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.

El Capitan at Roots

My lunch - El Capitan from Roots

I LOVE Roots, the all-vegan restaurant on Muir College and I have a new favorite menu item since my old favorite, the Grant Grove, was not popular among students last quarter and has been switched out for some new ones.  My new favorite, El Capitan, is a sun-dried tomato Italian Tofurky sausage with sauteed peppers and onions and vegan "mozzarella."  I love the flavor of the tofurky combined with the peppers and onions.

You definitely don't have to be vegan to enjoy the deliciousness that is Roots.  It's also a really nice, serene, and extremely close-by alternative to the nearly always busy Pines restaurant. Check it out and try a vegan meal. Here is Roots menu. 

Are you looking for some vegan/vegetarian info?
Then check out this cool Vegan MyPlate from the Vegetarian Resource Group, which is a vegetarian advocacy group that hails from one of the most awesome places ever: Baltimore. (GO RAVENS!)

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!

New Vegan Items at Roots

The all-vegan Roots restaurant on Muir College has new menu items this quarter.  Come by to check out these new tasty delights:

• Hetch Hetchy - Potato gnocchi, fresh edamame and sauteed spinach with a drizzle of balsamic glaze
• Wawona - thinly sliced and rolled eggplant filled with soy ricotta, and housemade tomato sauce
• El Capitan - sun-dried tomato Italian tofurkey sausage with sauteed pepper and onions, vegan mozzarella (this dietitian's current favorite!)
• Half Dome - multigrain burger made of red quinoa, barley and cornmeal on a vegan roll
• 3 All New Smoothies

Or try one of your favorites from winter quarter like the Root (pictured below)

The Root, vegan "berger" and portobello mushrooms





Healthy Holiday Tips

The holidays have come on quickly, haven't they!? I feel that it was just Halloween and now here we are a few days before Christmas.

The holidays are joyful, stressful and almost certainly filled with challenges to your healthy lifestyle. There are extra sweets and fun holiday foods around and there seems to be much less time for exercise. When you combine extra calories consumed, fewer calories burned and the short December days, it can lead to weight changes and more stress.

So, how do you stay healthy during the holidays?

Try some of these tips:
1. Eat at regular intervals - meaning, do not skip a meal because you are going to a party later in the day and want to eat a bunch of goodies there. Eat normally prior to going to the party so that you're not ravenous by the time you get to sample your favorite treats - this will help prevent over-indulging.
2. If time is an issue, exercise in shorter bouts. Sometimes we get hung up on not having enough time to get in our "full workout," but it's better to squeeze in a 20-minute jog than to skip it entirely.
3. Watch the booze - alcohol not only has plenty of calories, it can also increase our appetite and lowers our resolve to eat healthfully. And, of course, never drink and drive. Be safe.
4. Remember your year-round strategies for healthy eating:
eat lots of fruits and veggies, stay hydrated, eat slowly and so on

Check out this article on 10 Strategies to Prevent the Holiday Bulge: http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/10_Strategies_to_Prevent_the_Holiday_Bulge.htm

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, all the best to you and yours!

Fruits and Veggies - You Know You Need Them But...

Are you eating enough fruit and vegetable servings on average in your day?

Most college students do not eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetable daily but the good news is that a larger number of people in the U.S., including college students, are aware that they need to eat more fruit and vegetable everyday. Awareness is a great first step.

The picture at right is the Produce Patch (or fresh veggie/fruit area) of the Village Place & Market. Look at all that yummy produce!

What are you looking for when you are trying to increase your fruit and veggie intake?

• select fruits and veggies that you like - that way you'll be more inclined to actually eat them!
• but don't be afraid to try new things, of course - you never know what you might enjoy. What's my current veggie obsession? It's hearts of palm, which I honestly only eat at restaurants...but I love them nonetheless.
• choose organic when you can (lots of choices in Dining Services restaurants and Markets are organic - feel free to ask the chef or manager on duty for that info). Check out the "dirty dozen" from the EWG to know which fruits/veggies are more important to buy organic: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ On the flip side, maybe don't stress about the Clean 15 - those would be less important to purchase organic since they tend to have the lowest pesticide residue according to the EWG.
• choose many different colors of fruits and veggies - basically the different hue coordinate with different nutrients. Choosing different colors helps you to get in a variety of nutrients.
• incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals to help you bump up your daily servings - for examples, slice a banana onto your toast and peanut butter in the morning or add steamed broccoli to that formerly boring bowl of dinnertime pasta.

