King's Daughters' Health

Chili is the ultimate winter comfort food. Take yours up a nutritional notch with this easy recipe, which uses low-sodium lentils instead of canned beans. Rich in fiber, folate and iron, lentils cook faster than dried beans, and they don't need to be soaked ahead of time. You can make a batch to use in this recipe relatively quickly, which helps you cut out sodium found in canned beans. Ingredients ½ pound lean ground beef 1½ cups onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 cups lentils, cooked and drained 2 14.5-ounce cans diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained 1 tablespoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin Directions In a large saucepan, brown beef over medium-high heat. Drain fat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened. Add lentils, tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Cook for about 1 hour until flavors are blended. Serve hot, topped with your favorite chili toppings. Nutrition information per serving Makes 6 servings Calories: 207 Fat: 5g Carbohydrates: 26g Sodium: 289mg Protein: 15g Fiber: 8g Recipe courtesy of "What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl," Montana State University Extension Service LIGHT AND LEAN Lentil Chili A Healthier Community King's Daughters' Health is committed to identifying and addressing the most common health-related issues impacting local families. PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH and preventing chronic illnesses has always been a top priority at KDH – and that begins with better understanding the healthcare concerns in the communities we serve. That's in part why every three years, KDH conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment. The most recent, conducted in August and September, identified substance abuse and addiction, obesity, tobacco use, and lack of physical activity as some of the top issues facing area residents. Meeting a Need KDH uses this information to create and implement programs to treat these health concerns so people in our area remain as healthy as possible, both physically and emotionally. "We collaborate with local organizations to determine what role we will take in addressing those problems," says Heather Foy, Wellness Coordinator at KDH. "By working together, we can develop effective strategies to meet the needs of our community." After past assessments, for example, KDH has worked with local pediatricians to implement exercise programs for children to help reduce childhood obesity and with local schools to develop substance abuse prevention programs. "People look to us to take the lead in local healthcare, and we are proud of that," Heather says. "We can't fix every problem, but we want to take an active role in finding solutions." ■ Learn more about the Community Health Needs Assessment by visiting www.kdhmadison.org and clicking on "Community Needs Assessment" under the "Community" drop-down menu. Vital Signs // a publication of King's Daughters' Health 3

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