DAY

Eat Beans Day (July 3)

It's time to sing the praises of dry beans, and NOT that song about, "Beans, beans, the musical fruit!  

• Nutritional aspects of beans, how to prepare them, yummy beans recipes, and how to stop the "music" 
• Magical Beans! (Healthy Bites newsletter)
• US Dry Bean Council
  

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4th of July (July 4)

Avoid getting bugged by a foodborne illness at your fourth of July celebrations. View our self-paced slide show and learn how.

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Macaroni Day (July 7)

Macaroni has such a versatile shape that it works equally well in salads, soups, and even topped by your favorite pasta sauce. Why not experiment on Macaroni Day by using fiber-rich whole grain pasta or part whole grain pasta in your favorite pasta dish.

• Pasta storage and cooking tips
• National Pasta Association

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Ice Cream Day (July 15, 2012 - third Sunday of the month)

Do a flip flop the traditional dish of ice cream, topped by a couple of spoons of fruit. Serve up a generous dish of fruit topped by ice cream.

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Hamburger Day (July 28)
 

• Buying, Storing and Cooking Ground Beef  (Cattlemen's Beef Board & National Cattlemen's Beef Association /CBB-NCBA)
• Safe and Healthy Grilling Tips (CBB-NCBA)
• FAQ: Ground Beef and Food Safety (USDA)

Image courtesy of Cattlemen's Beef Board & National Cattlemen's Beef Association

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WEEK

Salad Week (4th week)

Fill up, not out, on fruits and veggies in a lightly dressed salad! Check your Farmers Market for fresh, locally grown produce.

• Making Super Salads Using MyPlate Food Groups
• Tips for Fresh Produce Safety (FDA)
• Food Safety at the Farmer's Market (FDA)

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MONTH

Berry Month

• Preparing and shopping for berries (Healthy Bites newsletter)

• It's Berry Fun (Food Fun for Young Kids)

• Fruit and Vegetable Buying Guides (Nebraska's Nutrition Education Program)

  • Blackberry

  • Blueberry

  • Cranberry

  • Raspberry

  • Strawberry

Blueberry Month ("July Belongs to Blueberries" Month)

Here's a quick and easy blueberry recipe for you:

Blueberry-Pineapple Parfaits

• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 container (8 ounces) fat-free lemon-flavored yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup granola

Makes 4 servings; Per serving: 233 calories; 4 g protein; 49 g carbohydrate; 3 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.2 g dietary fiber; 43 mg sodium

Source: Reproduced with permission from Pivonka, E. and Berry, B., 5 A Day: The Better Health Cookbook (copyright, Rodale, 2002). This recipe was provided by the North American Blueberry Council. For more blueberry information and recipes, check www.blueberry.org

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Culinary Arts Month

Thinking about a career in the culinary arts?

• Start gaining culinary experience by checking out our 4-H foods projects for youth
• Culinology® Science college degree
• Meat Culinology® Certificate program for adults
  

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Grilling Month

Read these before you fire up the grill!

• Directions for grilling meat, poultry and seafood
• Barbecue Basics: Keeping Bacteria at Bay (FDA and USDA)

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Ice Cream Month

When making homemade ice cream, protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection by using a homemade ice cream recipe made with a cooked egg base:

• Ice cream recipe made without raw eggs.
  

Picnic Month

Summer is a time for picnics - follow these tips to keep picnic food safe:

• Food Safety at Picnics (July Healthy Bites Newsletter)
• Barbecue and Food Safety (USDA)
• Picnics and Summer Cookouts (Food Safety for Families by Paula W. Patton and Julie A. Albrecht)
• Handling Food Safely on the Road (USDA)