Category Archives: Staying Healthy

Where to Find ‘Real Food’

Staying Healthy

As college students, we face many new challenges when it comes to eating. Many of us especially struggle to incorporate what we think of as ‘real food’ into our diets because of the limited options in the dining halls. Instead of fresh food, we often settle for greasy cheeseburgers and chicken fingers without having a clue about where they came from. When it comes to dining halls and fast food restaurants, we are never sure exactly how ‘real’ our food really is. With this being said, where can we find real food?

Tuscaloosa River Market

If you’re looking to purchase fresh, locally grown food, look no further than the Tuscaloosa Farmers’ Market located in the River Market building. Conveniently located along the Riverwalk, this market is within walking distance of campus and is open every Saturday from 7am-12pm. The market includes anything from fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds to cheese and grass fed beef. Any customer looking to purchase organic foods can find a large selection of items at affordable prices. My personal favorites are the fresh strawberries and the sweet homemade apple pie. It also offers a warm, comfortable environment with big windows overlooking the Black Warrior River.

The Fresh Market

If you’re looking for an easy way to buy a variety of organic food, The Fresh Market is the way to go. The Fresh Market is located on McFarland Blvd just outside of campus, so students looking to make the trip here don’t have to go far at all. The store has almost everything you can think of: free range meat, mixed nuts, baked in-store bread, and a variety a fruits and vegetables just to name a few. Customers can easily find what they need due to the store’s large selection, although some items can be a bit pricey. You can also visit the salad bar located in the store for a good healthy meal. For students looking to incorporate real food into their diet, the Fresh Market is a quick and easy way to find what you need.

Katie Farms

Katie farms is a unique and relatively new family farm located along the Warrior River just west of Northport. Here, hard-working farmers produce an array of items: purple sweet potatoes, tomatoes, okra, onions, corn, peppers, peaches, jelly, and several more. They also offer free range eggs and even raise Scottish Highland cattle. Katie farms supplies some of their produce to Jim ‘N’ Nicks of Tuscaloosa, Café J, and some grocery stores in the area such as Piggly Wiggly. Anyone looking for local produce grown with care should give products from Katie Farms a try. If you want to receive the full experience, you can even schedule a tour and learn even more about the how the farm works.

 

If you get tired of your dining hall diet and want to diversify your food choices, don’t hesitate to try out food from any of these places. They ultimately offer nutritious items and give you the peace of knowing how your food was raised.

 

 

 

Nutritious Restaurants Around Town

As college students, we all have those nights when you’re just not in the mood to cook, the meal at your sorority/fraternity house might not be what you’re craving, or maybe you’re just sick and tired of the dining hall food. Whatever the reason is, we all end up going out to eat sometime or another.

For most of us, we focus on choosing the cheapest yet tastiest places to eat which usually leads to deep fried foods dripping in grease and covered in salt. It all seems great until our fate lies between the 4 for 4 deal at Cookout or the buy one get one free pizza at Dominos.

Although these foods may be satisfying to our taste buds, they aren’t very kind to our health. It’s time to start including the nutritional quality as a factor when deciding where to eat. Below are a few of my favorite restaurants around Tuscaloosa that have a variety of healthy options on their menu.

 

Newk’s Eatery is located on University Blvd. so it’s at a very convenient location if you don’t have time for Tuscaloosa traffic. They are known for the fresh ingredients used in their famous soups, salads and sandwiches. There are plenty of pairing options you can choose from which will ensure you leave with a full stomach. I typically choose half of the Newk’s Q sandwich and a cup of loaded potato soup, but you can pair any items you may desire. Newk’s gives you access to a Nutrition Calculator on their website so you are able to select your meal and all of its nutrition facts will appear. This is an easy and accessible way to monitor what you are feeding your body. 

