When CEO & President Todd Jones took the podium at the division leadership meetings this past February, he challenged our Publix leaders to set the example for our associates and take personal accountability for their own health and wellness.
Todd believes every associate should take time to reflect on their health. It’s important for ourselves, our family and Publix. Our company’s success depends on our associates, and we need you to be at your best while at work. Your family and friends need you to be at your best at home.
“It’s as simple as taking time to exercise more, eat healthier and take advantage of Publix’s benefits,” said Todd. “Once you accept the challenge to take personal accountability for your health and wellness, Publix is here to offer resources to help you achieve your goals.”
The resources are part of our Life. Inspired. associate wellness program, designed with your health and overall well-being in mind. The program offers benefits like
- free health screenings for our associates age 18 and over at our Publix Pharmacies. Knowing your wellness numbers for blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose gives you a great starting point. It’s easy, convenient and takes less than 10 minutes.
- free flu shots for associates each fall at our Publix Pharmacies (age restrictions apply)
- discounts for participating in Publix-sponsored walks and runs across our operating area and
- reduced prices on gym memberships through Publix Personal Plans.
More details about Life. Inspired. resources are available online by visiting www.publix.org > Health and Well-Being > Life. Inspired. Program.
There’s no better time than now
Join Todd and accept the challenge of making your own health and wellness a priority. Together, we can live Life. Inspired.!
- Remember, even modest changes will benefit you and your
family, both at home and at work! - Invite your family members and friends to join you when exercising. They’ll keep you motivated and accountable along the way.
- Do something as simple as adding more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Visit www.publix.com/betterchoice if you’re ready to focus more on nutrition.
Commit to making better choices for a better you
As you try to focus more on nutrition, it’s nice to know Publix makes finding the better choice a whole lot easier. Take this quiz and test your knowledge of the Better Choice program.
1. Publix’s Better Choice program focuses on which of the following areas?
A. Weight loss
B. Nutrition
C. Exercise
D. Price
E. Organic food
2. When browsing the grocery aisles, you’ll find Better Choice items as indicated by which symbol on the shelf tag?
A. Leaf icon
B. Brown shelf tags
C. Better Choice circle
D. Gluten-free icon
E. All of the above
3. Better Choice items are always made with organic ingredients.
A. True
B. False
4. Aprons Simple Meals is a great place to start when looking for easy, yet tasty recipes. Developed by our own chefs, you can find Aprons recipes in our stores and on the Publix website. When using the website, you can apply filters during your search that will identify recipes for special dietary considerations like:
A. Better Choice
B. Carb smart
C. Gluten-free
D. Heart smart
E. All of the above
5. Using the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a meal should consist of:
A. 750 calories or less
B. 1000 calories or more
C. 75 percent of calories from total fat
D. 75 percent of calories from saturated fat
E. No less than 1000 mg of sodium
Check out your answers.
Make time for breakfast
You’re only two hours into your shift and you’ve already hit a wall. You want to crawl back in bed, and no amount of caffeine is going to help. On top of that, your hunger pains are out of control.
Sound familiar? This is what happens when you skip the most important meal of the day — breakfast.
Eating a healthy breakfast offers numerous benefits. Breakfast essentially means “breaking the fast,” or the period of time between last night’s dinner and your morning wake up. That first meal of the day plays a pivotal role in how your body will process and metabolize food for the remainder of your day.
Breakfast eaters typically maintain healthier diets overall than those who skip breakfast, steering clear of the hunger that builds up and causes overeating. And lots of healthy foods are available to choose from for breakfast like fruits, grains, eggs, and yogurt, as well as many of the newer, vitamin-packed breakfast and granola bars designed for those on the go.
Here are 10 quick and easy breakfast ideas to get you started — courtesy of our Publix registered dietitians and nutritionists.
- Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and fruit
- Breakfast burrito: whole wheat tortilla, egg or egg white, low-fat
cheese and a slice of avocado topped with salsa - Do-it-yourself “fast food” breakfast sandwich: whole wheat
English muffin, egg or egg white, low-fat cheese and ham - Mini frittatas in a muffin pan: mix egg with veggies and low-fat cheese
- Yogurt parfait from Publix’s produce department
- Bento box for breakfast: string cheese, hard-boiled egg and fruit
- Publix GreenWise waffle topped with peanut butter and banana slices
- Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
- Smoothie made with Publix frozen fruit, banana and low-fat yogurt
- Publix low-fat Greek yogurt, fruit and nuts
Online Exclusive
Eating breakfast is a great way to jumpstart your metabolism and deliver the energy you need to perform throughout the day. Additionally, eating breakfast will improve your concentration, give you a better chance of meeting your daily requirement for vitamins and minerals, and decrease your risk of diabetes.
So try getting up 15 minutes earlier to make a quick breakfast burrito and grab a banana. It’ll help you fight off the morning slump and make for a better day!
Make it a Mango day!
This month’s Better Choice recipe calls for mango. And just in case you’ve never tried a mango, now’s a great time to do just that.
Mangos are a sweet tropical fruit available in the produce section year-round, peaking April through September. One cup of mango is just 100 calories and packed with nutrients, including 100 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
While they’re gaining in popularity here in the U.S., more fresh mangos are eaten worldwide than any other fruit — three to one over bananas and 10 to one over apples.
The color of mangos should not be a deciding factor in determining whether they’re ripe or not. Mangos can have a green, red or yellow blush to them. And when ripe, mangos will give to slight, gentle pressure.
Mangos can be a challenge to handle until you’re familiar with them. The trick is in peeling and slicing them, which can be done using a vegetable peeler or paring knife.
- Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the mango so the bottom is flat, and then stand it up.
- Cut two slices off the flatter sides of the mango, one on each side of the seed.
The seed is about 3/4” thick. - Make cross-hatch cuts in the fruit, but do not cut through the skin. (Tip: You can use a butter knife or a plastic knife for safety, if desired.)
- Flatten the skin to expose the cut fruit.
- Slide the knife right next to the skin to cut and release the fruit.
- The same method works for slices too.
Top off freshly cut mango with a squirt of lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor.
If you’re short on time, pre-sliced mango is available in your produce department.
Make a Better Choice Recipe your own.
Publix offers many delicious Aprons recipes. Why not try one? Here’s a delicious Better Choice recipe that includes the tropical fruit mango, available fresh in the produce section or already cut in the frozen foods section of your Publix store. Enjoy!
Online Exclusive
Name: Mango Turkey Stir-Fry
Total Time – 25 minutes (Makes 4 Servings)
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated 2 mangos, finely chopped 1 lime for juice, 1 1/4 lb. turkey (or chicken) tenderloins, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 teaspoons chili powder divided, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided, 1 (10-oz) bag frozen cooked brown rice, 1 tablespoon grapeseed (or olive) oil, 2 cups fresh mini sweet pepper rings, 1 cup sugar, snap peas, 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
Prep: Chop garlic. Peel and grate ginger. Peel and chop mangos (about 2 cups). Squeeze lime for juice (1 tablespoon). Cut turkey into thin strips (wash hands).
Steps:
- Combine in small saucepan: garlic, ginger, mangos, vinegar, honey, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook on medium 5–6 minutes or until mixture thickens.
- Prepare rice following package instructions.
- Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place oil in pan, then add peppers and sugar snaps; cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until lightly browned. Season turkey with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, then add to peppers; cook 2–3 minutes or until browned.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in mango mixture; simmer 1–2 minutes or until sauce glazes turkey and turkey is 165°F. Remove pan from heat; stir in lime juice. Top rice with turkey mixture and cabbage. Serve.
CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 480kcal; FAT 7g; SAT FAT 1g; TRANS FAT 0g; CHOL 90mg; SODIUM 380mg; CARB 69g; FIBER 6g; SUGARS 44g; PROTEIN 39g; VIT A 90%; VIT C 360%; CALC 8%; IRON 15%
Tip: This recipe can be made with chicken, too!
