A serving of a sweet potato is low in calories and fat-free.

Sweet potatoes are a good source of:

• vitamin A
• beta carotene
• fiber
• vitamin C
• B vitamins
• manganese
• potassium

There are so many more ways to eat sweet potatoes other than topped with marshmallows during the holidays!

Mashed sweet potatoes is a simple dish and is full of flavor.

Loaded Sweet Potato: Instead of a regular baked potato, choose the baked sweet potato and load it up with the various veggies and toppings found in the dining hall! Add some veggies from the salad bar or from a veggie side dish offered that day on top of your sweet potato. If you also eat the skin, you are getting a better source of vitamin A, beta carotene and fiber.

 This Thursday, NC State University Dining will be having a ‘Farm Feast’ outdoor meal at Fountain Dining Hall from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Two different dishes will with sweet potatoes will be offered:

• Sweet Potato Pilaf
• Lime & Chili Roasted White Sweet Potato

Don’t forget to serve yourself some sweet potatoes as part of your meal this Thursday!

–Katie

Cutting the right type of calories, like those empty calories, can help  keep off those extra pounds –which is easier if you are exercising and eating a balanced diet.

Here are some easy swaps you can make to keep those extra empty calories to a minimum!

1. Swap out mayo and use mustard instead. While mayonnaise has 90 calories per tablespoon, mustard only has 15 calories and is loaded with flavor!

2. Swap out regular soda for a zero or low calorie option.  Cut out those 140 empty calories found in a 12 ounce glass of soda and instead have:

• water-always the best choice!

• flavored water-you can always choose water in the dining hall then bring a flavoring with you, such as Dasani Drops ( just a couple drops adds enough flavor).

• water with fruit-get water from one of the hydration stations or cut up some fruit in the dining hall and add some of that to your cup (and eat the rest!).

Read more about hydrating with water here.

3. Go skinless! The herb baked chicken in the dining hall is one of my favorites, but it has about 320 calories per piece. Why? Because the skin is still on! Instead of eating the entire piece, remove the skin and just eat the meat. You can save approximately 150 calories!

4. If you have dessert, choose a lower calorie option. The best option will always be fruit–which has less than 100 calories per serving, but it’s always ‘sweet’ to have a treat once in awhile.

Pass over that 400 calorie brownie or piece of cake and go for a 130 calorie 1/2 cup serving of Howling Cow soft serve ice cream in a bowl or, for 15 extra calories, have that ice cream in a cone. But skip those sprinkles, which can add an extra 75 calories per tablespoon!

Make a couple simple swaps each day to help eliminate some of those extra calories!

–Katie

• more calories per serving
• less  nutrients–like fiber and water soluble vitamins
• added sugars, unless labeled 100% fruit juice

Think skipping that soda and drinking juice instead is better? Many juices are sugar-sweetened, unless they are labeled otherwise.  And those extra calories can add up–one 8 ounce glass of fruit juice can have about 120 calories compared to 60 calories in one fresh orange. When drinking juice, you may not have that same feeling of fullness like when you eat a whole fruit. That’s because juices are missing the fiber found in fruits.

Other sources of fiber include vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Dietary fiber is important to include in your diet because fiber can help:

• you feel fuller for longer
• keep your digestive system in balance
• reduce your risk of certain cancers
• lower cholesterol
• control blood glucose levels, which is especially beneficial for those with diabetes

Next time you’re in the dining hall, look for trays of fruit or grab an apple, orange or banana instead of pouring that glass of juice! If you still want something sweet to drink (other than soda):

• Only fill your glass of juice up 1/3 or 1/2 of the way and then go back for a refill of water.
• Try Howling Cow chocolate milk instead! You get the sweetness from the chocolate plus the benefits of drinking milk.

Protein is found in lots of different foods, which is a great way to add some variety to your diet! Although meats are a great source of protein, there are lots of other sources where you can get your protein from in the dining halls.

What is a legume? And why should you be eating them? For starters, they are delicious! Legumes include peas, beans and lentils and are chalked full of protein, fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and folate.

Beans and other legumes:

• are a good source of protein
• are low in fat
• do not contain any cholesterol
• are high in fiber, which can help you feel fuller longer and can help in lowering blood cholesterol
• contain antioxidants, which help prevent free radical damage
• have other health benefits including lowering your risk of heart disease and certain cancers

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one of my favorite beans! Why? Because they are so versatile and can be used in so many different dishes!

Hummus is available everyday at the salad bar. So, add some hummus and veggies for dipping to your plate!

Or try one of the vegetarian dishes offered in the dining hall that incorporates chickpeas (pictured below) or another type of bean.

