Hustle, Bustle and Vitamin B12

Recently, something has been happening with my health that has brought back that spark for why I started this blog in the first place, to educate college students like myself on the importance of healthy habits and good nutrition.

Well if only I had taken my own advice.

This semester has been one for the books. I am taking almost 18 hours, working part-time and transitioning into leadership rolls within my clubs and organizations. All of that on top of trying to stay healthy by working out and attempting to get 7/8 hours of sleep left me with little down time to just check in with myself. I was waking up at 5:30 am to workout and getting to bed after studying and doing homework around 12:00 am.

I was so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, that I forgot to check in with my body and self access my health. Then, one evening before I had to run off to another meeting, I felt like I was about to faint. I thought it may be from the lack of sleep from the night before when I stayed up studying for an another nutrition exam, so I just laid down a bit and “powered through.” A few days passed and the fatigue did not subside. The next thing I knew I could stand up without getting dizzy and needing to sit down.

I was convinced something was terribly wrong, and decided to go get some blood work done. I asked them if they would check my iron, because I suspected some form of anemia due to my knowledge of nutrition. A few days later I got a frantic call from the clinic urging me to go pick up my new twice daily prescription of iron and Vitamin B12. They also recommended I start a weekly B12 shots. For those of you in the field of nutrition of healthcare, you know that this is a common prescription regiment for vegans, or elderly patience who no longer have the intrinsic factor for B12.

Although I am not vegan or vegetarian or elderly, I just hadn’t been able to maintain a balanced diet and make sure I was getting what I needed.

It was upsetting, because I should know better than anyone the importance of getting your recommended amount of meat/animal products. It was a blessing in disguise and a major reality check: I was pushing myself too hard.

I enjoy the hustle and bustle of life, but not at the cost of my health.

Nutrient deficiency’s are topic of major discussion within my major and in healthcare. To find out I had two of them was very scary. Iron and B12 deficiencies’ are actually more common than you may think. According to Hematology.org, iron deficiency is one of the most common amongst women and in people who have a diet that is low in iron. Check and Check.

I am proud to say after 3 long months of vitamin supplements, booster shots and lots of sausage patties that both my iron and B12 levels are back to normal!!

This is just one more example of how important it is what RDN’s do. I got to experience first hand the thoughts and feelings of someone struggling with a nutrition problem. I can proudly say that I will be a better RDN in the future for it. As strange as it sounds, I found comfort in a diagnosis. It gave the problem a name and a face I could use to understand how to get better, and I hope that I may be the RDN who can give that to someone else.

Thanks so much for checking out the blog! Come back next week to find out how to make the most of your mini-fridge.

-Allison Cook

The Importance

Hello everyone! Long time no blog 🙂 It has been well over a year since my last posting and I owe all of my subscribers and casual readers an explanation. The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected everyone on earth in different ways this past year and taken millions of lives. The pandemic has challenged me and forced me to grow in a new and hazardous environment and reevaluate if a healthcare career in the face of a health pandemic is all I had imagined.

Before the pandemic started, I had just been hired as a dietary aide at a local hospital. I was so excited to begin a career in dietetics and get real work experience in that field. I was hired in March of 2020, mere days before the first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States. My university canceled our in-person classes and evicted us from our dorms. The next thing I knew I wasn’t living in my college town anymore. I was back home in my childhood bedroom, naïve of the severity of what was going on in major cities like at my University and at my new place of employment.

I had made an obligation to my job, and so I found an apartment in the city so I could start work.

I was hired in March as PRN and started in June as a frontline healthcare worker during a pandemic.

I was shocked at what I witnessed in the first few weeks of working in a hospital during this plague, but it made me realize that a career in healthcare is one of the most selfless things you can do. I saw my coworkers risking their own lives to keep our patient’s safe.

Dietitians, dietary techs and dietary aides alike may not play an obvious role in this pandemic, but everyone is contributing to the health and safety of immunocompromised individuals by showing up to work every day at the risk of their own safety.

It is one of the most noble things I have ever witnessed, and made me realize the importance of what we do.

Thanks so much for subscribing and allowing me to share this experience with you. Next week I would love to talk about my struggle with my personal struggle finding out I have a nutrient defiency.

Come back next week to find out how to make the most of your mini-fridge!

