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hi my name is ciera myers. I have a intermittent fasting diet.

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Hi! My name is Ashley & I'm a senior Media Studies major! My favorite food is seafood pasta. I crave this every day lol! My question is- How has diet culture shaped the way we think about food, & how can we counterbalance this industry?

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Hi! My name is Kayla Kuohn, and I am a sophomore psychology major :) My favorite food is angel food cake, because it is delicious, easy to bake, and has a nice, comfortable texture (I have autism, so textures are a big issue for me with food). My question is how can we teach kids about nutrition without hurting their mental health?

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Hey guys!  I'm Ashli LeSure. I am a Sociology major. I chose this course, because it seems pretty interesting. Also, healthy eating is something I've gotten better at, but hopefully this course will assist me even more with that! My favorite food currently crab cakes and lobster ravioli, but this does change often.

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Hi my name is Matthew Lebron. I’m a senior and major in human biology. My favorite food is bacalaíto. A question I have is what causes the state called a “food coma”?

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Hey everyone! My name is Jeanette and this is my third year at Hunter college majoring in psychology. I would say my favorite food has to be pasta. Not only because its like the easiest thing to make just boil the pasta in water but there's just so many different dishes that i can never get tired of eating it. One nutrition question i have is why do people feel so tired after eating. What foods give or drain energy?

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Hello! My name is Ariella and I am a second semester junior. I am majoring in Africana Studies and minoring in Psychology. My favorite food is probably sushi. I love the texture, flavor, freshness and how light fish can be. I am super excited to take this class especially since I have bee trying to be better about my diet and make sure I am eating well which can be hard with such a busy schedule. I recently tried the keto diet for 3 weeks, and since I have done lots a research on in, I am surprised by the conflicting opinions/conclusions about  whether the keto diet is okay for your body or not. I would be interested to learn more about nutrition in general, and definitely have some questions specifically about the keto diet. I am looking forward to this class and it is nice to virtually meet everyone on this forum!

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Hi my name is Amira Mefire. My favorite food is chicken and lamb over rice with a salad/vegetables. I like that I get my carbs, protein, and vegetables all in one meal. A burning question that I have is why do we eat and like junk food/sweets so much knowing that it is not really good for us?

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Hello everyone! My name is Derek and I'm currently a senior majoring in Computer Science. This is my last semester here at Hunter and I've got to say, my eating habits have drastically changed since freshman year going from a lot of unnecessary sugary and junk foods to more healthier options. I've had some sort of knowledge on nutrition as one of my hobbies is weightlifting. Knowing what to feed into my body to improve was challenging at first and as time progressed, it got easier for me to pick which foods are the better option. My favorite food has to be chicken breast over rice (typical diet meal). One goal/question I want to achieve from this class is how healthy am I really eating and how can I use this class to improve my knowledge and understanding of foods to supplement my diet? Oh, also I love listening to music and my favorite artist is keshi. :) Nice to meet you all!

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Hey everyone, my name is Emily and this is my last semester of college. My favorite food is Sushi. I want to know how to eat better and healthier. What foods can I to give me more energy and help me feel better?

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Hey! I'm Daniella. I'm a religion and biochem major. I'm a pharmacy tech. My favorite food is either mac and cheese or pizza. They may seem basic, but they're fun to experiment with.

One question I have is how does food affect a person's mental health

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Hello Everyone, my name is Jian. I am a senior at Hunter. My favorite food is ice cream. And my question is what time of the day is best for workout, I usually workout in the morning.

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Hi everyone my name is Genesis Moreno and I am a senior at Hunter College. I am majoring in Women Gender Studies. My favorite food is Buffalo Wings, but on a daily basis I would eat Spanish food. I am Dominican so I grew my up eating rice which I know its a lot of carbs. This means it increases a lot of weight for me. A nutrition question that I have would be, Does someone nutrition has to do with their surrounding ?

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Hi! My name is Anjali Ketwaru. I follow a Vegan Diet. My favorite food is vegan sushi at the moment from Beyond Sushi. A nutritional question I have is: As a person who follows a Vegan diet, how can I make sure all my nutritional needs are met?

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Hello everyone! My name is Soobin Park and I am currently a senior at Hunter. I am majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Asian American Studies. My current favorite food at the moment would be pasta, and I especially love seafood pasta. I really love carb-heavy foods and recently I've been concerned about not eating enough protein or vegetables. I'm looking forward to learning ways to improve my diet through this class! That being said, one question I have is how to maintain a healthy diet for someone who eats out a lot. I feel like many store bought foods at restaurants can be overloaded with sodium or sugar, but also that a lot of foods that are labeled as healthy or "organic" are extremely expensive. I was just wondering if there are any ways to overcome this.

