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!