 

Zoë’s Kitchen offers Mediterranean food made from scratch and it’s located right inside Bryant Denny Stadium. That’s how you know it’s good! Its menu provides options for everyone: calorie counters, gluten-free, vegetarians, vegans, and those focusing on their carb or sodium intake. My go-to meal is the Greek Chicken Pita with a side of fresh fruit. It really captures the Mediterranean taste, but at the same time it’s nothing too exotic. Not very familiar with Mediterranean food? Don’t worry, Zoë’s has a Mediterranean food pyramid available so you can be sure you are consuming the recommended amounts of food to maintain a healthy balance. 

 

Tropical Smoothie Café is a personal favorite of mine. It’s filling and refreshing so it’s a perfect choice when you’re looking for that pre/post workout meal. You can find it in Midtown Village, so if you get hungry while you’re shopping you can always stop by for one of their signature smoothies or maybe even a flatbread, wrap, or sandwich if you’ve really worked up an appetite. For those of you enjoy foods with a little kick behind it, my personal favorite is the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap. I also order a Kiwi Quencher for a nice balance of sweet and spicy. If you’re struggling to decide what to order, don’t panic, they have a detailed nutrition guide at your service to help you decide what food is best for you. Their motto is “eat better, feel better” so it pretty much speaks for itself.

 

 

Juice Bar is the definition of nutritious. Just stop by Legacy Park and see for yourself. I’m always up for a good smoothie so as soon as I found out about this place I couldn’t wait to try it. The first time I went I had no idea what to order because most of the ingredients were things I would never imagine you would put in a smoothie. However, don’t be alarmed, the workers are very helpful and they will make sure you get exactly what you came for. A worker introduced me to the Coco Banana Smoothie with added blueberries and I haven’t been able to order anything else ever since (this one is for all you peanut-butter lovers out there). Juice Bar uses 100% whole fruits and vegetables and also strives to purchase directly from local farms whenever possible. It’s very evident that they go the extra mile to provide their customers with the freshest and most nutritious foods, so stop by and give it a try.

Pre-Workout Snacks

Staying Healthy, , ,

                   

Going to the gym and working out consistently can be very beneficial to our health, but many people struggle with motivation. Everybody who works out has their own reason for doing so, and have their own fitness goals. Whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, diet is an essential part of any workout routine. Eating certain types of foods before a workout will help you get the most out of your body and maximize results to help you achieve your goals sooner. Here are some snack ideas and general tips to help fuel your workout.

 

1. Peanut Butter Sandwich

Many people tend to stay away from peanut butter as much as they can because it is dense in calories and carbs. Although this is true, carbs are actually good, making a peanut butter sandwich on wholegrain bread a great go-to snack before a workout. Before any type of moderate to intense training, carbs are essential. When eaten, carbs are quickly broken down into glucose, which gives us energy and allows our bodies to function at full potential. A lack of carbs during your workout can cause you to feel weak, tired, and jittery. The carbs found in the bread and peanut butter are a strong source of energy to help you through a run or lift. If you are not into peanut butter, fruit, oatmeal, and toast are wholesome alternatives.

 

 

 

2. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is filled with protein, which is essential before and after exercise. If you are into weight training, in particular, this is great before a lift. When we lift weights, small tears are being created in our muscle fibers. A substantial source of protein before a lift helps the muscles heal and grow back stronger. When choosing your Greek yogurt, plain is best because it has significantly less sugar than most brands of flavored Greek yogurt. To help cover up the awful taste of plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, or any other fruit is great on top. Some other easy sources of protein before a workout are nuts, eggs, and milk.

 

 

 

3. Water/Gatorade

It is extremely important to make sure you are hydrated before physical activity. Drinking as much water as possible throughout the day will help improve performance. According to Active.com, the average person loses about 37 ounces of water through sweat throughout an hour of moderate exercise. Dehydration leads to weakness, headaches, and muscle pain. Sometimes I like to mix in a Gatorade right before I workout for some added electrolytes and energy. Electrolytes are important for regulating heartbeat and allowing muscles to move properly.

 

 

 

Much like eating breakfast before school, eating the right types of foods before a workout can be extremely beneficial. Everybody is different and has different goals that they are trying to achieve. These guidelines and suggestions are general, and can be tweaked to personal preferences. Pre-workout nutrition is all about finding what your body responds to best. If you feel that something gives you more energy and helps you perform better, go for it! Everyone’s body is different and responds differently to various foods.

