Foods to help you lose that butt and gut

By Francesca Chambers

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The arrival of summer is often accompanied by “summer break resolutions” — plans students make to eat healthier and exercise more rigorously while the weather is nice and the livin’ is easy.

But when school starts again, the weather turns colder and outdoor sports are not as attractive. Resolutions are replaced by studying and previous unhealthy life styles return.

Eating healthy on campus

Chapman says the University began the program “Better Bites” several years ago to provide healthier eating options to students living on campus.

Better Bites are foods on campus that are low in sodium and cholesterol and meet the American Heart Association requirements for healthy eating. They are marked with a little green man next to their label and are sold at most dining facilities on campus.

Chapman says Better Bites are a great healthy food option because they are easily accessible and they are not any more expensive than other foods on campus.

In fact, students are rewarded for eating healthy on campus. Anytime students buy a sandwich or a wrap that is marked as a Better Bite, they are eligible to receive a punch on a card. For every five punches students receive, they receive a free Better Bites sandwich and a special shirt and water bottle.

Even though school has just begun, Samantha Ingram, Overland Park senior, says she’s already concerned she will not be able to keep up with her diet.

“I have 8 a.m. classes, so I don’t want to get up and eat breakfast,” she says. “But you have to force yourself.”

This school year students can stay fit and eat healthy for cheap by taking advice from nutritionists Staci Hendrickson, owner of Healthy Balance, Inc., 535 Gateway Drive, and Ann Chapman, a consultant at Watkins Memorial Health Center.

1. All-natural peanut butter — about $2.30 per container

Hendrickson says peanut butter is an inexpensive way for students to add protein, an important component of muscle and bone tissue repair, to their diet. Plus, a variety of tasty, healthy foods can be made better by adding peanut butter, including apples, waffles and bananas.

Hendrickson says the worst eating habit students form during the school year is spacing meals five or more hours apart, which leads to overeating in the evening.

Her advice to students is to keep easy-to-store snacks like peanut butter and crackers in their backpacks to reduce time between meals. However, Hendrickson says it’s important for students to use portion control when snaking on this dish because peanut butter is also high in calories.

Laura Peacock, Overland Park sophomore, says she prefers to buy organic products, such as all-natural peanut butter, but she has a difficult time doing so because organic foods are often more expensive.

However, Hendrickson says this is not always the case, and all-natural peanut butter is an example of an organic food that is equally expensive as its processed and less-healthy companion.

2. Canned chicken or tuna — about $1.50 and $.79 per can

Chapman says as long as students use low-fat mayonnaise, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches and casseroles are healthy. She says making a casserole is extremely easy. She suggests combining a can of fat-free mushroom soup, peas and a can of tuna with whole-wheat noodles to make the meal as beneficial as possible.

Chapman also suggests adding chicken, whether it is canned or off a rotisserie, to tacos and chicken noodle soup to add nutritional value.

“The chicken in that soup is a joke,” she says.

3. Low-fat, refried beans — about $1.00 per can

Hendrickson says all kinds of beans are good for the body, but cooking canned beans is less time consuming than cooking with dried beans.

Beans are also high in protein, yet are enriched with iron, which is important for the maintenance of red blood cells and B vitamins, which aid in increasing metabolism, energy and brain functioning.

Chapman says beans can be added to canned soups to make them more nutritious or they can be used to make quesadillas. Her recipe calls for fat-free refried beans, whole-wheat tortillas, salsa, low-fat graded cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Use the whole can of beans and freeze extra quesadillas, she says, for an easy-to-make meal to eat later.

Peacock, who has been a vegetarian for two years, says students can also add black beans to their diet to as an alternative to refried beans. She suggests buying frozen MorningStar black bean burgers. They’re tasty, healthy and easy to make, she says.

4. Frozen fruit — mixed berries, about $2.84 per bag

Hendrickson says fresh fruit is preferable to frozen fruit, but it is more expensive. Fruit is an important source of anti-oxidants, which help to prevent diseases, and fiber, which helps make your stomach feel full.

“If you are watching your weight that’s a really good option because you are looking for foods that fill you up,” Hendrickson says of eating frozen blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Frozen fruit can also be added to plain yogurt to make a delicious, healthy dessert. She says yogurt makes a great snack because it contains calcium, potassium and bacteria that are healthy for the gut it helps us digest our food better. Hendrickson advises students to add fruit to plain yogurt rather than buy flavored yogurt because flavored yogurt contains added sugars.

5. Frozen vegetables — about $2.10

Hendrickson suggests buying frozen vegetables because often, fresh veggies are expensive and rot quickly.

“There are more time savers for students now — especially if you are trying to eat healthy, and especially for produce,” she says. “Take advantage of those ready to eat bagged mixtures.”

Hendrickson suggests tossing vegetables in pasta or rice-a-roni to make the veggies taste better. She says the more color a vegetable has, the better. Green and orange vegetables are the most nutritious, she says, though potatoes are the exception to the color rule. If you must have tomatoes, Chapman offers a BLT made with turkey bacon and whole wheat bread as a healthy solution.

Hendrickson says fruits and vegetables contain many of the same minerals, but vegetables contain more fiber than fruits.

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