-Allison Cook

Snacks Ideas to Fuel Your Finals Week

(some are even 2 Ingredients or less!)

Y’all already know what time it is…FINALS WEEK. Although this finals week looks different than any other I have ever experienced, it’s still has me feeling stressed: maybe even more so. I don’t know about you, but online tests absolutely make me FREAK out.

As I’ve said before, I am a stress snacker, so today I thought I’d share some more healthy snack ideas to fuel your finals week, or just so you can continue your regular snacking behaviors.

2 Ingredient Bagels

When I found out this bagel recipe only requires two main ingredients, I knew I had to share it on the blog ASAP. All you will need to make this is plain Greek yogurt and self rising flour. This recipe makes about 6 bagels, so if you plan on using them to meal prep you could afford to double it!

  1. Combine 1 cup of Greek Yogurt with 1 cup of self rising flour. Mix until combined and become grainy.
  2. Kneed the dough until smooth.
  3. OPTIONAL: INVOLVES MORE INGREDIENTS I also added in a bunch of poppy seeds and a little garlic salt. You could also use everything seasoning.
  4. Roll into logs and shape into bagels.
  5. For plain bagels brush the top with egg wash. For seasoned add more poppy seeds and garlic salt on top or everything seasoning.
  6. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes
  7. OPTIONAL: broil on top an extra 2 minutes to make your bagels golden brown!
  8. Enjoy!

Blooming Onion Apple

Okay so this one is more idea than recipe, but I just found an apple corer-er and had to find a fun use for it.

  1. Use the apple core-er to slice your apple, do not push all the way through in order to create a bowl.
  2. Either use fruit dip or caramel drizzle to dip your apple slices in!

Greek Yogurt and Blueberry Acai Bowl

  1. In a bowl, start with a base of plain Greek yogurt.
  2. Add in frozen blueberries and mix until combined
  3. Top with granola, or use cheerios as an alternative.
  4. Enjoy!

3 Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Dip

Now this is a finals week snack. This is a recipe I learned from my good friends over at Hilltopper Nutrition, so be sure to check them out to learn more about the nutrition and wellness of college students. All you will need for this recipe is grilled chicken, hot sauce, and of course more Greek Yogurt.

  1. First, shred your grilled chicken and set to the side. If you use two forks and go at it, it really helps.
  2. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of non-fat greek yogurt with 3/4 cup of hot sauce.
  3. Pour the shredded chicken in the bowl and combine.
  4. Enjoy with either pita chips or carrots and celery!

Nutella and Strawberries

Okay so this one is for when you just completed a final and you want to celebrate! I have an real affinity of chocolate covered strawberries, but I don’t have a lot of time. It’s not a recipe at all, but this is something I had never tried before and really enjoyed as a quick snack.

Thank you so much for checking out the blog!

Come back soon to find more ways to make the most of your mini-fridge!

-Allison

“What’s the Point?”

Why It’s Still Important to Eat Healthy During Quarantine

Listen, before you click away, I am not here to guilt you into eating a vegetable. I’m not here to tell you to put down the sour candy, gummy bears, sour gummy bears, etc. I’m not. I’m going to tell you to stay healthy: whatever that means to you. For me, that’s indulging every once in a while and letting myself feel all of the feels. This is uncharted territory people. I don’t know how many pandemics you have lived through, but this makes a first for me. There are a lot of people trying to tell you what course of action to take during this time to be the most productive you that you can be and #makethemostofyourquarantine. Chances are the social media influncers trying to sell you their 6 week quarantine shred program are just as scared and confused as you are right now.

That’s enough doom and gloom for me. Anyone who knows me knows I am annoyingly optimistic, and I see that as a wonderful quality during this time.

This is the time to put you first. If we don’t take care of ourselves first, we can’t take care of anyone else. How you take care of yourself is your business. This time has taken it’s toll on every aspect of my mental, physical, and spiritual health. In both positive and negative ways. Mentally, I have gotten to be selfish in ways my busy life hasn’t allowed. Physically, I haven’t been as active because of the closings, but I have gotten to utilize my home gym equipment, which I talked about in my last blog post. Spiritually, I feel like I have been able to refocus on that aspect of my life.

