Place 1 cup of millet and 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the millet is tender. Drain off any remaining liquid.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large roasting pan, combine butternut squash, onion, olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir well so all vegetables are coated. Roast until vegetables are slightly browned (around 25 minutes) stirring occasionally. Add vegetables and cranberries to the saucepan with the millet and reheat. Stir in pecans, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.