And a final thought on fruits and veggies: although we learn new things everyday about nutrition, nutrients in our foods, the impact of farming practices and environmental changes on our food supply and more, NO ONE has ever said, "eat fewer fruits and veggies to be healthier" - that would just be crazy! So, it's an extremely consistent message: fresh produce and lightly cooked produce - GOOD FOR YOU.

What Should You Drink?

The photo here is of a few doors of the beverage refrigerators at the Village Place & Market in the Village East community. Look at all those choices! We are lucky in the U.S. to have so many options but sometimes those options for beverages (or gum, or bread, or pasta sauce or cheese or the millions of other things for which we have a zillion choices) can overwhelm us, making it hard to settle on a simple drink.

So what should you drink? Beverages quench our thirst, keep us hydrated and can provide nutrients. Beverages often provide too many calories and added sugars for many people in the U.S., which can contribute to weight gain. That doesn't mean that soda is evil - it does mean that you should know not to drink soda in large quantities, though.

Here are some beverages to include regularly:

• water
• non fat or lowfat milk or soy milk
• tea (hot or iced)

Here are some beverages that most people can derive some benefits from but should be consumed in small quantities:

• 100% juices (great nutrients, but most of us should aim to eat more whole fruits)
• coffee (has some health benefits; know your caffeine tolerance)
• artificially-sweetened, low-to-no calorie beverages (don't want to start a great debate about artificial sweeteners here but the real deal is this: it is better to be hydrated by an artificially-sweetened, low-to-no calorie beverage than to be dehydrated or drink excessive calories from a sugar-sweetened beverage and gaining weight)

Here are some drinks to consider "treats":

• regular soda
• fancy, high-calorie coffee drinks
• juice drinks

What do college students drink all the time that they really don't need and could be dangerous if consumed excessively?

• ok, yes, alcohol
• but I was really thinking of so-called "energy drinks" - Basically, energy drinks have unproven health claims, can make you jittery, can be dangerous when paired with alcohol and are generally unnecessary and unable to deliver on their promises. If you feel like you "need energy," don't look for an energy drink as a solution. Instead, evaluate your sleep habits, your eating habits, your stress management, your hydration status, and/or your medical status.
  

I'm off to get a glass of water!

Happy Halloween - Are You Being Tricked by Your Treat?

Here are some Halloween candies by the numbers (all approximate):

HIGH calorie:

• snack sized Twizzlers: 130 calories


• snack sized Reese's PB cup: 110 calories


• snack sized Butterfinger: 100 calories


• fun sized M&Ms: 100 calories


• snack sized Milky Way: 90 calories

LOWER calorie:

• mini Tootsie Roll: 13 calories


• Reese's mini-cup: 35 calories


• treat sized box of Milk Duds: 40 calories


• mini box of Raisins: 40 calories and good for you!


• treat size box of Sweet Tarts: 50 calories

So, Halloween candies have some ranges on calories. There is certainly room to include your favorite candies during this time of year - watch your portions and enjoy! (Also brush your teeth after eating all that stuff - keep your teeth healthy, too!)

Other tips for staying healthy on Halloween?

Well, let's get to the Real Deal: during the college years in particular, Halloween tends to be more about partying than eating candy. So stay safe this year. Check out these tips for safety and information on alcohol and drugs from Student Health Services: http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/atodeducation.shtml

Be safe, be smart, and Happy Halloween!

Whole Grains Month Coming to an End

So, students...what did you think about October's Whole Grains Month? Did you enjoy the daily Whole Grains Features in Dining? (popcorn, quinoa, whole grain waffles, etc.?)

Did you find yourself choosing more Whole Grains? As October comes to an end, you're probably more concerned with your Halloween costume than with your intake of whole grains but I encourage you to continue to include whole grains in your regular intake beyond this month.

