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As the weather turns cooler and the leaves begin to change, we all have favorite foods that start to return to our diets.
In Oswego County one of those favorites is apples. To see that consumers in its home delivered meal program get to enjoy farm fresh apples OCO Nutrition Services has partnered with Appledale Orchards in Mexico.
Working in conjunction with Staff Dietician Chaya Charles, OCO Nutrition Services is working to update its menus to be even more heart healthy. “We will be adding more fresh fruits and vegetables to our home delivered meals,” said Coordinator Lori Halstead. “Each month we are featuring one fruit or vegetable. Chaya will be providing our consumers with a healthy recipe that utilizes that particular fruit or vegetable. That recipe will not only be shared with our home delivered meal consumers but also be featured at our Dining and Activity centers.”
“Apples are an extremely versatile fruit that can be enjoyed raw or cooked in many ways,” continued Halstead. ““We’re fortunate here in Oswego County to have so many delicious varieties of apples. And with a medium apple having only 90 calories, while providing four grams of dietary fiber and 14% of the daily Vitamin C requirement, apples are a perfect addition to our heart healthy menu.”
OCO Nutrition Services’ partnership with Appledale Orchards is an example of OCO’s commitment to supporting local businesses. “We’re pleased to be able to work with Appledale Orchards to provide our consumers with fresh apples. With our emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables we are looking to expand the number of local farms we purchase from,” said Halstead.
OCO’s Meals on Wheels program delivers more than 1,000 meals each day to homebound seniors. There are no un-served areas in the county. In addition to the Meals on Wheels program OCO Nutrition Services has six Dining and Activity Centers located in Fulton, Hannibal, Mexico, Parish, Phoenix, and the North Shore. The centers offer fun activities and friendly conversation. While the program does have some paid employee routes it is the volunteers that are the driving force behind the Meals on Wheels program.
Those interested in volunteering to deliver meals or helping out at one of OCO’s Dining and Activity Centers can learn more by calling OCO Nutrition Services at 315-598-4712.
OCO Nutrition Services is partially supported through grants from its partners: Oswego County Office for the Aging, NYS Office for the Aging, and United Way of Greater Oswego, Inc.
OCO is a private, non-profit agency that has been supporting communities throughout Oswego County since 1966. A member agency of the United Way of Greater Oswego County, OCO provides more than 50 vital services throughout 100 separate locations. For more information, visit www.oco.org. Did you know? It’s OCO!