Scoping out Healthy Foods

Staying Healthy

Sometimes even the most mundane of activities can be overwhelming- including grocery shopping. Grocery shopping can be especially overwhelming when you are trying to maintain a healthy diet. It seems like we see buzz words such as, “all-natural” and “sugar free” on every other item in the store, but words like these don’t actually make something healthy. Checkout three of my best tips on how to make sure you are getting your money’s worth when shopping for healthy foods.

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition
One of the easiest ways to identify if a food is genuinely healthy, is to read the often overlooked, yet unequivocally useful nutrition facts. The very first thing you will see when looking at the nutrition facts is the serving size- a tool often used by food manufacturers to make their food appear healthier. Often, the serving size is decreased, and the number of servings increased, so the food seems healthier. But just remember, the more servings you consume, the more calories, fats, sugars, carbs and sodium you are eating.
Another important thing to pay attention to when perusing the nutrition facts is the ingredients list. You may think you know exactly what is in your food, but you will be surprised by what you are actually consuming. The rule of thumb is; if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t be eating it. For example; butylated hydroxyanisole, more commonly known as BHA, is an ingredient commonly used in foods to help prevent spoilage, however it has also been known to lead to cancer, according to The Huffington Post. Remember to always be observant of what you are actually putting in your body- after all, you only get one body and you should take good care of it.

Classification Symbols
Another easy way to identify healthy foods when you are shopping in a grocery store is to look for food classification symbols. Some of the most well known classification symbols are the USDA Organic, Non-GMO project, and American Grassfed. Although having a certification like those listed does not inherently make a food healthy, certifications like these can help you quickly identify which foods have been deemed to have healthy qualities.

Know Your Fruits and Vegetables
Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are extremely important to leading a healthy lifestyle. But what a lot of people don’t know is how to determine if your food is ripe or not. Nobody wants to waste money on an expensive bundle of organic bananas only to get home, peel one open, and discover upon first bite that it is mushy and over ripened. There are many easy tricks to help you tell if your produce is ripe or not. For instance, you can tell if a banana is ripe by the color of the peel. One of my favorites summertime snacks is a ripe, juicy watermelon- and the best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by knocking on it and hoping it sounds ripe. Check out this website

to find out more information about checking the ripeness of your produce.

Surviving College Parties

Staying Healthy

Whether you drink in college or you do not, you will likely end up going out to a party at some point in your college career. If you go to a party there is not a rule saying you must drink, but that does not give you an excuse to not eat a healthy meal beforehand. I know that when you go out you do not want to look bloated in your party clothes, but not eating before you go out can cause more harm than good.

To avoid getting sloppy drunk, or even to just have enough energy to dance for the entire night, you need to eat something before you go out. I am sure most college students have their own experiences with drinking on an empty stomach and know how horrible it can end up. There are a few tips on how to have an amazing party experience I found on Shape.com.

  • For starters, eating protein filled food beforehand is the perfect way to keep the amount of alcohol that gets absorbed to a minimum, and it also can help you sober up faster. Eating protein beforehand is smart even if you do not plan on drinking, as it will give you plenty of energy to stay up all night dancing with your friends.
  • Another tip is to have a healthy snack at the party, as high fat foods can allow more alcohol to be absorbed faster than you want.
    • Aim for a snack like granola or protein bars, that are not high in fat and are perfect for on-the-go partying.
    • Try not to snack on candy bars or chips, or if you are like me and have a weakness for fried mozzarella sticks turn them down and opt for something less fried and fatty.
  • The most important tip before going out is to stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water before and while you are out, as dehydration is what will cause your nasty hangover the next day.

