Instant Noodles: A College Staple

Ramen noodles are another food that I believe every college student has consumed. Sadly, these instant noodles are extremely cheap (19¢ per package), and require only water, a microwave, and a few minutes to make. However inexpensive and easy, these noodles are terrible for the body.

First, let us think about the ingredients. The seemingly innocent noodles are actually deep fried. That doesn't bode well for any health aspect of the food. This is basically taking enriched flour (the non-whole grain variety), which is already stripped of pretty much any fiber or nutritional value, and dropping it in oil. The seasoning packet is almost all pure salt. How do I know? I looked at the ingredients list on the package. Ingredient number one is salt. Followed by the phrase 'contains less than 1% of...' 


Next, we can look at the nutrition information on the package. One package of ramen (technically two servings) contains 14g of fat (half of which is saturated fat).  That means one bowl of ramen has one fifth of your daily fat intake (remember, this is just noodles and broth). Ramen also contains almost 1800mg of sodium - 75% of your daily intake. Definitely not good. Lastly, there are 52g of carbohydrates (hey, they are noodles), however, only 2g of this are dietary fiber. In total, this constitutes 400 calories for the bowl of ramen noodles, 150 of which come from fat. Ew.


All of these factors combine into a higher risk for weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Instead of buying ramen deathbricks, try getting some whole grain pasta, and jarred pasta sauce. It might cost slightly more per serving, but it will keep you going in the long run. More on pasta soon.

Pizza Perfect

Pizza - one of the staple foods of your average college student. Probably one of the reasons for the freshman fifteen, and definitely not the best food for you.

The average slice of cheese pizza contains 300 calories and 11 grams of fat. A good way to save on the fat is to order your pizza with part-skim cheese, which will save you up to 24g of fat per pie. When ordering, try to avoid the most destructive toppings - pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, and extra cheese.

Fun (ish?) pizza facts:

• A standard pizza in Italy contains 500 to 800 calories
• A medium cheese pizza from Pizza Hut has over 2,150 calories
• About 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year, 400 million of which come from Domino's
• Pizza is the 4th most-craved food among Americans (after cheese, chocolate, and ice cream)
• Dipping sauces from major pizza chains can contain up to 18 grams of fat per little tub
• You save 20 to 50 calories per slice by blotting away the excess oils - not much, but if you're eating a few slices it adds up

Try adding vegetables to your usual pizza order to get some of the nutrients your body needs. Some of the best toppings are green peppers, mushrooms, onions, roma tomatoes, pineapple, chicken, broccoli, and spinach. Also, add a packet of crushed red peppers to your pizza - the capsaicin in the pepper has been shown to stimulate metabolism. There are definitely ways to make your pizza healthier, just try to avoid eating a pie for dinner every night. Portion control is key with foods like pizza.

Good at home pizza tools:

• Cuisinart AMB-14PP Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware 14-Inch Pizza Pan
• Oxo Good Grips 4-Inch Pizza Wheel
• Norpro Deluxe Pastry & Pizza Roller

In the News: Sleep Deprivation Increases Hunger

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have observed that sleep deprived individuals consume more calories the day after than if they had a good night's sleep.  According to the study, women consume 329 more calories and men consume 269 extra.
In addition to consuming more calories, the study participants seemed to gravitate to high-fat, high-protein foods when sleep deprived, especially ice cream.


Regularly consuming an additional 300 calories per day would add up to about 30 pounds of weight gain over the course of a year, thus increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses associated with being overweight and obesity.


The first thing I thought when I read this study was, "Oh, right.  Freshman fifteen."  College students get waaaaaaaaaaay less sleep than they need.  And we realize it.  Well, most of us do.  But we choose to do nothing about it, or just take lots of naps.  Anyway, we all need to get the right amount of sleep (at least 7-8 hrs per night), or else we will feel it in more ways than one.