One way I have found to take care of myself and all three levels of my health is by eating foods that make me feel good. Eating to heal and eating for fuel have been my motivation during all this. Fuel to fight off the damaging mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of this quarantine. It just so happens that the foods that make me feel my best aren’t sour gummy bears. For a short time, maybe, they comfort me but they don’t strengthen me. I feel my best and my strongest when I eat well-balanced meals and snacks in moderation.

At the beginning of quarantine, I asked myself, “What’s the point anyway? The gyms are closed, no one is going to see me. I should just let myself go.” I had to reevaluate why I was eating healthy and exercising.

At the beginning of any health journey, especially one during this time, you have to ask yourself “Why?” Why are you doing this? Why should you eat healthy. Why should you continue to exercise during quarantine? Why should you care?

Because it’s for you.

You should only be doing those things for you. So you can feel good. So YOU can regain self-control. So YOU can feel strong. YOU are doing it for YOU.

Before COVID, I would’ve said it’s so I can look good in a bikini at the beach. It’s so I can lift heavier or go longer at the gym. It’s so I can go out and be seen, be acknowledged for all my hard work. I was seeking approval from the outside world.

There is no one watching right now that you need to be accepted by. No time frame of dieting until vacation.

So when you ask yourself, “Why?” Remember to ask yourself, “For who?” Make sure it’s for you.

And that’s as good a reason as any I could give you.

Thank you so much for checking out the blog! Come back soon to read more ways to make the most of your mini-fridge!

– Allison

Health and Fitness Favorites for Working Out at Home

“my gains”

It was a dark, dark day for the world of gym shark guys and girls when all the gyms of the world seemed to announce their closing simultaneously in March. I remember texting every exercise science major I had in my phone to check on them.

My college gives us access to a fully equipt gym almost 24/7, and oh how that gym has spoiled me. I had grown accustomed to relying on the gym for every aspect of my fitness. Going to the gym regularly really helped me see results when it came to muscle growth. I forgot what it was like trying to get a good workout in at home.

If I keep talking about how much I love the gym I won’t stop, so moving on.

Before my college days, I used to get in a great workout at home with nothing more than a yoga mat and a treadmill. Now, I have learned a thing or two about exercise from being a gym regular, and am learning more about nutrition everyday in class.

So I am here to share some of my nutrition and fitness favorites for getting a great workout at home.

Here is to not losing any gains!

Exercise/Fitness

Five and Below Resistance Bands (3 Set)

Resistance Bands can be a great addition to any leg workouts you’ve been doing consistently. I think Five and Below has a great deal for a 3 set of resistance bands with 3 different levels of intensity under $5.

Gaiam Yoga Mats

I don’t think any of my workouts would be possible without a good yoga mat to lay down as a comfortable foundation. My yoga instructor always recommends using Gaiam Yoga Mats because they are made of a really thick material and come in many different styles! If you purchase one be sure it’s at least 6 mm.

Whitney Simmons‘ “Workout With Me” on Instagram

We all know Whitney Simmons as the gym shark queen of leg day, I know her as a joyful, motivational workout instructor via Instagram. As of now, Whitney has 3 different, “Workout With Me” videos on her IGTV. The videos show her doing at home workouts targeting different muscles groups like arms and shoulders and of course, legs.

Chloe Ting Ab Workout on Youtube

This has been the latest workout craze taking over the TikTok app, and for good reason. I just completed Chloe Ting’s 2 Week Ab Workout and definitely have seen results! I’m not saying you will end up with 6 pack abs, but I will say you will strengthen your core and your discipline if you stick with this for two weeks.

Yoga with Adriene on Youtube

For those of you who are like me and desperately miss taking every free group fitness class your gym had to offer, I must introduce you to Yoga with Adriene. This lady has every type of yoga and every duration you can imagine. My favorite yoga session she has right now is, “Yoga for Self Discipline.”

Health/Nutrition

PBfit Peanut Butter Powder

If my obsession with Peanut Butter Products has not been made obvious by now, let me reiterate that I own too many Peanut Butter Products. Except this one. This one I stand by. I never eat enough protein in a day, so this is a great way to sneak in more of it because you can put it in just about anything. Oatmeal, Smoothies, etc. I could make a whole separate blog post about different uses for PB Powder.

Crazy Richards All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter

While everyone else was hoarding toilet paper, I was hoarding this stuff. I have about 5 jars of this stuff on standby just in case. Not only is it delicious, it only has one ingredient: Peanuts!

