Produce a-plenty

Produce Patch at the Village Market

Students often ask me, "where is the healthy food on campus?"  There are many spots to get healthy foods, including every Place & Market:

• Roger's (Revelle College)
• John's (Muir College)
• Goody's (Marshall College)
• the Village (ERC/Village Community)
• Earl's (Warren College)
• 6th (Sixth College)

Pictured at right is the Produce Patch at the Village Place & Market, which is full of healthy veggies and fruits. There are many local and organic choices in the produce selections at the markets.  Portions (or "pack sizes") are also usually on the smaller side since most of you are cooking for between 1-4 people and we want you to have the freshest stuff possible. 

When trying to make a healthy meal, a good rule of thumb is to fill up at least half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Ever heard of the Plate Method? (Oh yeah, that's me trying to stay focused on the Plate Method while fighter jets fly overhead...has that ever happened to you when taking a midterm? Those jets fly over campus all the time!)

Ok, back on track... Most of us need more fruits and veggies everyday than we actually consume. There is a huge variety of fruits and veggies out there - try them all and you will never get bored! Have you ever tried star fruit before? I LOVE the way it looks and it's great for those Oscar-themed parties (ok, so I'm a few days late on that suggestion...remember it for next year?) Check out star fruit here. 

My current veggie obsessions are spinach and artichokes.  What are your favorite vegetables or fruits? 

Potatoes, Po-tot-toes?

Many people mistakenly believe that potatoes are not good for you.  Potatoes got of plenty negative press in the low-carb diet craze and some of that bad press has stuck around. It's true that potatoes are rich in carbohydrates and can have a high glycemic index. However, most of us need plenty of healthy carbohydrates and the glycemic index of potatoes can be muted by eating the fibrous skin and eating other foods along with the potatoes, which most of us would do anyway...not sure I'd ever eat a meal of just potatoes. I never say never...and I do love me some french fries, but now I'm off on a tangent.

Potatoes also contain vitamin C and potassium.  The potatoes pictured above are in the Village Place & Market in the Village community on north campus.  Check out this easy and delicious recipe for Crispy Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Sauce - you could whip that up in your apartment or shared kitchen on campus. 

Potatoes are a regular feature in the residential restaurants in Dining Services as well. You'll find roasted potatoes as sides, potatoes in soups and of course there is the Russet Path at Roots. The Russet Path is a baked potato with vegan "cheese" sauce, topped with raw vegetables and faux "parmesan."

You say potatoes, I say po-tot-toes, and I eat them too!

Real Deal Dates in March

I'm bringing back my program, "the Real Deal on Nutrition" to Dining Services' locations in March.  Come by these locations during lunchtime to ask me nutrition questions, taste the LiveWell meal and to just say hello!

I'll be serving up the LiveWell selection at:

• Roots on 3/7/12 
• Plaza Cafe on 3/14/12  
• Pines on 3/21/12

You don't have to wait until then to ask me nutrition questions, though. Feel free to email me at rmcdivitt@ucsd.edu and I'll be happy to help you out or schedule an appointment with you to meet in my office.

Have a great weekend!

Roots Restaurant on Muir - Vegan Deliciousness

I had lunch at Roots Restaurant on Muir College - the picture above is my lunch, the Grant Grove, a mixed legume salad with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, carrots, bermuda onions and tofu "feta" on a bed of organic spinach. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Roots is an all-vegan restaurant that Dining opened this quarter - the vision is to provide tasty, healthy, vegan dishes to all who are interested.  You certainly don't have to be vegan to eat a vegan meal...and the Grant Grove satisfied my large appetite for lunch!

My colleague had the butternut squash soup - I tasted this soup as well. If you're a fan of butternut squash like I am, you'll love it.  I like having scallions added onto soups and chilis as well but those are optional if they're not your preference.

Check out Roots restaurant.  It's my new favorite spot to eat on campus. 

Chocolate Changes for Responsible Snacking

Mars, the company that sells Snickers, Twix, M&Ms among other major brands, announced that it will limit candy bars to 250 calories each.  It plans top hase out king-sized candy bars by 2014.

Mars also announced these health-related changes:

• 25% reduction of sodium in their products
• a cease in buying advertising time/space when/where >25% of the audience is 12 years or younger

You might say, "so what?"  Well, to me, this type of change is a good faith effort to help improve our American food culture.  We seem to all understand that our current culture makes it hard to maintain a healthy weight - but we don't all agree on or know of ways to help improve that culture. I think this major food manufacturer is taking some good steps. Really, people, no one should eat a 540-calorie king-sized Snickers bar...and pretty soon, no one will.

Here is the brief article where I learned about Mars' planned changes.

