Hummus and Veggie Bagel

Hello Ursinus,

Bagels get a bad reputation because of their high carbohydrate content and relatively low nutritional value. They are also commonly paired with spreads like cream cheese or made into sandwiches with egg and cheese, which of course are delicious, but are animal products that are high in fat and cholesterol. Combining these foods does not help the bagel's case, but when combined with healthy, nutritionally-dense toppings, a bagel can be a healthy and satisfying meal choice.

Some people are surprised to hear that the majority of bagels are vegan, containing no animal products, and so a bagel stacked with vegan ingredients creates a healthy and environmentally sustainable food choice in Wismer. In addition, choosing a whole grain bagel can make the meal even healthier with its additional fiber. See our previous Mediterranean Quinoa Salad post for why plant-based food choices are better for the environment!

Please feel free to provide feedback or your thoughts by commenting on this post or contacting

realfoodgreenfellows@gmail.com. Thank you!

Local Portobello Mushroom Burger

Welcome back Ursinus, I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing spring break and you are all staying warm and safe on this snowy day!

Did you know that Pennsylvania is the top producing mushroom state in the U.S.? The borough of Kennett Square is the historical and current leader in mushroom production (1). It focuses on growing Agaricus mushrooms, which are button mushrooms when immature and white, cremini mushrooms when immature and brown, and portobello mushrooms when mature (2). Kennet Square is only about an hour away from us, which means that there is a very good chance that the mushrooms you eat in Wismer were grown in our very own state.

Mushrooms are an environmentally sustainable food choice on campus because they are produced locally. Since local food travels shorter distances between producer and consumer, it not only looks and tastes better, it requires much fewer resources. These include transportation fuel, refrigeration, and often processing and packaging. Local food is also better for the community because more of each dollar that the consumer spends goes back to the farmer, as opposed to towards the hidden costs that come with long distance food trade (3). Fun fact: making local food choices and purchases also keeps taxes down (4)! In addition, mushroom production in general is environmentally sustainable compared to other food sources. According to System Ekofungi, "Mushroom production is the only viable, socially-acceptable, and wide-spread biotechnology to convert waste into high-quality food" (5). Mushrooms are truly unique as a sustainable food source.

You may have noticed that the grill in Wismer recently swapped out their regular black bean burger for a portobello mushroom burger as its vegetarian/vegan option. If you were turned off by this switch, I am here to turn you onto it today by providing a delicious way to order a portobello mushroom burger at the grill. And for those of you who have never substituted a mushroom for a burger, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new! I hope you enjoy!

Please feel free to provide feedback or your thoughts by commenting on this post or contacting realfoodgreenfellows@gmail.com. Thank you!

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungiculture
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_bisporus
(3) http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/EWP163.pdf
(4) https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/buylocal.html

Sustainable Club Spotlight: Wismer on Wheels

Happy Spring Break, Ursinus!

In honor of the week off from classes, I am refraining from making a Wismer meal suggestion given it is probably not your minds as many of you are enjoying home-cooked meals. Instead, I will use this week's post as an opportunity to bring attention to a club on Ursinus' campus that is rooted in both humanitarian and environmental objectives: Wismer on Wheels. WOW is a student-run organization that packages leftover food from Wismer dining hall and delivers it to Manna on Main Street, a non-profit food pantry and soup kitchen in Lansdale, PA.

Wismer on Wheels members pack up the leftovers after both lunch and dinner on the weekdays and after dinner on weekend nights, which amounts to a total of twelve packaging shifts every week. Each volunteer is only required to commit to one shift per week, but many choose to sign up for more. This semester, WOW has a little over 40 members, the most the club has ever had.

After the leftovers are packaged, they are stored in a designated cooler in the kitchen until the following Monday or Thursday, when deliveries take place. Manna on Main street incorporates Wismer on Wheels' donations into their soup kitchen meals that they serve to community members, helping the non-profit come closer to achieving their mission: "That everyone might be fed".

Wismer on Wheels not only benefits the community with its donations, its actions are also beneficial for the environment as they reduce the food waste that dining services produces since the donated food would otherwise be thrown away. In the fall semester alone, WOW averted almost 2,000 pounds of food from landfills, which instead contributed to the alleviation of local food insecurity. Wismer on Wheels' food donations also helped Ursinus College become a national winner in the EPA's Food Recovery Challenge. UC's Dining Services was one of the thirteen winners out of over 800 that participated.

If you are interested in learning more about Wismer on Wheels, check out the club's social media pages linked below. If you are interested in getting involved, email wismeronwheels@ursinus.edu.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wismeronwheels/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wismeronwheels
Instagram: @wismeronwheels

Members are well known in the Wismer kitchen for the bright green aprons they wear while packaging. Wismer staff often affectionately call Wismer on Wheels volunteers "The Angels"

The trunk of a car is loaded up with the food Wismer on Wheels packages to be delivered to Manna on Main Street twice a week.

Please feel free to provide feedback or your thoughts by commenting on this post or contacting realfoodgreenfellows@gmail.com. Thank you!

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