SmartSweets Candy

I can’t say quarantine has helped cure my sweet tooth, but I can say that I found a guilt free alternative to my regular vices! I thought SmartSweets had taken over my life when I found out they were a low sugar Swedish fish, but then I found out they make them in peach ring form.

Technology

Lifesum App

Disclaimer: I don’t like to encourage calorie counting because I think it can lead to some negative mindsets around food, which is the worst possible thing you could do for your physical and mental health, but I do think it’s a good idea to know exactly what your eating during this confusing time. I personally love to use the Lifesum app to track my water intake and check in on my macros. The app can be used to track calories for weightloss, but it also has settings for maintaining weight or gaining weight.

Spotify Workout Playlists

Last but not least, what is the point of doing your workout at home if you don’t have a great workout playlist blasting in the background? I rotate between a few playlists, even christian workout music, so if that’s your thing feel free to check out my spotify!

Thank you so much for visiting the blog! I hope that you found some inspiration to start working out at home. Come back soon to find out how to keep making the most of your quarantine!

-Allison

Quarantine Kitchen: Healthy Breakfasts

Okay so I haven’t decide if the title of this blog post is tasteless or quite catchy. I guess we shall see in the coming weeks of social isolation! I am extremely extroverted and feed off of social interaction so needless to say I am having a difficult time. The one thing that has been getting me through it is the realization that we are all in this together (trying not to sing that part). If you are having weird feelings and mixed emotions about what lies ahead in the coming weeks: so is everyone else!

Instead of keeping track of all the things I can’t do during this time in the world, I have decided to see how much I can do! One example is blog more than I’ve had the opportunity to do, and another is try out new healthy recipes to share with y’all.

So if the situation doesn’t change soon, I will be starting a series called, “Quarantine Kitchen” for all of my fellow college students who now have a full sized fridge and stove. See!! This isn’t such a bad thing afterall.

I understand a trip to the grocery store right now has proven fruitless (literally no bananas in sight last time I made the brave journey to Walm*rt), so I will still keep the ingredient list super short and with items you probably already have in your kitchen.

Oat flour Pandemic Pancakes

Repeat after me: WE ARE USING THE HEALTHY FOOD WE BOUGHT FOR ONE RECIPE AND LEFT IN THE CABINET.

So short story even shorter I bought an entire container Quaker oats that have gone untouched. Until now! For these delicious and healthy pancakes you will need rolled oats, an egg, chocolate chips*, water or milk, syrup/honey/agave, baking soda and baking powder or cream of tartar.

You will also need a blender or food processor for this recipe, but since we’re all home it shouldn’t be hard to come by one of the two in a dusty cabinet.

  1. In your food processor or blender pour in 1-2 cups of rolled oats and blend. This will make your oat flour. Chances are you won’t need all of the flour but you can use it in many other healthy recipes.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together an egg, your syrup or sweetener of your choosing, 2 tablespoons water or milk, and a dash of baking soda and baking powder or cream of tarter.
  3. *Add in any toppings or flavorings! I added some PB Fit Powder for some extra protein and chocolate chips because, well, do I need a reason to add chocolate chips to pancakes? I attempted to add frozen blueberries to this recipe but the mixture makes thin pancakes that didn’t hold the blueberries in place.
  4. Add in oat flour slowly until you get a thick consistency.
  5. Onto a greased skillet, pour about a tablespoons worth.
  6. Flip after 1-3 minutes.
  7. Enjoy!

I have yet to find a healthy pancakes recipe that makes a full sized pancake so be on the lookout. Something about the size of these pancakes are so…cute?

At Home Acai Bowl

So if you’re anything like me, the freezer in your house doesn’t really close unless you slam it shut at 60 mph. I am entirely to blame because I have so many frozen strawberries, bananas, blueberries, etc, etc that have been there since the summer. Now is the time to use what ya got people!

This recipe also requires a blender or food processor.

  1. In your blender or food processor add in about 1 cup of your frozen fruit. Some of my absolute favorite combinations are: Bananas + PB Powder + Cocoa Powder, Bananas + Strawberries, Strawberries + Blueberries + Raspberries.
  2. Add in a splash of Non-Dairy Milk of your choosing. If you want a smoother consistency add more milk, and if you want it to be more like ice cream keep it to a minimum.
  3. Blend, Blend, Blend!
  4. Once everything is blended together, pour into a bowl and top with fresh fruit, coconut flakes, granola, or chocolate chips.

