Caught in the throes of winter grayness mid-February, it can be easy to find yourself derailed from eating a healthy and balanced diet. The college environment is none too encouraging with late nights of studying and hanging out nourishing the stereotypical caffeine and pizza addiction. With many students turning vegetarian in their college years for the lack of adequate or accessible animal proteins, it is important to compensate with other nutritional sources. Moderation and vitamins, we always hear, should be our saving grace, but both can be a little difficult to maintain with regularity. Forget the ever-popular soy for a second and consider these natural nutritious additions to any meal or snack. You can throw out the multi-vitamin horse-pills.
Hemp is a renowned source for omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Essential to overall health, these fatty acids help with hair, skin and nail quality and are known to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Fish, or fish oils, are a common source of omega-3, but can be high in fat and hard to come by in college. Try adding hemp seeds to your salad, soup, yogurt, or ice cream as a way of working this natural source of the body’s essential amino acids into your diet. Hemp oil is a nice substitute for other oils when sautéing or cooking.
Carob powder, or carob flour as it is also known, is a great substitute for chocolate. Taken from tree pods of Mediterranean origin, carob powder packs the same punch of flavor as cocoa powder, but is lower in fat and high in fiber. You can find it in the form of carob “chips,” much like chocolate chips, and it makes a delicious addition to granola, trail mix, Greek yogurt or to any baked good. Most importantly for people who are sensitive to caffeine, carob is naturally caffeine free.
Chia is an herb plant native to Mexico and South America noteworthy for its high omega-3, antioxidant, protein and fiber levels. Like hemp, chia is most common in seed form and makes an excellent topping to salads and cereals, or when mixed in nut butters or added to smoothies. Chia seeds are often consumed in drinks, whether it is coffee, hot chocolate, tea or juice, but their health benefits are the same regardless of how you eat them. As an added plus you can find chia seeds at the Colby’s salad bars in the dining halls on rotation.
Nori Seaweed is most commonly consumed in prepared sushi, but makes a delicious snack when eaten alongside other vegetables. Nori has an extremely high vitamin content with Vitamin A, B1, B2 and C, amongst others, and is a good source of omega-3 and several amino acids. High in protein, toasted nori sheets, as it is often sold in the grocery store, provide a sound alternative to tofu and beans for vegetarians. Try it plain as a snack, in place of crackers, or added to soup or crushed atop a salad.
Lingonberries have become increasingly popular for their heightened health benefits over their blueberry and cranberry cousins. Known to boost red blood cell and liver enzyme counts in the body, the lingonberry can help stave off infection and strengthen the immune system by raising antioxidant levels. Try them as an alternative to your favorite berries for breakfast, with nuts, in jam or blended with milk in a smoothie.
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