Making Your Dining Selections a Little Healthier

We know that when it comes to school, especially when you have midterms and finals, there is little time for making sure you eat right and fill up on food items that don't contain so much sugar and artificial food coloring.

Student Health Services has provided a few tips for healthy eating habits that can be used specifically for eating in the dining halls:

1. Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal - it will fill you up (before you turn to easy-access junk food)
2. Make sure your plate has lots of color (not artificial coloring)
3. Drink lots of water- sometimes when you feel hungry, you are really just hydrated
4. Have half a cup of brothy (not creamy) soup before your meal. It will help fill you up so you don't eat as much.
5. If you do have that craving for junk food, have just a small portion and enjoy it!
6. Use hummus or avocado (healthy fats) instead of mayo or cheese on sandwiches and wraps
7. Drink fat free 1% or 2% milk instead of whole milk
8. Instead of milk, try soy milk
9. Choose whole grains: brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta
10. Have pizza with lots of veggies and less cheese and meat (remember, many of the dining halls allow you to request personal pizzas)
11. Try tofu
12. Go "veggie" one day a week and refrain from eating lots of meat and dairy
13. Choose baked chips instead of regular chips
14. Make your own salad with little dressing or request to use half the portion of salad dressing usually used when a dining employee makes it for you.
15. Use low-calorie dressing for your salads
16. Substitute chicken or fish for red meat at least 3 days a week
17. Choose tomato-based sauces rather than cream/pesto sauces for your pasta

Profile: Paul Rice, President and CEO of TransFairUSA

Because Fair Trade is one of many popular topics and issues concerning the global market, fair prices, fair labor conditions, direct trade, and environmental sustainability, some of our attention should be given to Paul Rice, founding President and CEO of TransFairUSA. Rice recently visited the University of California San Diego to give a public lecture on Fair Trade, Transfair, and Corporate Social Responsibility.

TransFairUSA is the only Fair Trade certification organization in the United States today, a non-profit organization, and one of 20 members of Fairtrade Labelling Oraganizations International (FLO). Since its establishment, TransFair has established Fair Trade as the fastest growing segment of the $19 billion coffee industry. So far, TransFair has developed business partnerships with over 400 US coffee companies, launched Fair Trade coffee into 30,000 retail outlets nationwide, certified over 75 million pounds of Fair Trade coffee, and generated over $60 million in additional income for small coffee farmers around the world. TransFair is also expanding Fair Trade certification to products, such as tea, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, rice, sugar, vanilla, bananas, and other fruits. Fair Trade has helped millions of small family farmers around the world who are now receiving a fair price for their harvests and making dramatic gains in their living standards.

The principles of Fair Trade:

1) fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products.

2) Fair Labor Conditions: The rights of workers on Fair Trade farms include, freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.

3) Direct Trade: importers purchase from Fair Trade producers with as little unnecessary middlemen as possible. This gives small farmers an opportunity to develop their business in order to compete in the global marketplace

4) Democratic and Transparent Organizations: Fair Trade farmers decide democratically how to invest in Fair Trade revenues

5) Community Development: Farmers and workers invest Fair Trade premiums into development projects, such as, scholarship programs, quality improvement training, and organic certification.

6) Environmental Sustainability: There is a strict prohibition of the use of harmful agrochemicals and GMOs that are harmful to farm workers and damage the ecosystem.


For more information, visit TransFairUSA

RecycleMANIA!!!

RecycleMANIA!
January 27 through April 5, 2008

It's time again for RecycleMania!
Over a 10-week period, campuses across the nation compete in this contest to see which institution can collect: the largest amount of recycleables per capita; the largest amount of total recycleables; the least amount of trash; or have the highest recycling rate. This is the third year in a row that we are competing. Of the more than 200 schools that participated in 2007, we finished in 24th place, 5th in California out of 15 schools.

The rules are the same this year- we will report (on a weekly basis) our recycling and trash tonnages. We are using the resident student population and staff of Housing Dining and Hospitality as our entry. How well we do depends greatly on the awareness of the target population and how much support is given to it. Spread the word to all within your sphere of influence, and pay attention to recycling and waste reduction during this period of competition.

No recyclable should go into a trash can! Recycling is good, but waste reduction is equally important-perhaps more so. While it would be nice to win an award or come out ahead of other California schools, it's even more important to REDUCE WASTE and
IMPROVE OUR RECYCLING EFFORTS!
Thank you, and Happy Recycling!

How Are we Doing so Far?
View current UC San Diego standings here:
http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/university_detail08.asp?ID=221

Rebecca McDivitt: UCSD Dietician Provided For You!

I. Nutrition Information
A. Vegetables
1. Broccoli - To get the most out of broccoli, steam it, braise it in a little water or stock, or eat it raw. Broccoli contains no fat and cholesterol, high in carbohydrates and fiber, only 60 calories per cup, available year-round in most supermarkets, and boasts a wide variety of nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and calcium. It also contains indoles, natural chemicals that boost enzymes that absorb other nutrients.
2. Spinach - Eat it raw in a salad or steam it as a side dish. Spinach is rich in iron and copper that protect against anemia and insomnia and contains beta-carotene, vitamin K (essential for blood clotting), vitamin D, magnesium, boron, and calcium. It may also help lower blood pressure and has been shown to lower the chance of strokes and heart attacks.
3. Potato - The average potato contains 220 calories, but no fat, so don't mistake it to be fattening. The best way to prepare potatoes is to bake or microwave them. You may boil them, but this method removes almost half of their carbohydrates. Otherwise, potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, contain no cholesterol and 10 to 26 milligrams of vitamin C (which is about half of what most adults need daily).
4. Garlic - Add chopped garlic to salads, soups, and other vegetables for flavor. You can also roast it to bring out its sweet side. A good friend of mine has the perfect method of spreading a clove of roasted garlic on toast as a nice side dish to her pasta. Garlic has been shown to help prevent several types of cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, improves blood clotting and circulation, lowers blood pressure, and lowers blood sugar of individuals who have diabetes.


Like what you read? Then visit Rebecca!!! She is located in Revelle near Plaza Cafe. You can also email her at rmcdivitt@ucsd.edu.