Everything but the Pantry Breakfast Burrito

In all of this craziness, I think it’s important to eat some comfort food. Some easy to make, delicious, comforting food. One of these for me is the breakfast burrito. This breakfast requires basic ingredients you most likely already have: eggs, a tortilla wrap, salt, pepper and anything else you think you’d like to add.

If you know how to make scrambled eggs you can make a BOMB breakfast burrito.

  1. In a bowl whisk one egg and add in a dash of salt and pepper.
  2. Turn on a stove burner and pour in egg mixture.
  3. Before it begins to solidify add chopped bacon, diced tomato, a lil onion and whatever else your heart desires!
  4. Have a tortilla ready by the side of the stove or skip out if you wanna go low carb
  5. Once egg mixture has become scrambled, take off heat and pour into the center of your tortilla
  6. Add some hot sauce if you dare!
  7. Roll up your burrito and enjoy a tasty a filling breakfast!

Stove TOP Berry Oatmeal

Since my spring semester as a Topper got cut short, let’s make some delicious stove TOP oatmeal! If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’ll know my routine in college was to make a bowl instant oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana before starting my busy day at school. I have plenty of time to cook breakfast now, so I thought, “Let’s make the most out of it!”

For this you will need: Rolled oats, Water, Non-Dairy Milk (I used Almond), and a mixed bag of frozen berries.

  1. Pour 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cups of milk into a pot and bring to a boil on your stove top.
  2. Add in your frozen fruit and let boil for 1 minutes.
  3. Add about 1/2 cup of rolled oats and stir together with the fruit.
  4. Let boil for another 5 minutes.
  5. Take off heat and enjoy the best oatmeal of your life. I topped it with a banana and it made it so delicious.

Thanks so much for checking out the blog! Be sure to come back soon to learn how to make the most of your quarentine!

See what I did there ah ha ha.

Too soon? Ya too soon.

-Allison

How to Live Sustainably in College

I know what your thinking, “So…how does this relate to health and wellness?” It does and it doesn’t. Personally, I take a holistic approach to health (maybe that’s my Anthropological side coming out).

In my opinion, your environment can have an impact on your overall well-being, so you need to do what you can to take care of it!

Also, a major portion of our waste is from food! According to the Food Recovery Network, 1/3 of all food produced is thrown away/wasted. That’s a scary number considering the mass amount of people who are Food Insecure. That could be a whole other blog post, so I digress.

Back to what you can do about it.

Let me just start off by saying that living sustainably is made difficult by our society. At the push of a button, we can have exactly what we want, when we want, with free shipping. We live in a time where quantity trumps quality. I’d argue going against the norm and living a sustainable lifestyle is even harder while in college.

I have see a shift in our society with the “save the turtles” movement, but I don’t want us to stop there!

It’s not easy, and I miss the mark more often than not, but it’s so worth it. After all, we all have to do our part to lessen our impact on the Earth.

Keep Reusable Silverware in Your Backpack

The first step for me in trying to become more sustainable was to replace items I used and threw out everyday. Plastic silverware being item #1. I found a great deal for a reusable spoon, fork and knife in the camping section of Walmart for only 89 cents! No excuses people. They’re the perfect size to slip into your backpack for those last minute invites to grab dinner on campus.

If your interested at all in this post, you may already own a reusable straw. I prefer metal but I’ve seen so many variations and colors to choose from.

Buy a Reusable Starbucks Cup

This was probably everyone’s first step when #savetheturtles started trending, I know it was mine, but it’s a great first step for anyone with a Starbucks addiction trying to be more sustainable. I go to Starbucks on my 8:00 am days for obvious reasons and on Sundays for #selfcaresunday. That’s 2-3 plastic cups/straws being thrown out a week! Buy the reusable cup, skip the straw, and get 10 cents off your drink. Pro-Starbucks tip.

