Getting a healthy balance at '53
Freshmen fifteen, anyone? In case you’re worried, you should check out what “Be Well” has to offer this week. On Monday night, the DDS Dietician held a discussion on “Creating a BALANCED Meal at ’53.” This event, sponsored by the EDPA, happened in FoCo at 6pm; no meal swipe was needed for entry.
The dietician first discussed two web resources that she believed would be beneficial to Dartmouth students when forming a balanced meal. The first resource is the DDS web menu, which lists the ingredients for every single item served in FoCo. The second is www.choosemyplate.gov, which offers tips of the day and also allows you to create a personalized meal plan.
“My Plate,” has replaced the food pyramid (streamlined by the USDA) nationwide. “My Plate” breaks your plate into five different food groups and shows you how much of each food group your plate should hold. This site can also figure out a food plan—breaks your daily intake into food groups—for your individual height, weight, age and amount of daily exercise.
Not only did the dietician suggest healthy options available in FoCo, but she also suggested alternatives she could work on bringing to allow students to get their daily nutrients. One proposal she discussed was whole-wheat bagels to ensure the proper amount of daily grain consumption.
And just in case you didn’t know, ’53 Commons actually checks the chalkboard for student opinions and requests on a per-meal basis. One example of a successful student chalkboard request is the Greek yogurt now found daily at the salad bar.
What may have been most beneficial was the dietician's late-night eatery ideas. She recommended a bag of pretzels, Sun Chips, popcorn, Michtell’s tortilla chips, Nutrigrain bars, fresh fruit, bags of veggies, trail mix or nuts, all of which can be found at the Hop, Novak and Collis.
If this strict, balanced diet is stressing you out, don’t fret; the dietician did allot us space in our food plan for some “empty calories.” After all, who can resist a FoCo cookie every once in awhile?
Examples of healthily proportioned meals from '53.