Peanut Butter and Banana Roll-Up!

Greetings Ursinus!

Today we bring you a great way to mix up your average peanut butter sandwich to eat at any meal! Also be sure to check out the tips at the end of the post. Have a wonderful day and enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Banana Roll-Up!

What You’ll Need:

• One whole wheat wrap
• Peanut butter
• One banana
• Raisins (optional)
• A knife and plate

Instructions:

1. Ask for just a whole wheat wrap at the deli.
2. Grab some packets of peanut butter.
3. If you wish, get a small dish full of raisins provided at the salad topping station on the far right side of the fruit and yogurt bar.
4. Head to the cases of fruit and get a banana.
5. At a cutlery station, grab a plate and a knife.
6. At your seat, place your wrap on your plate and use your knife to spread your desired amount of peanut butter all over one flat side of your wrap.
7. If you chose to add raisins, sprinkle some all over the spread peanut butter. We recommend adding raisins for additional texture in the roll-up, as well as some added fiber. This may sound strange, however raisins act as a healthier alternative to grape jelly. They have the same grape flavor, but raisins give you the additional health benefits of fiber that come with eating the whole fruit source, as opposed to just its concentrated sugar content that you get when eating jelly.
8. Completely peel your banana and lay it on the wrap, off-center, so that it is an inch or two from one side.
9. Lift the short side of the wrap over and on top of the banana, the peanut butter should stick to the banana to help the wrap stay.
10. Next, roll the banana so that the side on top of it gets tucked between the banana and the other side of the wrap. Continue rolling the banana over the whole wrap until it is completely rolled up in the wrap and no peanut butter is exposed. It will end up looking similar to a burrito.
11. Finally, use your knife to cut off the excess wrap rolled up at both ends of the banana and devour.

Enjoy!

Fun facts and Food Tips:

• Looking for a way to spice up your healthy salad? Look no further than Wismer’s pizza station! The dining hall provides dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder in shakers next to the trays of pizza. Sprinkle one, or all three, onto your salad to make it a more exciting meal option without compromising its nutritional value with added oil, salt, or sugars. 

• Upper Wismer consistently offers freshly halved grapefruits throughout the year, but did you now that now is the best time to eat them? Grapefruits are in season from January through the early summer months, and since it is springtime, they are peaking in terms of favorable growing conditions, value, and flavor!

Apple, (Almond?), and Sunflower Seed Salad

Hello Ursinus,

Spring has sprung! In honor of the first day of spring yesterday, here is nice spring salad for you all to enjoy!

Apple, (Almond), and Sunflower Seed Salad

1. Head to the Salad Bar and get the greens of your choice, then we suggest getting cucumbers, carrots, and edamame. Feel free to add any other veggies of you want.
2. Now head to the other side of the salad bar and add the pre-cut apples.
3. Add some sliced almonds (if you want to given the information below and sunflower seeds.
4. Head back to the Salad Bar to coat your salad with either balsamic vinaigrette dressing or oil and balsamic vinegar.

Tip: If you want your salad really mixed up just grab another salad bowl place it on top of your current one and shake!

Now while almonds are a great source of protein, 1 cup has 20g of protein, there are some concerns. In the U.S. commercially produced almonds come from California. California is experiencing the worst drought in recent history. Considering that each individual almond uses 1.1 gallons of water; all that water needs to be drawn out of aquifers and used for agriculture purposes. However aquifers are not infinite sources of water, in fact they are the complete composite. The almonds used in this salad were water from finite freshwater under the ground. Not the most environmentally friendly thing. This just shows how even the smallest nut can have a large impact on our environment.

Enjoy!

For more information check out:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/almonds-demon-nuts/379244/

Mediterranean Hummus Wrap

Happy Monday Ursinus!

We hope everyone had a relaxing spring break and is ready to conquer the last home stretch of the semester. Today we bring you a recipe that puts the Mediterranean bar in Wismer to good use, because let’s be honest, does anyone know how we’re supposed to eat those olives and artichokes? In addition to topping salads with the Mediterranean foods available, we recommend using them to create this delicious and wholesome wrap!