Quite a few times I have been out with a group of friends and there is always one who decided they were not going to eat dinner because they wanted to look good in a tight dress. Then later that night, after everyone has left the party, you always get a call from that friend saying that they are throwing up and need your help because they are too drunk to clean it up. Sometimes they are not even in their room. After this happens once you assume everyone realizes that they should probably eat before going out, but it is still not always the case. I know Beyoncé said, “pretty hurts” but is it worth looking good in return for throwing up on someone’s bed or having a hangover that keeps you from going to class.

As someone who loves eating all the time throughout the day, I cannot understand skipping a meal for any reason. Though, one thing I do not recommend is eating red meat protein before going out. My favorite thing to eat before going out is anything with chicken in it. The main reason I like chicken is that it is filled with protein to keep me full, but it also does not weigh me down and make me feel heavy like red meat does. A weighed down stomach and lots of dancing and moving around always causes me some stomach cramping. Chicken has plenty of protein and carbohydrates to keep me full all night so I can stay out late and turn down the McDonalds, even though it can always be hard to turn down nuggets and fries no matter the circumstances. It also does not hurt that dancing all night and eating a delicious meal filled with protein and carbohydrates can help you stay healthy and looking great. I recently found a recipe on Pillsbury.com for buffalo chicken pinwheels and I had to try them. I adapted it a little, so it is different than the one online.

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheel

  • Pillsbury crescent dough
  • Tyson Any’tizers boneless buffalo chicken wings
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Ranch
  1. Cook the boneless wings in the oven as instructed on the bag.
  2. Once the chicken has been cooked cut it up into smaller pieces.
  3. Unroll the crescent dough and separate into four rectangles.
  4. Put chicken onto the dough.
  5. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken.
  6. Put some ranch on top of the cheese.
  7. Roll the dough into what would be a cylinder but should not look perfectly like that.
  8. Cook on 375 for about 12 minutes.
  9. Once cooled cut horizontally.

 

Counting Calories Across Campus

Dining Out, Staying Healthy

As a college freshman, I’m constantly thinking about how much I miss home, or more specifically, my favorite meals from home. If you have a mom who’s an awesome cook, maybe you miss the smell of your kitchen every night. But if you had a hectic schedule and a mom who has callings other than cooking, maybe you miss your favorite restaurant meals just like I do.

Eating out is definitely more common for a lot of students in college.  I can only visit the dining hall so many times throughout the week, and for those of us in the Greek community, sometimes during lunch or dinner hours the house seems impossibly far away.  And as much as I would love to cook for myself more, I either have trouble motivating, or I don’t have the right ingredients to make anything decent (although if anyone knows a good meal to make out of barbeque Popchips and Tyson chicken nuggets, feel free to share).  So, a lot of the time I’ll turn to eating at the various restaurants across town.

Dining out frequently can have its risks.  Many people are worried about the high calorie entrees or the large portion sizes.  But in my experience, most restaurants have a variety of healthy options, so you have control over how healthy, or unhealthy, you want your order to be. And more and more restaurants are either providing nutrition menus at the counter, or they already list the calorie amount on the menu. For example, McAlister’s Deli serves satisfying meal portions, but they also have a nutrition menu readily available at the checkout counter.  While this isn’t the case for all restaurants, you can typically tell which establishments are healthier than others based on their name and menu.  Or at least, that’s the impression I was under.

One of my favorite restaurants in Tuscaloosa is Tropical Smoothie Café in Midtown Village. For those who have never been, as soon as you walk through the doors you notice the modern feel of the restaurant.  The white, wood paneled walls and fresh smell convince you that the food you’re about to order is not only healthy, but will also help energize your day.   I always order their Peanut Butter Cup smoothie, and because I’ve convinced myself that it’s a healthy restaurant, I assumed everything on their menu was healthy.

I bragged about this discovery to my friends, and eventually brought them along with me.  When we all sat down and ordered our food, my friend Maddie brought up the nutrition menu online.  She browsed for the Peanut Butter Cup smoothie, and her draw dropped.  I refused to hear the calorie count until I finished indulging on my favorite smoothie for possibly the last time.  After I finished, Maddie broke the news to me that my beloved “healthy” smoothie was, *drumroll*, 693 calories. My heart was broken.  How could a restaurant that seemed so healthy serve something that was so high in calorie content?

