Salmon. Cooking this delicious fish is a little bit terrifying at first. What do you do with it? How do you know when it’s done? Do I need a non stick pan?

I will admit: it took me a long time to conquer my fear of cooking salmon. But once I did, I realized it is basically the easiest, quickest way to a healthy, tasty dinner. This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I use frozen salmon fillets — available at most bulk stores — in very good brands, which are easy to defrost in about 15-20 minutes when held under warm, running water.

Salmon is packed with nutrients, especially omega 3s, which are a necessary fat that the human body doesn’t produce on its own. Omega 3s reduce inflammation and help to reduce the risk for chronic diseases, like heart disease.

Salmon is good with pretty much anything, but I love to serve this recipe with brown rice.

Lemon and Parmesan Salmon

You’ll need…

• 1-2 salmon fillets (2 salmon fillets serves about 2-3 people)
• 1 tablespoons of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt Read More »

The media loves talking about the health benefits of salmon, almost as much as they love analyzing Shiloh’s outfits. Our doctors tell us to eat it and our favorite magazines often have a “cook an amazing salmon tonight” sort of recipe. Heck, you as a reader probably think salmon is a nutritious food and are wondering where I am heading with this article.  After all, salmon has an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, the exact fats we need to consume in our diets for a healthy brain and heart. And while it is true that salmon is loaded with omega-3s, it’s also got some other stuff in it.  Stuff that is bad.  Stuff that is so bad and gross that the use of such “stuff” is illegal in the United Kingdom.

The scientific term for this “stuff” is canthaxanthin. Canthaxanthin is an artificial pink food dye manufactured by a company called Hoffman-La Roche.  Hoffman-La Roche is a pharmaceutical company that distributes its trademarked SalmoFan (which is a color chart similar to paint store swatches), so fish farmers can have a choice of various shades of pink from which to dye their salmon.

You see, salmon raised in the wild develop a natural pink color from eating pink crustaceans, but all farm-raised salmon eat a processed “fish meal,” which leaves their skins a lovely (not so appetizing) shade of gray.  Hence, the need to use the aforementioned “stuff.”  So back to why the UK, and most European countries for that matter, are suspicious of canthaxanthin.  Well, canthaxanthin was linked to retinal damage in people when taken as a sunless tanning pill.  The British banned its use as a tanning agent, but we Americans still use it for tanning purposes without any warnings from the government.

Read More »

This post provided by college nutritionist, author, and all around excellent source of healthful info, Melanie Jatsek.

If I were to tell you that eating certain foods in the right combination will make you more alert and focused, would you give them a try?  How about if I told you that some of your food choices are literally draining your brain power? Would you think twice before chowin’ down on them?

The bad news – it’s true!
The good news – you don’t have to completely overhaul your diet in order to get results.

Three factors influence what I like to call your “brain power”:  meal composition (the foods that make up your meal), meal size and meal frequency. Allow me to break it all down for you: Read More »

The average collegiate cook can whip up a packet of Ramen like nobody’s business. If she wants to get fancy, she could probably grill some chicken on the side. But seafood? Summer’s ultimate entrée indulgence isn’t exactly a regular on the typical sorority cookout menu. Sure, it’s pricier, and sure, it has a drastically shorter shelf life, but if you’re looking for something special and seasonal to serve this week, we’ve got the who’s who of surf grub right here!

Scallops
What to get: Fresh sea scallops
Why they’re tasty: A single 4 oz serving carries 33% of  your recommended daily value of vitamin B12, crucial to cardiovascular health
How to serve: Sautéed, with pasta.

Lobster
What to get: Ripe, red Maine lobster
Why it’s tasty: Also high in B12, lobster is the filet mignon of seafood, with very few calories. But it’s also high in sodium and cholesterol, so eat in moderation.
How to serve:  On a roll!

The Recipe: Potato-Crusted Salmon
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (the “good” fats) and is an excellent source of protein. Here’s a super easy recipe that incorporates a traditional college favorite: hash browns! Read More »

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 »

Believe it or not, what you eat actually influences how you feel on the inside and look on the outside.  I’m not just talking about your weight here – I’m talking about your skin.  Feeding your body tons of nutritious foods leads to happy skin and in turn, a happier you.  So what should you eat?  Check out the list below for some of the top recommended “skin foods” from the specialists at WebMD.

