I know, I know – us glamorous CollegeCandy readers are so busy saving the world, getting better than A+ grades, and flirting with the boy next door, that it’s so hard to incorporate a consistent healthy diet into our daily lives. Yet it’s important to understand that beauty and health last beyond our college years, so we have to do everything in our power to keep the summer glow and prevent any aging wrinkles… or at least offset the 5-day benders that seem to get more and more frequent every year.

Try incorporating any of these five foods into your diet and you will see and feel the positive health benefits. Seems daunting? I’ve even included some ways to sneak these foods into your everyday meals, so now you’ve got no excuses not to get healthy.

1. Fruit: Raspberries
These cute lil’ red things are a great source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. As translation, eating just a cup of berries a day will reduce cholesterol levels, maintain organ balance, and improve your immune system. In fact, studies have shown that these great tasting berries even diminish risks for cancer. Snack on them in between classes, top them on your breakfast parfaits, or cool down in the summer heat with a raspberry-peach smoothie!

2. Nuts: Raw Almonds
Yes, that says RAW. That means no added sugar, salt, “honey-roasted”, or “dipped in chocolate”. If you snack on 20-23 of these organic nuts, you can be guaranteed some heart-healthy fats, 6 grams of protein, and over 35% of your daily need of Vitamin E. Okay, so “raw” and “nuts” doesn’t sound tempting for your belly? Slather some almond-rich, homemade beauty products on your face! Almonds have been proven to create an awesome complexion and soft skin. Read More »

Did you know that May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month? A proclamation by the New York State Senate, in tandem with many promotions, articles, and events by celiac groups has been responsible for the tremendous buzz about this often misdiagnosed disease. In this week’s Intro to Cooking installment, not only will you get some background info on celiac disease, but some tasty gluten-free tips!

What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is the proper name for those with intolerance of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (and for most, oats). Many conventional foods, including cereal, pasta, bread, beer, cookies, and other processed foods, are off-limits to those with Celiac disease. There is no known cure for the disease, and its only treatment is a lifelong commitment to a gluten-free diet. Accidental ingestion of gluten can result in nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea,  rash, or a host of other symptoms.

OMG you can’t have bread?! What do you eat? Will going gluten-free help me lose weight?
Contrary to popular belief, going gluten-free is not a surefire weight loss strategy. For those with Celiac disease, elimination of gluten may help them gain weight, because the ingestion of gluten blocks the absorption of proper nutrients and result in malnutrition. However, eliminating gluten from one’s diet and focusing on eating lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, lean meats, dairy, and other whole foods will contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Still, Celiac Disease Awareness Month is all about promoting wholesome, tasty, gluten-free alternatives to the foods we love! Read More »

Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. This week we’re doin’ things a little differently. This project isn’t so much a want as a total need. Well, if you want to fit in at your neighborhood Chinese eatery..]

As an Asian, I’m unable to fully understand how many Americans can’t use chopsticks. Especially my friends. I thought I’d rubbed off on them enough to take them to a local Chinese fast-food place this past weekend. Guess not.

“How can people use two little wooden sticks to eat food?!” <Looks at the food. Looks at the chopsticks. Wipes hands then digs in. With hands.>

“Is this why Chinese people are so skinny?” <Does several frantic scooping motions with the chopsticks, ultimately picking up one grain of rice.>

“I’m too hungry for this! I give up.” <Throws one chopstick on the table and proceeds to stab the chicken and veggies with the other. Makes chicken kebab.>

(All of this while the group of Asians a table over looks at us in distaste. And silently condemns me for not teaching them the sacred Chinese tradition.)

Well, this doesn’t have to be you! After you make these awesome rubber-band chopsticks, you’ll never face disgrace at Panda Express again. Read More »

Bet you didn’t know that:

• Spraying your oven with water will make your bread crisp and brown. Getting a nice crust on homemade bread is tricky, but steam is the key. Fill a clean spray bottle with water, then lightly spray the bottom and sides of the oven right after you pop in the bread. You can also create steam by warming up a pan in the oven and then dumping a little bit of cold water in the pan as you start to bake the bread.

• You can make better rice by rinsing it. Most types of rice contain excess starch, so if you think ahead a little bit, you can get far better-tasting rice. Soak the amount of rice you’re using in clean, cold water for 20 minutes before cooking it. When it’s done soaking, drain it and rinse it thoroughly a few times. The result: a less sticky, nicer-tasting batch of rice.

• Stainless steel will get rid of garlicky fingers. If you’ve been chopping and chopping cloves of garlic and your fingers have the scent to prove it, rub them for a minute on the side of a stainless steel knife or the bend of a stainless steel faucet. Use some muscle! Then lather up with soap and wash your hands normally. When you’re finished, that garlic smell should be almost totally gone.

