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!

Guest Post - Who to Trust When It Comes to Nutrition

Happy Tuesday Ladies & Gentlemen!

I wanted to wait another week to announce the winner for the Healthy Holiday motto contest. So, for those of you still thinking, your deadline has been extended! Continue to brainstorm and shoot your suggestions to me via email or a comment on the post below. 

I would like to feature today a blurb written by Shelayne Werfel, a UC San Diego Dietetic Intern. Stay tuned for other healthy holiday tips coming this Friday!

The Importance of Skepticism and Scientific Literacy

These days, almost everyone has something to say about nutrition, and most people aren’t qualified to say anything.  Remember that nutrition is a science: not an opinion, not a celebrity fad, not an ancient Chinese tradition, but a field founded on research which is often difficult to interpret without a specialized educational background. 

 

Just like you wouldn’t want someone without an MD to perform surgery, you don’t want someone with no background in nutrition to tell you what to eat.  The trusted credential in the nutrition world is the RD (registered dietitian credential).  This requires a bachelor’s degree from an approved nutrition curriculum, a minimum of 1200 hrs. supervised practice, RD exam completion, and  continuing education units to ensure that your knowledge reflects the latest scientific advances. 

 

Some dietitians use the acronym RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, but be wary of anyone who simply calls themselves a “nutritionist.”  This term does not represent any credential or education and is not regulated, so you can call your cat a nutritionist without fear of legal trouble. 

 

Be curious if someone tries to talk to you about nutrition or if you are seeking nutrition counseling, ask the person about their credentials.  Look up the credentials of the authors of diet books.  Even the most trusted credential is not a guarantee (every field has its quacks), but the more educated someone is, the less likely they are to be promoting pseudoscience.  To be a smart and safe consumer, always be a skeptic.

Great sources of nutrition information online include:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/  (Office of Dietary Supplements)
http://nccam.nih.gov/  (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
www.eatright.org/dietreviews/  (diet book reviews by the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics, the professional organization for registered dietitians)
www.choosemyplate.gov (official website for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans)

Interested in learning more about a particular topic? Feel free to email me at tastebuds@ucsd.edu or follow HDH on twitter & check Facebook for upcoming events featuring the Taste Buds!