If anyone else loves Tropical Smoothie Café, don’t worry, my smoothie is one of the few that is that high in calories.  Actually, most smoothies have half that count. And they conveniently separate the smoothies into categories such as “Superfood Smoothies” and “Indulgent” (guess which one mine falls under), so the nutrition value truly depends on what you order.  After I experienced this shock, I decided to look more into the calorie count and nutrition value of my favorite meals across Tuscaloosa.  Although most restaurant menus will have generally similar items, there are always at least a few healthy options available.

So don’t worry about eating out from time to time, or even daily if that’s your thing. Plenty of restaurants across Tuscaloosa are dedicated to feeding you only the best, and nutritional info is almost always available at your fingertips.  Below I’ve included a list of healthy restaurants I’ve discovered. Take a look at the nutrition menu by clicking on the restaurant title.

Pita Pit:

This restaurant is located on the strip and has a wide variety of pocket pitas to satisfy your healthy cravings.  Whether you want a veggie pita or you’re hungry for a Chicken Crave, these pitas average around 400 calories.  As an extra cool feature, if you visit their website you can build your own Pita and it’ll count the calories for you! Definitely check this place out if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to a massive burrito.

Juice Bar:

Although I’ve never personally been here, my friends are slightly obsessed.  They serve smoothies, juices, and various sandwiches and bowls, and a majority of the items on the menu are under 500 calories! This is definitely on my list of places to visit, and you can find it near Krispy Kreme on McFarland Boulevard.

Panera Bread:

Ever heard the phrase, “everything is good in moderation”? I think this may be the case with Panera Bread.  Although they have launched a marketing campaign advertising their fresh and real ingredients, the calories still seem to add up with some of their menu items.  The half portions seem to have reasonable calorie counts, but the average full portion or “you pick two” combo will end up being 700 calories.  But, let’s be honest, the mac and cheese is definitely worth it.

Chicken Salad Chick:

Chicken Salad Chick is an extremely underrated gem of the south.  Guys: I’m going to be honest, it’s super girly, but it’s so worth it.  You can have your choice of multiple scoops of different types of chicken salad, or you can order a sandwich with a side of fruit.  My personal favorite is the Sassy Scotty, although there are several incredible flavors to try, most around 400 calories per scoop.  There are also healthy salads available! 

Taco Mama:

Although Taco Mama does not have a nutritional menu available online, they do promise to serve their guests the freshest ingredients.  I recommend Taco Mama because you can choose every ingredient that goes into your Mexican creation.  Check out their menu for all your options!

If you have any more suggestions, please feel free to comment below!

 

Eating Seasonally

On-Campus Dining, Staying Healthy

Despite the generally warm and sunny weather Alabama gets from being in the South, is still lucky to receive all four seasons of the calendar year, and with them, the specific blooming and harvesting patterns of various produce. Spring, the season of blooming buds and returning color to the Earth, is highlighted by the sprouting of fresh green vegetables like asparagus and crunchy romaine lettuce. As the transition to summer begins and the sun begins to rise higher for longer, the season of berries and melons takes place. Bright red, juicy, succulent strawberries pop from their vines, deep indigo orbs drop from the stems of the blueberry bushes, and snake green rinds are sliced open to reveal speckled, pale pink watermelon. When the leaves begin to drop and the Earth falls into a world of deep yellows, burgundies, and browns, gorging pumpkins, feathery fennel shoots, crunchy apples, and fluffy green kale are ready to be plucked for favorite autumnal dishes. When the calendar year begins to wind down, and the trees once again go bare in the crisp days of winter, an assortment of juicy citrus fruits can be harvested. Oranges, clementines, lemons, and nectarines are some of Alabama’s most tangy wintertime finds.

It’s often easy to identify which foods are in season based on the featured items served in popular chains, like Bread Co’s Summer Berry Smoothie or, one of my personal favorites, Starbucks’ Fall Pumpkin Spice Bread. Although it’s nice to indulge in these seasonal restaurant favorites, it’s important to eat more raw versions of the produce, too. Choosing to eat fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables during natural harvesting time has a variety of benefits.

