Kent State Interns

My lovely boyfriend has severe allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. I constantly worry that the food he eats has come in contact with these things. Even the smallest amount of cross-contamination can send him to the hospital. Soooo, what do I do to avoid him…. dying? Well first I always start cooking with clean hands. Everyone should do this, but it is especially important when it comes to cross-contamination. You should be washing your hands for at least 30 seconds under hot water. Use soap. If I had way more money, I would buy separate utensils and cooking tools for the ingredients he is allergic to. Unfortunately, I am broke, so I wash all of those kitchen tools under super-hot water with soap. I utilize the wash, rinse and sanitize method to ensure any trace amounts of those allergens are GONE. Also, if I am eating something he is allergic to, whatever utensils or tools I am using do not touch anything that is communal or can’t be cleaned. For example, if I make a...

Happy Halloween!  It’s that time of year when children (and even some adults!) get to dress up as their favorite characters, celebrities, foods, video games, and more. Then it’s off to explore the neighborhood and community, show off those amazing costumes, and collect some tasty treats! However, not everyone always gets to enjoy the same experience while trick or treating, especially those with food allergies.  The big 9 allergens are as follows:  While fish and shellfish aren’t very common in most Halloween treats and snacks, several other of the big 9 food allergens can be found in popular treats! Milk - Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars, Milk Duds, and many varieties of M&M’s Soy - Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers Wheat - KitKats, Twix, Crunch Bars Peanuts - Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, Snickers Treenuts - Almond Joys and Ferroro Roche For an inclusive Halloween this year so all kiddos (and adults) can feel included, consider handing out some aller...

Here are some tips for roasting pumpkin seeds this fall, and 7 ways to season them!  ’Tis the season... to eat pumpkin seeds! Baking pumpkin seeds is an easy and fun way to get more out of your pumpkin carvings. They are also a nutritious snack that contains fiber, healthy fats, and magnesium. Magnesium is an important mineral your body uses for different functions, from muscle movements to keeping your heart beating. One ounce of hulled pumpkin seeds (a small handful, without the shell) has about 150 mg of magnesium, which is about one third or more of what most adults need in a day. I bake mine with the shells on, so the exact amount will vary, but it’s a tasty way to get some magnesium in! I always try to get my family to join me in carving a few pumpkins every fall, mainly so I can bake the seeds... and after some trial and error, I think I have perfected the process!  Here are the steps I follow to make perfect pumpkin seeds, as well as some seasoning ideas below:  ...

  Pumpkin spice is arguably one of the most popular flavors of the fall season. Pumpkin spice lattes tend to take the spotlight as the weather gets colder and the leaves begin to change colors. While pumpkin deserves its recognition, I sometimes think other classic fall flavors get overlooked, such as maple, pecan, caramel, apple and cinnamon. This fall, I want to take pumpkin out of the spotlight for a moment and shine some light on another seasonal favorite: apple cinnamon! Apples and cinnamon are a classic combination that brings warmth and sweetness to fall recipes. Apples not only have a delicious flavor, but they are also packed with nutrients, such as fiber, phytochemicals and vitamin C. When combined, apple and cinnamon offer even more health benefits. Cinnamon is a spice that may help with blood sugar control, protect against heart disease and reduce inflammation. Together, these two provide plenty of flavor, allowing you to enjoy a sweet tasting recipe without incorporati...

Milk, Science, and Learning to Talk Like a Dietitian If you had asked me a year ago what I knew about milk, I probably would have said it has calcium, it has protein, and some people are lactose intolerant. That was pretty much it. I grew up drinking it, I drank plenty of it as an athlete, and I never really thought twice about it. That changed more recently when I started working with Orgain in September. They had just launched an A2 protein shake, and I kept hearing the term “A2” without really knowing what it meant. Now I’m working with the a2 Milk Company (full transparency!), and I’ve learned more about milk than I ever expected to. The science behind it is really interesting. Stick with me. Cow’s milk protein is made up of about 80% casein and 20% whey. Beta-casein makes up roughly a third of that casein, and it comes in different variants, the two most common being A1 and A2. What surprised me most is that they differ by just one amino acid (out of 200+!). At position 67 of the ...

           As soon as September 1st rolls around, I start adding pumpkin puree to almost everything; from yogurt, pancake mix, cookies, smoothies, and my favorite: overnight oats. They are so easy to prepare for the week and have so many benefits. Adding pumpkin gives me an extra serving of vegetables each day that doesn't feel like I'm actually eating a vegetable.      I found a pumpkin baked oatmeal recently and have been choosing that over meal prepping overnight oats because of how easy, quick, and delicious they are! Oats are rich in soluble fiber (beta-glucan) that forms a gel-like solution in the gut that can help increase the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, reduce blood glucose spikes, decrease cholesterol levels, and help manage type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A to help vision, fight infections, regulate cell growth and division, and main...