Living Well 7/16/26
Yalobusha County 4-H well represented at the 4-H North Half BBQ cookout
Yalobusha county had 3 senior 4-Hers to participate in the 4-H North Half BBQ cookout contest Wednesday, July 8, in Winona. Susan Schroyer, competed in the turkey contest and Maverick French and Christopher Martin competed in the chicken contest. Susan Schroyer won 2nd place in the Turkey contest. Christopher Martin won 3rd place in the chicken contest. Susan and Christopher will continue on and compete in the State Cookout contest on July 14th at Mississippi State University.
Extension Programs coming up:
Wednesday, July 15 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Thursday, July 16 – Looped with Love Crochet MCV Meeting will meet at 10 a.m. at the Extension office.
Friday, July 17 – 4-H Cooking Kit Registration Deadline. Sign up now for the July 4-H Cooking Kits. The cost are $15 per kit and includes a recipe, ingredient & kitchen tool. Pickup date will be Thursday, July 23rd.
Friday, July 17 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Monday, July 20- – Salsa Canning class using Electric boiling water bath canner. The class will be offered at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 20th. The cost to register is $15 per person. Each person will take home a jar of salsa. Space is limited. Participants must sign up and pay registration fee by deadline to be considered registered for class. To pay registration visit: https://reg.extension.msstate.edu or stop by the extension office and pay with check made out to MSU Extension.
Tuesday, July 21 – United Y.C. MCV Meeting – Will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office.
Tuesday, July 21 – 4-H Terrific Tuesday – Pet Care – will meet 2-3:30 at the Extension office. For youth ages 5-18. Youth ages 7 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Program is free, please contact extension office at 662.675.2730 to let us know your child will be attending.
Wednesday, July 22 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Thursday July 23 – 4-H Cooking Kit Pickup at Extension office from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, July 24 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Monday, July 27 – Sewing for Service will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office.
Tuesday, July 28 – Terrific Tuesday – Summer Wind Down – It’s been a fun summer join us as we wind down the summer with lots of fun games and activities. We will meet 2-3:30 at the Extension office. For youth ages 5-18. Youth ages 7 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Program is free, please contact extension office at 662.675.2730 to let us know your child will be attending.
Wednesday, July 29 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Friday, July 31 – Healthy You Exercise class will meet at 9 a.m. at the Extension office. Wear cool, comfortable clothes, supportive shoes and bring water to drink.
Saturday, August 8 – 4-H Volunteer Forum at Mississippi State University 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information contact the extension office.
Thursday, September 10 – ServSafe One Day training and Exam. Cost to register is $150, must have 9th edition book. Deadline to register is August 10th.
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs, or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762
What is Micro-Prepping?
Micro-Prepping: Cook Once, Serve Twice
Meal prep doesn’t have to mean spending an entire Sunday chopping vegetables and filling rows of containers. A simpler approach is micro-prepping—doing a little extra each time you cook so future meals come together faster and with less effort.
The idea is simple: whenever you’re making a meal, prepare extra ingredients or portions for another meal later in the week. You’re already washing, chopping, cooking, and cleaning. A few additional minutes can save you much more time later.
Why Micro-Prepping Works
• Saves time on busy weeknights
• Reduces cooking fatigue and decision- making
• Helps prevent food waste
• Makes healthy meals more convenient
• Cuts down on takeout and impulse purchases
• Spreads meal prep throughout the week instead of dedicating an entire day
Think of it as “cooking forward” rather than meal prepping.
Easy Ways to Micro-Prep
Roast Extra Vegetables
When roasting vegetables for dinner, fill the entire sheet pan.
Tonight:
Roasted broccoli and carrots with chicken
Tomorrow:
Add leftovers to a grain bowl, omelet, soup, or salad
Cook Extra Grains
Prepare double the rice, quinoa, or farro.
Tonight:
Salmon with brown rice
Later:
Grain bowls, stuffed peppers, fried rice, or a quick side dish
Make Extra Protein
Cook additional chicken breasts, turkey burgers, tofu, or beans.
Tonight:
Grilled chicken with vegetables
Tomorrow:
Wraps, salads, tacos, sandwiches, or pasta dishes
Double Your Soup or Chili
Soups, stews, and chili often taste even better the next day.
Serve one meal now and freeze the rest for a future dinner.
Prep Produce While You’re Cooking
While dinner is in the oven:
Wash berries
Slice cucumbers
Chop salad veggies
Portion snack vegetables
Future-you will thank you.
One Week Plan for Micro-Prepping
The “One Plus One” Rule
Every time you cook, ask: “What can I make extra today that will help me tomorrow?”
Examples:
• Bake six potatoes instead of three.
• Grill two extra chicken breasts.
• Make a double batch of overnight oats.
• Make double the vinaigrette.
• Make a double batch of protein bites.
• Chop twice the vegetables you need.
Small actions add up quickly.
Week of Micro-Prepping
• Monday
•Roast a large tray of vegetables.
• Tuesday
• Use leftover vegetables in a dense bean salad.
• Wednesday
• Cook extra brown rice.
• Thursday
• Turn leftover rice into a vegetable stir-fry.
• Friday
• Make a large pot of soup and freeze half.
Without spending hours meal prepping, you’ve created multiple meals from a few strategic extras.
Keep It Heart Healthy
Micro-prepping pairsperfectly with healthy eatingpatterns like the
DASH Diet and Mediterranean Diet.
Focus on:
• Fruits and vegetables –getting them chopped foruse all week
• Beans and lentils – cookin larger batches and freezeleftovers
• Whole grains – cookonce in a big batch and saveleftovers to use all week
• Lean proteins – cookonce and serve multipletimes. Whole chickens, family packs of lean meat, seafood, etc. can all be used in soups, wraps, stews, sandwiches, and stir fry dishes.
Having these ingredients ready to go makes it easier to build balanced meals throughout the week.
Start Small
You don’t need dozens of containers or a detailed meal plan. Simply make a little extra whenever you cook. Roast one more tray of vegetables, cook an extra serving of grains, or prepare additional protein.
Micro-prepping is one of the easiest ways to save time, reduce stress, and make healthy eating more achievable—because sometimes the best meal prep strategy is simply cooking once and serving twice.
Article Source: https://www.foodandhealth.com/newsletters-archive/june2026-newsletter-and-toolkit