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Hi everyone, my name is Mariam Ouattara and I am a senior at Hunter College majoring in Human Biology on Track 1. I am the captain of the Women's Volleyball Team, and I am aspiring to become a pediatrician specialized in genetics. I would say chicken brochettes and chicken quesadillas are my favorite foods. I enjoy the right balance of chicken with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, with mozzarella cheese. However, I would say avocados are my favorite vegetable that can be added to any dish.

Regarding nutrition, are there any foods or fruits/vegetables that can naturally balance one’s hormones?

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Hi everyone my name is Samantha, I'm a Studio Arts major with a Media Studies minor, and my favorite food is french toast. I am definitely constantly fighting my sweet tooth! I am interested in learning more about body composition and how it plays into individual nutritional needs, and I wonder if they differ from person to person and why? I'm also interested in learning about the connection between nutrition and mental health, and hoping that understanding nutrition will help me understand/heal my personal relationship with food.

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Hi everyone!
My name is Karina, and I am a senior here at Hunter college majoring in Human Biology. Im so indecisive but i think my favorite food is Pizza, as boring as that is.

One question I have about nutrition would be in regards to supplemental plant based proteins/ protein powders, are they bad for you? I hear a lot of mixed reviews regarding plant based proteins and their overall nutritional value so I have stayed away from it. Alrhough, I am vegetarian for 10 years now so I like the idea of it.

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I love dancing and how affects the body positively

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I am a musical theatre performer who loves people, food and traveling!

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Hi my name is Naman Bhasin I am a sophomore at Hunter College majoring in psychology. Along with being a student here I am also a reservist in the United States Marine Corps. I am also on the Hunter College wrestling team and work as an emergency medical technician. My favorite food would have to be fish tacos. A burning nutrition question I have would be is, how should your hydration vary as your diet changes if at all?

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Hi my name is Nadia Lau. I am a second degree transfer student. I graduated this past May with my bachelors in Business Administration and now I am working towards a bachelors in Human Bio. I transferred because I realized I did not like working in the business field and I have always wanted to be a Physical Therapist. Some of my favorite foods are Asian and Hispanic cuisine because that is what I grew up eating; I am Chinese and Puerto Rican. I also love the fruit group I like trying new fruits and they are my favorite snack. A burning question I have about food is why do certain foods have influence over our mood?

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Hey guys! My name is Amir Karimov and my favorite food/meal is a nice ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. In all honesty though, im not a picky eater and will enjoy most things. My favorite cuisines are Mexican and Italian. A nutrition question that I have is whether or not diet drinks/foods are really harmful, because they use "fake sugar", but also have 0 calories. So do the benefits outweigh the risks if there are any risks?

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Hey guys! My name is Sadiyah and my favorite food has to either be chicken teriyaki or fettucine alfredo. My favorite cuisines are italian and mexican. My burning question is what is the reason behind snacking too much? Is it because I am hungry or for another reason?

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Hi everyone, My name is Sumyah Miah and this is my junior year at Hunter and my major is psychology. My favorite food is pizza because you can add whatever topping you want and it always taste good. A nutrition question I have would be how to read nutrient label on any product specifically what are some things to look out for that may be harmful/ good for your body?

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Hi my name is Salvador and as you can tell from my photo I love cooking and being in the kitchen!
I'm not sure I have a favorite food, but I love lean proteins like fish, chicken or tofu.
My question is more general, how can we redesign our diets to be both healthier and less harmful to the environment?

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Hi! My name is Susan Trigo. I love sushi and all seafood! I am a prenup sing student with an interest in Nutrition as my minor

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Hi everyone my name is as you can see Rosalvina but I prefer being called Rosie, my favorite food generally depends on the day and what I'm craving but one thing I will never turn away however is soup. Although there are some kinds I'm not a huge fan of generally I enjoy most. I'd say my favorite overall is a classic chicken noodle packed with a variety of veggies and spices and I usually put some rice in my soups. Where I'm from has a large variety of soups that we can't get here in the US easily and when I get the opportunity to have them I never turn them away. A question I have is oftentimes when I say I'm really craving something someone will reply that it usually means my body is lacking a specific nutrient or so and I've never really heard a scientific explanation of why we crave things or what it means for our bodies.

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Hello everyone, I am Andrew Lah. I am a senior at Hunter College majoring in Media Studies. My favorite food is Korean bbq. I enjoy eating it with friends. I used to like sweets, but over the past year, I decided to cut out any sugary drinks and snacks and lost about 30lbs doing that. I am curious about how metabolism works and why it can fluctuate depending on your diet/sleep/exercise.

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Hi my name is Lyn Thomas (Lyn with one N please)

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Hi my name is Lyn Thomas (Lyn with one N please)

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My major is Public Health, I have an associate degree in Public Health from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. I am a family of three, my daughter, our rabbit (Moony) and myself. Although they are now all grown up, they are still my babies. One fun fact about me is that I love to casino hop with my best friend. My favorite food is chicken foot soup. Chicken foot is one of the most tastiest foods I have ever had, I must have one every week. I try my best to avoid sugar, I may be in the minority but I hate cookies, candy and almost anything that comes from the sugar family.

