Non-Fat Diet Whoas

"Stop worrying so much about fat in your diet." See? Dietitian's aren't always the food police!  This article from the Chicago Tribune has some great points.

When we continuously patrol the fat we consume, we may miss out on the good fats that are essential to our health. Instead of thinking of dieting/eating in negative terms, let's focus on the positives--- look for healthy, nutrient dense foods when dining around campus. What are some "good fats", you ask? Incoporating foods like avocados, olive oil, fish, and nuts into your diet are all great ideas! And as always--- moderation is key.

Food Day 2013!

Thursday, October 24th is Food Day! Want to celebrate with UH Dining? Stop by the Bare Bowls food truck and get a free sample! All of their food is local and sustainable (not to mention delicious). We'll have information on their local farmers, a trivia wheel with prizes, and more!

In the meantime, check out these priorities for Food Day.

· Promote safer, healthier diets: Yet, every year we spend more than $150 billion on obesity-related health care costs, plus another $73 billion in reduced productivity.

· Support sustainable, organic farming: Currently, sustainable farms receive little to no federal support and often lack market access to keep them competitive. Meanwhile, the largest 10 percent of industrialized farms—which contribute to poor health and severe environmental degradation—receive 75 percent of all farm subsidies.

· Reduce hunger: Currently, around 50 million Americans are considered "food insecure", or near hunger, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) participation is at an all-time high. SNAP is vital to reducing hunger, but the program’s budget is under constant attack while federal measures to increase food access are minimal.

· Reform factory farms to protect the environment and farm animals: Today, most farm animals are confined in “factory farms”—sometimes containing as many as 50,000-100,000 cattle, hens, or pigs. These practices result in needless animal abuse and illness, environmental degradation, and harm the people who live in and around those facilities.

· Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers: 20 million workers throughout the U.S. food system harvest, process, ship, sell, cook, and serve the food we eat every day. And yet, many farmworkers earn well below poverty levels while the tipped minimum wage for restaurant servers has remained at $2.13 per hour for the last 21 years.

***For more information, visit: www.foodday.org ***

 

Fad Diets--- do they really work?

It seems that there's always a new fad diet emerging. I've heard it all. But do they work? NO! Instead, we should be mindful of our hunger cues and deprive ourselves less. Now, doesn't that sound like a relief? It should. Fad diets are grueling!

Check out this video by LUNA. They've hit the "so no to fad diets" message right on the nose!

Eat Orange!

It’s October (finally!). I must admit that fall is my favorite season. With so many seasonal, delicious fruits and vegetables in the super market, it just feels easier to eat healthfully. It just so happens that many of my favorite veggies are the staple color of the fall season--- orange!. While the color palate is fitting for the season, the orange hues actually have health benefits.

Deep orange vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes and yams are packed with vitamins A and C. They’re also great sources of fiber. Vitamin A helps keep our eyes and skin healthy, vitamin C has antioxidant powers, and the fiber helps our bodies reduce our cholesterol levels while reducing risk of heart disease. Let’s take advantage of these orange veggies! Here are some cooking tips for the fall season.

-          Sweet Potato Salad- potato salad is always a staple in my house during football season. Jazz up the norm and use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.

-          Butternut Squash Pastas- butternut squash blends in perfectly in pasta dishes. Cube the squash and sauté in a little olive oil, or cook directly in a hot saucepan of tomato sauce.

-          Butternut Squash for Dessert- top with sliced granny smiths and a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar, then bake to sweet, delicious perfection.

-          Sweet Potato Mash- mash hot, cooked sweet potatoes in a tiny bit of orange juice and zest. This is a great twist on the traditional mashed potato side.

-          Sweet Potato Chips- ever tried microwave sweet potato chips? Well you should! They have less fat, are easy to make, and are yummy to boot! Don’t be afraid to vary your seasonings. I like rosemary and a touch of sea salt, but you can make it sweet with cinnamon, or spicy with chili powder. Here's my favorite microwaved potato chip recipe.

Want to try some sweet potato chips for yourself? Join UH Dining Services & Student Housing and Residence Life tonight at 7 pm in the Cougar Village I lobby. We'll be demo-ing and handing out free samples as part of our second episode for the "What's Cooking, Coogs" Cooking Tour!

Don’t forget to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily! Enjoy the fall season… Eat Orange!

Wellness Walk- Updated

Are you a health conscious eater that's curious about your dining options on campus? Learn how you can eat healthfully on campus whether you're in the dining hall or in need of healthy fare to go by checking out our updated Wellness Walk!

UH Wellness Walk

Apples to Apples

Apples seem to be the quintessential Fall fruit. They're crisp, delicious, and come in an array of varieties and colors.

But remember--- not all forms of apples are equal. To ensure that you’re getting all the nutritional benefits from apples, be sure to eat the peel and pulp. A whole medium apple has 4.4 g of fiber; an apple without the skin has 2.1 g of fiber; applesauce has 2.7 g per one cup; apple juice has only 0.5 g fiber per one cup. In other words, eating the actual fruit is your rule-of-thumb for optimal nutrition!

Enjoy the Fall season to the fullest! Eat your apples!

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Want to try some healthy apple desserts? Stop by the Fresh Food Company on Tuesday, October 8th. Our pastry chef Missy Campbell will be showcasing her culinary skills!