All posts by loh5124

General Nutrition Info, Healthy Eating, Plant-Based Dining, Tips, Vegetarian/Vegan, Weekly Health Tips

Downtown Eats: Healthy Tips

Tired of your typical day-to-day healthy meals, but want to avoid all the calories, sodium, and fat that fast food places have to offer?  Are you willing to try something new?  You can always grab something at one of the many restaurants downtown!  Downtown State College offers some great healthy options that can cater to everyone’s taste buds, and will give you a break from your typical meals.

BONUS: Many establishments accept LionCash!

Keep reading for a few of our suggestions:

Playa Bowls

Playa Bowls is located on E. Calder Way and is known for having fruit bowls and smoothies (and other bowls such as oatmeal and poke). What makes this place a healthy option downtown is the variety of fruits (bananas, pineapple, kiwi, berries), bases (acai, kale, pitaya, coconut, green, chia, and banana) and healthy toppings (peanut butter, granola, nuts, seeds, coconut) that are in their fruit bowls and smoothies. These fruit bowls provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats.  Fruit contains natural sugars and fiber and is a good source of carbohydrates, which provides energy to fuel your body and give you a natural boost at any time of the day. They’re also rich in antioxidants (especially the berries) that help protect your cells from harm.  Why not try a tasty way to get all those vitamins and minerals in for the day?

  • Recommended Healthy Meal: Oh Mega Chia Bowl
  • Contains: granola, banana, blueberry, hemp seeds, agave nectar
  • Provides: 440 calories, 54 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fiber, 24 grams of sugar, 11 grams of protein
  • Tip: Ask for less granola and and more fruit! Or, for more protein, ask for some peanut butter or nuts.

 

Fiddlehead

Fiddlehead is located on W. College Ave and offers a variety of salads, wraps, grain bowls, and soups. For the salads, there are a variety of different leafy greens, which include romaine iceberg mix, baby spinach, kale, and spring mix. Leafy green vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber while being low in calories. For example, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, which provides vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help reduce the risk of diseases. The leafy greens also come with many healthy toppings and dressing. Try to go for vinegar or oil-based dressings and top with nuts to help you get in those healthy fats for the day!

  • Recommended Healthy Meal: Mediterranean Grain Bowl
  • Contains: quinoa, kalamata olives, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, falafel, Fiddlehead vinaigrette
  • Tip:  Ask for your dressing on the side.  This way, you have control over how much goes on the salad!

Tadashi

Tadashi has two locations in State College, one on W. College Ave and the other on S. Atherton St.  Tadashi offers a variety of Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, udon, and donburi. Many of the menu options include many different types of fish, which provide high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and protein while being low in calories.  An omega-3 fatty acid is good for your heart and may event give you that extra brain boost for that exam you’ve been studying for!

  • Recommended Healthy Meal: Shichimi Salmon Roll
  • Contains: spicy salmon, Kani, avocado, topped seared mayo salmon, mango salsa, eel sauce, scallions
  • Tip:  Go with friends and sample a variety of items instead of eating the entire meal yourself.

Although these restaurants offer healthier options than most, try to avoid dining out on a regular basis.  Even though you may choose the healthy option on the menu, eating out on a regular basis can increase your calorie, sugar, or fat intake, without you even knowing.   Those portion sizes and ingredients can be deceiving!

 

Learning how to cook your own healthy meals allows you to have control over exactly what goes into the food you’re eating.  You could even get fancy and try to re-create some of the items on the menu at your favorite restaurant.  By buying your own ingredients you can make them healthier and save money over time!

By: Michelle Tang

General Nutrition Info, Healthy Eating, MyPlate, Plant-Based Dining, Tips, Uncategorized, Vegetarian/Vegan

Sustainable Eating

Okay, so you may be wondering what it means to have a “sustainable diet”?

In the most basic sense, a sustainable diet is one which has a low environmental impact, and that contributes to food and nutritional security.  Additionally, it aims to create and sustain healthy lives for present and future generations.

But, how can you do this while living on or off campus?

The answers are simpler than you  may think!

1. Prioritize Plants:

USDA’s MyPlate suggests filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits as part of an optimal diet, but planning our meals around product benefits the planet as well.  Shifting to a more plant-based way of eating will help reduce freshwater withdrawals and deforestation.  Think of this as a win-win for both our personal health and the environment.

2. Minimize Meat

MyPlate suggests reducing red meat, and now there’s another reason to treat it more as a condiment than a main dish.  Meat production is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, especially beef production.  Transporting and raising livestock also requires more food, water, land, and energy than plants.  To eat for our own health as well as that of the planet, we should consider picking non-meat proteins such as nuts and legumes.

