Super Simple Salad Selecting

my salad from Plaza Cafe's salad bar

One of the greatest things about dining at UC San Diego restaurants is that there is a salad bar available all day long with fresh produce, about half of which is organic and/or local.  I love salad so it never feels like a sacrifice to make it "a meal" - although these days I'm so hungry that I usually eat a salad and some protein and maybe even dessert...whoops, maybe I shouldn't disclose my sweet tooth!

Anyway, there are all sorts of ways to make a healthy salad. The picture above is my current favorite super simple salad selection - spinach, chickpeas, baby carrots, sunflower seeds and ranch dressing. Ok, so you might say, "why is the dietitian eating ranch?" I'M HUMAN, PEOPLE. Ranch is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s and when eaten in moderation, all foods can fit into a healthy, active lifestyle. I try to alternate salad dressings to allow a little "room for ranch." What I mean by that is that I might have oil and vinegar on my salad on Monday, an undressed salad on Wednesday (yes it can be done - my strategy is to include one marinated veggie like artichoke hearts or something like cottage cheese), and ranch on my Friday salad.  Generally the oil-based salad dressings are healthier than the cream-based dressings so choose more oil & vinegar, Italian dressings and vinaigrettes while making ranch, bleu cheese, and caesar dressings more of a treat.

What are some healthy strategies for your Super Simple Salad Selections?

• fill your salad bowl with many different colors of veggies - the colors often correspond to different nutrient contents in the veggies
• get your dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing prior to each bite versus slathering on a bunch of dressing that you might not want
• eat your salad slowly - savor the different textures and flavors of the veggies
• use a salad bar to try new items - you can select just one beet, for example, to see if you like it (ok, so no one likes beets...that's why they're not on our salad bar...but I thought it was a good example for life)
• mix fruit with your veggies - my fave fruits to add to green salads are mandarin orange slices, dried cranberries and and strawberries.

Earth Week Specials This Week

In honor of Earth Week, Dining Services is featuring special organic and earth-friendly lunches this week. 

Monday, April 16th

Pines - Organic Eggplant Parmesan, Free Range ¼ Chicken Chipotle, Whole Wheat pasta with marinara sauce. Pizza made with organic marinara.

Tuesday, April 17th

Canyon Vista /FoodWorx– Free Range Chicken Florentine, Oven Roasted Acorn Squash filled with sweet and spicy organic lentil stew. Organic Twice Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes, Pizza made with organic marinara.

Wednesday, April 18th:

Café Ventanas – Organic Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan, Whole Wheat pasta with organic marinara sauce, seasoned organic vegetables. Pizza made with organic marinara.

Thursday, April 19th

Plaza Cafe – Free Range Chicken Rotisserie, whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, steamed organic vegetables. Pizza made with organic marinara.

Friday, April 20th:

OVT - Organic Roasted Red Potato Pizza , Fresh Mozzarella, Organic Baby Spinach and Shredded Parmesan Cheese. Baked Organic Butternut Squash Topped with Organic Quinoa pilaf garnished with a Parmesan Crusted Organic Tomato

What are you doing for Mother Earth? This week I've begun a concerted effort to save water.  I'm trying to save water by reducing my shower time (haha, I know there is a joke there but I promise I'll be nice & clean, just spending less time just standing there letting the hot water hit my face & trying to wake up), turning off the faucet while I'm brushing my teeth and only doing full loads of laundry (not a problem with a baby in the house!)

Happy Earth Week!

Under the Weather but I Gotta Eat

Like many others on campus, I've got some sort of nasty cold. I was fighting it over the weekend and had a rough night of little sleep last night.  Combine that with having a 4-month-old baby and, well, don't judge me on my haggard appearance today...I'll try to brush my hair before I see any of you!

Anyway, when I'm under the weather, I pretty much just want to eat soup and Plaza Cafe on Revelle College did not disappoint. For lunch Plaza has 2 of my favorite soups - Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle and the Albondigas. I opted for the Chicken Noodle and paired it with a salad. Because of congestion, I can't taste that well today but the crunch of the veggies and the smoothness of the ranch (yes, I love ranch, even if it's not the healthiest of dressings - I use it sparingly and it's simply not one of the things on my list to make "healthier") paired very well with the piping hot soup.  For a drink I had soda water - I got this from the fountain by clicking on the "soda" tab (same kind of tab that you can press to get just plain water at the fountain.)  Soda/seltzer water is my new drink obsession. I love the fizz of soda but do NOT want all the sugar rotting my teeth and giving me non-nutrient-associated calories. So, for me, soda water is a great option. I get the fizzy pop feeling but without sugar or calories.