Some easy ways to incorporate whole grains into your daily food choices:

• choose whole grain pasta -it's as easy to cook as refined white pasta!
• select whole grain breads when you're having a sandwich, making toast or even whipping up french toast
• try some of the funkier whole grains to see what you think - for example, quinoa, which appears regularly in Dining Services' menus
• snack on healthy popcorn instead of chips or pretzels
• make oatmeal a regular breakfast choice
• when asked, "white or brown rice?" - say "brown"

For other ideas, click on http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-to-enjoy-whole-grains

Happy Halloween Weekend!

Wednesdays - Whole Grain Bread Day

Dining Services offers a variety of whole grain breads in our Places & Markets and you can also find whole grain breads at the deli areas. Why not make Wednesdays your whole grain bread day too?

How do you know if a bread is a whole grain?

• Look for this stamp on the package:

(Image Courtesy Oldways and the Whole Grains Council, wholegrainscouncil.org)

• Or read the ingredients: if the first ingredients says, "whole grain" or "whole wheat," that's a whole grain bread.
• Look on the front of the package - sometimes the product will claim, "100% Whole Grain Bread" - you can still double-check the ingredients but unless the manufacturer is unscrupulous, a bold claim like that should be good
• check out a long list of whole grain bread products from the Whole Grains Council: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/breads

What else makes a healthy sandwich besides the bread?

• add veggies! Some of my faves found in Dining Services - pepperocinis, spinach leaves, tomatoes
• lean, lower-sodium deli meat (examples: turkey, ham as opposed to bologna)
• watch the portion, especially of meat and cheese. Keep the total meat/cheese to 3oz or less.
• consider hummus or guacamole as a healthy spread - more nutritious than mayo and more tasty too...if you ask me!

Happy Whole Grain Bread Wednesday.

Cooking Demo Tonight at the Zone with Chef Vaughn

What? Cooking Demonstration featuring Whole Grains

Who? Dining Services' Executive Chef, Vaughn Vargus, CEC, CCA

Where? The Zone at the Price Center (next to Jamba Juice)

When? Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 5-6pm

Who's Invited? Everyone, especially UC San Diego students!

Why? Great cooking advice and free samples!

Come celebrate UC Food Week with Chef Vaughn. He'll make you laugh, answer your culinary questions and give you some free food. Can't beat that!

Whole Grains Challenge

It occurred to me that I've been yapping for weeks about the Whole Grains Challenge that Dining Services is participating in all month and that some of you might have no idea what it's all about.

If you're interested in learning more about the Whole Grains Challenge, check out: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/newsroom/whole-grains-council-kicks-off-5th-annual-whole-grains-challenge

UC San Diego Dining Services hopes that you've been enjoying the increased whole grain choices during October and the increased visibility of these options. Dining is committed to healthy choices of all kinds all year 'round and we love the opportunity to focus in on certain topics. It's especially fun when there is a contest involved!

There is only 1 week of October left but it's not too late for you to take on the Whole Grains Challenge for yourself! Get to it - get to the Whole Grains!

Calcium - you need it, are you getting it?

Calcium is a nutrient that many college-age students, especially college women, do not consume in adequate amounts. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and serves many functions. Our serum calcium is very tightly regulated but the majority of our body's calcium in stored in our bones and teeth where it maintains their structure and function.

How much calcium do you need?

• Adults aged 19-50 need 1,000mg calcium daily
• young first year students (ages 14-18) need 1,300mg daily

A large number of college students do not meet these daily calcium requirements from food. The picture to the right is of two of my favorite ways to get calcium from food - Greek yogurt, and a decaf, nonfat latte. Yum! I got both of those from Roger's Place & Market on Revelle College.

If you find that you cannot meet your daily calcium needs with food, a calcium supplement makes sense to help you get to the 1,000mg daily requirement. How do you know how much calcium you're getting from food? Check this out http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium#h3

Protect those bones, get that calcium!

Whole Grains Challenge Month

Dining Services is participating in the Whole Grains Challenge this month -- are you?

