Choosing Healthy Foods

For the twelve consecutive year, Northeastern Dining provided students with a much needed respite from studying for their upcoming week of final exams with the Gingerbread House Construction Contest. More than 300 student teams entered online via nudining.com for the chance to be one of the lucky teams chosen to participate in this year's contest. After the success of the previous eleven years, the number of teams swelled to sixty-four this year leading to the decision to move this year’s contest from Stetson East to the Stetson West Eatery. The change comes after many students ran out of room to decorate their houses in the atrium of Levine Marketplace. While Northeastern Dining provided more than 700 pounds of gingerbread, 1,200 pounds of icing, and 2,000 pounds of candy to students, some teams took it upon themselves to bring their own edible supplies to make their house unique. This year's designs featured everything from Rice Krispies Treats to potatoes built into and ont

With the holiday eating season in full swing, now is a time that a lot of us are looking at what we're eating and how to maintain a healthy diet. When people try to eat healthy the first thing that usually goes is dessert. This can be a good and bad idea. Cutting back on high fat, high sugar, and high calorie desserts is a good idea. However, desserts do not need to be cut out all together. Making healthier choices, choosing smaller portions, and choosing desserts that are lower in fat and calories is a great idea. When you start to restrict and deprive yourself of foods that you want and enjoy you tend to want them even more. Think moderation when it comes to desserts in a healthy diet! Consider the portion of the dessert - when possible, look at the serving size listed on the package and use that as a guide. Try to choose treats that have about 100-200 calories per serving. Choose dark chocolates instead of milk chocolate. Use fruit as a base or add some to a sweat treat. Top ice

As chef/manager of the Hungry Hungry Husky food truck that roams the Northeastern campus, my responsibilities include ensuring the quality of food and service, creating menus, and overseeing all the details that come along with operating a food service business. Before I dive into a history of mobile eateries, I want to tell you about myself. I grew up just west of Boston in Lexington and currently live in Somerville. Along with operating H 3 , I am a student at Newbury College in Brookline. I've been working for Chartwells here at Northeastern for about six years, both in the front of the house (where you - the customer - orders, sits, and enjoys food) and the back of the house (in the kitchen). Previously, I also worked in the catering department in Speare Hall, the Northeastern Faculty Club on Columbus Avenue, and International Village. I've been to many schools on both coasts over the years and have never seen such detail and thought put into student dining and nutrition th

Welcome to "What's Cookin'," a look at upcoming Northeastern Dining events and news across campus. Did you know that Sweet Tomatoes at the new Curry Student Center now offers catering menu options? We have a full line of delicious and scrumptious sandwich, salad, and whoopie pie platters that can take care of your next office luncheon, student organization meeting, or dorm pizza party! For more information or to place your order, call us at x5969 or contact Steve Menard at x2233. We hope to see you at our upcoming free cooking events in the Xhibition Kitchen. We are thrilled to once again present Cocinar Con Gusto with the Northeastern Latino/a Student Cultural Center. We are very excited to welcome Chef Erwin Ramos from the Olé Restaurant Group - owners of Olé Mexican Grill and Olécito - to the Xhibition Kitchen today at noon. And don’t miss James Beard award-winning chef Jody Adams and Northeastern alumnus Sean Griffing from Trade Restaurant on Wednesday, No

Have you had a chance to try the empanadas on the Hungry Hungry Husky food truck? If not, you are missing out on some of the most delicious and authentic food on campus. Luz Marina works in the kitchen at International Village. Luz is from the town of Neiva Huila in Colombia and it was there that she learned how to make her famous empanadas from her mother and grandmother. Her recipe and techniques have been in her family for many generations. There is a famous religious feast in the nearby town of Palacio each year on July 16th. The town plays host to many visitors from other nearby towns during the feast. The locals from Palacio prepare all of the food for the feast and although Luz and her family live several towns away it is a tradition that Luz’s family bring many empanadas to the feast for all to enjoy. Luz has passed along the traditional recipes and techniques to her own daughter and nieces. Her nieces operate a quick service restaurant in Colombia and use many of the family

According to a recent study conducted at Ohio State University and the University of Michigan (published in December 2011 in Social Science Quarterly ), the “Freshman 15” is in fact a myth! The origin of this concept goes back to an article published in Seventeen Magazine in 1989. After reviewing the data on 7,400 college students it was determined that most freshman do not gain 15 pounds . On average, college freshman gain much less than 15 pounds - or even lose weight. However, it is still important to be a conscious eater for your overall health. All foods can fit into a healthy diet - you just need to practice moderation! Think of your calories each day like a debit card. Use your calories wisely - you don’t want to spend all your calories at once so spread them out throughout the day. Choose foods that are nutrient dense (low in calories - high in nutrients) and you will have room for those sweet treats or less than healthy choices you want to include sometimes. Even the most heal

It is great to see everyone back on campus! It was an exciting summer for us and we have many great programs and events planned for this semester. Here are a couple highlights of what's happening on campus. Local Products I hope you have been enjoying some of the local harvest in our dining halls. We are featuring fresh French Fries using potatoes from Sampson Farms in Westport, MA; Macintosh apples from Lanni Orchards in Lunenburg, MA; fresh butternut squash from Noquochoke Farms in Westport; and carrots from Czajkowski Farms in Hadley, MA. We have partnered with FoodEx, a local company that is our direct connection to the farmers. FoodEx will be on campus next week as part of our Fall Food Fest. Fall Food Fest From 11:30 to 1:30 on Wednesday, September 26, we'll be outside Stetson East with some of our food vendors for our annual Fall Food Fest. This always popular free event offers you the chance to try samples of our vendors' newest products and interact directly with t

Welcome back students! Whether you are a freshman or returning for another year, the transition from your summer schedule to your school schedule is likely to be different. You may have a schedule packed with classes, labs, work and/or co-op. At the start of a new semester, when your schedules are changing and busy, the things that tend to take a back seat for many students is eating right and exercising. You might find yourself saying "I will eat better next week" or "I will start exercising as soon as I am settled." Try to stay on track from the beginning as this could help you stay on track throughout the year. One way to do this is to eat breakfast each morning before you head off for the day. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day! This will give you the energy you need to stay focused in class and avoid feeling sluggish. Your breakfast doesn't need to be a large meal. Try to include something with carbohydrates (whole grains - whole grain to