Category Archives: Recipes

Browse our collection of healthy recipes for college students.

Rice, Chickpea and Spinach Skillet

An easy, inexpensive, and heaty 5-minute meal

Recipe By: Emily Pia, Community Nutrition and Food Security Club

Ingredients:​

  • 1 frozen steam pack of rice (10 oz.)​
  • 2 handfuls of fresh spinach (or ¼ package frozen spinach) ​
  • ½ can of chickpeas (chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same!)​
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (or any type of cooking oil)​
  • 8 oz your favorite jarred or canned tomato sauce​
  • Parmesan cheese (if desired)​

Directions:​

  1. Cook frozen rice according to package directions (usually three minutes in the microwave).​
  2. Drizzle olive oil in a pan over medium heat on your stove top.​
  3. Add chickpeas, spinach, and ½ bag of rice to the pan and cook until spinach begins to wilt (put away the other half for leftovers!)​
  4. Add tomato sauce and continue to cook until all is warm.​
  5. Top with Parmesan cheese if you’d like, and serve!​

 

Pasta and Veggie Bowl

Perfect for busy nights!

Recipe By: Teresa Lesher, Community Nutrition and Food Security

Ingredients:​

  • Pasta of your choice (try whole grain!)​
  • As many chopped vegetables of your choice (try broccoli, mushrooms, peppers or zucchini)​
  • Pre-cooked chicken, turkey, tofu or protein of choice​
  • Marinara sauce (look for a low sodium/sugar variety)​

Directions:​

  1. Bring water to a boil in a pot.​
  2. Add pasta once water is boiling, and cook according to package directions.​
  3. When pasta has 1-2 minutes left, add raw vegetables to pasta water.​
  4. Once pasta is done, drain and top with protein of choice and marinara sauce.

Healthy Eating with HealthWorks Cooking Demonstration

HealthWorks utilized the kitchen in Beaver Hall to prepare a full, healthy meal for students. The purpose of the demonstration was to help students see how easy it is to make a nutritious meal with fresh ingredients.

In just thirty minutes we were able to prepare guacamole, black bean salad and vegetarian stuffed peppers. All three of these dishes are simple, healthy alternatives that can be prepared quickly for dinner or prepared at the beginning of the week to be eaten at a later time.

One of HealthWorks goals is to help students develop cooking skills that they’ll need when they move off campus.  The kitchens in the residence halls are a great resource to help you start learning skills that you’ll need when you move into an apartment. By setting aside time in the day to prepare meals, or even once a week to meal-prep, you can create a healthy, nutritious meal with your friends. The recipes used in our demonstration, along with many other easy and delicious recipes and video tutorials, can be found here on the Healthy Penn State website in the Health Eating section.

Health Promotion and Wellness now accepting applications for peer educators

Health Promotion and Wellness is currently accepting applications for HealthWorks, a peer outreach and education program at University Park. The deadline to apply is March 2.

HealthWorks offers two unique opportunities for students who are interested in health and wellness. These opportunities include facilitating one-on-one wellness services and conducting outreach events and educational workshops. During the application process students prioritize which opportunity they are most interested in.

Participation in the program is a three semester commitment, which includes one semester of training (during fall 2018)  and two semesters of service. For this reason, students who wish to apply must plan to graduate in fall 2019 or later.

Training for the program requires the completion of a three-credit course offered through Biobehavioral Health in the fall semester.  Students learn about the following topics in the course: alcohol and other drugs, financial literacy, sexual health, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress. There are no prerequisites required to register for the course.

After completing the 3-credit course, participants are required to complete 45 hours of service each semester. Members participate in one of two opportunities:  1) deliver free wellness services about stress and time management, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, sexual health and healthy relationships, and financial literacy;  or 2)  conduct educational workshops, hold outreach events, plan and implement health promotion initiatives.  A few examples of the health promotion initiatives include conducting healthy cooking demonstrations, writing blog and social media posts for Healthy Penn State and appearing in The Body Monologues.   A small group of students are trained to provide HIV test counseling.

If you’re passionate about health and promoting the well-being of all Penn State students, then HealthWorks is a great fit for you,” said Christina Volpicelli, a senior majoring in biobehavioral health.  “HealthWorks also offers many leadership and learning opportunities for its members such as video editing, leading health campaigns, public speaking and teaching skills to educate the Penn State community.  Everything you will learn and the people you will meet through this organization will benefit you throughout any career you wish to pursue.”

For more information about HealthWorks, including an application, please visit  http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/wellness/healthWorks.shtml.

 

Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping and Cooking…Oh My!

Meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking for yourself can be exciting but it can be overwhelming.  Healthy eating, when cooking for yourself, is possible when you are on a college student budget.