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My name is Ting. I’m a math major and stat minor. This is my last semester at Hunter. My favorite food is scrambled egg with tomato. I have to eat it with a bowl of rice and the proportion of this dish and rice need to be the same. When I'm making it, I tend to cheat by adding a small amount of ketchup and it just make this dish move up to a whole new level. One question I have about nutrition is that I know making food for every meal takes quite a long time and I have seen people making a large amount of food in one day and divide them evenly for their entire weeks meal, so I was wondering if it's a good thing to do or not and will nutrients be lost.

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Hey everyone! My name is Aryaan and my favorite food has to be the loaded nachos from the Cheesecake Factory with their chicken added to it. Yes, this food item has the highest caloric count on their menu (2950 calories), but it is honestly one of the best nachos I have ever had in my life. One nutritional question I have is how bad can a "cheat meal" be when one is on a diet to cut down their body fat percentage? I have heard different sides of the argument, people believe having a cheat meal is beneficial because it allows one to fulfill their craving for foods they want on their diet, and allows them to focus on their diet more because they know they can eat their cheat meal in a few days. However, I have also heard that eating a cheat meal can cause a person to gain back the weight they are trying to lose.

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Hey everyone, my name is Mark Kim and I'm a sociology major and a computer science minor. I'm in my senior year and I plan on getting into an accelerated nursing program after I graduate this coming Spring. It's hard to say what my favorite food is, but I could always go for a slice of pizza or a juicy medium rare steak; the reason being that they just hit the spot every time I eat them. A question I have regarding nutrition is the following: How much protein is actually being utilized for muscle protein synthesis? There are many papers stating that the old bodybuilding metric of "1g of protein per lb of body weight" is actually an excessive amount, and the majority of those proteins are excreted. As someone who practically lives in the gym, this is something I would definitely like to learn more about.

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Hi everyone!!! My name is kelly, I am a senior majoring in human biology with a minor in psychology! I think my absolute fav food would have to be french fries, like its my absolute soul food. I can eat it everyday and anytime! : ) I think some nutrition question I have is to how to actually create a healthy, balanced diet while trying to lose weight, and how unhealthy fast food is and how it effects our body/weight.

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Hey guys my name is lisbeth but I go by Lis. My favorite food would be chicken cutlet with yellow rice and corn. However, I only like the way I make it or my aunt does. But I can literally even eat the rice by itself. My burning question would be why is it that healthy food is some hard for us to eat sometimes or it is all just in the brain ?. How is it that some people eat bad but still loose weight?

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Hi, my name is Joo Sun! Since the start of college, I have loved to cook and bake and aspired to become a chef of my own restaurant. Especially during the pandemic, I found myself researching how different ingredients may pair with each other through resources such as The Food Bible and Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. Personally, I enjoyed my time making pasta with semolina flour and Type 00 flour and experimenting with the proportion of egg yolks and flour. I would say that my favorite food would be a simple pasta with Pomodoro or Arrabbiata sauce and some seafood thrown in the mix. A nutrition question that I have is how processed is food today and what can be considered a balanced diet?

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Hello! My name is Angeline and I would say I am a pretty picky eater and I prefer to eat Asian Cuisine. One of my favorite foods at the moment is Korean tofu seafood soup with rice and a few side dishes. The soup often comes with shrimp but I am allergic so I order it without it. A question that I have is how or whether eating certain foods affect your energy or mood?

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Hi, my name is Paula Quioto, My favorite food is seafood and pasta. But most of of the time I eat more vegetable and a lot protein food. I love taking care of my weigh. my favorite routine is going to the gym 5 times a week.

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Hi everyone! My name is Fiona and like many of you guys, I love all kinds of food but if I had to choose one of my favorites it would have to be Albanian petulla. They are pretty much like Italian zeppole (fried dough/donuts) but instead of being served solely as a dessert, petulla can be accompanied with sweet and savory foods. I enjoy mine with feta cheese and fig jam or honey. :)

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My name is Alexis. I am an avid foodie and enjoy trying and learning about a variety of foods and cuisines. One of my favorite foods is sushi, which I find to be very unique and diverse in its flavors, and never gets old for me. A question I have regarding nutrition is: what is the role of diet and nutrition, if any, in the gut-brain connection?

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Hello my name is Maria Psyllos and I'm majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology. I am not a picky eater so I pretty much love everything. But if I had to pick one it would be tacos. Every Tuesday is a Taco Tuesday for me. One nutrition question I have is, which foods can help boost my energy level? I usually sleep for 8 hours every night but some how always wake up feeling exhausted. This is something I want to learn more about.

