Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Hi there UC San Diego! As we gear up for the end of Spring Quarter, check out what the HDH Marketing Senior Intern, Megan, has to say about her experience with the 64 Degree Demonstration Station these past few months!

#TrueLife, I love the food!
By: Megan Ewbank

I’ve had an unbelievable time attending all of the UCSD HDH Tastebud’s demos. Yes, just like I said, I’ve attended ALL of them… Wouldn’t miss it for anything! (And neither should you!) Our Registered Dietitian Elizabeth Shaw makes nutrition seem A LOT less daunting. First, you don’t have to give up the food you love (French fries); second, that you don’t have to go to Whole Foods and but specialty health products; and third, that you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen making healthy meals.

 

 

Elizabeth knows her audience: hungry, busy, cheap, and tired college students. We need inexpensive meals, fast. This may be why we often turn to Kraft Mac n Cheese, Vallarta’s burritos from the drive-thru, and of course, pizza. However, the Demos at 64 Degrees have shown me that you can buy all the necessary nutritional ingredients easily from our neighborhood HDH Markets using your Dining Dollars, and that you can make deliciously healthy meals in less than the time it takes you to drive to McDonald’s.

 

The demos have been an amazing and DELICIOUS learning experience. It’s easy to eat healthy, and you don’t have to give up all your guilty pleasures: eat them in moderation, or put a healthy twist on them! During one of the demos we made chicken fingers, fries, and chocolate shakes—with a healthy twist. The whole meal was healthy and delicious, and completely satisfied the craving!

 

It’s been a pleasure attending the demos at the 64 Degrees Demo Kitchen.  I’ve learned so many cooking skills, delicious recipes, and nutrition facts that I will take with me as I graduate. I encourage you all to take advantage of these well-thought-out demos. You and your stomach won’t regret it.

 

And as proof that you don’t have to give up delicious things, join us for our last Super Foods v. Super Fads demo which Elizabeth will debunk the myth “Dairy is Dreadful” and hand out FREE ICE CREAM!

Cinnamon AKA Super-Spice :)

Don't fret if you missed the kick off event at the 64 Degrees Demonstration Station! I will be back and at it again next Tuesday at 12 noon to show you just how stellar NUTS truly are.

But, for those of you who are interested in why CINNAMON is such a superfood, here's the quick 4-1-1. Plus, I've even thrown in a few ideas to tantillize your taste buds and get you ready to experiment with the superspice this weekend!

The Benefits of Cinnamon

Facts:

·         1 tsp = 6 calories

·         Source of calcium, fiber, and magnesium

·         Contains antioxidant flavonoids & essential oils with antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties

·         May stabilize blood sugar after consuming carbohydrates

Quick & Simple Taste Bud Approved Recipe Ideas

Breakfast:

·         Sprinkle on oatmeal and top with fresh sliced banana

·         Make your own cinnamon granola or muffins (recipe provided today)

·         Top cottage cheese with cinnamon & sprinkle with chopped walnuts

Lunch & Dinner:

·         Roasted squash with cinnamon-butter

·         Try spicing up Short Ribs, Chicken Biryani or Lamb Tagine

·         Add a little kick to your Bolognese meat sauce!

Snacks:

·         Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (or nut of choice!)

·         0% Fat Greek Yogurt mixed with PB2 & a sprinkle of cinnamon, paired with apples

·         Graham Crackers (or crackers, toast or rice cakes) topped with PB2 or cottage cheese, sliced bananas and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Have another suggestion on how to use the superspice? There's still time to submit recipes for the Foodie Contest from National Nutrition Month!

Feel free to comment here, post to Facebook or share on Instagram... we'd love to hear from you!

Welcome Back! Hello Spring!

Spring’s here at the Taste Buds are ready to ROCK YOUR WORLD! Are you ready to experience a hands on weekly cooking demo at the 64 Degrees Demo Station featuring SUPERFOODS vs SUPERFADS?

Well, be sure to grab your friends and come join your HDH Registered Dietitian, Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RD, as she debunks some of the most popular myths out there to give you the 411 on the food trends today!

 

Not sure if this is up your ally? Well, take a look at the experience your fellow peer Megan had at last month’s College Classic Demo… maybe you’ll change your mind!

 March Demo: The College Classics 

BY: Megan Ewbank

Hey guys! It’s Megan again here to update you on the Tastebud’s last demo. Still haven’t been?? Well, you NEED to go! They are always delicious, informative, and FUN!

March’s Demo was themed as a healthy twist on College Classics. This included a chocolate shake, fries, and chicken tenders! Yes… These are staples in college. BUT, the Tastebuds put a healthy twist on it showing us that we can enjoy the classics… without guilt! Don’t get me wrong, having some Clucks and Fries at Red Robin isn’t a crime… (it’s actually quite  delicious) BUT the Tastebuds showed us that our once indulgent meal can become a nutritious weeknight meal that you don’t have to feel bad about! (this is really great news).

 

 
First item on the menu was this AMAZING chocolate PB2 smoothie as substitute for a chocolate shake (usually about 600 calories, yikes!) But with this smoothie, you won’t miss those shakes from the drive thru! There are a few things that make this smoothie healthy and delicious. Instead of ice cream, we used frozen bananas! Instead of milk, vanilla almond milk makes this a drink that your lactose intolerant friends can enjoy, and chocolate PB2 gives the smoothie a delicious nutty and chocolaty flavor. AND this is good for you?! OH YEAH! 

