Dining

New Year, More Food: A 2023 Resolutions Guide

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Winter break is officially at a close, marking the beginning of a new semester of interesting classes, rewarding extracurricular activities and long-lasting memories. A deeply rooted tradition to focus on self-care and self-improvement, New Year’s resolutions are in full swing for many approaching the New Year with goals and ambitions to change. Surveys reveal that behind improving mental health, improving fitness and losing weight, an improved diet consistently ranks in the top five of the most common New Year’s resolutions. But what does a food-related resolution look like and how can students accomplish this goal?

diet

Eatonomics: Government Recommended Food Portions

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The USDA Food Guidance System myplate.gov offers comprehensive and individualized diet  suggestions based on age, sex, height, weight and activity level. Myplate.gov works to integrate the five food groups of vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy into everyday diets. “Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables,” “Make half of your grains whole grains” and “Vary your protein routine” are just a few of the recommendations to keep in mind when loading up your plate. Notably, myplate.gov encourages a movement towards healthier and balanced eating that is not about haves and have nots, but rather about the overall, general composition of what is eaten. The website also dives into greater detail regarding the health benefits of each food group, serving sizes, and general nutrition facts. 

Columns

SMITH | Another Social Media Diet pHenomenon?

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Upon further research, it seems to me, however, that all of this diet’s potential benefits come from the emphasis on fruits and veggies and prohibition of processed foods, and not so much us performing our own science experiment on our bodies. 

Columns

SMITH | I Don’t Want to Hear About Your (Keto) Diet

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Content Warning: Discussion of dieting and restriction

As a senior in nutritional sciences, simply stating my major usually results in some comment from somebody about their diet, be it defensive or inquisitive. I’m usually unbothered by these encounters, and I view eating as a deeply personal activity, since people’s eating habits can be driven by complex factors. However, there is one topic that comes up so often that I feel it’s necessary to make my opinion abundantly clear: You probably should not try the keto diet. Even for people not specializing in nutrition, I don’t think anyone will fight me when I say that protein is the golden child of nutrition. Compared to its macronutrient siblings (carbs and fat), protein can essentially do no wrong.

Dining

If Not Celiac, Then What?

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Humans have a long and complicated history with gluten. Celiac disease was first described in 1888 and identified as early as the 1000 CE. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where gluten causes an immune inflammation in the small intestine, leading to discomfort. Celiacs need to completely and permanently avoid any form of gluten in their diets. Though not incredibly common, people have paid a lot of attention to this gluten-free lifestyle.

Dining

A Foodie’s Trip to the Doctor

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What do your teeth, brain, mood and gut all have in common? Unsurprisingly, it turns out one answer is almost everything. They are, after all, interconnected and essential aspects of your body and life. The other, often overlooked answer, however, is food. The COVID pandemic put into perspective how little control we have over certain parts of our health, but quarantine was sobering, proving we don’t have to be “an inert chunk of randomly assembled molecules drifting wherever the universe blows” us.  In fact, the decisions we make about our food give us resounding leverage over our health.

Dining

Shortage. COVID-19. Not Again

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Shelves are empty, supply weak, prices heavy. There’s a shortage throughout the nation already. Shoppers are nervous, but on the surface they’re not calm or ready. Personal Protective Equipment and toilet paper, stand aside; it’s meat’s turn to have a shortage. Or is it?

Dining

A Spicy Take on Chronic Pain

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One of my earliest memories is of being five or six and having my father, a spicy food fanatic, make me eat one of the dried chilis that comes in kung pao chicken. That was the day I learned that the best antidote to a mouth on fire is not water or even milk, but mouthfuls of plain, steamed white rice. It was also the beginning of my own descent into what my mother felt was madness. From then on, my dad and I were like a cult, only instead of a god we worshipped capsaicin. We went to fancy hot sauce stores on vacation.