An average American eats 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime or up to 15 slices every month? That’s right! Also, did you know that September 5th is the day we celebrate National Cheese PizzaDay to show our love for pizza?!
At Penn State, pizza is served daily in most residential dining locations, making it a go-to choice for a quick and delicious meal. However, a single slice can range between 300-600 calories and can contribute a significant amount of saturated fat and sodium toward your daily nutritional goals. If you’re watching your calories, consider cutting a slice in half and splitting it with a friend. Keep in mind that on campus, there are also many healthy options available to include at mealtime. For example, that slice of pizza could be paired with a side salad, a serving of fresh steamed veggies, or a cup of fruit and yogurt to create a meal that’s more well-balanced and nutritionally sound.
For help determining your individual nutritional needs, check out sites like Myfitnesspal and Supertracker!
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where’s the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?”
Peppers have become more than just the star of this tongue-twisting nursery rhyme. They are often incorporated into many dishes ranging from stir-frys to rice to even soups and salads. Peppers are also relatively inexpensive, making them a convenient ingredient to add into any meal.
Bell peppers are often referred to as “sweet peppers” and do not have any heat or spiciness to them, like other types of peppers. Also, thecolor depends on how long the peppers are left to ripen. Green bell peppers are picked when they aren’t fully ripe, but will turn yellow/orange and then red if left on the vine to mature. Taste-wise, green peppers tend to be a little bitter, whereas red are typically sweeter.
Bell peppers provide a wide variety of nutrients that benefit the body, including at least a days’ worth of Vitamin C and high levels of potassium. These are very important nutrients for normal growth and repair, as well as proper muscle functioning. Red, orange, and yellow varieties also contain beta carotene, an antioxidant that can help boost immunity and protect against certain diseases. Bell peppers are also very low in calories. In fact, 1 cup of sliced peppers generally contains less than 40 calories and is a also great source of fiber, making it a fantastic choice for a midday snack!
As previously stated, peppers can be easily incorporated into your meals. Try a salad for instance; simply cut up one of the many varieties of bell peppers and add it to your greens. Peppers can also be added into sandwiches or omelets for an extra-satisfying crunch. You can also use the whole pepper as a base for creating your own delicious meal! Simply slice off the top of the pepper including the stem, remove the ribs and seeds, stuff with a mixture of meat, or beans and rice and bake in the oven. Brush up on those knife skills and check out this tutorial on how to cut a pepper with ease:
For those of you who dine on campus, sliced pepper strips can often be found at the salad bar or deli station for you to readily add to your meals. Another great tip is to pair sliced bell peppers strips with different kinds of dips, in place ofchips or crackers. Ranch dressing is often a go-to choice for dipping, but there are plenty of other options for you to choose from. Try hummus, guacamole, salsa or even plain Greek yogurt.
Regardless of how you enjoy them, bell peppers can be an effortless addition to meals and snacks and a great way to increase your daily servings of vegetables. Remember, the Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Varying your vegetable intake by color will also help to provide many different types of essential vitamins and minerals.
Consider these tips and try adding bell peppers into your next meal on campus!
You are probably familiar with the tale of Jack and the bean stalk; a young boy who disobeyed his mother quite often and looked for intense adventures. Well, the beans in the story were not exactly black beans, but if they had been, Jack would have grown up to be a strong young man with a healthy heart and enhanced brain function, although that would not have made for an exciting story.
Many tips on healthy eating recommend to stay on the perimeter of any supermarket because that’s where more of the nutrient-dense foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy, are found. However, if you only follow this tip, you mightmiss out on some staple, healthy items such as whole grain breads, pastas, cereals and, you guessed it, beans!
Incorporating beans into your diet will not only improve satiety levels, but beans are also adequate sources of Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Magnesium. These minerals help to improve nervous system functioning, enhance brain function and maintain bone structure and strength.
Beans can be one of the easiest foods to add to the diet, and yet, people tend to forget all about them. Beans offer an entire days’ worth of fiber and are an excellent source of carbohydrate and protein. They can be added and substituted in many dishes to create a delicious, well-balanced meal. Although beans are high in protein, the type of protein is termed incomplete because it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids that the body needs. These essential amino acids play an important role in building and repairing muscle tissue, but the body cannot make them on it’s own so we must get them from the food we eat. Animal proteins, such as chicken, beef and fish, are all considered complete proteins because they contain all 9 of the essential amino acids that the body needs.
The good news is, by simply pairing beans with another incomplete protein, such as rice, you can actually create a complete protein. A meal of rice and beans will also supply you with a good amount of fiber, which will increase satiety and keep you fuller, longer. Not to mention, beans are one of the least expensive sources of protein and a fantastic alternative for anyone following a meatless diet.
Black beans have been incorporated into many dishes found in campus dining locations. This variety ranges from soups to salads to even adding it as a side. Be on the lookout this week for featured black bean recipes such as the Black Bean and Butternut Squash stew, Quinoa Enchiladas, Black Bean Burger and Cuban Black Beans and Rice. You may even find them on the salad bar! Remember: adding black beans to your diet will present you with many more health benefits than you could have dreamed of. Beans have so much more to offer than that silly little song stated: “Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you…”
According to Men’s Fitness, broccoli is the second most hated food in America.The truth is, if you can learn to like broccoli, the benefits will be everlasting. It is time to start getting over your fear of the broccoli and realize all of its wonderful benefits.
Broccoli is very inexpensive, which makes it an even better vegetable choice. It is a good sources of the Vitamins C, K and A and is high in fiber, selenium, potassium and Folate. These nutrients play extremely important roles in the body such as building collagen, promoting good digestive health and a healthy heart along with maintaining the health of new cells. Broccoli has also been shown to promote healthy, glowing skin.
There are many foods and recipes that broccoli can be added to. Sneaking broccoli into your favorite foods is an easy way to eat the vegetable, even if you really despise it. Add broccoli to your omelet in the morning for an energy boost or in a baked quiche. You can dip broccoli in hummus, vegetable dip, peanut butter or even yogurt for a fun and healthy snack. Eating vegetables as a snack instead of chips or other packaged snack foodsis a great way to get an extra serving of vegetables into your diet. Check out the Penn State Dining Commons for broccoli in recipes such as garlic roasted broccoli, beef and broccoli stir fry, chicken and broccoli stir fry and broccoli soup! For dinner, try roasting broccoli with Parmesan cheese and olive oil or lemon juice. This will give broccoli the extra flavor you desire and may help you to love this side dish. Another tip is to throw broccoli in your salad or in your main meal. For instance, adding broccoli to a beef stir fry or adding it in a pan with chicken, mushrooms and some seasoning are common ways to enjoy the vegetable. You can even add broccoli to your rice and beans or pasta dish for an extra crunch. Give broccoli a second chance and try these exciting ways to incorporate it into your diet. Getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is recommended for a healthier life. If you can manage this, your body will thank you.