Earth’s natural growing cycles often ensure food is at its best. The certain season in which specific fruits and vegetables grow have conditions that are ideal for reaching optimal ripeness. During peak season, produce often contains the largest amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which provide a greater supply of nutrients to us when eaten.

Not only does eating fruits and vegetables in season provide more benefits to human health, it also helps improve the health of our planet. Most often, seasonal produce in grocery stores is coming from a place nearby because the foods are naturally abundant in that area. Since choosing seasonally usually means choosing foods grown locally, fewer resources are needed to harvest and transport foods from areas farther away. This has a tremendous effect on reducing the carbon footprint created from growing, harvesting, and transporting food.

As a college student, it may seem challenging to practice and reap the rewards of seasonal eating due to the restraints of the dining halls and the abundance of cheap chain restaurants like Chik-fil-A and Panda Express, but there are definitely a variety of ways to implement eating ripe fruits and vegetables into our daily diets. Researching the seasonality of different fruits and vegetables is an easy first step. From there, the seasonal eater should look to eat the current season’s foods being served in the dining halls. For example, this coming spring students can focus on the salad bars were the shoots of leafy greens are most likely to be locally produced and recently harvested.

We can also make a change by choosing to go grocery shopping at the local farmer’s markets rather than retail chains. Not only will you be getting some the freshest produce, you’ll also be directly contributing to the community’s local gardeners and farmers, which can help Tuscaloosa maintain a community-based selection of fruits and vegetables.

At UA, there are two farmer’s markets located within close proximity to the campus. TheTuscaloosa River Market, held along the Riverwalk, takes place in the spring every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is about a fifteen-minute stroll from most dorms.

At the beginning of the Fall semester each year, students can also partake in theUniversity’s student-led farmer’s market, Homegrown Alabama, where an assortment of produce from late summer months and the beginnings of autumn are featured: tomatoes, berries, pumpkins, melons, and more.

Whether from the dining hall or the farmer’s market, one truly cannot go wrong choosing fresh and choosing seasonal.

 

 

Homemade, Dorm-style, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bread

 

Ingredients

  • 1 box of Duncan Hine’s Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix
  • 1 c almond milk
  • 2 tbsp dairy-free butter, melted
  • ½ c applesauce
  • Dash of cinnamon for on top

Preparation

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Grease the inside of a large, covered, microwaveable bowl
  4. Pour cake batter into bowl
  5. Heat for 5 minutes
    • Ensure cake is cooked thoroughly by using a toothpick test
  6. Flip cake onto flat surface and let cool for 10 minutes
  7. Cut into slices and enjoy!

 

 

