An inside look at living, studying and working at Cal Poly.

Inside Cal Poly

One of the most underrated superfoods has to be the humble tomato. Mixed into salsa, thrown into salad, or poured into pasta sauce, tomatoes tend to fly under the radar when used in different meals. However, this superfood holds incredible health properties you won’t want to miss out on.



While most people think of it as a vegetable, tomatoes are actually categorized as fruits. These fruits contain high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports the immune system and helps maintain healthy skin and tissue lining. One medium-size tomato contains 50% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C and no saturated fats!



The pigment that gives them their deep red color is called lycopene. This antioxidant attacks radicals which, if allowed to build up, can cause cell damage and trigger cancer. The amount of lycopene in a tomato varies according to the variety, but the deep red tomatoes are the best- they contain 50 mg of lycopene per kilogram. Cooking the tomatoes can help concentrate the lycopene.



Tomatoes also contribute to a healthy heart. The high vitamin C levels enable oxygen to be transported around the body and to the heart more efficiently. The highest concentration of vitamin C is found in the jelly-like coating around the seeds so shy away from scrapping them out when cooking.



Tomatoes are one of the easiest and most rewarding fruit to grow in your garden. However, if you’re like most people who grow tomatoes, you know the struggle of having waaayyyyyy too many tomatoes on your hands. Not to worry, here are 28 things to do with too many tomatoes:



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Red tomatoes scattered around the text "Healthy from my head tomatoes" and "August Superfood" on a white background.

Healthy from My Head Tomatoes

Life as a college student is expensive enough. With tuition, housing, transportation — not to mention new textbooks and supplies each quarter — thinking about where your next meal will come from can often be the last thing on your mind.



However, it’s important that students are fueled with the nutrition and resources they need to focus on school and achieve their highest academic goals. Now, with Feed Cal Poly, the campus community can help students in need. All students, faculty and staff members can donate to the Cal Poly Basic Needs Initiative to ensure all Mustangs have access to the resources they need to succeed in every aspect of their university life.



Donations can be made by cash or credit card at any Campus Dining venue register, and guests will receive a receipt with their donation amount for tax purposes.



Find out more about two of the programs your extra dollars may help fund.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cal Poly Food Pantry</h2>



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Part of the Cal Poly Hunger Program,&nbsp;<a href="https://hcs.calpoly.edu/pulse/students/pantry">the Food Pantry is a short-term service that ensures all students have access to nutritious meals every day</a>. Powered by donations, the pantry provides a wide variety of packaged and canned foods, frozen meals and personal hygiene products for students to choose from.



The Food Pantry was created by faculty and staff members who saw an increased number of students going hungry, and without the means to purchase basic food and supplies.



Students who visit the pantry can also obtain a meal voucher and counseling support services. If their needs are more demanding, Health Education can even connect students with further resources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mustang Meal Share</h2>



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Campus Dining’s Mustang Meal Share program offers students struggling with food insecurity free meals at 805 Kitchen to ensure that they stay fueled for success. Students, faculty and staff can donate to this program through Feed Cal Poly. First-year students with a meal plan can donate $65 worth of dining dollars, enough for 10 meals, per academic quarter. At the end of the year, all unused Mustang Meal Share money will roll over to the next year to provide continued support to students on campus.



This program is self-sustaining, offering an easy way for students struggling with food security to receive support while remaining anonymous.



Need a little help yourself? Inquire about the program by contacting the Dean of Students office via email deanofstudents@calpoly.edu or phone (805) 756–2472.

Smiling food service worker wearing visor and apron hands a card to a customer at a counter.

Campus Dining makes combatting student food insecurity easier

Quick Facts:



· Canned pumpkin can be added to almost any meal. Try adding it to oatmeal for a hot breakfast filled with fiber!



· A pumpkin is actually both a fruit and a berry, belonging to the Gourd family.



· Pumpkin seeds are edible and can be roasted as a snack.



· Watch out! Your pumpkin spice latte hardly contains any trace of the fruit. Heat up some pumpkin and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on it instead.



Don’t let pumpkins fool you this year when they’re in their ‘jack-o’-lantern’ state, because this superfood is loaded with antioxidants and disease fighting vitamins that will leave you saying “Oh my Gourd!”



Ranging in size from less than a pound to more than 1,000 pounds, there are many benefits to eating pumpkin. The first benefit is its bright orange color. The power behind a pumpkin’s color comes from beta-carotene, a provitamin that is converted to Vitamin A. On top of that, every single part of a pumpkin is edible: the skin, flower, pulp, leaves, and seeds. Plus, consuming one cup of canned pumpkin can provide about 200 percent of our daily recommended intake of Vitamin A. This ensures that your eyes, skin, and bones will stay healthy.



At your next pumpkin carving party, save the seeds! Pumpkin seeds contain the amino acid tryptophan which is important in the creation of serotonin. This plays an important role in balancing our mood — especially for that big presentation coming up. With about 300 seeds to a pumpkin, they can make a great snack that will last you the whole week. Toss them on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and your favorite sweet or spicy topping. Get creative!



Coming from the Rec center? Refuel with some pumpkin soup as pumpkin is a great source of potassium (even more than a banana), which can help keep muscles functioning at their best.

Four pumpkins surrounding the text "pumped for pumpkin October superfood Find it at salad bars across campus.

Tag: Cal Poly Dining

Healthy from My Head Tomatoes

Campus Dining makes combatting student food insecurity easier

Pumped For Pumpkin