The National Nutrition Month campaign is held annually in March in order to highlight the importance of a balanced diet.
For this Nutrition Month, two nutrition graduate students, Anna Marroquin and MiKayla Glass, provided their insights on the importance of nutrition as well as their own recipes for easy and healthy meals.
MiKayla Glass
“Nutrition is really a cornerstone; it is the most important thing,” says Marroquin. “The top eight leading causes of death are nutrition-related. So as far as changing the health trajectory of not just the country but probably the world, it really starts with nutrition. Teaching people about the importance of nutrition, how to enjoy healthy food and how to make it taste good is really important.”
One of Marroquin’s favorite recipes to make is her jar noodles. The recipe is ideal when thinking of a quick and easy meal to prepare.
Anna Marroquin
“You don’t really have to cook anything except for water, if that counts.” Marroquin said. “You just have it in the fridge ready to go and then add water whenever you’re ready. So it’s a super quick meal, and it’s also super customizable. You can just add whatever flavors you want and make it your own to fit your preferences, and it’s really satisfying.”
One of Glass’ favorite recipes to make is homemade granola. Just like Marroquin’s jar noodles, granola is easy to make and customizable.
“You can control how much sugar you put in it, how much sodium, really just whatever you prefer. If you like specific nuts, you can use those as sweeteners. It’s easy, super easy,” said Glass.
As both Marroquin and Glass demonstrate, eating a healthy diet does not have to be a complex endeavor. In just a few minutes, anyone can prepare a meal that is nutritious, and easy to prepare.
Jar Noodles:
In a 1 qt. jar:
2 tbsp of miso paste
2 tsp of bouillon paste
2 tsp of soy sauce
1/4 cup of shredded carrot
1/4 cup of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of diced tofu
1 bundle of vermicelli glass or rice noodles
To finish: Add hot/boiling water to fill the jar. Let sit for about ten minutes, stir to combine. Enjoy!
2 cups of oats
1/2 cup of nuts
1/2 cup of coconut
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of salt
2 tsps of melted coconut oil
1/4 cup of honey
lemon zest
Combine the ingredients and bake on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven. After 15 minutes, turn the granola. Then return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