The Right Way to Snack

Dorm-Friendly Cooking, Staying Healthy, , ,

While it’s ideal to only eat the standard three meals a day, for most college students that just isn’t realistic. Whether it’s a late night full of studying or an all-day Netflix marathon, snacks are a must. In between meals, it is too easy to find yourself reaching for a bag of greasy potato chips or a tub of Ben and Jerry’s. These processed treats taste delicious, but so many alternative snack options exist that aren’t loaded with sugar and unnecessary calories. Finding healthy snacks options keeps off that dreaded freshman fifteen and still satisfies your cravings.
Salty Snacks
When I looked at the snacks I eat on a regular basis, I realized I could replace these snacks with healthy, tastier options. For example, when you feel like eating handfuls of those greasy potato chips, choose to make your own. With a few simple ingredients, you can indulge in real potatoes sliced, salted, and cooked to a crisp in a microwave. To find out more on how to make them yourself, check out “The Dreaded Freshman Fifteen.” Another yummy snack for your salty snack craving are kale chips. All the latest diets have incorporated this leafy green that is full of nutrients. Just drizzle the kale leaves in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for 10-15 min. You can always add salt and vinegar or grated parmesan cheese for a savorier chip. Only a few short steps to make a crunchy, nutritious snack!
Mini-Meals
Sometimes if you feel really hungry or just bored, you may want a snack with a little more substance to fill you up. Resist reaching for the Bagel Bites, Hot Pockets, or even calling Dominos because you can make something even better. On www.Pintrest.com , I found a recipe for a single serving pizza that will do the job. This homemade pizza’s costs less and makes for a healthier snack – what’s not to love? This recipe calls for an English muffin, tomato sauce, cheese and any topping you like. Just warm in the microwave, and you’ll have a mini pizza with warm melted cheese that’ll be sure to satiate your hunger.
Sweet Tooth Satisfiers
If you are like me, sweet tooth cravings occur regularly. Instead of eating candy bars or ordering Insomnia every night, try Nutella energy bites. These only take five ingredients: oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds, honey, and Nutella. Mix them all up in a bowl and then roll into one inch balls. Their benefits include easy preparation and no baking time. A fruity snack to munch on are frozen banana poppers. Slice up a banana, dip into Greek yogurt or melted chocolate, freeze, and enjoy. Freezing them makes them take on an ice cream effect that is addicting to eat. What a great way to snack without consuming excessive amounts of processed sugar.
As you can see, alternatives exist for almost all of your favorite daily snacks. With just a little effort to stock up on the necessary ingredients, you find yourself snacking the right way in no time. If you have any suggestions for snack recipes you love, please share below in the comments!

Kale Chips
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash and dry the kale leaves by pressing them between paper towels
• Rip off the thick stems
• Using your hands, rip up the kale into smaller pieces if necessary
• Toss kale leaves with olive oil in a bowl
• Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Bake for 12-15 min or until the edges of the kale curl up and turn brown
• Let cool and enjoy!

Frozen Banana Poppers
• Scoop any flavor of greek yogurt or melted bakers chocolate in a bowl
• Slice bananas up
• Dip banana slices in yogurt/chocolate
• Place coated banana slices on plate/wax paper and freeze for an hour roughly

The “Freshman 15”

Dorm-Friendly Cooking, Staying Healthy, ,

Every year, freshman have entered a world full of unlimited meal plans, no obligation to work out, and a lack of parents nagging them to eat their vegetables.  Because of these issues and several others, students entering college tend to gain a few accidental pounds.  Here are some ways for you to stay healthy in the some of the best, and toughest, years of your life:

1) Don’t forget breakfast. Being a college student, I know how hard it may be for someone to wake up any more that fifteen minutes before that 8 am class.  But, with enough motivation to be a healthy individual, you can avoid stuffing your face at lunch by just grabbing a bagel on the way out the door.

 

2) Workout. I know, just as well as any other high school student athlete, that regularly working out in college seems very troubling to get used to.  With all of the distractions in college (both academic and social), fitting a daily workout into your routine proves to be not easy to do. Even though this is true, there are ways to avoid this speed bump.  Try joining a sports club or even an intramural team to keep you on your feet throughout the week.  If you’re too busy for this, you can try to go to the gym at the same time, each day, to turn working out into just another part of your daily agenda.

3) Drink some water. Staying hydrated throughout the day always proves to be a challenge for the average college student. Coffee and other mystery dehydrating liquids seem to always be a part of a student’s daily struggle to make it through the week.  Carrying a reusable water bottle with you at all times is one way to keep your H2O levels consistent. Click on the water bottle image to find some cheap and effective reusable bottles from Target.

 

4) Manage your stress.  Every student knows that stress, no matter what you do, will be a part of your life.  Whether it’s caused by moving away from your home town or the four tests you have this week, stress is going to be present.  One way to relieve some of this stress is to take breaks in your long hours of school work.  Fitting an episode or two of Family Guy in the middle of studying is never a bad thing, every now and then. Working out is another way of reducing stress.

 

5) Be mindful of what you are consuming in the dining hall.  Just because you have an unlimited supply of food suddenly placed at your feet does not mean you should over-eat at lunch or dinner.  When choosing what to eat, try to work healthy foods into the equation.  Always look for vegetables and whole grain breads and pasta.  Another way to reduce the amount of food you consume is to drink a full glass of water prior to filling up your plate at the buffet.  Drinking a glass of water before you eat aids your metabolism and helps prevent you from over eating.

