Tag Archives: nutrition

RHEAL food

Edamena? Edema? Eda-What?

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Edamame-the name sounds so strange and unfamiliar, can it really be that beneficial? What are the benefits of eating it? Or in fact, WHAT is it?

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Edamame is actually an unripe, green soybean. These beans are boiled or steamed in their pods to produce their natural flavors. Edamame is considered a vegetable, but before you disregard it as a snack, try to understand why people are so keen to snack on it. Snacking on edamame is not like snacking on a green bean or a piece of broccoli, its natural flavor is sweet and rich, which also makes it a perfect addition in savory Asian cuisine.

Benefits

Edamame is a high fiber food, containing around 5-8g of Fiber per 1 cup! Fiber helps increase satiety, making you feel fuller longer. Edamame is high in protein while low in fat, which are two key components known to help with weight loss. It’s also the only vegetable to have all 9 of the essential amino acids that the body needs! All in all these benefits make edamame a fantastic vegetable to add to any diet.

Where to find it?

Edamame

Penn State Campus Dining makes it a point to feature edamame in many recipes, including the Kyoto Blend veggies, Asian Vegetables w/ Edamame and the Edamame Falafel Lettuce Wrap, so be on the look out for these and many more! You can often find shelled edamame beans right on the salad bar, making it easy to mix into almost any type of food, including salads, rice, soups or even in pastas. Mixing vegetables into to your everyday dishes will increase your vegetable intake for the day with little effort.

Edamame is also a quick and easy vegetable to make on your own. You can buy bags of frozen edamame, boil the pods, and eat them for a snack throughout the day. It also comes in microwaveable bags that you can steam in just a few minutes. Most common snacking practices are to add some soy sauce or salt to the edamame, but I recommend trying them plain first to see if adding anything is even necessary.

 

Resources:
 “Edamame, Frozen Prepared.” Show Foods. USDA. Web. 28 May 2015. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/9873/2
“The Health Benefits of Edamame.” LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG Foundation, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 May 2015. http://www.livestrong.com/article/409591-the-health-benefits-of-edamame/

Photo Adapted from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/craigtmackenzie/
Photo Adapted from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brendan-c/

 

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Mix & Match your Dining Experience

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Mix&Match1Whether you are new to Penn State or have been dining on campus for over a year, you may be in need of some fresh new meal ideas. Eating a burger for dinner more than three days a week can start to get old. Also, for freshman and upper classmen alike, finding your way around a new dining facility is overwhelming. It is easy to get stuck in a routine where breakfast, lunch and dinner start to look the same on a day-to-day basis. As college students, you are most likely dealing with a busy schedule where meal time needs to be quick and satisfying. Long lines and fancy-worded menu items may deter you from venturing to a new station or trying a different dish. However, there are many resources available to open up a world of new options and plate ideas.
One of the most significant benefits from choosing to mix and match your dining experience is broadening the nutrients you receive on a daily basis. All Penn State Campus Dining locations have a variety of stations featuring daily entrees and different themed menus. As a new or returning student, you have so many healthy options at your fingertips!

Mix&Match2
Challenge number one: what makes a plate healthy? By varying your plates and following the recommended portion sizes, you can achieve the daily target goals for fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Luckily, Penn State Campus Dining locations help us out with this step by serving a variety of dishes and providing serving utensils which can help you achieve these suggested portions. You may be familiar with MyPlate, which has a wonderful guide for making a complete well-balanced meal. Below are the recommended daily servings for college-aged individuals:

Daily Servings to Balance your Plate (ages 19-30):

  • Fruit: 2 cups (1 serving is about the size of a clenched fist)
  • Vegetables: 3 cups (1 serving equals roughly whatever would fit in your hands if you cupped them together)
  • Grains: Girls: 6 oz. Guys: 8 oz. (1 serving is about the size your fist)
  • Protein: Girls: 5 ½ oz. Guys: 6 ½ oz. (1 serving is the size of the palm of your hand)
  • Dairy: 3 cups (1 serving equals 1 cup of milk, or about the size of your fist)

