Vitamin A

How does the body use vitamin A?

Vitamin A is very important for vision as a basic component of rhodopsin, the proteins in the retina that absorb light in the retinal receptors. Vitamin A also supports the growth of cells and differentiation, playing a critical role in the normal formation and maintenance of the kidneys, lungs, heart and many other organs.

How does the body’s need for this nutrient change over a life span?

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
0-6 months	400 mcg RAE	400 mcg RAE
7-12 months	500 mcg RAE	500 mcg RAE
1-3 years	300 mcg RAE	300 mcg RAE
4-8 years	400 mcg RAE	400 mcg RAE
9-13 years	600 mcg RAE	600 mcg RAE
14-18 years	900 mcg RAE	700 mcg RAE	750 mcg RAE	1,200 mcg RAE
19-50 years	900 mcg RAE	700 mcg RAE	770 mcg RAE	1,300 mcg RAE
51+	900 mcg RAE	700 mcg RAE

When children are first born, the amount of vitamin A they need increases until they are about 1-3 years old then it decreases to 300 hundred then increases again until they are between 14-18 years old then it remains constant.

Vitamin A Rich Foods

Food	Mcg RAE per Serving	IU per serving	Percent DV*
Sweet Potato, baked in skin, 1 whole	1,403	28,058	561
Beef Liver, pan fried, 3 ounces	6,582	22,175	444
Spinach, frozen, boiled, ½ cup	573	11,458	229
Carrots, Raw, ½ cup	459
Pumpkin Pie, Commercially prepared, I piece	488	3,743
Cantaloupe, Raw, ½ cup	135	2,706
Peppers, Sweet, Red, Raw, ½ cup	117	2,332
Mangos, Raw, 1 whole	112	2,240
Black-eyed peas, boiled, 1 cup	66
Apricots, dried, sulfured, 10 halves	53
Broccoli, boiled, ½ cup	50
Ice Cream, French Vanilla, Soft Served, 1 cup	278
Cheese, ricotta, Part Skim, 1 cup	263
Tomato Juice, canned, ¾ cup	42
Herring, Atlantic, pickled, 3 ounces	219
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for Vitamin A, ¾ -1 cup	127-149
Milk, Fat-free or skim, with added Vitamin A, 1 cup	149
Baked beans, canned, plain or vegetarian, 1 cup	13
Egg, hard boiled, 1 large	75
Summer squash, all varieties, boiled, ½ cup	10
Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 3 ounces	59
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 cup	32
Pistachio nuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce	4
Tuna, light, canned in oil, drained solids, 3 ounces	20
Chicken, breast meat and skin, roasted, ½ breast	5

Recipes rich in Vitamin A

Pumpkin Pie

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

· 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh

· 3/4 cup sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· pinch nutmeg

· 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

· 2 eggs, lightly beaten

· 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted

· 2 tablespoons water

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1 unbaked pastry shell (9-inch)

· whipped cream or whipped topping, for garnish

Preparation:

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs; mix well. Add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and bake about 35 minutes longer, or until center is set.

Serve this delicious pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar!

Chili Mac & Cheese

http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/chili-mac-cooked-in-pan-3702.jpg

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

· One 14.5-ounce box dried whole wheat blend rotini pasta

· 3 tablespoons canola oil

· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 2 ½ cups 1% lowfat milk

· 3 cups reduced fat shredded yellow cheddar cheese, divided

· Kosher salt to taste

· One 15-ounce can vegetarian chili (Amy’s or Health Valley), or 2 cups leftover chili

1. In a large saucepan, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate medium or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Gently cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is smooth and the flour has had a chance to cook, about 1 minute.

3. Add the milk, raise the heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.. Preheat the broiler on high or the oven at 400F.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir 2 cups of the cheese into the thickened milk. Add the chili and stir to combine. Add salt to taste. Stir in the cooked pasta until coated with the cheese sauce.

5. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Place the baking dish under the broiler and brown the cheese on top or place in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2009/05/04/recipe-rescue-chili-mac-cheese/

http://southernfood.about.com/od/pumpkinpies/r/bl21016d.htm

Calcium

How Does the Body use Calcium?

We need calcium to carry out many important functions and to maintain strong bones. Most of the calcium in our bodies is stored in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure and hardness.

The body needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and other parts of the body. Also, calcium is used to help blood vessels move blood throughout the body and to help release hormones and enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.

How does the body’s need for calcium change over a life span?

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months	200 mg
Infants 7-12 months	260 mg
Children 1-3 years	700 mg
Children 4-8 years	1,000 mg
Children 9-13 years	1,300 mg
Teens 14-18 years	1,300 mg
Adults 19-50 years	1,000 mg
Adult men 51-70 years	1,000 mg
Adult Women 51-70 years	1,200 mg
Adults 71+ years	1,200 mg
Pregnant and breast feeding teens	1,300 mg
Pregnant and breast feeding adults	1,000 mg

What foods are rich in Calcium?

· Milk, yogurt, and cheese are the main food sources of calcium

· Kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are fine vegetable sources of calcium.

· Fish with soft bones that you eat, such as canned sardines and salmon, are an animal source of calcium.

· Most grains (such as breads, pastas, and unfortified cereals), although they are not rich in calcium, they add large amounts of calcium to the diet since people eat them often or in large amounts.

· Calcium is added to some breakfast cereals, fruit juices, soy and rice beverages, and tofu.

Calcium rich Recipes

Coconut-Lime Cheesecake with Mango Coulis

http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/39/93/399394.jpg

Ingredients

¾ cup sweeten flake coconut

¾ cup crushed gingersnap cookies

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (10 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon coconut extract

2 cups cubed fresh mango

1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Combine the coconut, gingersnap cookies, and melted butter in a bowl; mix until evenly moistened. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.

3. Bake the crust in the preheated oven until browned and set, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

5. Beat the softened cream cheese in mixer bowl until smooth. With beater set to medium-low, slowly pour the condensed milk into the bowl, mixing only until just blended, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, individually, allowing the first to blend into the mixture before adding the second; again, scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

6. Pour about half of the cream cheese batter into a separate bowl. Stir the lime juice and lime zest into the portion in the new bowl; pour the batter over the crust in the springform pan, smoothing into an even layer.

7. Stir the coconut extract through the remaining cream cheese batter; pour over the lime-flavored batter in the springfom pan, smoothing into an even layer.

8. Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cheesecake springs back when gently pressed, about 45 minutes. Turn oven heat off, but leave cheesecake inside with oven door slightly ajar until the oven cools completely. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

9. Prepare mango coulis by pureeing the mango with sugar until smooth. If too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time, using just enough to make pourable. Drizzle over cheesecake when plated.

Inside-out grilled cheese sandwich

2 slices white bread
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Butter each slice of bread. Place both slices of bread in the pan, buttered-side down. Pile shredded cheese on to one of the slices and cover it with the other slice of bread. You should now have a regular looking grilled cheese sandwich. Put shredded cheese on the slice of bread facing you and flip the sandwich so that the outside cheese toasts and gets crispy. Place the remaining cheese on the last un-cheesed slice of bread and flip and grill. Enjoy hot!