Living Life. Inspired. is a family affair
All of us are busy trying to balance work, family and personal time. But one thing I feel strongly about is making sure my kids grow up fit and healthy. It’s one of the best gifts I can pass along to them. To accomplish this, my husband and I concentrate on three important things: setting a good example, doing things together and focusing on fun.
Eating right and exercising should begin at home. As a parent, I start by setting a good example. My kids and I take time over the weekend to plan our meals for the week, researching recipes and making up our grocery list. We shop together at our Publix, learning about the importance of balancing our meals and taking time to talk about better choices.
Chores are a code word for fun in the McDowell household (most of the time). Whether it’s cleaning the house or working in the yard, we take an “all hands on deck” approach to getting family members involved in everyday jobs like raking leaves, pulling weeds and walking the dog. My kids are more receptive to getting involved when chores are done together as a family. Surprisingly, yard work is their favorite. Simply getting outdoors has an energizing effect on the whole family.
When possible, we arrange social activities with our friends like playing kickball and volleyball on Sunday afternoons. It’s not only fun but allows us to be physically active while enjoying our friends at the same time. And we’re always up for a little competition — often competing boys against girls, or parents versus kids.
Life is a work in progress, and my family is far from perfect. But I’m committed to making healthy habits easy and fun for everyone. You should try it, too! Let’s make an effort to eat better together, laugh more often and build physical activity into our daily schedule. Use the tips provided in this special insert of Publix News, and check out the resources offered through Publix’s Life. Inspired. associate wellness program.
Best of health,
Mendi McDowell
Manager of Associate Wellness
Snacking on the go
Running late for work? Going straight from work to class?
No matter how much we plan, things happen that prevent us from eating our regularly scheduled meals. But snacking can be an opportunity to catch up on important nutrients if you keep certain foods on hand.
“The trick is to choose and plan your snacks wisely,” said Manager of Customer Wellness Shannon McManus. “To avoid hunger pains in between meals, you want to select snacks that provide both carbohydrates and protein.”
Protein can be found in dairy products, meats, poultry, seafood, dried beans, nuts and seeds. Carbohydrates are found in foods like fruit, milk, whole grains and vegetables. Snacks that contain both protein and carbohydrates help your body to feel satisfied longer after eating.
But keep in mind it’s also important to control calories.
“While everyone’s calorie needs are different, a good suggestion is to keep your snacks between 100 – 200 total calories,” said Shannon. “Look for snack foods that offer a mix of proteins and carbohydrates to help get you through the day.”
Shannon’s team of registered dietitians and nutritionists has come up with some helpful snacking options — many offering a mix of proteins and carbohydrates. Just visit your local Publix today and stock up on these great snack ideas. And when your day gets really busy, you’ll be glad you have them on hand.
Snack Ideas
- Greek yogurt
- Cheese with fruit (apples or grapes)
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Breakfast, granola or energy bar
- 100 calorie snack pack of nuts and fruit (apples or grapes)
- Energy/trail mix
- Hardboiled egg and baby carrots
- Whole wheat crackers and peanut butter
- Hummus and whole wheat crackers
- Hummus and carrots
- Babybel cheese, sliced apples and 100 calorie pack almonds
Sources; www.eatright.org; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008; Nutrition Journal 2014
Get in the know with free health screenings
Cholesterol … triglycerides … blood glucose … blood pressure … body mass index … what do these mean? And more importantly, what do they mean for you?
Find out by getting your free health screenings at your Publix Pharmacy each calendar year. Publix provides the screenings for free to associates age 18 and older, and discounted screenings to your adult family members living in your household.
With just a simple prick of your finger and a visit to the higi station, your Publix pharmacist can provide you with these key wellness numbers to share with your doctor. It’s fast and easy, and no appointment is necessary!
Visit www.publix.org > Health and Well-Being > Life. Inspired. Program > Free Annual Health Screenings for more information.