3. Select New Seafood

Fish can be a healthy choice if part of an overall healthy dietary style, but some species are at risk of being over fished, or produced in ways that harm the marine environment.  If your go-to variety of fish is on the “avoid” list, consider trying some new seafood.  The “Avoid’ and “Alternative” visual can be seen below.

Seafood to limit Alternative Reason for Alternative
Atlantic Salmon Pacific Salmon ·         Similar flavor profile

·         Remains rich in fatty acids

·         Requires less fish feed
Swordfish Mahi Mahi ·         Similar “meat” flavor

·         Smaller and healthier
Wild-Caught Sea Scallops Farmed Shellfish ·         Harvesting in ocean disrupts natural habitat

·         Farmed shellfish can be harvested sustainably
King Crab Blue Crab or Stone Crab ·         Typically come from well-managed fisheries in the US

·         Seafood sourced close is more sustainable

4. Look Local

Exploring farmers’ markets helps you find fresh produce grown locally, but equally important, you can meet the people who produce your food.  During the academic year, there are many farmers’ markets that take in downtown State College.  What could be better than walking downtown with some friends and finding some cheap fruits, vegetables, and locally -made baked goods?  Keep in mind, many of these markets are cash only!  Additionally, Penn State has its own student-run farm, which provides produce to many of the dining halls of campus, as well as a few businesses downtown.  Keep an eye out for events in the dining commons featuring this produce!   These are great opportunities for education: you can learn how your food was grown, when it was harvested, and event how to prepare it.

5. Eat Mindfully

One of the simplest things you can do to eat more sustainably is to practice mindful eating.  Focusing o what you’re eating allows you to reflect on where your food came from and how it is nourishing your body.  Additionally, by tuning in to your hunger signals you may learn that you don’t need as much food as you thought, and resize your meals accordingly.  by paying more attention to how we eat and thinking about the “bigger picture”, we may alter our food consumption and reduce food waste, as well as become encouraged to seek out more sustainable food sources.  These are no changes that need to be implemented all at once.  Rather, one should take their time and make small, but impactful choices  about what they are consuming.

So now that we know that sustainable eating is beneficial for so many reasons, how can you incorporate it into your diet?

Visit this link to learn more about what “sustainable eating” entails

By: Emmy Sikora

General Nutrition Info, Healthy Eating, MyPlate, National Nutrition Month ®, Tips, Uncategorized, Weekly Health Tips

So, what did your plate look like today?

Choose MyPlate with campus dining!

Do you want to improve your health through the meals you eat on campus?

Do you feel like you have trouble making your plate healthy at meals?

Then, stay tuned for these tips to get you on the right track and find out how easy the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines are to follow, after all.

 

So, what’s MyPlate?  MyPlate’s mission through the USDA is to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans through two primary objectives: advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans and to conduct applied research and analyses in nutrition and consumer economics.  The first picture below is the direct result of years of continued research on the best way to promote dietary guidelines to Americans!  However, they didn’t always make it this easy.

Before 2011, and the days of MyPlate, the Food Guide Pyramid was the visual used by the USDA to show the five food groups and recommended amounts for each.  The second visual above is what your parents were most likely taught back in the day when they were in school!  Don’t you think the new MyPlate is easier to follow?

MyPlate, which continues to focus on the on the five food groups like the Food Guide Pyramid once did, serves as a colorful visual to encourage personalization of food choices and recommended portion sizes.  With this layout it’s suggested that your start by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, then fill about a quarter of your plate with protein (preferably lean protein), and then fill the last quarter of your plate with grains. You can complement your plate with a serving of dairy or high-calcium milk alternative like yogurt, milk, or fortified almond or soy milk. Examples of fruits include apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges. Vegetables include peppers, spinach, broccoli and squash.  Lean proteins include plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils and quinoa and non-plant-based proteins such as fish and chicken. Some healthy grains include whole wheat toast, white, brown and wild rice, and multigrain breads.

 

General MyPlate guidelines for each of the food groups include:

  • making half the grains you eat whole grains
  • varying your fruits and vegetables or eat all the colors of the rainbow
  • choose primarily low-fat and fat-free dairy items
  • keep your meat proteins portion sizes under control (around 3-4 ounces but this depends on the type of meat and your individual needs)
  • avoid overeating foods that are high in solid fats or added sugars

How can we apply these “rules” to dining on campus?

Compare the MyPlate guidelines above to the picture below.  This meal below was prepared at one of our All You Care To Eat locations on campus.  As you can see, more than half of the plate is filled with grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew, butternut squash and mixed veggies.  The grain component of the plate includes a quinoa falafel and the protein portion of the plate includes Penn State’s famous cider brined smoked turkey.  All with a side of our Creamery’s low-fat milk as a serving of dairy.