Salad and Soup from Plaza Cafe (Revelle)

Here's hoping you don't have a cold this season. Stay healthy as you gear up for your final exams. Get plenty of rest and wash, wash, wash those hands!

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.

Hummus Plate at Plaza Cafe Today

Yum, hummus. Check out the hummus plate available at Plaza Cafe today - it's a quick, light, vegetarian solution for lunch.

This kind of meal is an easy way to get some of your vegetables - this plate comes with cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. It also has pita bread to mix with the hummus. It's fresh, light and perfect for a lunch before class or studying for finals.

Real Deal on Nutrition Today in Plaza Cafe

Come by Plaza Cafe for lunch today where I'll be serving up the LiveWell meal and answering your questions about nutrition.

Today's LiveWell meal at Plaza: Lemongrass Chicken.

The Lemongrass Chicken contains approximately 230 calories, 6.5g fat, and 36g protein.

How Can You LiveWell Today?

LiveWell meals are offered everyday in Dining Services.

Today's LiveWell options are:

• Latin Pork with Mango Mojo at Pines


• Tuscan Chicken with White Beans at Cafe Ventanas


• Peruvian Pork at Canyon Vista


• Lemongrass Chicken at Canyon Vista and Plaza Cafe

Look for the Nutrition Facts for all LiveWell items posted right by the meal.

Happy Eating!

Kosher for Passover

Pictured above are the Kosher for Passover options at Plaza Cafe, including Kosher juices, matzo, eggs, and gefilte fish.

There are also Kosher for Passover options available at the Places & Markets. Items include matzo crackers, matzo meal, juices, potato pancake mix, macaroons, and matzo ball soup mix.

Thursday's Featured Organic Meal at Plaza Cafe

Today's featured organic meal in honor of Earth Week is at Plaza Cafe:

• Organic Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan


• Free Range Chicken Parmesan


• Organic Whole Wheat Pasta with Marinara Sauce


• Steamed Organic Vegetables

Happy Earth Week

It's Earth Week and to celebrate, join Dining Services for the following special meals:

• Monday, 4/18 at Pines: Free Range Coq au Vin with organically grown vegetables

• Tuesday, 4/19 at Canyon Vista: Free Range Chicken Florentine, Oven-roasted Acorn Squach filled with sweet and spicy organic lentil stew, Organic Twice-Baked Yukon Gold potatoes, steamed organic vegetables, Dessert: Organic Strawberry Cheesecake

• Tuesday, 4/19 at Foodworx: Quinoa Pilaf with Ratatouille Sauce and Caesar Salad

• Wednesday, 4/20 at Cafe Ventanas: Herb-roasted Free Range Chicken, Eggplant Parmesan, Garlic Sauteed Vegetables and Roasted Potatoes

• Thursday, 4/21 at Plaza Cafe: Organic Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan and Free Range Chicken Parmesan, Organic Whole Wheat Pasta with marinara sauce, steamed organic vegetables

• Friday, 4/22 at Oceanview Terrace: Organic Tomato Basil Primavera with Organic Pasta, Pizza made with organic ingredients and wheat crust, Dessert: Organic Berry Compote with Organic Whipped Cream

LiveWell everyday with Dining Services Restaurants

Dining Services has 5 full-service restaurants with daily LiveWell meals:

• Canyon Vista (Warren)


• Cafe Ventanas (ERC)


• Oceanview Terrace (Marshall)


• Pines (Muir)


• Plaza Cafe (Revelle)

Every day, there are at least 4 LiveWell options to choose from for a healthy, RD-approved meal.

Today's options are:

• Tuscan Chicken with White Beans at Cafe V


• Vegetarian Gnocchi at Plaza and Canyon Vista


• Bruschetta Baked Chicken at OVT


• Five Spice Chicken Saute at Pines

Respect the Potato Day

Today is Respect the Potato Day in Dining Services.

Potato, you say? Let me guess, you have heard that potatoes are too high in carbs, starch, sugar, glycemic index?

Well, here is the good news: potatoes definitely fit into a healthy lifestyle. They are high in potassium and vitamin B6 and even contain phytochemicals. They have soluble and insoluble fiber. They are inexpensive and nutrient dense. They are naturally low in fat. And they are delicious!

