Kent State Interns

  There’s so much to love about fall, from the beautiful colors to the crisp weather, perfect for a cozy night in. Perhaps the best thing about this season though, is the delicious food. Colder weather calls for hearty meals that will warm you right up. With the current pandemic, there’s never been a better time to enjoy a new recipe at home. Chili is a classic fall favorite. It is a versatile dish packed with savory flavors and filling ingredients. Early in my time at KSU, my friend Abbie Harris shared a delicious chili recipe that’s been a family favorite for years. This recipe features a vegetarian white bean chili with a creamy base, tender vegetables, and fantastic flavors. Check it out! Ingredients   2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow or orange pepper, chopped Green onions, chopped, to taste 1 carrot, chopped 32 ounces vegetable broth 2 cans navy beans 2 cans garbanzo beans 4 ounces green chilis 1 cup frozen corn 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon garlic powder (or to taste...

  Ever since becoming a vegetarian eight years ago, I have watched the development of many alternative meat products. From the Impossible burger to Beyond Meat products, alternative meats have started to become more mainstream. These companies, along with many others, aim to develop products that mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of animal meat while providing a “healthier” alternative. When talking about making these products healthier than meat, they’re not just talking about the health benefits for humans. They are also aiming to decrease the negative impact that producing animal meat products has on the environment. Another appeal to these alternative meats is the ethical concern that some people have for producing and eating animal products.  There are a few dietary pros to consuming alternative meat products over animal products. It is known that a plant-based diet can help to prevent chronic diseases. Another positive along that same line is that the plant-based ...

  October is a month filled with going out and doing all of the fun "fall" things. This includes going to pumpkin patches, walking through corn mazes, going on hay rides, drinking apple cider, eating or drinking anything pumpkin, going to haunted houses, and of course, painting or carving pumpkins.  I am more of a pumpkin carver and I love having pumpkin carving competitions with my family each year, as many people do, whether it's a competition or just for fun! I love this family tradition because it allows us to spend time together and have fun, with a loving competition thrown in. Another reason I love pumpkin carving, is for the freshly roasted pumpkin seeds! Did you know that this fun, creative tradition can also provide a great source of nutrients for your body as well?  Pumpkin seeds are a great source of multiple nutrients and is a lot less expensive to get them from the inside of your pumpkin, than from the store. It's easy to separate the seeds while you...

It’s no lie to say that COVID-19 has put almost everybody in a state of panic. This panic has caused many Americans to search for ways to increase their overall health and wellness. This is because health officials have explained that healthy individuals have a high chance of recovery and survival if infected. From October 20th, 2019 through February 29th, 2020, the word “immunity” had a search popularity score of around 25 (a score of 100 is peak popularity of the term, while a score of 0 indicates no data). However, from March 1st, 2020 to March 15th, 2020, the term reached its highest popularity increase ever; it jumped to a score of 92! And on April 5th, the word hit 100. Ever since its initial popularity spike in March, the word “immunity” has been steadily searched all throughout the US.  Google Trends: Immunity What's fascinating about this immunity craze is the fact that there is no single food or nutrient that will “boost” someone's immunity, despite what many people b...

  The beautiful season of fall is upon us, leaves changing to vibrant colors, the air getting cooler, and the sun setting earlier. Before we know it, winter will be upon us. With winter comes less sunlight resulting in the decrease of Vitamin D and seasonal depression. Seasonal depression affects millions of people each year. The recommended daily value of  Vitamin D is 800IU to 1000IU . Here are 6 foods to stock your fridge with that will boost your Vitamin D and help reduce seasonal depression:   Salmon   Salmon is a commonly known fish that is known for its fresh pink color. Salmon contains a good amount of Vitamin D as do most seafood items. Farmed salmon can contain 526IU of Vitamin D. If the salmon is wildly caught that it can contain higher levels of Vitamin D, about 1,300IU. Fish is a commonly loved food, but it can provide good amounts of Vitamin D along with other great vitamins and minerals for your body.      Cod Liver Oil   Cod liver ...

 The fitness and nutrition industries have both experienced quite the surge of popularity and growth in the past few decades and only seems to be accelerating in this growth. This is a great thing, as more and more people are participating in healthier and more health-conscious lifestyles. However, this growth has led to an abundance of different perspectives  on how and what people should be eating in order to live their best lives and, unfortunately, these perspectives often come from individuals that are not qualified to give such advice.  From a nutritional perspective, this manifests in an over-saturation of "diets" in the industry. Some of these "diets" that spring immediately to mind include the keto-diet, paleo, macro-counting, etc. However, one such diet that is gaining popularity, especially in the fitness world, is known as the carnivore diet.  If I were to ask what food groups are not consumed enough in the typical Western diet, it's likely that many...

  Bring Back Plate Dividers     Over the weekend, I came across a situation that I found really interesting and wanted to share my thoughts.   Sunday football has always been a day where my friends and family would come together to cheer on our favorite team and enjoy a full plate of delicious food. Being the nutrition student I am, I try to get creative with my recipes to help show others that healthy eating can be delicious. Every week I encourage those around me to try my dish with the hope that they will start incorporating these healthy sides into their diet. I typically get a good response. However, I noticed that people would rarely try my dish without me asking them to do so first. I never took it personal because I knew I just wanted people to try the healthier side choices. The previous Sunday I noticed my side dish was more popular than previous weeks and I wondered why. Besides it being delicious, I also noticed everyone in the roo...