 

As you can see, the mighty freshman 15 can be dodged, but it may take some extra grit.  Try to persuade your friends to follow in your footsteps by taking these precautions along with you. A group effort always seems to trump an individual’s in situations like this.  Good luck in your pursuit of a healthy college lifestyle! Below is a recipe of a healthy smoothie that tastes good and is easy to make:

 

Fruit and yogurt smoothie

 

Ingredients

  • 1 banana
  • frozen berries
  • ½ cup of yogurt
  • 1 splash of pineapple juice
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • A bit of orange juice

 

Directions

Blend the ingredients above in a blender until it is fully mixed.  The measurements do not need to be exact and you can add and subtract what you think makes the smoothie taste the best!

Taking On The Freshman 15

Staying Healthy, , ,

Let’s face it: no one wants to gain the Freshman 15, but we’re all told about it coming into college. My family said it would come from all the junk food; my friends said it would come from an excessive amount of alcohol. While students often put on weight now that we’re away from home, we can definitely maintain our current weight if not lose weight if we stay on track.

I can already hear all the excuses.

“I don’t have the time to work out enough”

“I don’t have the money to follow a strict diet”

“Drinking is fun. I don’t want to stop drinking”

While these are all somewhat legitimate excuses, making progress really doesn’t take all that much change. What it will take is moderation. Yes, you’re going to have to work out some. Yes, you’re going to have to cut out the alcohol and junk food sometimes. But, the good news is that you’re not going to have to cut them out completely. You just need to follow some common-sense tips that I’ll talk about below, then you’ll be able to enjoy your college experience and stay in shape (get in shape for some people).

 

Exercise

The first step to not putting on weight as a freshman is some type of working out. I take advantage of lifting and running. But, if lifting heavy weights isn’t for you, it could be yoga class, riding bikes, hiking, etc. If you want a pleasant place to run, try running along the river. Here at the slice of heaven we call the University of Alabama, the choices for working out are limitless. There are even classes at the Rec Center that take the guess work out of it.  The most important part of working out isn’t necessarily the type, but the act of actually DOING IT. Find something that makes working out at least a little enjoyable and stick with it. Obviously, the more you work out, the better. But, aim for workouts that are around an hour at least 3-4 times a week to see a noticeable impact. Working out on its own will help tremendously, but like the famous quote goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

 

Caloric Intake

The biggest part of not gaining the Freshman 15 is your diet. If you’re slamming beers and eating Domino’s all the time, working out is not going to have near as big of an impact. I’m not telling you to not enjoy life, but you need to exercise moderation. Enjoy all the great food Tuscaloosa offers, but limit your indulgence to one or two cheat meals a week. I like to have mine on the weekends so I can reward myself for a week of hard work. For options during the week, believe it or not our thousand-dollar meal can go a long way. The dining halls have a salad bar, vegan and vegetarian options, lean meats like chicken and turkey some days and if you’re feeling young again you can even get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The dining halls can work for our goals if we stick to the healthy options and control our portions.

Try to limit your drinking to once or twice a week as well. Alcohol is empty calories and can completely ruin the effects of eating well. Alcohol also amplifies the effects of junk food. When you have alcohol in your system, instead of metabolizing food and burning off the calories, it’s more focused on burning off the alcohol. Because of this change of focus, more of the large pizza you just ate will be absorbed by your body.

Final Thoughts

The Freshman 15 might sound daunting. But, if you exercise moderation and follow the tips listed above, the Freshman 15 will be reduced to an afterthought. The most important part of watching caloric intake is staying healthy. This can mean different things for different people, so make sure to listen to your own body. Whatever your goals are, with a little tweaking, these tips are sure to bring results. I have even lost almost 20 pounds since school started while maintaining most of my strength from these tips; I know they can work wonders for anyone else willing to give them a try as well!