 

Next were the baked chicken fingers and fries. We used brown rice flour to coat the chicken so the tenders are completely gluten-free! And both the chicken and fries were seasoned to perfection with spices like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and pepper. They were flavorful and light because they were baked! AND we even got a healthy twist on condiments, because who can have fries without ranch?! The Tastebuds showed us an easy trick for ranch by mixing a ranch seasoning packet with Greek yogurt, Sooo easy and you definitely won’t miss your Hidden Valley!

 

In addition to all the great food we were able to have for lunch, the Tastebuds taught us all about nutrition and cooking skills! We learned some knife skills from Chef Josie that will definitely help me not slice my fingers off in the kitchen. And Dietician Elizabeth Shaw let us know all about what sugar and fats are okay and what you can do without. Also, she mentioned that coconut oil is actually high in fat and not the best oil to use for cooking. That was MIND BLOWING due to all the hype around it! And this was just one of the tips we learned at the demo!

 

Have you missed out on the demos in winter?! Don’t even worry, because the Tastebuds are BACK Spring Quarter every Tuesday from 12-1 pm at the 64 Degrees Demo Kitchen bringing YOU healthy demos with specific ingredients and themes! Don’t miss out!!

Did someone say cheese?!

Happy Thursday UC San Diego!

Today we have a special treat for you.... a guest post from a fellow UCSD student, Megan! Check out what she has to say about her latest experience at the 64 Degree Demonstration Station!!!

Hi I’m Megan. UCSD Student. Which often means busy, tired, and most of all, hungry.

For me, the live demonstration at 64 Degrees was perfect.  I attended The National Cheese Day Demo and felt like a VIP getting a personal show and insider cooking information! I loved learning cooking tips like different chopping techniques and flavor combinations from Executive Chef Vaughn Vargus. Meanwhile, Registered Dietician Elizabeth Shaw was constantly providing great nutrition facts and quick tips to make the dish healthier and more nutritious. I was extremely happy to hear from Elizabeth that softer cheeses are more nutritional. I will now eat only Brie for the rest of my days, BUT in moderation J (I learned that at the demo too!)

 

In addition to the valuable information I gained at the demo, Chef Vaughn and Elizabeth also ensured us that you can find all the ingredients for the healthy meal in our campus markets! This was exciting because as busy students, we often turn to quick yet unhealthy microwavable meals rather than cooking a nutritious meal. But knowing that we can access the ingredients for goat cheese and strawberry bruschetta, potato lasagna, and chopped salad with homemade dressing in our markets encourages me to easily walk to my neighborhood market and get all of these fresh ingredients to make a meal that I know is good for me.  

And last but not least, THE FOOD! The food was so delicious, and was a great treat to end the demo with. Not only did I feel full, I felt content knowing that I got in some healthy vegetables and proteins that kept me energized in my afternoon classes. This is definitely a meal I would make again, and a demo I would attend again. Thank you Tastebuds for an awesome time!

Ready, set, let’s cook!

Attention UC San Diego! The time has finally come for Dining Services to unveil the Demonstration Station at 64 Degrees! Yours truly (aka your Registered Dietitian) and HDH’s Executive Chef Vaughn Vargus will be breaking in the new demonstration kitchen this coming week with the first LIVE demo of 2015!

Are you interested in learning how to prepare healthy and delicious meals?! Do you want to learn how you can use those dining dollars here on campus? Or, do you simply just LOVE TO EAT?!  If you answered YES to any of these questions, then the Demonstration Station is the spot for you!

Seats are filling up quickly and I would love to see your smiling face in one of them! Be sure to check out the link (http://hdh.ucsd.edu/tastebuds/calendar.asp) where you can see some of the events lined up for the quarter.

Next week we’ll be cookin’ up some Italian Classics in honor of National Cheese Day! Don’t miss out, the cheesy potato lasagna and freshly chopped salad are to die for!  

Interested in hosting a presentation at the Demonstration Station with the Taste Bud duo? Email us at tastebuds@ucsd.edu and we would be happy to plan an event with you!

Buh Bye 2014- Get at me 2015!

I'm sure you're probably just about as done with 2014 as I am, I mean come on, this has to be the LONGEST QUARTERS EVER, right?! Well don't fret, you're soon to be on your merry way to enjoying the holiday season and relishing in all the festivities that await you over these next two weeks.

To entice you though to WANT to come back to campus in 2015, HDH has a few tricks up our sleeves that may just leave you saying, "Get at me 2015... now!"

What am I talking about? Well, for starters, HDH's Dining Services has done it again and bought ANOTHER FOOD TRUCK! This winter, the brand new Flavors of the World Truck will be making its debut on campus. Be sure to check out the Dining Locations page or the HDH Facebook Page  for the latest updates on when this little piece of heaven on wheels will be rolling around your neck of the woods come January. 

If that wasn't enough, HDH also is debuting the first round of LIVE cooking segments in the 64 Degrees Demonstration Kitchen. Be sure to check the Dining Home Page for an easy link to sign up and get your seat! The Taste Bud Duo will dazzle your taste buds with delicious and nutritious meals for you to make using only the latest and greatest items from your neighborhood HDH Market.

I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season and look forward to a fantastic 2015 with you all! Stay safe...happy healthy holidays!