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!)

Are You Keen on Quinoa?

I've heard the word quinoa pronounced many different ways but here's the deal, it's KEEN-wah.  I like it when people say kwah-NO-ah, though; that's just fun.

Anyway, quinoa is healthy and really getting popular in the U.S. these days, which is neat because it's been used in South America for thousands of years.  Dining's executive chef Vaughn Vargus likes quinoa so much that he even included it in a culinary competition he was in last year. Here's Chef Vaughn providing a cooking demo at the Zone.

UC San Diego Dining's executive chef Vaughn Vargus, CEC, CCA

Why eat quinoa?

• it's yummy
• it's higher in protein than most grains**
• it can be eaten all sorts of ways
• it's vegan
• it's gluten-free for those who need gluten-free options
• it's filling

**Technically quinoa is not actually a grain. The Whole Grains Council says that, "Botanically, quinoa is related to beets, chard and spinach, and in fact the leaves can be eaten as well as the grains." Read more about it here.

Where can you get some quinoa on campus right now? At Roots! Check out the Half Dome, a
multi grain burger made of red quinoa, barley & cornmeal on a vegan roll.

What's Healthy to Eat on Campus?

UC San Diego resident students are fortunate to have a wide range of food options and locations from which to choose to spend their Dining Dollars (meal plan).

Check out all of Dining's locations at http://hdh.ucsd.edu/diningservices/

The 5 large restaurants are:

• Plaza Cafe (Revelle)



• Pines (Muir)



• Oceanview Terrace (Marshall)



• Cafe Ventanas (ERC)



• Canyon Vista (Warren)

There are also Places & Markets, which are mini-groceries, coffee shops and places to hang out:

• Roger's (Revelle)



• John's (Muir)



• Goody's (Marshall)



• The Village Market (ERC/the Village)



• Earl's (Warren)



• Sixth Market (Sixth)

And we have some more places where you can get different things to eat and also accept your Dining Dollars:

• Goody's - burritos, sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruits, veggies and more



• Foodworx - salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, fruits, veggies and more



• the Bistro - full-service restaurant with great service and great cuisine


• Club Med - breakfast and lunch salads, flatbread pizzas, hot and cold sandwiches

You can make healthy choices at each and every one of these locations. If you need help knowing how to choose healthfully, well that's where I can help! Let me know and I'll be happy to assist you in staying healthy while living and eating on campus. Also look for the LiveWell logo (above) at the 5 large restaurants - LiveWell meals are RD-approved, healthy meals.