Here are even more quick, healthy, "responsible snacks":

• fresh fruit
• handful of nuts
• handful of trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit)
• baby carrots
• a yogurt
• slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter or other nut butter
• a glass of milk
• a cheese stick
• ants on a log (celery sticks with either peanut butter or cream cheese on them, with raisins squooshed in). It might sound funky but it's good! And it was the first snack that I ever made for myself - probably around age 4. (I've always been an eater!)

Happy snacking!

Nutrition Counseling Available for All Residential Students

I like cartoon pictures of me - they hide the bags under my eyes!
Photo Courtesy of HDH Graphics Guru Dave DeCaro

Are you a UC San Diego resident with nutrition questions?  If so, you have a registered dietitian on campus to help you find the answers.  ------------------------------>

Students often seek my guidance for the following:

• food allergies and intolerances
• weight reduction
• vegetarianism/veganism
• healthy eating on campus
• wellness/fitness

Call or email me and I'd be happy to answer your nutrition questions.  Or, if you see me on campus, feel free to ask me your question on the spot!

Valentine's Day - How Sweet It Is

Ok, Valentine's day gives me mixed emotions. On one hand, I think it's a nifty marketing ploy to get us all to buy a bunch of stuff that's useless/tacky/overpriced. On the other hand, I think it's nice to be reminded to cherish your partner and shower him/her with affection and gifts...and I loooooove chocolate.

Chocolate can fit into a healthy lifestyle, especially dark chocolate, in small amounts: Maybe it can even lower blood pressure.

Look for some dark chocolate (and milk chocolate) treats in Dining Services today. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tofu Enchiladas at Plaza Cafe

I've returned to UC San Diego from maternity leave and have jumped right back into eating in the various Dining Services outlets. 

On Friday I had lunch at Plaza Cafe on Revelle College - my lunch is pictured above.  The enchiladas were made with tofu. Both the enchiladas and black beans had a nice kick to them from jalapenos.  This meal was vegetarian. I went back to get some salsa verde (not pictured) to add a little more color to my meal. Usually I'd eat a nice green vegetable or salad with this meal but I was really pressed for time.

My favorite thing about this meal: There was a nice balance of protein (mainly from the tofu, beans and cheese), fat (mainly from the cheese), fiber (mainly from the beans) and carbohydrates (mainly from the tortillas and beans.)

Delicious, hearty, and high fiber.

Sodium Shakedown: The Next Major Nutrition Public Health Push

hi all, I'm back from maternity leave now and planning to blog more frequently. So let's get this started! SODIUM SHAKEDOWN It seems that the next major nutrition-focused public health push is going to be dietary sodium intake reduction. Major food manufacturers and even restaurants are beginning to reformulate foods and recipes in order to bring down those sodium milligrams. That's a good thing. Generally, Americans eat FAR more milligrams of sodium than recommended. The CDC reports that 10 foods are responsible for nearly half of the sodium that Americans consume. These foods are: Breads and rolls, Luncheon meats such as deli ham and turkey, Pizza, Poultry, Soups, Cheeseburgers and other sandwiches, Cheese, Pasta dishes, Meat dishes, Snack foods including chips, pretzels, and popcorn. For more on this topic, check out WebMD's summary article at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120207/bread-and-other-common-foods-top-list-sodium-culprits I always like to focus on what you SHOULD be eating instead of what you shouldn't be eating. So, with that focus in mind, make sure to choose plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and un-processed foods. How can you do that? Eat at home more frequently, make more "from scratch," read labels for sodium to help you make choices at the grocery store. Why should you care about your sodium intake? It's primarly about your ticker and your noggin, people. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and too much blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke. Be well. Skip the drive-through and spend that extra time to make a meal tonight.

15th Annual Black History Month Luncheon

The 15th Annual Black History Month Luncheon is being held tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb 8th, 2012, at Plaza Cafe on Revelle College. The featured lunch is served from 11am-2pm and the special Program is from 12pm-1:30pm. UC San Diego students, staff, faculty and the public are invited to enjoy a taste of African-American culture through home-cooked soul food, inspiring entertainment, and so much more! Mistress of Ceremonies: Dr. Renee Barnett Terry Featured Performers: Gary Bias - Grammy Award-Winning Saxophonist with Earth, Wind & Fire Matt Falker - Jazz Pianist & Vocalist Higher Authority - Female Gospel Group Tam Tam Mandingue USA - African Drum& Dance Troupe SD School of Creative & Performing Arts - Dance Theotis Duncan - Singing The Black National Anthem Visit http://hdh.ucsd.edu/bhm/ for more information or contact Davell Jackson-Brown at dajacksonbrown@ucsd.edu or 858-534-0236.