Smart Salad Selection Tips

Opting for the salad bar can be a great meal choice. It’s a great way to access a quick lunch with lots of nutritional punch, as long as you put a bit of care into navigating the options. Here are some quick tips that will help you make the best selections:

For a salad bar meal, choose foods with:

• adequate lean protein, carbohydrates, vitamins/minerals
• less sodium, sugar, total/saturated fats

The best salad bar choices:

• dark, leafy greens
• plain vegetables
• fresh fruit
• whole grains
• low-fat dairy &/or lean meat, legumes, soy, nuts, seeds

Consume these ingredients sparingly:

• cheeses, egg yolks
• marinated vegetables
• dressings, dips, condiments
• crunchy toppings

A salad meal should follow the ChooseMyPlate guidelines recommending consuming ½ your plate in fruits/vegetables, ¼ whole grains, ¼ protein. You can find a wide variety of top salad bar choices at any KU Dining location! Aim to consume the healthiest ingredients in a salad!

Healthier Eating to Control Weight

 

Weight control tops many New Year’s resolutions

For optimal weight control consider these nutrition tips …

• Consume nutrient-dense, lower calorie foods.
• Aim for your daily total caloric intake to resemble:
• Proteins (15-20%); Carbohydrates (50-60%); Fats (25-30% with no more than 7-10% saturated fat calories)
• Include healthier dietary components daily/weekly …
• 25-35 gm daily fiber in carbohydrate foods [whole-grain breads/cereals, fresh fruits/vegetables, legumes (dry beans, peas), nuts/seeds]
• omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [best sources: wild salmon, canola oil, walnuts/lesser sources: cod, leafy greens (kale, collard greens, Swiss chard) flaxseeds and/or flaxseed oil]
• Select yogurts with cultured milk or plain with no-sugar added
• Control added sodium (salt) intake; no more than 1,500 mg
• Limit sugar intake: women 100 calories or 6 tsp. per day; men 150 calories or 9 tsp. or less per day
• Check for additional healthy eating tips and use our NetNutrition program at www.kudining.com.
• If dieting with decreased carbohydrates and higher percentage of fat and proteins, do consult your doctor or dietitian first, following his or her recommendations.
• Learn how to calculate your calorie needs!
• Remember to exercise to maintain a healthy weight.

Use these resources for improving daily dietary strategies!
Sources:

• www.eatright.org
• www.aad.org
• www.heart.org
• www.choosemyplate.gov
• www.diabetes.org
• www.supertracker.gov

Sugar – Sweet or Not so Sweet?

Sugar can be a natural component in food choices or an added ingredient improving the overall food product or recipe flavor, texture, and palatability. Sugar adds calories but not necessarily vitamins/ minerals compared to other carbohydrate foods. Sugar is categorized as a “simple” more refined carbohydrate. It is broken down into glucose faster and then absorbed quicker into the body.
If consuming 2,000 calories per day, one’s sugar intake would equate to about 20 teaspoons. Recommendations for added sugar consumption are:

• Women-no more than100 calories (6 tsp.) daily
• Men-no more than 150 calories (9 tsp.) daily

To attain those recent recommendations, modify your food and beverage choices by:

• reading labels for sugar, syrup, and carbohydrates ending in “ose” ingredients
• reducing those extra condiments, toppings, and candies that quickly increase sugar, calorie totals
• researching websites that explain sugar reduction and/or modifying using natural or artificial sweeteners in home recipes
• increasing intake of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables with natural vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients
• increasing complex whole-grain carbohydrate foods, snack foods rich in fiber
• reducing sweetened beverages except those that are calcium & vitamin-D rich
• drinking more water with zero calories, no added sugars

An added benefit to controlling your intake of “simple” carbohydrates (sugars) would be maintaining a normal weight as recommended by physicians and other health professionals and keeping active! Sources:
American Heart Association www.heart.org
www.FoodInsight.org

2nd Annual “Taste of KU Dining” Sampling Event for KU Faculty and Staff

July 23, 2014 (LAWRENCE, Kan.) – KU Dining Services will present the second annual “Taste of KU Dining,” a free event for KU faculty and staff. The event will be held at the Kansas Union Ballroom, 1301 Jayhawk Boulevard, on Wednesday, August 20, 2014, from 4:00-5:30 p.m.

All KU faculty and staff are invited to attend the event in appreciation of their service to the University and to receive important information about benefits available to them for dining options on campus. No RSVP is required. The event will offer faculty and staff an array of food and beverage samples representing all KU Dining retail and residential facilities. Included among the offerings will be redfish macque choux from Impromptu, breakfast quesadilla from The Market, smokey pulled pork slider from Mrs. E’s, tofu vegan buffalo wrap from North College Cafe, chorizo taco burger from Oliver Dining, southern pecan crème flavored coffee from The Roasterie Coffee Shops, Café Spice tamale from The Underground and many more.

Information will also be available at the event about the discounted KU Cuisine Faculty/Staff Dining Plan. The Plan offers the convenience of access to all 22 KU Dining retail and residential locations plus flexibility, selection and substantial savings.

Employees may take advantage of the KU Cuisine Faculty/Staff Dining Plan benefit by adding KU Cuisine Cash to their KU Cards. Adding as little as $45 gets a bonus $5 value immediately, usable at any KU Dining Services location. Participating faculty and staff then save an additional 10% off at the all-you-care-to-eat Residential Dining Centers (Mrs. E’s at Ekdahl Dining Center in Lewis Hall, Oliver Dining, or North College Café at GSP Hall). Plan participants may host University-affiliated guests such as students or colleagues at any KU Dining retail or residential location.

KU Cuisine Cash stays on the KU Card as long as a faculty or staff member is employed. KU Card holders with KU Cuisine Cash also receive 10% savings on Fridays at any KU Dining retail food court, restaurant, coffee shop or snack bar.