[Image courtesy of 4hisglory.wordpress.com]

My boyfriend is from Calcutta, and I love the food of his homeland. Fresh vegetables, creamy desserts, spiced curries… I can’t get enough, but unfortunately I don’t really know how to make the stuff.

On the bright side, he was visiting me this past weekend, and we made an amazing chicken and mushroom curry together. This time, I actually paid attention to what he was doing, so I’m doing my civic duty by sharing this recipe so that all of you can enjoy it as well.

To make enough for two, you’ll need 2-3 chicken thighs, half of a large onion, 6-7 large mushrooms, 2 teaspoons garlic-ginger paste or 2 fresh garlic cloves and 1 small piece of fresh ginger, about ¼ cup fresh cilantro, half of a small plum tomato, about ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice, available at regular and Indian grocery stores), and 1-2 small new potatoes (optional).

To begin, chop up the ehicken thighs roughly into cubes. Read More »

I once wrote an acrostic poem about my love of spam that went something like this:

Salty slab of not quite bacon —

Mocking my every taste bud?

I take comfort in the fact that I can buy a spam musubi from any 7-Eleven in Honolulu. If I need a pick-me-up or just something to fill my tummy, I head to the local convenience store and purchase this Hawaiian staple for just $1.09.

Spam is good prepared in other foods too, like next to scrambled eggs for breakfast or in fried rice for dinner. It really is the other white meat — except it’s pink.

And there is a reason why we Hawaiians love spam to such a degree that we consume more of it than any other locale in the world. (Almost 5 million cans of Spam are purchased per year). As the major Pacific port during World War II, spam was brought to the islands by the boatload mainly because it didn’t require refrigeration and it provided protein and sustenance for military personnel. For nearly 60 years now, numerous spam dishes have been invented and several continue to be special local recipes.

To be honest, though, I am only partial to spam musubi, which is really just a warm sushi. If you’re brave enough, here is my personal recipe to try it for yourself. Read More »

I think I did a dance around the kitchen when I finally figured out how to replicate this Chinese dish so that it actually tasted authentic. SCORE! It’s a tad on the salty and oily side, but it’s sooooo good.

Ingredients for two portions: 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil, about ¼ lb ground beef or ground pork, dried chili pepper flakes to taste (or red chili paste), 1 tablespoon of black bean garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, one fresh package of extra-firm tofu, a little bit of broccoli (optional), and 4-5 green onions (scallions).

In a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and cook the ground meat over low-medium heat. Mix it with the chili pepper flakes or paste, the black bean garlic sauce, and the soy sauce. Read More »

I studied abroad for five months in China, and let me tell you, the food there is the best in the world. Ever since I got back, I’ve been trying to replicate it. So far I haven’t had much luck, but this recipe is closer than many.

I like chow mein (which isn’t an actual Chinese dish), but I’ve never liked the crunchy noodles that go along with it. They don’t exist in China, and I prefer rice. You can serve this yummy chicken dish with either.

To make enough chicken stirfy for one person, you’ll need half an onion (chopped), about ¼ pound of diced chicken, 2-3 scallions (chopped), two stalks of celery (chopped), a tablespoon of oil, about a teaspoon of soy sauce, some pepper, and any combination of flavored sauces (here I used garlic-ginger stirfry sauce and black bean sauce). Read More »

I’ve been told that I make the sweetest burritos ever. And of course my taste buds are biased…but I have to admit…my burritos are my favorite…and I think they’re pretty sweet, too.

My type of Mexican feast definitely has a taste that is a bit different from your normal greasy burrito. So here’s the secret:

You’ll need:

1 box of Mexican Rice (with seasoning)

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 jalapano pepper

1 jar of hot salsa

1 bag of cheddar cheese

1 tomato

1 can of black beans

Whatever meat you prefer, if you want.

Tortillas

Start to boil the water for the rice while you chop the peppers and the tomato. Begin to stir fry the peppers and tomatoes and put the rice in the boiled water. If you’ve got meat; throw it in with the stir fry. Read More »

Like most college-aged people, I’m pretty short on cash. I consider it an extravagant treat when I let myself go out for dinner (even if it’s just pizza), and I rarely buy clothes that weren’t bought by somebody else first.

Even though I’m “poor” compared to a lot of Americans, I realize I’m fabulously rich compared to most of the world’s people. So, every once in a while I try to help out others by donating a few dollars to charity.

I don’t donate as much as I should, and I’m working to get better at that. But for those of you who are strapped for cash like I am, two Web sites have made it really easy to donate without reaching for your credit card.

The Hunger Site is part of a group of six Web sites (the Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest, and Animal Rescue sites are the others) that rely on sponsor donations to help charities. If you click once daily on the big button on each site, sponsors will donate a small amount for all the causes on your behalf.  Cool, huh? Read More »