The star ingredient of this recipe is hummus: a great dip but also an awesome alternative spread for sandwiches and wraps. Hummus is plant-based and made primarily from chick peas, so it is friendlier towards the environment, animals, and your body. Hummus can pack a protein punch into your meal with less fat than many common spreads. The thick and creamy texture of hummus means that it is easy to also leave out the cheese from your sandwich or wrap if you wish to make your meal even more plant-powered! Here are some nutritional comparisons of hummus to other condiments you may use:

1 Tablespoon (13.8g) of…

	Hummus	Mayonnaise (contains eggs)	Cream Cheese (contains milk)
Calories	25	94	49
Fat (g)	1.4	10	5
Saturated fat (g)	0.2	1.6	2.8
Cholesterol (mg)	0	6	16
Carbohydrates (g)	2.1	0.1	0.6
Sugar (g)	0	0.1	0.5
Fiber (g)	0.9	0	0
Protein (g)	1.2	0.1	0.9
Sodium (mg)	57	88	47
Potassium (mg)	34	3	20

You can see that hummus is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium than mayonnaise and cream cheese, but higher in the nutrients that are better for your health and energy levels: carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and potassium. This makes hummus a great food to incorporate into any meal!

Mediterranean Hummus Wrap!

What you’ll need:

• Whole wheat wrap
• A scoop of Hummus
• Veggies of choice, e.g. Spinach or lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, etc.
• A few olives
• 3-5 roasted red pepper strips
• 1 or 2 artichokes
• Feta (optional, vegan without)
•  Knife and spoon 

Instructions:

1. Go to the deli and ask for just a whole wheat wrap.
2.  Go to the salad bar and get veggies of choice.
3. Go to the Mediterranean bar and get olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers, hummus, and feta (if desired).
4. Get the knife and spoon.
5. At your table, use the spoon to dollop and spread hummus all over one flat side of the wrap.
6. Use knife to cut the olives, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and any other veggies you feel necessary, into smaller pieces to fit and disperse them better in the wrap.
7. Lay all remaining ingredients on top of the hummus in a pile concentrated on one side of the wrap.
8. To fold your wrap, refer to the following diagram:

           Or bring your unfolded wrap to the deli and kindly ask the staff there to fold it for you.

       9. A final optional step you can take is to ask the deli staff member to toast your wrap for you!

Enjoy!

Seasonally Stuffed BBQ Potato

Happy Monday, Ursinus!

As Wismer is still only offering limited dining options, the weekly planned menu online is unavailable, and so this week we provide you with a recipe using ingredients that are served often. Stuffed baked potatoes are delicious; they are a commonly-loved comfort food but also one that can easily become a less-than-wholesome choice depending on what is stuffed inside. As seen in some restaurants, stuffing potatoes with highly-processed ingredients turns this potentially wholesome meal into one with less nutritious value and with unnecessary added fat and sodium as well. Here we offer a version of the favorite that you can feel good about eating and can easily be constructed in the dining hall: a baked potato stuffed with wholesome, plant-based foods.

In addition, the recipe below provides a smart dining choice with regards to the earth. Many of the ingredients used to make it, including potatoes, broccoli, corn, onions, peppers, and mushrooms, are all produce that is likely to be grown locally in Pennsylvania. Many are seasonal as well! Eating locally is important for our environment because it requires less shipping and packaging, and therefore fewer resources, in the process of getting the foods from farm to table. Supporting local farms is also important to fuel our local economies and in distributing wealth more evenly within the population!

Seasonally Stuffed BBQ Potato!

What you’ll need:

•  Baked potato
• Broccoli
• Corn
• Peppers, onions, and mushrooms from the grill
• Cheese from the salad bar or deli (optional)
• Barbeque sauce from the grill (also optional)
• Knife and spoon.