Challenge number two: building your own plate. As you enter each dining location, it may help you to picture the MyPlate image: where can you find fruit? At the salad station? Or is there hand fruit you can grab on the go? Salad greens are a magnificent foundation for adding grains, protein, fruit, veggies and dairy. If this seems overwhelming, or if salads aren’t for you, here are some other plate ideas we have created from common menu items:

  • Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes topped with fruit and yogurt, egg whites
  • Lunch: Fresh Fish, Potato Medley with cottage cheese, carrots, whole grain bread, fruit
  • Dinner: Fettuccini mixed with Milano sauce and Zucchini & Squash with sun dried tomatoes topped with grilled chicken, fruit

By mixing and matching your plate you will find that there are countless options to spice up your daily routine. When trying this out on your own, there are a few more tips you can follow to tackle your own healthy plate. First and foremost, you may need to explore the menu online to figure out where you can find each food group. Planning ahead can save you time and stress. Once you become more familiar with all that Penn State Campus Dining has to offer, you will master the art of building a healthy plate. Remember that the Penn State Campus Dining online menu and mobile app provide a full nutrition facts label for each dish served.

Taking the time to venture and explore your options now will empower you to make healthy habits for the rest of your life. Be creative and mix and match!

 

Resources:
ChooseMyPlate.gov. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. <http://choosemyplate.gov>.

Photos adapted from: blair_25, MyPlate

 

RHEAL food

Spilling the Beans… about Lentils

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What are Lentils?

Lentil 1Lentils are a small legume in the pea family. Although their origin is unknown they are thought to be one of the most ancient cultivated foods. Lentils are most commonly grown in Europe, Asia, and North Africa but are rarely found in the Western Hemisphere. The plant can vary in height from 6 to 18 inches and have many branches with small pods containing the prized lentil bean.  Along with varying heights, the lentils come in many different colors from yellow to green or even red. Despite the fact that lentil plants are not common in the Western Hemisphere, they have become a staple in many peoples diet in the United States.

Why Eat Lentils?

Lentils are low in calories, packed with nutrients, and can be used in almost anything. A one-cup serving of lentils contains only 220 calories and over half of your daily fiber needs. Their high fiber content helps keep you full until your next meal. Lentils also contain 37% of your daily protein needs, making them an excellent source of protein for both vegetarians and meat eaters. These little beans are also a good source of potassium and high in iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.

Lentil 2

Where to Get Lentils?

By now you are probably dying to get your hands on this amazing bean. Lucky for you they’re easy to find! The chefs have put them in the Hearty Vegetarian Chili and the Piquant Lemon Rice. They are even hidden within the Penne Pasta Plus provided at the pasta station.

If you can’t get to the dining commons, there’s no need worry. You can make your own! Lentils are the easiest dried bean to prepare and can be a great addition to a quick meal. Unlike most dried beans, lentils do need to be presoaked. They can simply be boiled for 15-30 minutes and are good to go. Once cooked, lentils can be eaten cold or hot, alone or in a dish. Lentils with brown rice is an easy dish to make on your own. Just add some of your favorite spices (try turmeric or cumin) to the lentils, mix in your rice, and voila! Your meal is complete, just don’t forget to add a side of veggies ;).

 

Resources:

“Lentils.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. N.p., 23 Sept. 2013. Web. <http://www.britannica.com/plant/lentil-plant>

Photo adapted from Rob & Danl

Photo adapted from Jessica “The Hun” Reeder

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Welcome!

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Hello! Welcome to the official blog of Penn State Campus Dining. We are your resource for nutrition and healthy eating in all on-campus dining locations.

Join us week to week as we update you on some of the tasty, nutrient-packed foods we’re serving up on campus. We’ll also be arming you with a few tips and tricks along the way on how to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

We invite you to explore this blog to learn more about the RHEAL program and our mission to promote healthy choices and healthy habits at Penn State.

Thanks for stopping by. Here’s to a great Fall 2015 Semester!