Go Thrifting and Donate Old Clothing

One thing I was most excited about when I was headed off to college, was being so close to the mall. I’ll admit during my first semester I bought things I didn’t need just because I wanted to buy something at the mall. I love shopping, but fast fashion can lead to so much waste. I’m not the expert blogger on this topic, but please google fast fashion and prepare to be blown away. After I did, I realized how much fun thrift shopping can be. Not only is it more budget friendly to college students, but you can find incredibly unique pieces and show off your personal style.

Get Reusable Bowls for Your Dorm Meals

I purchased some amazing, cheap bowls from Target at the beginning of my freshman year of college, and they have proven to be quite durable since I’m a second semester sophomore now and still use them. I bought two pink bowls and two matching cups for under $5.

Use Dish Rags/Cloth instead of Papertowels

This is something I never even thought about until my roommate brought her dish towels to school. It’s a one time investment that will save you some $$ on buying paper towels each month and help you reduce your waste.

Get Durable Tupperware to Store Leftover Foods

A big part of being sustainable is limiting your food waste. A great way to do this is just storing your leftovers properly. Not only has this helped me limit my food waste, it’s also helped me be healthier! I love making whole grain pasta (a little too much because I tend to go overboard with my portions). So instead of the throwing the extra out, I’ll store it and have a healthy meal for later.

Bring Reusable Grocery Bags When Shopping

Ever since I purchased my reusable grocery bag from @allthingslillyann on Instagram, I’ve noticed how much plastic I used to be using every time I went to the store. No surprise: it was a. lot. It’s something I didn’t think about until I wasn’t carrying 3-4 grocery bags in the house with me. The best part of this change has been making 1 trip and 1 trip only from the car. Well that and how stinkin’ cute this bag is!

Thanks so much for visiting the blog! If you have any more tips on how to be more sustainable or anything you’d like to read on the blog, feel free to comment below. Come back soon to see more ways to make the most of your mini-fridge!

-Allison

What I Eat In A Day As A Nutrition And Dietetics Student

Spoiler Alert: It’s Not Salad

Believe me, I know what you’re thinking, “She’s a nutrition and dietetics major, of course she’s gonna have an amazing, healthy diet consisting of nothing but a single lettuce leaf and a glass of water.” Obviously I am only eating 1/2 of a lettuce leaf because of the carbs.

I’m kidding if you can’t tell. Although I am passionate about being healthy and maintaining a balanced diet to make the food pyramid happy, I’m also just human. I could do a whole other blog post about my epic cheat days consisting of pastas and pastries galore.

So this is an average day for me on the health-o-meter if there is such a thing. It’s not my best day of eating but it’s not my worst (again I wasn’t kidding about the epic cheat-day).

Breakfast

Whoever said breakfast was the most important meal of the day wasn’t lying. It’s the best way to kick-start digestion and give you the energy you need to pass that exam with flying colors!

I’ve eaten the same breakfast almost everyday for 4 semesters of college: instant oatmeal with almond milk, all natural crunchy peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts), with a banana. I’m still not sick of it because of how amazing this tastes. On mornings I’ve had a good workout and broken a sweat, I will mix in a table spoon of Powered Peanut Butter for extra protein.

Warning: this breakfast will keep you full for so long. Which is a great thing for those of us who have back to back classes until 12:30.

Lunch

Okay so lately I have been very bad about not eating a full meal for lunch and bingeing at dinner, but that stops now! If I’m on the go and don’t have time to sit and eat a full lunch, I have been keeping Lara Bars in my backpack. They come in so many different flavors and keep you full for a long time. Most of them have only all natural ingredients like apples and dates.

Luckily though, today I got to sit down and enjoy one of my favorite on-campus meals, a veggie delight from Subway. I get a 6 inch on whole grain bread with Parmesan cheese, lettuce, tomato, spinach, onion, and banana peppers. As a little bit of a cheat, I had a bag of baked lays, but I picked those over the Doritos I was eyeing sooooo balance?

Snacks

I am going to be honest. I don’t eat the healthiest foods at every meal and I am definitely not immune to the munchies. I normally find myself elbow deep into my family sized bag of Pita chips before noon. Which I should probably stop buying in such large quantities, but I digress.

Currently, my snacking has been in liquid form. That’s right everyone: c o f f e e . I have been drinking way too much coffee and spending way too much on it as of late.

I’ve not kicked my self-titled “self-care coffee” routine but I have switched from getting an iced caramel macchiato to getting an iced coffee with caramel. You may be asking, “What’s the difference?” It’s much cheaper and has way less sugar.

