Healthy Eating in Hodgdon January 25, 2011

The post below is a guest feature from Brent Abel (Tufts ’13), Vice President of Tufts Culinary Society:

Nutrition Tips for Hodgdon: Convenience with Health

With 15 minutes left till your next club meeting and a stomach begging for food, you walk into Hodgdon searching for the most compelling food options that add-up to just the right sum of money. But as you glance at the lines for burritos and Chinese, does good nutritional value always pop into your mind? Here are some quick tips for getting the most at your Hodgdon run, at least nutritionally-speaking:

Mexican: Add refried beans or black beans and sautéed onions and peppers to your creation for a more nutritious meal. Freshly-diced tomato and the pico de gallo can boost the nutritional value of your meal as well.

Chinese: Enhance the nutrition quality by adding a side of vegetables. Though the fried rice has fewer calories and more vitamins, the lower fat and sodium content of white rice make white rice a healthier option as a starch, especially if paired to a side of vegetables.

BBQ: One of the most underrated locations for nutritious, satisfying food. Take advantage of the roasted white meat chicken, baked sweet potato halves, and other fresh options offered daily at this station.

Italian: Look for the daily pasta specials: sometimes they contain a lot of vegetables to offer a healthy Italian option.

Lunches: Do not overlook the delicious daily lunch special that offer lean proteins with tons of vegetables. The fresh mozzarella and tomato half-sandwich is another great option for a nutritious lunch on-the-go.

Sandwiches and Wraps: Choose a wheat roll for a healthy option.  Boost the nutritional value of your creation by adding fresh vegetables like sliced tomato, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, bell peppers, and shredded carrots.

Salads and Soups: Be aware of the hidden fats and sodium in salads, like cheese, olives, canned baby corn, and especially salad dressings. Hearty broth-based soups and chili can be both nutritious and satisfying during the cold winter months.

Drinks: Fruit juices and Gatorade have a lot of sugar. Try Crystal Light to reduce calorie intake or skim milk to bolster the nutritional value of your meal.

Breakfast: Low-fat yogurt and instant oatmeal provide healthy options for a quick breakfast.

Snacks: Opt for extra pieces of fruit and carrots rather than sugary snacks you may regret later on. Packages of sunflower seeds are low in sodium and offer a healthier alternative to chips.

For more information on the nutritional value of foods offered at Hodgdon, check out Tufts Dining Website.

Back to School Shape-Up with TSR Fitness Free Week January 22, 2011

Join TSR Fitness for our semester kick-off week with free classes all week long! Monday (1/24) through Saturday (1/29). All classes are held in the Hill Hall Aerobics Room. If you are doing Tufts Trek to Talloires program here is a great way to get in some workout hours!

Get a kick-start to fitness this week. Health is beautiful.

SPRING ’11 SCHEDULE:

MONDAY
12pm Power Yoga with Aleta
4:30pm Caliente Cardio Dance with Andi (assisted by Cristina)
5:30pm Total Body Toning with Laura

TUESDAY
5pm Boot Camp with Brian
6pm Cardio Kickboxing with Lanie

WEDNESDAY
6pm Fit Circuit with Allison (assisted by Duncan)
7pm Intermediate Vinyassa Yoga with Alexandra (assisted by Aleta)

THURSDAY
1pm Pilates with Sarah (assisted by Lanie)
6pm Cardio & Toning with Rosie (assisted by Cristina)

FRIDAY
10:30am Caliente Cardio Dance with Andi (assisted by Sarah)

SATURDAY
10am Yoga 101 with Natalia

Join TSR Fitness on facebook: www.facebook.com/TSRfitness
www.tuftsstudentresources.com

Easy Cauliflower Chickpea Curry January 19, 2011

Easy cauliflower chickpea curry

This spicy dish packs a powerful punch of flavor but is very easy and inexpensive to make. Make a large batch for some quick, tasty leftovers– the dish tasted even better after sitting in the fridge over night.

Try it at Home: Easy Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

– 1 head of  fresh cauliflower (about 1 lb)
– 1 can of reduced fat coconut milk
– 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed)
– 1 can of diced tomatoes or 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
– 2 tbsp curry powder
– 1 dash of ground black pepper
– 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Rinse cauliflower and cut into small florets. Heat large skillet at medium heat with 2-3 tbsp olive oil and add the cauliflower. After 2-3 minutes add drained, rinsed chickpeas and tomatoes and continue to stir skillet frequently. Continue to cook for about 4 minutes then add the coconut milk, curry powder, and black pepper. Stir well until fully blended then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and allow dish to simmer for about 15 minutes.

