Nutrition

This nutrition blogs features thoughts, tips, and videos from our student Nutrition Outreach Workers (NOW) and UHS Registered Dietitians.

Ask our nutrition team a question!

Tips for eating healthy with a busy schedule

March 14, 2018
Lucy Yu, Nutrition Outreach Worker
Many students have a hectic schedule and often lack time to sit down to have a proper meal. As a student, I often rush through meals, eat processed food to save time or even forget about eating. These poor eating habits lead to feeling tired, increase stress and weaken the immune system. Through my own experiences, I learned how to incorporate healthy eating habits with a restless agenda. Here are some tips that you can do to start eating well with a busy life.

Handling Weight-Focused Conversations this Holiday Season

October 22, 2019
Ami Alaniz, Nutrition Outreach Worker (NOW)

two pairs of feet in wool socks by the fireplaceEveryone has heard a comment or two, while home for the holidays or back at school after the holidays, of how our appearance has changed so much. Well-intentioned at best, or triggering at worst, a “simple” comment can send some of us running to the other room wondering if we have really changed that much, and if...

Ask the Dietitian: Fat Talk

February 9, 2017
Toby Morris, MS, RD
I ate so much junk food this week, I feel like I gained ten pounds! How can I get more willpower?

Finals Week Healthy Eating and Self-Care Tips from the NOWs

April 26, 2018
During RRR week make sure to REPLENISH your energy to study effectively! Throughout RRR week and Finals Week, it’s easy to fall into the cycle of studying and preparing for finals while not making enough time to take care of yourself. But did you know that you can combat stress simply by taking care of your health and well-being? Check out some of these tips from the Nutrition Outreach Workers (NOWs): to keep your mind and body energized and ready to take on finals!

Ask The Dietitian: Health at Every Size

December 8, 2017
Sarah Minkow, MS, RD
You can be healthy and fit without being thin. As part of a social movement called Health at Every Size (HAES), dietitians and doctors are moving away from assessing people’s health according to their weight. The HAES philosophy is based on the idea that people of all sizes deserve respect and good health, and that size does not determine health.

Ask the Dietitian: Craving Candy

March 15, 2017
I eat way too much candy, especially during exams. What should I do when I have cravings?

Nutrition Blog: Seasonal Spring and Summer Produce

April 30, 2021

Summer fruit assortment

Alex Gomez, Nutrition Outreach Worker

As the weather gets warmer and we all prepare for summer, let’s take some time to appreciate the return of spring and summer produce. Shopping seasonally not only can help with saving money when buying groceries, but it can also boost your nutritional intake as you explore and consume a greater variety of produce. Each fruit and vegetable has its own unique nutritional profile, so taking advantage of the new produce that will become available can introduce different micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, while also keeping you excited to stay nourished and motivated this season! Personally, I always look forward to the return of papaya and watermelon, as they are tasty and packed with water, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

With new produce becoming available in spring and summer, I find myself making Greek Yogurt Fruit Salads since they are quick to make and contain protein, energy, and so much flavor. Many more student-friendly recipes can be found on our recipe website.

A USDA seasonal produce guide offers nutritional information and a list of seasonal produce to inform your decisions. If you feel that you need some extra information or guidance, feel free to talk with a registered dietitian at our free drop-in nutrition counseling!

COVID-19 Food Thoughts

November 24, 2020

aerial view of various cups of coffee

Fiona Beltran, Nutrition Outreach Worker

Let’s talk about Covid-19. Not the virus itself, but how it has changed our lives. Living in the Covid era, there’s little to do. We can do outdoor activities, sit 6 feet away from our friends, make small talk over Zoom and experience all of the excruciating, awkward silence when no one speaks, but where does food fit in?

Grabbing a socially distanced meal or a cup of coffee with a friend is one of the essential activities we can still do in the Covid 19 era. I’ve never looked forward to buying something as simple as a 99 cent Frosty through the drive-through window quite as much as I do now!

Covid has changed our view of food. The highlight of my week now is the walk I take to get a cappuccino in the morning or my weekly lunch date with a friend. Sometimes when I’m stir crazy I decide to run out and grab a snack, thankful for the change of scenery and fresh face as I order, pay, and enjoy. Looking forward to food dates with friends and family or impulsive drive through runs is a new, but a regular part of our lives now. With food taking an unexpected more prominent role, and an unintentional lack of exercise accompanying it due to work from home and online school, food feels different. It’s easy to feel overindulged, or easily full. Waking up 2 minutes before a morning lecture is great, but sometimes we skip breakfast and then satisfy our hunger too readily at lunch and feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Nutrition Blog: Feel Good Food

March 29, 2021

Sarah Minkow, Registered Dietitian

Hands shaping dough into a heart

Food does more than just provide nutrients. It delights our senses, helps us celebrate special occasions, connects us to people, and defines our cultures. We may bake holiday cookies with our families, celebrate move in day with a pizza with our roommates, cry into our Ben and Jerry’s after a break up, or Netflix and chili-straight-out-of-the-can in bed when needing some down time after finals. And that’s OK! Food nourishes our body and soul and can be an important part of our identity.

Growing up, my grandmother would make popovers for us for breakfast when we would visit. Anytime I have a popover I picture being at my grandmother’s house, pulling up a chair to her kitchen table, and enjoying a buttery, still warm out of the oven popover with her. Now that she has passed, I cherish that memory. Do you have a particular food that makes you feel good?

NOW Blog - My Experience as a NOW

March 2, 2021
Anisha Dosanjh, Nutrition Outreach Worker

Nutrition Outreach Workers smiling for camera in their blue shirts.Hello, my fellow Golden Bears! My name is Anisha Dosanjh and I am one of the Nutrition Outreach Workers (NOWs) from University Health Services. I am a third year here at Cal, double majoring in Public Health and Molecular and Cell Biology.

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