 Italian Lentil Salad is frequently offered at the salad bar. Lentils are a legume that can be used in salads, soups and stews!

Another delicious source of protein is fish, which is routinely offered in the dining halls. Fish is high in protein, lower in calories and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega 3’s are an essential fatty acid that provide some great health benefits including lowering triglycerides, lowering risk of heart disease and can help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Try to eat fish at least two times per week, so have tuna one day and an entree of fish at lunch or dinner another day. The salmon with dill sauce offered in the dining hall is my favorite!

  –Katie

Sources: WebMD: Beans, Mayo Clinic,  WebMD: Omega 3’s

How can you eat well? Here are some tips to  ‘eat right, your way, every day’ in the dining halls.

1. Choose the Salad Bar. Load your salad with lots of veggies that are offered at the salad bar every day and skip the cheeses, croutons and bacon bits. Swap creamy dressings for a lighter option-like balsamic vinaigrette or italian.

2. Everything in moderation, right? Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love–just watch out for portion sizes. I love grilled cheese sandwiches and will have it once in awhile, but I make sure to load the rest of my plate with veggies!

3. Grab an apple, banana, or orange before you go! Keep healthy snacks on hand for later in the afternoon to help you stay on track and snack smart.

 4. Sandwiches and wraps are available every day in the dining halls.

Skip the cheese. Keep the mayo or dressing to a minimum. Instead load your sandwich up with veggies and make sure to ask for a whole wheat wrap or bread! Try to make at least half your grains whole grains every day–and eating a whole wheat wrap or  bread is a great way to help achieve this goal.

5. Track what you eat in the dining halls using the My Fitness Pal app.

Type ‘NC State’ before the menu item that you are looking for and it will pop up! You can plan your meal before you go (by first checking the menu for the day listed on University Dining’s website) or log what you ate after lunch. Tracking what you eat and how much can help you keep your portions and calories  within healthy limits.

The My Fitness Pal app can be used to create a customized plan- – so sign up for your free account if you didn’t during the One Change Campaign!

 –Katie

The Goldies is an annual national award program which recognizes the achievements of Gold Standards in non-commercial foodservice and is hosted by Food Service Director and The Culinary Institute of America. The third annual Goldies award was presented in Tampa, FL at the 2013 Menu Directions Conference.

The major sustainability campaign developed by University Dining, “My Roots are at NC State”, competed in the “Going Green” category and won as the best College and University achievement, and then advanced to compete with all four market sectors (K-12, Colleges & Universities, Healthcare and Business & Industry) and received the Grand Goldie Award as best overall.

“My Roots are at NC State” was launched in the fall 2012 semester, and serves to highlight sustainable practices in foodservice including use of local foods, composting, and energy reduction while recognizing supporting partner companies and NC State alumni who are employed by those partners.

Randy Lait, senior director of hospitality services for NC State accepted the award stating, “We are honored to receive this recognition. Our University Dining team strives to foster lasting sustainability practices and to advocate for the sustainability goals of our university. My Roots allows us to do that, while concurrently supporting North Carolina agriculture, our business partners and highlighting the achievements of NC State alumni”.

University Dining is a department of Campus Enterprises, the lead division for retail and hospitality on the NC State University campus. For more information, contact Joanna Minett at 919.513.3969 or via email at: jlminett [at] ncsu [dot] edu.

Why should you use My Fitness Pal? There are so many more reasons other than just counting calories.

Paying attention to the types of calories you’re consuming can help you stay on track. Eating 400 calories of pancakes, bacon and syrup is a lot different than 400 calories of a spinach, mushroom, green pepper omelet, strawberries, yogurt and a slice of whole wheat toast.

Without even knowing it, you may be eating way more sugar, carbs, saturated fat or sodium than you should be each day. Using My Fitness Pal, you can see the breakdown of nutrients in the foods you log in and if you are under or over your total for the day.

Did you go on a walk or go to the gym? You can add exercise to My Fitness Pal to see how many calories you are burning!

I love using the app on my iPhone because I customized a plan based on my weight, height, age, gender and weight goals (whether it be to lose, gain, or maintain your weight, My Fitness Pal can help you determine your calorie needs!).

My plan tells me how many calories (and how much of each nutrient) I should aim for each day.

I didn’t even mention the best part yet! You can find the exact foods served in the dining halls here at NC State in My Fitness Pal. Having nutrition information at the tip of your fingers makes it so much easier to see how many calories and nutrients are in the foods you choose in the dining hall.

All you have to do is type is ‘NC State’ before the item you are looking for and it will bring up the items from the dining halls!

As part of your One Change, make sure to ‘LOG IT’ this week to track how many calories you are eating each day!