How to Like Brussels Sprouts January 14, 2011

The Secret to Liking Brussels Sprouts: Roast Them

Bland boiling and other lack-luster brussels sprouts recipes have earned them an infamous reputation from many children and adults alike. But the mini cabbage-like veggies can actually be delicious with one easy trick: roast them.

Try It At Home: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups fresh (or completely de-thawed frozen) brussels sprouts with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp of sea salt.  Pour mixture onto baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, shaking tray (or moving sprouts with spatula) every 10 minutes to make sure that they are evenly browned. The brussels sprouts will be done when they are brown crisped on the outside.

Nutrition Highlight: Related to broccoli and cauliflower, brussels sprouts are very high in vitamin C and vitamin K.

Join the Trek! January 11, 2011

Get out that workout bag! Join Tufts Trek to Talloires to get a community of support for your fitness goals this spring.

Dust off those sneakers… If you’ve been hiding from the cold all break long it’s time to pick up that workout bag and get a move on spring fitness goals!

Tufts University’s Trek to Talloires Challenge offers a free online fitness logging program for Tufts students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents to help kick start a new year of health. The 2011 Trek officially launched on January 3rd, but it isn’t too late to join! I just signed up today and am looking forward to having the extra boost to meet my goals for this spring.

The program is part of the Healthy @ Tufts initiative.

Get ready keeping a workout bag packed and ready to go. Here’s a list of a few things to help you keep sweat in check, stay hydrated, and avoid picking up gym germs.

The Perfect Workout Bag: 5 Essentials to Tote to the Gym

– Small hand towel
– Mini hand sanitizer – Use before touching your phone or your face if you can’t make it to a sink to wash your hands
– Water bottle– invest in a reusable bottle like stainless steel Klean Kanteen
– Travel-sized face wash or pre-moistened facial cleansing cloths– help prevent breakouts by cleaning your face right after a workout
–Extra hairband (ladies)/extra socks(guys)

Keep a ready-to-grab bag packed so you’ll be prepped to go whenever you have time to workout!

If you’re going to a gym where you’re planning on showering don’t forget flip flops! Tempted by drive-through windows on the way home? Pack a healthy snack like a handful of almonds and an apple to halt hunger instead. If you’re walking home on campus plan ahead to have a healthy post-workout snack or meal in mind.

Penne with Cumin, Cabbage, & Carrots January 10, 2011

Penne with Cumin Cabbage & Carrots

We found this recipe in a recent copy of The Dallas Morning News. All of the peeling, slicing, and shredding involved took a bit more time and effort than my family had expected but the final meal was one that everyone liked and there were plenty of leftovers to use for easy meals in the next couple of days.

We used whole wheat penne and fresh veggies. The only change we made to the recipe was to use Italian Asiago shredded cheese instead of Taggelio or fontina cheese (which I could not find at the store).

Scroll down to the third recipe on The Dallas Morning News website here to try this dish at home.

Pineapple Banana Mango Smoothie January 9, 2011

Pineapple Banana Mango Smoothie

Take a tropical escape with this Pineapple Banana Mango Smoothie: Fresh banana, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, unsweetened coconut milk.

Customize It
To amp up the protein add a few spoonfuls of unsweetened fat-free yogurt. Trying to get more greens? Toss in a few spoonfuls of fresh or frozen spinach. You’ll never taste it with the flavor of sweet, tangy, pineapple dominating the drink.

Nutrition Highlight: Pineapple is a very rich source of vitamin C and is a mildly anti-inflammatory food. To get the most nutritional bang for your buck be sure to look for the unsweetened kind when buying frozen. The fruit has plenty of natural sweetness without adding extra.

Lunch: Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi January 5, 2011

Whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi with peas and fresh red cabbage, topped with marinara sauce and a pinch of Italian Asiago and fresh sage

Sweet and Savory

For lunch today I tried to put together a new combination of flavors with an emphasis on including vegetable variety: whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi (found in the pasta aisle), frozen peas, fresh red cabbage, Italian shredded asiago, marinara sauce, and fresh sage.

The ingredients paired very well together and the lunch was very simple and quick to prepare. While I waited for the water to boil, I rinsed and cut the cabbage and sage, and assembled the remaining ingredients. When the water boiled, I put in the gnocchi and peas and allowed these to cook for about 3 minutes. I strained the water from the cooked ingredients and mixed in the cabbage and marinara sauce. After 30 seconds in the microwave the sauce was hot and ready to top with a pinch of asiago and fresh sage.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili January 4, 2011

 

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Cold winter days are not match for this warming dish. This chili is flavorful and very filling boosts your daily veggie and fiber intake. Everyone in my family loved the dish when my sister followed this recipe (from Epicurious.com) for dinner. We used 3 tablespoons of chili powder instead of the 6 in the recipe to make a mild chili instead of a spicy one.