Water – Water is probably the most important thing you ever put in your body throughout a given day.  Having enough water in your system helps everything run smoothly, including your digestion, thought processes, and alertness.  Plus, it helps flush (read: pee pee) out all of the toxic byproducts of your normal body processes.  This is the part that makes your skin glow, look fresh, and appear more rested.  While how much water you drink is constantly in dispute, my general rule of thumb is to drink enough water to keep your pee light yellow.

Omega-3 Rich Foods – This includes foods like salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, and certain types of beans.  Eating these foods on a normal basis increases your intake of essential fatty acids, which help your skin remain plump and fresh by holding water into your skin cells.  Omega-3s also act was an anti-inflammatory agent, which can improve the blood flow to your face, making you glow.

Selenium-Rich Foods – Studies have shown the power of this mineral in preventing damage to the skin cells.  Foods high in selenium include whole grains, turkey, and tuna.  Selenium can help prevent oxidative damage, which can age and roughen skin cells.  Pour yourself a bowl of whole wheat cereal in the morning to get closer to your daily selenium needs. Read More »

[Every week, CC and John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, saddest things he hears on his college campus. Join the Overheard revolution!Leave your own overheard convos in the comments or send ‘em over!]

(Frustrated girl, at a computer.)

Girl: Who is this person? This ‘giant-nasty-rotting-vagina’ person? Wrote the thing about the giant Husky penis?

(Girl and guy, at the dining hall.)

Guy: This fish is weird. It’s like salmon, but it’s not quite there. I don’t like it.

Girl: Did you eat the skin?

Guy: Uh. Oh. Yup.

(Girl on the phone.)

Girl: I can’t get on that plane! I hate planes! I’m always afraid they’re gonna commit ritual suicide or something!

(Girl reading a paper.)

Girl: I think the world is ending. We all stopped smoking [weed], and suddenly we’re comedians.

(Guy, being snarky.)

Guy: Changing the laws of physics isn’t something you just do. It’s something I just do. Read More »

After one too many plastic cups of Pabst Blue Ribbon, I’ve moved on to wine as my new drink of choice. But, like beer, there are many kinds of bad wine that are too easy to accidentally drink. So what makes a good wine? And what’s the difference between a chardonnay and a Cabernet?

Here’s the rundown on the mot popular kinds of wine and what to drink them with.

Reds

Cabernet Sauvignon is produced mainly in France and California. This red is what’s called “full bodied,” meaning it’s got a rich, strong flavor of dark fruits like black current. The best Cabernets taste a bit earthy and dry and they tend to get better with age, so pick-up a bottle with the earliest date (as in, 2003 rather than 2008).

Pair with red meat, grilled vegetables, or pasta with red sauce.

Merlot is arguably the most popular red wine. Merlot can range from medium to full-bodied and is high in alcohol and low in acidity. Flavors include plum and chocolate (yum!). Grown all over the world, this wine is easy to enjoy.

Pair with pasta with red sauce, beef, or grilled or smoky meats.

Pinot Noir is made from a velvety grape that is one of the hardest to grow, which makes a good pinot great and a bad pinot terrible. A good pinot will be complex, with flavors ranging from black cherries to earthy spices. Pinot Noir grapes traditionally come from Burgundy, France, but are now being perfected in Oregon and California.

Pair with salmon, pasta, or pork. Read More »

By now you’ve probably heard that fish is good for you—really, REALLY good for you! Besides being a lean and healthy form of protein, lower in saturated fat than poultry or beef, fish contains omega 3 fatty acids, sometimes referred to as fish oil. Although “fish oil” sounds kinda gross, it’s good for your heart, and may even contribute to healthy skin and strong immunity. Good stuff.

But how the heck do you cook it? A lot of fish is breaded or fried (or both), which sort of defeats the purpose of it being a health food (kinda like tempura. Seriously people…fried veggies?) However, one of the healthiest ways to cook fish is also one of the easiest.

Have tinfoil and an oven? You can cook fish. Read More »

A wise Alpha Kitty said, “Let them eat salmon.”

Damn! If only I would have known sooner, I wouldn’t have such a mammoth pimple on the side of my chin…ha!

Have I lost you? See what I mean and watch.

Atoosa Rubenstein, creator of CosmoGIRL! and pervious Editor In Chief of both CosmoGIRL! and Seventeen is feeding the hungry kitty in us all with new video content on her Alpha Kitty You Tube Channel.

I watched, I laughed, and I think Atoosa brings the… for lack of a better word, weirdness, in us all.

Aren’t you a little curious?