Let’s explore ways you can plan out meals for the week:

  1. Map out meals for the week.
  2. Know what foods you have on hand already.
  3. Think about your schedule.  Choose meals that are easy to prepare on busy days and save longer recipes for weekends or days when you have more time.
    • Cook several meals at once when you have free time.  In other words, make lasagna or a casserole that can be used for several meals. The extra food can be reheated or finished after a busy day.
    • Use a crockpot to create meals that are ready when you get home.
    • Check out nutritious and delicious recipes and view cooking videos on www.healthypennstate.psu.edu for ideas.
  4. Make a grocery list
    • Can use scratch paper, templates or mobile apps.
    • Keep an ongoing list in your kitchen or on your phone.

Snacks

Looking for new healthy snack ideas? You’ve come to the right place! These snacks are convenient, delicious and will keep your energy up between classes.   Below is a list of healthy snacks that contain both carbohydrates and protein to fuel your body and help fill you up between meals, classes and meetings.

  • Trail mix (nuts, dried fruit & whole grain cereal)
  • Yogurt and berries
  • Pita chips with carrots and hummus
  • Cheese cubes and whole grain crackers
  • Pretzels or an apple and nut butter
  • Nut butter and crackers
  • Nutrition Bar

De-Stress at the Wellness Suite

Enjoy end-of-semester activities at the new Wellness Suite! Visit 20 Intramural Building for stress relieving activities this week. Bring your friends and enjoy an hour of fun.

Monday, November 27th from 6-7pm, enjoy putting together puzzles and prepare your breakfast for the next morning. Learn and make your very own Overnight Oats! If you can’t make tonight’s activity, how about Thursday?  On Thursday, November 30th from 6-7pm make your very own stress ball. Something we could all use as finals approach. Check back in for more updates about activities happening in the wellness suite!

Healthy and Affordable Off-Campus Eating

College students often say that cost is one of the biggest barriers to eating nutritious foods. So we’ve got some tips that will help fuel your body for academic success without breaking the bank.

Cook your own food

Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut vegetables, and instant rice, oatmeal, or grits cost more than if you prepare them from scratch. And meals cooked at home cost much less than eating out at a restaurant. Cooking at home eliminates the tax and tip at restaurants, and leftovers can be used for a second meal.

Grocery shop with a plan

Before you head to the grocery store, plan your meals for the week. Include meals like stews, casseroles, or stir-fries, which “stretch” expensive items into more portions. Make a list of foods you need for the week and stick to it. This will decrease over buying and buying on impulse.

Visit your local farmer’s market

Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. This can help you save some cash and the produce tastes fresh.

Compare and contrast

Most grocery stores provide “price stickers” on the shelf for every item.  The “price sticker “includes the unit price, or how much the product costs per pound, quart, or some other unit of measurement. Purchase the product with the lowest unit price to maximize your savings.

Buy in bulk

It is almost always cheaper to buy foods in bulk. Smart choices are family packs of chicken, steak, or fish, and larger bags of potatoes and frozen vegetables.

Choose low-cost options

Some foods are low-cost all year round. Beans are inexpensive and high in protein. For vegetables, buy carrots, greens or potatoes. Apples and bananas are good fruit choices.

Meal prep!

Prepare a large batch of your favorite recipes on your day off or the weekend. Freeze in individual containers or use throughout the week.

Get creative with leftovers

Spice up your leftovers by using them in new ways. For example, try leftover chicken in a stir-fry or over a garden salad. You could even make chicken chili. Remember, throwing away food is throwing away your money!

If you’d like more help with planning an affordable nutritious diet, make an appointment with a dietitian by calling 814-863-0461 or by visiting the UHS website.

Eating in Season

Gardens and farmer’s markets are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year.  Eating seasonal produce not only provides you the freshest fruits and vegetables but also contributes to sustainable practices.  Buying local produce means a decrease in transportation time and a corresponding decrease in CO2 production.  Eating seasonally often saves money as well because prices are lower when crops are in abundance.  Below is a seasonal chart showing the growing season for different produce in Pennsylvania.  The chart shows the months when the produce is available to purchase and eat.  The Downtown Farmer’s Market on Locust St. is Tuesday and Friday from 11:30 am – 5:30 pm. Check out the Healthy Eating tab for different ways to prepare many of these foods.

Eating Healthy: Dorm Edition

Claire Pomorski, a student in Nutrition 360 during spring 2017, created this awesome brochure full of valuable information to help students, living in the residence halls, make healthier food choices.  She highlights healthy food options in the Dining Commons, including getting Green 2 Go and healthy meal essentials found in the convenience stores.  She also includes meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that can easily be made in a residence hall room.  Check it out below.