If you're craving a potato, stop by Plaza Cafe's baked potato bar today. You can choose from an array of fun toppings - broccoli, 3-bean chili, cheese, bacon, green onions, black olives, salsa and sour cream. If you're trying to keep it healthy, try the baked potato topped with broccoli, salsa, onions, olives and a light sprinkle of cheese - yum!

And today is the last day of National Nutrition Month. I hope that you worked on establishing healthy habits during March that will carry into April and beyond.

Eat Right With Color, It's National Nutrition Month!

March is National Nutrition Month and this year's theme is Eat Right With Color.

Eating Right With Color can be accomplished by eating soup!

The picture to the right is of my vegan vegetable soup from Plaza Cafe. This soup contains several types of colors and veggies: green peas, white potatoes, orange carrots, yellow corn, green beans.

Soup is also soothing, particularly on a chilly day, and its volume tends to fill you up on fewer calories, which can be good if you're trying to lose weight.

You can find soup at every Dining Services' location. The healthier choices are broth-based (not cream-based) and contain a bunch of vegetables. Each restaurant serves at least one vegetarian soup daily.

If you have a favorite soup recipe, please send it to me! It will be considered for rotation into Dining's menu.

Featured LiveWell Dish: Gnocchi

Here is a picture of the LiveWell Gnocchi that I had for lunch last week at Plaza Cafe.

LiveWell Gnocchi:

• vegetarian
• made from potatoes, which are a great source of potassium
• 1 serving contains 350 calories, 17g fat, 4.5g fiber, 10g protein
• costs $5.95 with one side. I chose steamed vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, and carrots) with my meal, which is pictured to the right.

When can you get this Gnocchi dish next?

• This Monday, Feb 21st at Cafe Ventanas

Black History Month Luncheon today at Plaza Cafe

Visit Plaza Cafe today during lunchtime (11a-2p) for the 14th Annual Black History Luncheon. The theme of the celebration today is "I Am Diversity."

There will be entertainment, performances and fantastic food! Check out the menu here: http://hdh.ucsd.edu/bhm/

Real Deal on Nutrition TODAY in Plaza Cafe

Come see me today during lunch at Plaza Cafe dishing out the Real Deal on Nutrition and serving the LiveWell meal.

Today's LiveWell meal at Plaza is: Salmon with Tomato and Fennel Confit, which has 300 calories, 19g fat, 0.5g fiber and 29g protein. Salmon has omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart but often lacking in most Americans' diets.

Have nutrition questions? Like healthy food options? Have ideas or healthy recipes that you'd like to share with me?

Come by Plaza Cafe today to say hello and have a great lunch!

LiveWell today in Dining Services

LiveWell meals are healthy, RD-approved meals.

Check out the choices that you have for LiveWell meals TODAY, Feb 7th, 2011:

Tuscan Chicken at Plaza Cafe (Revelle) & Canyon Vista (Warren)

Potato Gnocchi at Pines (Muir)

Salmon w/Indian rub at OVT (Marshall)

Chicken Bruschetta at Cafe V (ERC)

LiveWell Lunch today at Plaza Cafe

Today's LiveWell option at Plaza Cafe is the Curried Chicken with Indian Dahl. The picture here is of my lunch today. I had rice and steamed veggies on the side with my chicken and dahl (lentils). This dish is high in fiber and protein...and it's tasty!

If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can choose just the Dahl (which we make separately from the chicken).

Nutrition Facts for the Curried Chicken with Indian Dahl:

440 calories

11g fat

11g fiber

49g protein

It's Pho Friday at Plaza Cafe!

Plaza Cafe features fresh, hot Pho every Friday. Here is a picture of my Pho lunch today.

I chose tofu for my protein so this meal is vegetarian. You could also choose shrimp, beef or chicken.

Although soups/broths tend to be fairly salty, these foods can be part of a healthy diet. Drink plenty of water and include plenty of potassium to offset your sodium intake.

Come see me at Plaza Cafe today!

I will be serving the LiveWell meal at Plaza Cafe today during lunch.

Come by to say hello & talk nutrition with me or to simply get a healthy meal!

Today's LiveWell meal at Plaza Cafe is:

Lemongrass Chicken (4 oz):
229 calories
6.6 grams total fat
0 grams trans fat
3 grams carbohydrates
36 grams protein