Food on campus has great potential

Meals at school can still be delicious and nutritious.
By ALLISON ASKINS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The no-carb craze may still be big among college students, but Alison Porter, chef for the Chi Omega house at USC, knows many of her students are burning candles at both ends -- which means carbs aren't necessarily all bad.
So Porter has a tuna-pasta salad that she prepares often this time of year. She would recommend it for any student who manages his or her own kitchen duty.
Made with tuna, bow-tie pasta, raisins, curry, a little mayonnaise and sour cream, the dish is a tasty twist on tuna salad, and Porter's students love it.
It's great for lunch, dinner or as a late-night study snack.
Wholesome and cheap
Pasta salads also help stretch a dollar while providing a wholesome one-dish meal, Porter said.
"If they're counting carbs, they can put in more veggies," she said. The key is to use the freshest ingredients you can afford.
"The real thing is better than fake," Porter said.
Cherry tomatoes and blanched broccoli or asparagus added to a penne pasta with an Italian dressing is another good way to go. Add a little whole-grain bread and fruit for dessert and you have a meal Mom would be proud of.
You can find as many healthy convenience items in the grocery store today as you can chicken fingers and chips -- good news for students.
That's a message Leslie Gray, chef of the Kappa Delta house at USC, drives home with three menu ideas she suggests.
No cooking
Each requires no cooking -- perfect for a student who may have access only to a fridge.
"You can find everything premade anymore," Gray said. "You can buy apples precut, little packets of nuts, fruits and veggies prechopped."
So, try a wrap with deli meat and cheese, some green leaf lettuce, and chopped cucumbers or tomatoes. Add honey mustard on the side for a little extra zing.
If you'd like a healthy late-night snack, pick up some garbanzo beans, tahini, a lemon, some olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Check out the hummus recipe offered here and you'll have a delicious dip for ready-cut carrots and celery. (It's great with corn chips and pita chips, too.)
Cooking away from home
UIf you have access to a stove, try cold pasta salads or hot pasta dishes with ready-made sauces, such as fetuccini Alfredo. Add chicken cut from a rotisserie chicken or other ready-made chicken available in the deli section as well as a little steamed broccoli.
URice makes a great one-dish meal, too. Buy microwavable rice packets in flavors you like and add cut-up chicken, steamed carrots, mushrooms or other favorite veggies.
UIf pizza's your thing, try ready-made crusts or pita bread. Buy pizza sauce, cheese and toppings -- artichoke hearts, deli ham and black olives. Warm the pizza in a toaster oven or the oven.
UIf you have only a fridge at your disposal, you have lots of options. Buy prewashed lettuces or spinach for salads. Add croutons, ready-cut veggies, shredded cheeses and a favorite salad dressing. Try the ready-cut fruits, too.
UWho says a sandwich can't be good meal? Use whole-grain breads and your favorite veggies or deli meats and you'll have another healthy, one-dish meal. Use fresh fruit as a side instead of chips and you'll have calories to spare for that late-night beer in Five Points.
USpeaking of liquids: Don't forget to stay hydrated. Yes, Mom knew what she was talking about. Bottled waters abound, as do many healthy fruit and vegetable juices. Try these before you pop your next can of soda, even if it is a diet soda.
UWhen prepping food, remember not to cut meat on the same surface where you have cut vegetables. Cut each on a separate surface, using separate utensils.
UStore leftovers in the fridge as soon as you have finished with them. If you don't have a fridge, don't hold on to that rotisserie chicken overnight. Dispose of it within two hours.
UAlways wash knives and other cooking utensils with hot, soapy water between uses.
UAnd forget cloth dish towels. Paper towels are safer because you throw them away as soon as you've used them. Dish towels hold moisture and bacteria. Buy an econo-pack the next time you hit Target or Wal-Mart.
TUNA-PASTA SALAD
1 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked, drained, rinsed and cooled
1 12-ounce can solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
1 cup lightly toasted pecan pieces
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of ground ginger, optional
Pinch ground curry powder, optional
Mix the tuna, raisins, pecans, green onions, lemon juice, ginger and curry.
Add mayonnaise and sour cream; mix well.
Add pasta to tuna mixture, tossing to mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 674.9; protein, 21.9 grams; carbohydrates, 47.0 grams; total fat, 45.3 grams; cholesterol, 67.2 milligrams; saturated fat, 6.8 grams; dietary fiber, 4.1 grams; sodium, 660.4 milligrams; sugar, 17.7 grams; vitamin A, 75.6 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 3.2 milligrams; calcium, 90.7 milligrams; iron, 2.3 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
Alison Porter, chef, Chi Omega sorority house, USC
PITA BREAD PIZZAS
1 package pita bread for crusts
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella (or more as desired) and/or other toppings: black olives, artichoke hearts, onions, deli ham, green peppers, broccoli
Create pizzas with toppings of your choice.
Toast 5 minutes in a toaster oven.
Makes 6 servings
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 362.8; protein, 18.3 grams; carbohydrates, 53.1 grams; total fat, 7.9 grams; cholesterol, 21.9 milligrams; saturated fat, 4 grams; dietary fiber, 3.1 grams; sodium, 660.8 milligrams; sugar, 5.8 grams; vitamin A, 179 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 11.2 milligrams; calcium, 350.5 milligrams; iron, 3.5 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
Randy Davis, director, USC Culinary Institute
COOL CUCUMBER WRAP
2 ounces deli turkey
1/2 ounce Swiss cheese
1/4 cup chopped cucumbers, or more to your liking
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, or more to your liking
2 to 3 leaves lettuce
1 whole-wheat wrap
2 tablespoons honey mustard, to the side
Wrap turkey, Swiss cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce in whole-wheat wrap. Serve with honey mustard.
Makes 1 serving.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 397.3; protein, 21.6 grams; carbohydrates, 43.8 grams; total fat, 16.3 grams; cholesterol, 34 milligrams; saturated fat, 4.8 grams; dietary fiber, 5.8 grams; sodium, 1,076 milligrams; sugar, 2.8 grams; vitamin A, 61.1 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 3.7 milligrams; calcium, 160.8 milligrams; iron, 2.2 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams
HUMMUS
1/2 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and mashed (you may buy garbanzo beans already pureed)
1/2 cup tahini (a thick paste made of ground sesame seed, available ready made at grocery stores)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and serve with fresh-cut veggies, pita chips or crackers. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 117; protein, 3.5 grams; carbohydrates, 10.5 grams; total fat, 7.4 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; saturated fat, 0.5 gram; dietary fiber, 2.4 grams; sodium, 188.5 milligrams; sugar, 2.6 grams; vitamin A, 1 retinol equivalent; vitamin C, 1.4 milligram; calcium, 22.1 milligrams; iron, 1 milligram; alcohol, 0 grams
Leslie Gray, Kappa Delta sorority house, USC
APPLE SALAD
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into tidbits (Granny Smiths are tart and have a green skin)
Lemon juice to coat apples and prevent browning (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 cup chopped pecans
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
4 to 6 ounces strawberry yogurt
Combine all ingredients and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.
Makes 1 serving.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories, 386.6; protein, 11.4 grams; carbohydrates, 61 grams; total fat, 12.4 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; saturated fat, 12.4 grams; dietary fiber, 5 grams; sodium, 105.5 milligrams; sugar, 52.6 grams; vitamin A, 11.4 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 15.4 milligrams; calcium, 320.1 milligrams; iron, 0.7 milligram; alcohol, 0 grams
Leslie Gray, Kappa Delta sorority house, USC