KU Dining is a division of the KU Memorial Unions. A not-for-profit service organization at the University of Kansas, the KU Memorial Unions provide services for the benefit of the University community.
For additional information on KU Dining Options: www.kudining.com. To sign up for the KU Cuisine Faculty/Staff Dining Plan online: www.kudining.com/facstaffplan.

Mortar & Pestle IS NOT Closing!

This week, we sat down with Nona Golledge, KU Dining Director, to discuss the misperceptions about the closing of Mortar & Pestle Café (M&P) on West Campus.
Let’s cut right to the chase.

Is the M&P closing?

No! The M& P is committed to serving our partners on West Campus, but we do need to streamline the service.

Streamlined service. What does that mean?

We will close the grill portion and move the remaining operations to the coffee shop, where we can offer many M&P favorites with staffing geared to sales levels.

But why the changes?

Unfortunately, economic realities make it difficult to maintain our current offerings. Since M&P’s opening in 2010, the population on West Campus has not reached the point to sustain the current operation. Even with elimination of the grill, KU Dining Services will incur financial losses.

But don’t you receive student fees to subsidize the M&P?

No, Dining does not receive student fees or state funding. We are a not-for-profit organization offering dining services to the KU campuses. All income from sales is dedicated to supporting retail dining on campus.

So what will the New M& P offer with the grill closed?

We’ll continue to carry hot items. We will offer a rotating menu of hot entrees as well as Panini sandwiches, hot soup and the popular “dillas of the day.” We’ll also offer the complete line of Roasterie coffee and specialty beverages as well as breakfast pastries, gourmet salads and sandwiches.

What else do we need to know about the changes?

As the landscape of the KU campus changes, KU Dining Services changes too. We will watch for continued growth on West Campus so we can expand the offerings at M&P to best serve our guests.
See you at the U!

Learn the Basics of Indian Cooking Enjoy Free Samples Too!

SUA and KU Dining are excited to be hosting Chef Hari Nayak, Indian chef extraordinaire, for two special events next week. 

Chef Hari is Culinary Director at Café Spice. Café Spice opened at the Underground one year ago, making KU the first Midwest campus to host this Indian concept. Chef Hari began his epicurean journey at The Culinary Institute of America. After working in India, he went on to work in restaurants in New York, London and Paris. Today, he is among America’s most celebrated chefs for his unique culinary style.

On Wednesday, April 9, Chef Hari will be hosting a cooking demonstration in the Jayhawk Room on Level 5 of the Kansas Room. The demo will feature traditional Indian food in Chef Hari’s own style. He’ll discuss the culture behind each item he prepares and guests will enjoy samples of the dishes. The event starts at 7 p.m., just about the time most students start hankering for that evening snack.   

Chef Hari will also be doing a book signing at this event for his bestseller, Modern Indian Cooking. In this book Chef Hari provides his outlook on Indian cuisine. This event is FREE for anyone with a KU ID. 

Then, on Thursday, April 10, Tea at Three will transform into Chai at Three, again featuring Chef Hari. A Henna artist will also be on hand to illustrate the depth of Indian culture. Masala Chai will be served, as will samples from Café Spice. If you’ve never been to Tea at Three, this would be the right time to check it out. As always, this Tea at Three is free and open to all.

Both events are presented by SUA’s Culinary Committee, in partnership with KU Dining at the KU Memorial Unions.

See you at the U!

KU Celebrates National Nutrition Month®

Enjoy The Taste of Eating Right!

KU Dining’s two registered dietitians, Cheryl Wiley and Mary Rondon, are encouraging the KU community to celebrate National Nutrition Month® 2014 by returning to the basics of healthful eating.
This year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.” Throughout March, KU Dining Services will be hosting activities campus wide to help the KU community combine taste and nutrition to create healthy meals that follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Participants who attend scheduled events will not only enhance their nutritional knowledge while participating in some fun, they may even win a prize!
Kansas Union:

• “Nutrition & Wellness Showcase,” March 5, Kansas Memorial Union, Level 4, 11a.m to 1:00 p.m.

Retail Dining Cafes:

• “Nutrition Game Day.” Events take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day.
• March 7: The Underground in Wescoe
• March 11: Mortar & Pestle in the KU School of Pharmacy
• March 12, Crimson Café in the Burge Union 2nd floor

Residential Dining Centers

• “Nutrition Game Night.” Events take place from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. each evening.
• March 24, Oliver Dining in Oliver Hall
• March 26, Ekdahl Dining in Lewis Hall
• March 27, North College Café at GSP

Erin Laurie, President of the Kansas Dietetic Association (KDA), said National Nutrition Month is a time to celebrate what registered dietitians (RD) and registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN) do year-round. “Health and nutrition know no season, but during the month of March, we really encourage Kansans to recommit to basic, healthful eating,” said Laurie.

March 12 marks “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day,” when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) acknowledges the significant work RDNs do as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

 “Good nutrition can and should be delicious and exciting, and RDs and RDNs have the tools and expertise to help Kansans make 2014 their healthiest year yet” Laurie said.

 Members of the KU & Lawrence community are encouraged to schedule an appointment to interview Cheryl Wiley, MS RD LD, during the month of March to learn more about KU Dining’s commitment to National Nutrition Month® through our programmed events and activities.

The Kansas Dietetic Association is a state affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). AND is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. With nearly 72,000 members, the Chicago-based AND strives to improve the nation’s health through food and nutrition. To learn more, visit AND at www.eatright.org. KU Dining Services is a function of the KU Memorial Union, a not-for-profit service organization at the University of Kansas. The KU Memorial Union and its affiliates provide campus dining services, event services and educational and recreational services for the University community. For more information, visit union.ku.edu/dining.