Instructions:

1. Get a baked potato, some broccoli, and some corn from whatever stations are serving them.
2. Go to the grill and ask for just the grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Also ask for BBQ sauce on the side, or bring a small dish from a different station for the staff member to put the sauce in.
3. (Optional Step: Recipe is vegan without) Depending on preference, go to either the salad bar for shredded cheese or the deli and ask for a slice of cheese.
4. Get utensils.
5. To assemble, slice the baked potato length-wise with the knife to open, but do not slice through the bottom layer of skin so that the potato separates into two halves.
6. Stuff the cavity you just created with all veggies.
7. Use the spoon to scoop out some of the middle of the potato.
8. If you have cheese, place it on top of the stuffed potato. Put the potato in one of the microwaves for about 30 seconds, or until the cheese is melted.
9. Use the spoon the drizzle the barbeque sauce on top of the stuffed potato, if so desired.
10. Enjoy!

Healthy Food Tip:

To make this recipe satisfy a larger part of your meal and keep you fuller for longer, add some extra protein into the stuffed potato by adding any type of beans that are available that day. Stuff the beans into the potato with the vegetables. We suggest black beans!

If you are interested in peeking ahead to what Ursinus College Dining Services planned for the weekly menu in Wismer in the future, as mentioned above, check out the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page!

https://ursinusdining.sodexomyway.com/dining-choices/index.html

Southwest Salad

Hello lovely Ursinus community!

Even though Wismer still has limited options, this week’s menu item will provide something nice and tasty to try first thing when Wismer return back to normal. Also check out a healthy food tip at the end of this post that you can still use even though options are limited! This week’s menu item is …

Southwest Salad!

What you’ll need:

Lettuce and assortment of veggies from the Salad Bar

Corn and cheese from the Salad Bar

Corn chips from the Mediterranean Bar

Black Beans from Hometown or Vegetarian Bar

Guacamole from the Grill

Optional – Ranch dressing (from Salad Bar) or Hot Sauce (found on tables)

Instructions:

1. Create a salad to your liking at the Salad Bar. Include lettuce, any veggies that look appealing to you, and of course corn and cheese!
2. Get corn chips from the Mediterranean Bar
3. Get black beans (or any type of bean) from either Hometown or the Vegetarian Bar
4. Get some guacamole from the Grill
5. At your seat mix the corn chips, black beans and guacamole into your salad. Add hot sauce or ranch dressing if you want to spice up or cool down your salad.
6. And if you really want to mix things up use the corn chips to scoop up your delicious salad into our mouth instead of using a fork.
7. Enjoy!

Healthy food tip:

Change things up with your breakfast routine by adding peanut butter to your oatmeal! Not only does it add a lot of flavor but it is also a great way to get extra protein in the morning. That protein will help keep your mind focused through all your morning classes!

Have a great week everyone! 

Winter Fuit and Nut Chicken Salad

Love chicken salad but want to ditch the highly-processed and canola oil-based mayonnaise? Make your own healthier chicken salad with a delicious and interesting twist using the following recipe:

Winter fruit and nut chicken salad!

What you’ll need:

·         Grilled chicken

·         Plain Greek yogurt

·         Walnuts

·         Craisins (or apples)

Instructions:

1.       Grab a piece of grilled chicken from the grill and some Greek yogurt, walnuts, and craisins (or apples) from the yogurt bar

2.       Shred the chicken using a fork and knife

3.       Mix the Greek yogurt with the shredded chicken

4.       Crush the walnuts using your fingers or a knife

5.       Mix walnut pieces and craisins (or chopped apples) into the salad

6.       Leave as a salad or put it onto sandwich

Enjoy!

Roasted Veggie Sandwich

Hey everyone! Want to switch up what you get at the deli? Looking for a new and exciting sandwich to satisfy your taste-buds? Well here you go…

Make Your Own Roasted Veggie Sandwich!

What you’ll need:

• Roasted onions and peppers from The Grill
• Other cooked or roasted veggies from the Vegetarians
• Roll or wrap from The Deli (which ever you prefer)
• Mustard
• Cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine roasted and cooked vegetables from various stations and arrange on the roll or wrap.
2. Head to the Deli Station to add cheese and/or get your sandwich toasted. (Yes if you already have a sandwich made and hand it to them they will toast it for you!)
3. Spread some mustard on that fine looking sandwich and ENJOY! (You can also get mustard added at the Deli Station while you are there.)

Have a great week!