CAN You Salsa?

Goals:

• Learn how to make a vegetable, fiber and nutrient rich salsa out of foods that can be found in most food pantries and requires little kitchen equipment.

• Practice reading nutrition fact labels

Prep Time: 15 min

Materials:

• Large bowl, spoon, can opener & knife

• Chips or vegetable slices

• 1 can of black beans (low or no sodium preferred)

• 1 can of pinto beans (low or no sodium preferred)

• 1 can of corn (low or no sodium preferred)

• 1 can diced tomatoes (low or no sodium preferred)

• 1 Lemon (or juice)

• 1 Onion (diced)

Optional

• 1 or 2 Avocados (cubed)

• Chopped Cilantro

• Swap canned corn and tomatoes for fresh if available

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the cans of beans and corn and empty them into bowl

2. Mix in any optional ingredients

3. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the bowl, stir

Practical Tips

• You can find most of the ingredients to this recipe at a food pantry and it requires

  minimal kitchen appliances

• Rinsing canned food helps to reduce added sodium and sugar contents

• Wipe off the lid of cans before opening as a food safety best practice

• A good visual for the amount of sodium in food is: 2000 mg of sodium is 1 teaspoon of table salt.

• 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar

• Lemons are a natural form of citric acid. Adding lemon juice acts as a natural preservative

Health Risks and Benefits

• A high sodium diet is linked to high blood pressure, coronary disease, heart attack,

  heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and headaches

• Ideal sodium intake is less than 1,500 mg a day

• 75% of sodium in the American diet comes from pre-prepared and processed foods

• Sodium’s impact on the body's: salt draws more water into the blood vessels

  increasing the volume like increasing water in a hose. This is more work for the

  heart and over time may overstretch or injure the blood vessel walls

• Fats are needed to support the growth of cells and give you energy

• Fiber helps to regulate digestion and keep you feeling full

• A diet high in fiber can lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease

• Avocados are a good source of fat and fiber

• Beans are a great source of fiber and non meat protein

• Lemons have a lot of calcium

• Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin A

• The high water content in tomatoes keeps you feeling full for longer