Dining is offering daily whole grain foods:

• Sundays - whole wheat pancakes


• Mondays - popcorn


• Tuesdays - whole wheat pastas


• Wednesdays - whole grain bread


• Thursdays - assorted whole grains (quinoa, wild rice, brown rice)


• Fridays - assorted corn choices


• Saturdays - oatmeal

In addition, the Places & Markets are featuring their daily whole grain choices as well. Look for whole grain displays and/or ask a manager for help finding the whole grain choices.

Why whole grains, you ask? Whole grains, like fruits and veggies, contain tiny but mighty antioxidants and phytochemicals. These antioxidants and phytochemicals fight disease. So many times we focus on what we shouldn't eat...it's far more effective and enjoyable to focus on what we should be eating. Whole grains? You should be eating them! For more info, check out the Whole Grains Council at http://wholegrainscouncil.org/

The WHOLE GRAINS CHALLENGE - are you in!?

Oatmeal, Whole Grain Goodness

Diets rich in whole grains and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
(This health claim is approved by the FDA.)

Here's the deal: whole grains are good for you. Here's the other deal: you're in college, which means you have a busy, variable schedule and probably live on a tight budget.

So, how can you get some affordable, quick whole grains?

Oatmeal! Dining Services offers steel cut oatmeal every day. Every Saturday of this month, we'll be offering even more mix-ins to help you enjoy your delicious whole grain, college-friendly oatmeal. Not everyone loooooooves oatmeal but give it a try. It looks a little weird but it's tasty and good for you.

Whole Grains Features in Dining All October

As part of Dining's Whole Grains Challenge, we will be serving fun, whole grain features everyday in October.








Here is what you can look forward to:

• Sundays: whole wheat pancakes


• Mondays: popcorn (yup, it's whole grain!)


• Tuesdays: whole wheat pastas


• Wednesdays: whole grain breads


• Thursdays: assorted whole grains such as quinoa, wild rice, brown rice


• Fridays: corn day - corn on cob, corn salad, corn salsa, corn chowder


• Saturdays: steel cut oatmeal with fun mix-ins (dried fruits, syrups, brown sugar)

Whole Grains Month - UC Eats Real

October is Whole Grains Month. In honor of whole grain goodness, Dining Services will be featuring daily whole grain choices in Residential Dining and in our Places & Markets. Look for the UC Eats Real logo above in Dining Services.

You can also find Whole Grain stamps (also pictured above) on packaged goods that contain whole grains.

Today's feature in Dining Services? POPCORN! Yes, popcorn is a whole grain and a really fun one if I may say so. Dining will be offering popcorn in two really yummy ways today: cracker-jack style and white cheddar cheese popcorn. Ok, ok, so plain popcorn is the healthier way to eat it but we're trying to have some fun with our whole grains.

Eat whole grains, eat well!

October: Whole Grains Month in Dining Services

Happy October!

For the month of October, Dining Services will be featuring WHOLE GRAIN foods everyday. We are participating in the Whole Grains Challenge http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/get-involved/whole-grains-challenge and want to spark interest among the study body in incorporating more daily whole grain foods.

So, join Dining Services in eating more whole grains this month and from now on! Look for the whole grains feature everyday this month in your favorite Dining restaurant and Place & Market.

Pines - Direct Links to Useful Info

Pines restaurant on Muir College has digital boards near the entrance that can provide you with useful information.

For example, from your smartphone, you can use a QR scanner (free app if you don't have one already) to get directly to several different webpages regarding Housing and Dining.

The link in blue on the picture at right is to the Nutrition page. (Hey, that's my page!)

Other helpful links are to Current Events, Important Deadlines, Sustainability and all kinds of Housing info too. Check out the digital boards and definitely check the HDH website for all kinds of info: http://hdh.ucsd.edu/

John's Market - New to Muir College

Muir College has a new market where you can use your Dining Dollars, Triton Cash, credit or cash to purchase specialty coffee drinks, assorted beverages, milks, groceries, snacks and supplies. John's is located on Muir College just south of Pines restaurant. There is outdoor seating to use while you enjoy your latte and scone in between classes.

John's is open now!

Hours are Mon-Fri 7am-1am and Sat-Sun 9am-1am