All posts by Eileen Winegar

Hello! I am a Penn State Nutrition and Food Science graduate dedicated to bringing you easy to understand nutrition information and tips.

National Nutrition Month®: Color Your Plate Challenge

Incorporating a variety of colors onto your plate may seem like a simple concept, but it can actually be an effective way to increase the overall nutrient variety within your diet. And no, we don’t mean choosing from an array of artificially colored, highly processed candies, refined snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages or heavily-preserved deli meats. We’re referring to whole, plant-based foods that gain their beautiful colors naturally, i.e.: fruits and vegetables!

Along with being low in calories, saturated fat and sodium and rich nutrients like fiber and  Vitamins A and C, many fruits and vegetables also boast additional nutrients called phytochemicals. These natural chemicals are produced by plants as a means of protection, and they are also responsible for a plant’s particular color.

Many phytochemicals found in certain colors of fruits and vegetables have also been studied for their potential health-promoting properties. For example, the bright orange and dark green colors in foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach come from a phytochemical called beta-carotene, which has been linked to improved vision, immunity, skin and bone health. Bright red tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon all contain a phytochemical called lycopene, which may benefit heart health and protect against certain cancers. Deep red, purple and blue hues seen in berries, red onions, or radishes come from anthocyanins,  which may improve the health of blood vessels.

The concept of adding color to your plate to improve nutrient variety can translate to other food groups, too! For example, varying your protein sources to include salmon (pink), kidney beans (dark red), or eggs (yellow) can be a great way to gain more of the essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

In honor of National Nutrition Month®,  we’re encouraging YOU to add more color to your meals while dining on campus by joining our Color Your Plate social media challenge! Just follow these 3 easy steps:

  1. Next time you dine on campus, create your own version of a colorful plate. Be sure to include at least one fruit or vegetable, as most Americans do not consume enough of these food groups. 
  2. Snap a photo of your plate.
  3. Post it to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using #psueatscolor.

At the end of the month, one lucky photo submission will be picked to win a prize!

And don’t forget to take advantage of all of the National Nutrition Month® themed menu items served on campus throughout the month!

Resources: 

“What are Phytonutrients?”  Fruits and Veggies, More Matters. Produce for Better Health Foundation. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/what-are-phytochemicals

Grocery Tips and Tricks

Grocery shopping can be one of the hardest chores to get used to when you move out on your own. It’s hard to know what to buy, when to buy it, and how much you should get. Here are some quick tips to help make your trips to the grocery store a little easier:

Make a ListList
Making a list can save you both time and money at the store. When you know what you need you don’t have to guess what might sound good three days later, and you can be in and out with minimal thinking. Once you get to know your local grocery store, try organizing your list by aisle. This can help save you time while shopping.

Plan Ahead
Try planning your meals out for the week before you go shopping. This will help you to create a comprehensive list of everything you need and can also save you time and extra trips during the week. If you’re looking to save some money, consider planning meals that use some of the same ingredients so that fewer ingredients to need to be purchased. It can sometimes be cheaper to buy certain foods in bulk, and having a plan that incorporates these foods in multiple meals throughout the week can be a great strategy to avoid any food waste.  

Don’t Go Hungry
This is common but true advice. Going to the store when you’re hungry may result in a lot of extra items in your cart; which can then result in more money and more food that goes to waste. When you’re hungry, it’s also a lot harder to resist the temptation of your sweet tooth and your grocery list may evolve into a list of sweets and salty snacks.

Shop the Perimeter First
The perimeter of the store tends to be where you find your fresh produce, meats, and dairy. Shopping the outside of the store first will ensure that you get all of your fruits and vegetables and unprocessed wholesome meats. Once you’ve selected those, don’t forget to venture down the center aisles for items like beans, whole grains, and frozen vegetables.

Look for Coupons or Off-Brand Items
While making your grocery list, look at local grocery store ads or venture onto a coupon website. Two of the most popular websites are Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. There are also many apps that help you locate coupons, like Ibotta and SnipSnapMost of the time you can find items on sale or coupons to help decrease your grocery shopping trip cost. You can also save some money buying store brand/off brand items. Major food companies will pay top dollar to have their items at eye level. If you venture to the bottom of the shelves, you’ll find less expensive options. These items are often produced in the same facility as the name brand items but are sold for less.

Keep your Cupboards Full
Stock up on non-perishable items such as canned beans or soups, brown rice, and frozen vegetables. These pantry staples can help get you through those weeks when you can’t get to the store.

Stick to Single Servings
If you’re shopping for only yourself, consider buying single serving items like yogurt or soup. Buying individual portions of food might come with a slightly higher price tag, but will help avoid food waste later in the week.

Look Before You Leave
Before you check out, take a second look at your cart and make you have everything on your list and haven’t added many extra items. This will save you a second trip to the store for a missing ingredient and may help you avoid purchasing extra food.

Resources: 

Make Use Of. “The Top 10 Grocery Coupon Websites for Cheapskates.” http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-top-10-grocery-coupon-websites-for-cheapskates/

Today. “Cheapism: Best Mobile Coupon Apps Let You Put Down the Scissors.” http://www.today.com/money/cheapism-best-mobile-coupon-apps-let-you-put-down-scissors-1D80137351

Photo adapted from Meg Stewart

The Soup Spoon

Cabbage, celery or lettuce, what is this mysterious vegetable? Bok choy is a variety of the Chinese 8381726021_70993b8fc8_zcabbage and is commonly called a soup spoon because of its shape. The white stalks resemble celery, while the leafy greens on the end of the stalks are very similar to romaine lettuce. This unique vegetable is commonly found in Asian-style dishes. Bok choy originated in China almost 5,000 years ago and was introduced to European countries in the 1800s. It can now be found all over North America and is grown in California and Canada.

