Dietary fat has gotten a pretty bad rap over the last 20 years. But recently, fat has been vindicated by researchers as the main culprit behind cardio vascular and heart disease. Fat, it turns out, is a very efficient source of fuel for our bodies and an important part of a healthy diet. [More]

The third Leave No Trace (LNT) principle is Dispose of Waste Properly. Disposing of waste properly is all about a simple idea, pack it in - pack it out. If you carry something in with you, it should come back out with you as well. Usually when people do not follow this principle the most obvious signs are trash and debris. However, many people do not consider the effects human waste, food debris, or water contamination can have for years to come. [More]

Have you ever eaten an entire bag of chips while watching your favorite TV show; stayed at the table and eaten until all the food is gone; felt the need to go through that drive thru for a latte every time you go to work? Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating, calls these behaviors food scripts. We all have them. Some are beneficial but most are detrimental to our diet and our weight. [More]

Eating with family and friends has been a cornerstone of cultures worldwide for all of recorded time. However, over the past 50 years, busy schedules, fast food and competition with the television have threatened the tradition of family mealtime. While busy schedules may prevent us from having group mealtimes as often, it is still something you can strive for on a weekly basis. [More]

There is a reason that your mother always nagged you to eat your vegetables when you were little. Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals. However, not all vegetables are equal in nutritional value. [More]

One of the hottest food trends over the last few years has been smoothies. While smoothies may be a cool, quick meal or snack, are they really nutritious? Here is the rundown on what to watch for in the restaurant smoothies and how to learn the do-it-yourself version at home. [More]

College students are well-known for their crazy, hectic schedules. This is one of the busiest times of our lives and we are finally at the age where we are making our own decisions and setting up a path that we could follow for the rest of our lives. This is an exciting time but it can also be very overwhelming as we undergo many personal changes. Sometimes we get caught up and forget to take care of ourselves. I have decided to take a step back and evaluate my own wellbeing through the ‘8 Dimensions of Wellbeing’: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. I will be blogging about my journey throughout the summer with posts until I have completed my personal adventure. Stay tuned for my first wellbeing blog post! [More]

Eating with the Seasons is a practice that many people are turning to. As more people learn about the downfalls of conventional food production, they are naturally turning toward organic and local food options. One of the best ways to eat that is better for you and for the environment is to eat with the seasons. The term Eating with the Seasons means that you are purposefully purchasing and consuming produce that is ripe at that time of the year. For example, in the spring you would not be eating potatoes (a fall vegetable), but eating leafy greens (a spring crop) instead. There are multiple benefits of Eating with the Seasons including environmental, health and economical. Environment – Foods are not flown in from all over the globe so that we can have any fruit or veggie all year round. This means what you eat uses less energy and gasoline to get to you. Food that is out of season can be damaging because it has will need to have more chemicals applied to it to ensure freshness. There are significant effects from chemical runoff from agricultural land. Health – The commitment to eat with the seasons is one that will benefit your health greatly. You will be getting the nutrients that your body wants at that time of the year. For example, in the winter when you naturally want heavier meals you will be eating heavier veggies such as carrots, squash and other roots. Another plus is that because eating with the seasons also implies eating locally, your food will be fresher and therefore have the highest nutritional content possible. Economic – Produce that is in season will cost less at the grocery store because it does not have to be preserved or shipped in from a location where it might be in season. This is a nice break on your wallet. I challenge you to explore what eating with the seasons looks like in the area where you live and then give it a go. You might just find that your body has been craving that food all along!

When chewing a delicious apple the other morning I began to wonder about serving sizes and if I was actually getting a full serving of fruit. Is one apple one serving?  How many strawberries do I have to eat to fulfill my fruit quota of the day? It is hard to know what constitutes a serving without a food label.  Living in a world with all-inclusive food labels clearly showing calorie count and serving size, I’ve become accustomed to easily accessible nutritional information.  This recently became important to me because I’ve been working with Chelsey Woods, Dining Services’ Registered Dietitian, on material for National Nutrition Month starting in March. During this partnership I discovered a troubling fact, “The average college-age student does not get the recommended 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables,” Woods said. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, there are many different ways to achieve the nutrients our bodies need.  This link leads to a table depicting what counts as a cup of fruit, http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits_counts_table.html.  Although, this didn’t really answer my serving size question, so I keep looking.   On about.com I found an answer to a similar question.  According to The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a serving size for fruit or vegetables is equal to about one-half cup (http://nutrition.about.com/od/fruitsand vegetables/f/servingfruit.htm).  As for my apple, I think I can conclude it’s around half to one serving of fruit, depending on its size.  But either way, it looks like I need to work on eating more fruits and especially more vegetables.  

From fourth meal to first meal, Taco Bell now offers breakfast items.  And Washington made the list of states where they will test their new menu!  This news is probably exciting for a good number of my friends who drool over Taco Bell, but for me I’m just not sold.  Even though, “Taco Bell enters crowded breakfast arena,” from the Associated Press, applauds the fast-food chain for teaming up with popular brands, I wonder about the healthiness of items like the Cinnabon Delight (fried dough balls with an icing filling) (http://bit.ly/AjRGNH).  All of this breakfast talk jump-started me thinking, not only about the nutritional ramifications, but also why Taco Bell is serving breakfast in the first place?  “Right now we're not getting our fair share of that," said Brian Niccol, Taco Bell's chief marketing and innovation officer.  The ‘fair share’ mentioned is of a growing fast-food breakfast industry.  For more information about Taco Bell’s news-worthy changes, please visit the news clip below featured on today.msnbc.msn.com. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy I understand convenience is vital to the fast-paced lifestyle of the ‘average’ American but how can a Cinnabon Delight from Taco Bell satisfy my nutritional needs in the morning?  There are healthier options on their menu but I’m not convinced it can compare to a healthy breakfast at home. I’ve attached a link to an article from the website realsimple.com, with recipes for a healthier breakfast made at home (http://bit.ly/12aL7U).  If you try any of these recipes, or the new Taco Bell breakfast, leave me a comment describing your experience.  The peanut butter waffle looks yummy to me!