Dinner

Dinner is a time where a lot of college students can either make or break their eating patterns for that day. Most of the time, I am too tired from classes or club meetings to make an effort to be healthy. This is where good habits and preparation are a big help. I like to “meal prep” certain healthy dishes so they can be heated up in the microwave for a few minutes and ready to be enjoyed without the hassle of cooking.

One of my weekly go-to’s is whole wheat/whole grain pasta. Which is a great switch for regular pasta because of the added fiber, and it’s a whole lot better than ramen. I will usually make a whole box and divvy out portions into Tupperware for a quick dinner.

Try out different sauces and toppings to make it feel like your having a brand new dish every night!

Thank you so much for checking out the blog! Feel free to comment below and come back soon to find out how to make the most of your mini-fridge!

-Allison

5 Healthy Study Snacks that are 5 Ingredients or Less

let’s make those late night munchies mean something

How can you not love this time of year? It’s the beginning of a brand new semester! I find the beginning of a new semester quite refreshing. New people, new classes, and a change in GPA! I can see it now. It’s my first big exam of the semester and it’s in Organic Chemistry. I’m incredibly nervous (obviously) so I decide that it would be best to go over my test materials again. I need a snack. I have a roll of cookie dough in the fridge and a over-sized spoon. Wait! I was really trying to be healthy today. Luckily, I saved this blog post with healthy study snack alternatives 🙂

I’m a firm believer in study snacks, I really do think they help, but sometimes they are not always the healthiest. So I have 5 healthy, easy to make snacks that only require a few ingredients and a fraction of your study break time.

Cinnamon Apple Chip Crisps

These are a new healthy experiment of mine. I’m trying to sneak in the fruits and veggies that I normally don’t go for. This study snack only requires 2 ingredients: an apple and some ground cinnamon. It’s that simple! This works best if you have a kitchen with a conventional oven available to you, and most dorms should.

This recipe is from Tasty’s Latest and Greatest Cookbook but I made a few adjustments for the purposes of enjoying this in a dorm!

  1. Preheat your oven to 350*F and spray a baking sheet with a healthy alternative to cooking spray like coconut or avocado.
  2. Turn your apple onto its side and cut into the thinnest slices possible which will give it the chip shape and place on the baking sheet.
  3. Sprinkle with Cinnamon and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Then flip and cover with more cinnamon and bake for another 15 minutes.
  4. Let cool and enjoy!

The only thing I have to tell you about this recipe is I have tried many fruit and veggie chip recipes and I have never been able to get that crunchy quality. More often then not they turn out a little soft, but personally I don’t mind it with the cinnamon apples.

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Energy Balls

Remember the cookie dough I mentioned earlier? Ya I haven’t stopped thinking about it either. Honestly I have never stopped thinking about cookie dough, but I have come close when I make these delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Balls. Most of the time I end up eating this with a spoon before I can take the time to shape it into balls. This is also a great recipe for a pre/post workout snack or if you’re on the go! It’s only 4 ingredients that you probably already have!

  1. In a large mixing bowl pour 1 cup of rolled/quick oats, 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter, and 1/3 cup of honey or vegan alternative like agave syrup. Mix together.
  2. Once you get a creamy consistency throughout, fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips. (I will not tell you how many you need that’s a personal evaluation you need to make based on the week ahead).
  3. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Use a ice cream scoop or a large spoon to separate the mixture into portion sizes and roll with your hands into balls.
  5. Place balls into small sandwich bags to grab on the go all week! (My roommate and I usually finish off the supplies before the weeks end).

Banana Bites

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: bananas are amazing. They can be used in so many different ways to create healthy alternatives to your favorite foods. Did you know that you can make low carb dairy free pancakes with just one or two of them? But that’s a recipe for another post. These are another snack that can be taken on the go and only have 3 ingredients: Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate (the food holy trinity).

  1. Slice your banana into 1/4 of an inch sized pieces.
  2. Spread creamy peanut butter on the top of the banana slices and sandwich them together.
  3. Take 1/2 cup of melt-able chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for increments of 15-30 seconds for up to a minute and a half so that the chocolate melts completely without burning. Believe me it happens and I’ve done it.
  4. Dip half of your banana sandwiches in the chocolate.
  5. Place 3-4 in small sandwich baggies, refrigerate and enjoy on the go!