Bok choy is a great addition to your meal for both its flavor and health benefits. This leafy vegetable has a very mild flavor when cooked that can easily be paired with many different foods. The mild flavor makes it perfect for stir-frys or soups. It even tastes great sauteed or braised. The green leaves add a beautiful punch of green to dishes that are lacking in color.  

6146538258_642d011671_zSimilar to broccoli, cauliflower and kale, bok choy contains phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. It’s packed with Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. Bok choy is also a good source of calcium. Vitamin C and Vitamin A are both antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin A also protects your eyes from damage like macular degeneration. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting along with the regulation of bone mineralization. The combination of Vitamin K and calcium in bok choy make it a perfect addition to your meal to ensure you’re keeping your bones healthy.

Bok choy can be found at any local grocery store as well as in many recipes in the dining commons. If you want to experiment with bok choy at home, try adding it to a vegetable stir fry with chicken or tofu or try this recipe for Brothy Chinese Noodles from Eating Well. If you live on campus (or are just feeling lazy) the dining commons have a lot of options for you to try. Some recipes include Ginger Glazed Bok Choy and the Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry. So next time you stop in for a meal, make sure Bok Choy makes it onto your plate! Smiley

 

Resources:

“Brothy Chinese Noodles.” EatingWell. N.p., Jan.-Feb. 2010. Web. 02 July 2015. <http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/brothy_chinese_noodles.html>.

Busch, Sandi. “What Are the Health Benefits of Bok Choy.” Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 July 2015. <http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-bok-choy-1551.html>.

Parkinson, Rhonda. “Bok Choy – Information and Recipes.” About Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 July 2015. <http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/a/bokchoy.htm>.

Zelman, Kathleen, MPH RD LD. “Bok Choy: 10 Fun Facts.” WebMD. WebMD, 8 May 2014. Web. 02 July 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/bok-choy-10-healthy-facts>.

Photo adapted from Jules

Photo adapted from dollen

Photo adapted from studio tdes

An a-MAIZE-ing Vegetable!

What yummy vegetable makes an appearance at many of your barbecues and picnics? Corn, of course! Corn, also known as maize, is used whole, as kernels, ground into flour, and is even used to make corn syrup. This crop is very versatile and is one of America’s most important crops, producing almost half of the world’s corn supply. This is very easy to believe if you have been through the Midwest and have seen have rows of cornfields stretching for miles.

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You may be thinking, just because America grows a lot of corn doesn’t mean I should eat it. Corn has gotten bad rep over the last few years. Many believe that corn is devoid of nutrients or that it isn’t good for us because it is present in so many processed foods (think high fructose corn syrup). This is not true, as whole corn contains many vitamins and minerals that are essential for keeping our bodies functioning properly. Some important vitamins and minerals found in corn are:

 

Corn CobbPhosphorus, which is important for the growth and maintenance of tissues in the body and is present in both popcorn and sweet corn.

Copper, which is found primarily in popcorn. Copper is an important trace element that acts as an antioxidant in the body.

Folate, which is essential for amino acid metabolism and DNA synthesis. It is especially important during pregnancy. Folate is present primarily in sweet corn.

Potassium, which is important for maintaining a stable blood pressure and may improve heart health. Like folate, potassium is present in sweet corn.

Corn also contains large amounts of antioxidants that are important for maintaining the health of our body. Some of these antioxidants are:

Ferulic acid, a polyphenol that can scavenge free radicals and reduce the damage by Popcornneutralizing the free radical molecules. Ferulic acid has also been shown to help stabilize vitamin C and E.

Anthocyanins, which are pigments most known for their free radical scavenging and neutralizing capabilities, but they have also been linked to protection from DNA cleavage, regulating the immune system, and much more.

Zeaxanthin and Lutein, which are both found in the eye and are important for preventing chronic eye disease such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

 

Aside from these micronutrients, corn also contains protein. The protein content of corn varies from 10-15%, depending on the variety. Like most vegetables, corn is also rich in fiber and can help with digestion. The largest component of corn is carbohydrates. Most corn is composed primarily of starch and small amounts of sugar, however, sweet corn is different in the fact that it is composed mostly of sugar. Sweet corn contains approximately 18% sucrose, while other corn contains only 1-3%. Despite the high sugar content, sweet corn has a low glycemic index so it shouldn’t cause a spike in blood sugar.

Not only does corn contain all of these great nutrients, it is also inexpensive and easy to prepare. While corn is in season, it can be purchased for less than 25 cents an ear. Options for heating corn include boiling, grilling, or stir frying it with other vegetables. If you live on campus, the dining commons provide many dishes that include corn such as the Corn, Black Bean & Poblano Quesadilla, Southwestern Black Bean Spinach Wrap, and Black Bean Taco with Tangy Cabbage.

Now that you know corn has nutrients that are important to your health, don’t leave it out of your next barbecue!

Resources

Arnarson, Atli. “Corn 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.” July 2015. <https://authoritynutrition.com/foods/corn/>.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Corn.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb. 2016.<http://www.britannica.com/plant/corn-plant>.

Lila, Mary Ann. “Anthocyanins and Human Health: An In Vitro Investigative Approach.” Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 2004.5 (2004): 306-13. Web. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1082894/>.

Photo adapted from Sean McMenemy

Photo adapted from cycloneball

Photo adapted from Michael Dorausch