Although there’s a large amount of options each day, it’s not always easy to make the best choices and come up with a plate that looks like the one above.  On some days the pizza may sound better to you than the veggies.  Or, the chicken tenders might be calling your name louder than the turkey.  But remember, there’s always small changes you can make to improve your eating habits. You can opt for the whole wheat pasta instead of the original penne pasta, or maybe get a piece of hand fruit when leaving the dining commons instead of the ice cream cone to-go every day. Some things to keep in mind in the deli areas of commons are to choose whole wheat or multi-grain breads/wraps instead or white breads/wraps. If you don’t like the vegetable choices being served at the buffet, then you can choose to make yourself a side salad at the salad bar which also offers a variety of fruit options.

Dietitian Tips: If there’s multiple menu items that are tasty enough to eat five servings of, always remember that it won’t be the last time you’ll see them on the menu.  The cycle menu allows for these items to pop up at least every 3 weeks!  Yes, you’ll see that butternut squash mash every few weeks!  No need to eat a whole plate of it this time.  Can’t pick between items one day?  Ask for smaller servings of each or serve yourself a smaller amount so you are not overeating.

 

As for dessert, it’s okay to enjoy it occasionally.  Yes, you read that right.  It’s okay to have the famous Death By Chocolate on certain occasions as a treat.  Always remember, everyone’s body is different, and has different requirements, so try to find the plan that helps you feel the best!

 

For more information check out the nutrition tab on the Penn State food services website at foodservices.psu.edu and follow us on Instagram @psudining_dietitians.  Better yet, get to know your Green Hats in each of the commons.  They’re students just like you who can help with healthier options.  Or, reach out to the Registered Dietitian’s office for tips/suggestions.

 

Want more information on these recommendations without having to talk to anyone?  Your first stop should be to visit the ChooseMyPlate.gov website.  Now, here’s an excellent resource for finding tips, pictures, and other printable or downloadable materials for meal planning, budgeting, and adjusting your food choices!

 

Stay tuned for the Registered Dietitian’s Office collaboration with Healthworks during National Nutrition Month.  On March 30th, you’ll see tables set up in each of the dining commons for a “Build Your Plate” theme!

 

By: Hannah Fitzgerald

Tips

Food Insecurity

 

 

What is food insecurity? It’s defined as “a lack of available financial resources for food at the household level” (Health and Hunger 2020). 1 in 8 Americans face food insecurity, while the total amount of students in college who are food insecure is 50% (Harvard, 2018). Common characteristics of food insecurity are having anxiety/stress about food quality, amount, and variety.  Food insecure students may also reduce intake of foods and/or change eating patterns.

 

Eating in college can be difficult for any number of reasons. Penn State, and State College, want to help combat some of the food insecurity taking place in the area. There are a variety of resources, both on-campus and off, that are aimed at helping students in-need: Lion’s Pantry, Cub Pantries, Give or Take Lockers, and Project Cahir. 

  • Lion’s Pantry: Penn State’s own food bank located between Lion’s Surplus and the Blue Band Building on Services Rd behind the Katz Law Building. Open for students Tuesdays and Fridays 3-5pm. 

  • Cub Pantries: Located in the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity in LL011 HUB, Student Care and Advocacy Office in 129 Boucke building, and the lobby in Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. These mini food pantries, which are stocked and maintained by the bigger Lion’s Pantry, provide faster and easier access to food items and snacks for any student who may need them. Within these pantries, there is no need to show identification or sign in. Students can simply walk in and take what they need, without having to jump through any hoops.  
  • Give or Take Lockers: Located in the IM Locker Rooms at East Campus. For the Women’s Locker Room, Locker #90 and Men’s Locker #39 are filled with different toiletries that students can take, if needed or donate any extra toiletries they may have. 
  • Project Cahir: Project Cahir advocates on behalf of Penn State students who are struggling to meet their most basic needs. The students affiliated with the program also help direct students in need to resources on campus and in the community that will help them. Finally, they collect and distribute packages of toiletries for students and community members in need.

Off-Campus options for food insecure students:

  • Food Bank of State College: Located at 1321 S Atherton St. (814) 234-2310. 
    • Hours are Mondays 1-5pm and Wednesdays and Fridays 1-4pm. First-time clients are received 2-3pm on these days.” (PSU Student Affairs, 2019) 
  • Abba Java: 299 Locust Lane, 9am-9pm weekdays (weekend varies). (814) 238-6739.
    • Offers coffee, snacks, and a space for students to study and socialize. 

 

Don’t hesitate to stop by at any of these locations, all of them are safe spaces that help to make Penn State, and State College, warm and welcoming communities. If you are interested in learning more, check out our resources tab for more information.

 

By: Savannah Diamon, Emmy Sikora