Kent State Interns

 Popcorn is an awesome, easy snack. Anything I can throw in the microwave and eat 2 minutes later is a win in my book. The American Heart Association even calls it a healthy snack (well, if it’s air-popped and lightly seasoned). My problem with the store-bought popcorn is it’s often too oily, salty, and expensive! However, last week a classmate shared a piece of information that blew my mind: You can buy popcorn kernels, put a half cup in a brown paper lunch bag, fold it over, and microwave it – and it pops exactly like the storebought microwave popcorn! WHAT? WHERE HAS THIS INFORMATION BEEN MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE? So not only can I control the amount of salt or oil I add, it’s also much cheaper. It also adds almost no extra time to the process. I was buying Orville Redenbacher’s Simply Salted Naturals. 6 bags for $5.99. If we do some difficult math, that comes to $1 per bag. Now for $6.14 I can buy almost 3 pounds of Orville Redenbacher’s Whole Grain Popping Corn. It c...

 Ever read an article or seen something online from a random person demonizing certain foods or food groups? No? I do not believe you...  In today's society, we are saturated with various messaging; some good and some bad. A negative (and common) message most have come across is that, "Carbs are bad" or "Carbs are the enemy." Attached are typically photographs of bread, rice, pasta, and dessert foods with a continuation of the message promoting protein foods. And while I am not here to take away from the importance of protein and the roles it plays in the body, I AM here to stress the importance of carbohydrates and the roles IT plays in the body.  Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy. What does that mean? It means that there are specific processes in the body ONLY MEANT for carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are present in the body, it will go through these specific processes and give us energy. But not just energy to go for a run, lift...

 It is no secret that Ohio is no stranger to low temperatures in the wintertime! As unfortunate as this can be, do not let inclement weather stop you from reaching your exercise and nutrition goals. It can be hard to find motivation to cook nutrition and delicious meals every evening & find time to exercise --> especially when the sun sets at 5pm :(. Here are some tips and tricks to stay fit during the cold winter months!      1. Meal Prep: Taking time to plan out weekday evening meals on the weekend helps set you and your family up for success! Create a calendar to map out what everyone would like to have during the week, and prepare as much of the meal as you can on Sunday. This decreases the amount of time spent cooking during the week and creates more opportunities to do other fun activities in the evening. * B O N U S  P O I N T S * if you can plan a meal ahead of time that only requires a quick pop in the microwave to be eaten.    2....