Life and Happiness

I recently stumbled upon a facebook fan page of students at Juniata complaining about the Baker food.
It's too greasy
It's too bland
It's too expensive
It's too....calorie loaded
It's too UNHEALTHY!
Students are limited in the options they have to eat while at school. And unless they make food a priority in their lives they will end up eating whatever junk comes there way. I've tried to base my life around the principles in Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food, in which he states, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants"
I would argue that based on this simple organic principle Juniata students would be hard pressed to create a diet on the options at hand.
Let's look at the lunch menu today.
A Buffalo Meltdown
It's basically a chicken patty, dipped in buffalo hot sauce on a bun.

...700+ Calories FOR LUNCH. Oh those poor doomed college students...they won't even know what hit them.

But instead of seeing a black abyss of high caloric foods, saturated fats, and pools of frying oils I see a great opportunity. Juniata, a campus that prides itself on innovation and sustainability have a wonderful opportunity to change things. I'd be interested to see what kind of relationship Juniata has with local farmers. The ability to eat fresh produce that is seasonal is not only sustainable environmentally but it's what your body really needs.

Eating fresh, seasonal, organic food that makes you feel good and keeps you healthy doesn't have to be hard, expensive or time consuming. At the beginning of the week I made a soy ginger salad dressing that I put in a glass jar and keep in the fridge. When I'm hngry I break out some veggies maybe some chicken and throw some great dressing on top!


Dressing Recipe:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 gloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tbsp of ginger (minced)
2 tsp of honey

Maybe it's time we all get more creative and start paying greater attention to what we are putting in our bodies. After all, I truly believe we are what we eat. I don't want to be a Buffalo Meltdown....