–Katie

Relaxing in various ways can help manage your stress. 

One way to relax is to get a massage. This week as part of the One Change campaign, stop by Fountain to get a free chair massage!

Another way to manage stress is to exercise. Try yoga, pilates or even walking. Regular exercise increases endorphins in your brain and can improve your mood and help you get a better night’s sleep.

Did you know there are foods that can help combat stress? Try to eat some of these foods throughout the day to help feel more relaxed! Many of these foods are offered in the dining hall every day and all have health benefits.

Six Foods That Can Help Fight Stress:

1. Dark Chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate!? Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate because of the flavonoid content (an antioxidant that helps prevent damage from free radicals). Just remember…eat in moderation!

2. Tea

Both black tea and green tea have some powerful health benefits. Tea contains lots of antioxidants, like flavonoids and catechins, and can have a calming effect.

I love to have a cup of tea with honey while I am studying.

 3. Milk 

Howling Cow milk is always available in the dining hall. Have a glass of skim milk for a good source of vitamins A & D, calcium and protein. Regular milk consumption can help you feel less stressed, so drink up!

4. Spinach

There are so many easy ways to include spinach in your diet: in your omelet, wrap, sandwich or as a salad. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals. The high levels of magnesium found in spinach helps to reduce stress hormones in the body.

5. Tuna Fish

Did you know tuna is available everyday in the dining hall? You can find it at the salad bar or at the wrap station. Tuna is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which has been found to reduce stress hormones.

So, add some tuna fish to your spinach salad..and don’t forget to load it up with other veggies!

For lunch, I stuck to my half plate healthy change from last week’s post and made sure I loaded my plate with veggies first, then I added spinach lasagna and tuna on top of my salad.

6. Oranges

Oranges are chalked full of vitamin C, which is great for your immune system and can help manage stress. Grab one ‘to-go’ in the dining hall after your next meal!

Which of these ‘superfoods’ are you going to try to include in your diet?

–Katie

Sources: Mayo Clinic: Stress, Mayo Clinic: Exercise & Stress  

A couple of my favorite ways to eat peanut butter…

For breakfast, try adding peanut butter to a piece of whole wheat toast and topping it with apples, bananas or strawberries.

Just 2 tablespoons of peanut butter has about 200 calories, so make sure you are eating the right portion! Two tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball (which may be smaller than you think!)

No meal plan? No worries! You can stock up on natural peanut butter from the grocery store to have on hand in your dorm or apartment. Natural peanut butter doesn’t have any added preservatives or sugar, so a layer of oil will form on the top during storage (so make sure to mix  before eating!).

What’s your favorite way to include PB in a snack?

–Katie

Are you eating enough fruits and veggies each day? It’s recommended that adults eat at least two serving of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day. A serving is usually about ½ cup for most fruits and vegetables and 1 cup for leafy greens. Only about ⅓ of Americans are meeting these requirements!

Fruit and vegetables are important to include in our diet to help reduce the risk of diseases and cancer, help maintain a healthy weight and they provide lots of essential nutrients.

Balance out the portions on your plate and add more fruits and veggies! Where I am from there is a grocery store called Wegmans. There is only one word to describe it: amazing. Who uses ‘amazing’ to describe a grocery store? Anyone who has ever been in Wegmans.

Wegmans has a campaign for healthy eating and it is a great way to help keep your portions in check and eat more fruits and veggies–without counting calories.

One of the ideas in Wegmans’ “eat well live well” mission is called half plate healthy. The concept is simple: first fill half your plate with fruits and/or veggies and then the rest with whatever else you plan to eat for that meal. By putting the fruits and veggies on your plate first, it leaves less room for the other dishes that have more calories.

For lunch the other day I had this:

I put green beans and salad (with cucumber, carrots, green peppers, and a little bit of ranch dressing) on my plate first, then filled in the rest with wild rice and a sesame chicken breast (which was delicious!). For dessert, I had an apple to go.

Want to start adding more fruits and veggies to your meals? Here are three simple meal ideas that you can try in the dining hall:

1. For breakfast have a veggie omelet and a slice of whole wheat toast. Start your day with eggs because they are packed with protein and can help keep you feeling full longer. Add green peppers, onions, spinach, and mushrooms…or any other veggies you like!

2. For a quicker breakfast try putting peanut butter on whole wheat toast and add bananas or strawberries on top.

3. For lunch or dinner try a whole plate salad loaded with veggies and you can add chick peas, chicken or fish for protein. Top it with a lighter salad dressing– use a pre-made balsamic vinaigrette or make your own by combining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

–Katie

Sources: CDC