Vegan Strawberry Nice Cream

This is a great alternative to the ever popular, “I just failed an exam” dessert. I’m not saying I anticipate that, but I’m not not saying I have a pint sized container of it ready. This Vegan Strawberry Nice Cream only requires 2 ingredients: a bag of frozen strawberries and 1 and 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk. This recipe requires you to have a personal blender, which I would recommend having anyway because it can be used for multiple purposes, but mostly because of the nice cream.

  1. Depending on the type of blender/bullet you have, empty the entire bag of frozen strawberries into the container.
  2. To help with mixing, pour in 1 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk in as well.
  3. Blend until smooth.
  4. Pour mixture into thin Tupperware containers and place in freezer.
  5. Enjoy after your Organic Chemistry Exam!

Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Popcorn

Okay this is kind of a cop out for me. “YOU CAN’T CALL IT A RECIPE IT’S POPCORN!!” Yes I can and I will because we’re adding a sweet twist to regular old popcorn. Not to mess with the perfection that is popcorn, but let’s mess with perfection. This only needs 3 simple ingredients. Still got some of the ground cinnamon from earlier? Great! Now all you will need is some pre-popped popcorn, ground cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

  1. Portion out your popcorn into 4 small sandwich baggies and place them to the side.
  2. In a small container mix together 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
  3. Pour in a little of the cinnamon sugar mixture to each bag and before serving, shake the baggies.
  4. Enjoy!

Good luck to all of my fellow students going back this semester and thank you for taking the time to read this blog post! I hope that you found at least one of these healthy study snacks to help you do your best this semester. If you have any questions feel free to comment below and subscribe for more ways to make the most of your mini-fridge. – Allison

How to read a Nutrition Facts Label

Time to actually learn what you’ve pretended to know while staring at labels in the grocery store

I get it. It doesn’t really make sense to me either. The terminology, the percentages, and the conversions involved in trying to read a Nutrition facts label makes me never want to turn over another box of cereal. At a glance it seems over complicated, but I promise you will get the hang of it. You will actually be reading and comparing those labels to find the healthiest snacks in the store in no time. For the sake of a lengthy post, I am only going to go over some essential knowledge required to read the food label.

Lets start with a few fundamentals.

There are six types of nutrients that your body needs: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. These can be further distinguished into macro and micro nutrients. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are macro-nutrients while vitamins, minerals, and water are micro-nutrients.

Our macro-nutrients can be seen on the Nutrition Label, starting with total fat. There are different kinds of fat, both good and bad, but for the purpose of this blog we will focus on the two commonly expressed on the food label. That would be saturated and trans fats, a.k.a bad fats. Both indicate highly processed foods that should be avoided. Trans fats naturally occur in some foods, but in low amounts. Be sure to keep that in mind when reading a food label.

Then we have our total carbohydrates, also expressed in grams. Two sub categories of carbohydrates than can be seen on a Nutrition Label are dietary fiber and sugar. I think we both know which to watch out for. What you may not know is that a food with some dietary fiber should be sought out. Most Americans are not getting to the recommended amount of dietary fiber for health, so make sure you are!

Finally we have our proteins! A personal favorite. It should be obvious what should have high amounts of protein: meats, fish, peanut butter, mixed nuts, etc.

Now that we know what and why things are on the food label, how do we read it and use it for our benefit? And what the heck are the percentages for? I’m getting there.

The percentages located to the right across from each item on the food label are the percent daily values. The Daily Values are how much of each Macro-Nutrient and Micro-Nutrient you should be eating a day, expressed as a percentage. For example, if your total fat has a Daily Value percentage of 15%, you will be eating 15% of the total fat you should be eating in a day. This is all based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so it may need adjusting depending on if you normally consume more or less than that.

Okay so you should be good to go! Not quite yet…don’t you want to know how you’ve been bamboozled by the serving sizes on the label?

The serving size let’s you know how many calories are in a serving. The number of calories expressed on the label is the number of calories in one serving. This is where you’ve been getting bamboozled. Most of the time, there is more than one serving in a container. The label will indicate how many servings.

I hope you learned some valuable information today that you will keep with you on your next visit to the grocery store! Please let me know if you have any questions!

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