The Friday Night Dinner

Rather than walking into Malott Commons and wandering around in circles trying to find something to eat, why not be creative and create your own balanced meal? One Friday night, we did just that, and came up with several delicious dinner options.

There are many views on what constitutes a bal­anced meal, but protein, a little starch, vitamins, miner­als, and fiber are nutrients that our bodies always need. Even though the following meals are for Friday night dinner, there is always a salad bar, a grill station, two dif­ferent soups, and vegetarian options at Malott Commons as well as at almost all of the other 5C dining halls. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with your meals!

Option 1: A Mixed Salad

Start off with the greens: the darker, the more nutri­tious

+Spinach: Contains calcium, folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, fiber, and carotenoids

+Lettuce: Contains chlorophyll and vitamin K. Iceberg: choline; Romaine: vitamins A, B1, B2, C, folic acid, manganese, and chromium

Add on favorite vegetables and fruits.

+Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): Contain molybdenum, folic acid, fiber, manganese, protein, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium

+Carrots: Contain many antioxidants, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur

+Cucumber: Contains vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, and minerals

+Kidney beans: Contain cholesterol-lowering fiber, pro­tein, molybdenum, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin B1, and manganese

+Tomato: Contains lycopene (an antioxidant), vitamins A, C, and K, fiber, potassium, and iron

Dress your salad with balsamic or red wine vinegar + ol­ive oil, or other options to fit your taste buds. Sprinkle it!

+Walnuts: contain protein, fiber, vitamin B, magnesium, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids

+Sunflower seeds: contain vitamin E, choline, betaine, and phenolic acids

+Cranberries: contain fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxi­dants

And finally, the meat or meat substitutes:

+Tofu: contains protein, calcium, and iron

+Grilled chicken (provided at the grill station)—contains protein, vitamin B6, and minerals

Option 2: Japanese Food

Miso soup for starters: contains tryptophan, manganese, vitamin K, protein, zinc, copper, and dietary fibers

Sushi:

+Avocado: contains fiber, potassium, and folate

+Cucumber: contains vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, and minerals

+Crab: contains vitamins, proteins, amino acids, and min­erals such as calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, and iron

+Salmon: contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E, omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, and niaci

+A large part of sushi is also made up of rice and seaweed. Rice contains many vitamins, minerals, vitamin E, B vita­mins, and potassium, while seaweed is a good source of protein, minerals, iodine, and iron.

Option 3: Warm, wholesome food

+Salmon: contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E, omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, and niacin

+Lemon peppered chicken: contains protein, vitamin B6, and mineral

+Wild Rice: contains vitamins, minerals, vitamin E, B vita­mins, and potassium

Still hungry? Wrap it up with some scrump­tious dessert options!

+Yogurt: contains protein, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, potassium, and magnesium

+Granola: contains fiber and vitamins

+Frozen yogurt- top it off with your favorite candy

+Cereal- Cocopuffs, Lucky Charms. Cheerios, etc. ….and if you add milk, you get extra calcium and vita­mins D, A, K, and B12

by Emma Jaffe and Kristina Hennig