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Hello my name is Diamond and I'm a junior with a major in sociology. I have a lot of foods that I love but I would have to say my favorites are pasta and Mexican food. In the past I would eat pasta at least 3 times a week, I don't eat Mexican food as much as I would like but I love the flavors. Around the summer/fall of 2020 I stopped eating red meat because it hurt my stomach, I wonder if I lose out on any nutrients by cutting out red meat?

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Hi my name is Sarah, I am a senior majoring in psychology. I have many different foods that I like such as chowmein, curry chicken, rasta pasta and more. I would consider myself as a foodie, so my interest in taking this class stemmed from wanting to learn about healthier ways of eating and what exactly are in the foods we eat. A question I have is what does a healthy diet look like?

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Hi guys! My name is Jade and I love almost every food with the exception of olives 🤢 and some Mexican foods. I think my favorite food has to be French fries, pretty basic but you can't go wrong with It. I also love pesto pasta and fried calamari. I enjoy tasting foods from different cultures I feel like food is such a bonding experience between people so its nice when people can come together and share their culture that way. As for a nutrition question, I don't have a specific question I'm just really curious about the science behind how certain diets/foods contribute to daily energy levels.

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Hi, my name is Anne. I quite literally do not take pictures of myself, nor do I enjoy having others take pictures of me. Instead, have a photo of tea because I quite literally survive on tea. I'm not quite sure if it counts as what people define as "food", which is usually something that fills people up. I have little appetite for food and have a weird sleeping schedule + schedule in general, so I mostly drink tea most of the time.

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Hello, my name is Maria. I honestly cant pick one food that I like, I like food in general. It also depends on what my body is craving that day. But I guess my favorite dish right now is salmon with fried plantains. I just love fish in general, and tostones are just something I grew up with that is easy to make and taste great. A question I have is how does frying food affect the nutritional value of an item, specifically, vegetables?

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Hello my name is Ashley. As of recently my favorite food happens to be a chicken poke bowl. It’s my current favorite as I can always experiment with what I put into the poke bowl, especially since there’s no right or wrong when it comes to making a poke bowl. My burning question has to be what is the truth about carbs? Are they truly bad for us? Or are carbs good for us? Also is there a recommend limit of how many carbs we can have each day?

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Hi everyone :) My name is Adela Lekovic and I honestly can't pick one food that is my favorite. It really depends on the day, I am not a picky eater at all. I guess at the moment, my favorite thing is avocado toast. I developed such a huge obsession with vegetables so I use them in many dishes. I love the inclusion of vegetables because you can cook them in so many different ways to enhance the flavor. A question I have about nutrition is does diet play a role in mental health?

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Hi everyone! My name is Angelina and my favorite food is Sinigang (specifically my grandmother's recipe)! Sinigang is a Filipino tamarind based soup and its been a comfort food of mine since I was a kid. The sour flavor certainly isn't suited to everyone's palates, but I still love to make it for my and my family! A question I have about nutrition would have to be how we can make nutrition more accessible to all. Living in America, its difficult to be mindful of what you're eating, especially when your socioeconomic status limits your diet. Looking forward to finding the answer to this question throughout the semester!

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Hi, my name is Kelly and my favorite food/dish would be Tonkatsu with Japanese curry. It is a dish that I have been obsessed with recently and even tried to create myself at home. A question I have is if you were to recreate a dish at home, say the dish above, would the nutritional value increase, if you add more healthy ingredients? Also since it is a fried dish, what is its nutritional value of that? As I am writing this post, I am starting to think that eating this probably is not the best nutritionally.

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My name is Milena, and i can't really choose a favorite food but for the time being it is dumplings, ramen, and other foods from Japan. I come from Colombian descent so I naturally love the foods from my culture like the special types of bread and other typical plates with beef and chicken.

I was wondering about foods that contain natural probitiocs and whether its possible to consume too much? Also, what is the connection with fiber and probiotics in the effect in the body?

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Hi! I am Jun. I am a Public Health student. I believe eating healthy is better than taking medication to "make" ourselves healthy. My favorite food is juicy meat (pork, beef, or chicken) with some vegetables and rice. I am a rice eater, the better to eat rice with meat sauce! I would like to know how I can eat healthier without changing my diet style too much! Food and healthy were both all I wanted!

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Hi, my name is Maggie Ng and my favorite food is grilled pork pho. It’s a Vietnamese dish. The photo I have above is an Asian dish. I forgot what dish it was but it was expensive. The first question I have is how do you eat healthy without spending mass amounts of money while living in New York City? Another nutrition question I have is do you think that a person’s diet affects their mental health?

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Hi, everyone! My name is Freya. My major is human biology and this my last semester.  I want to be a nurse in my future, so I will get into nursing school in spring 2023. My favorite food is steak. My question is if people have a disordered diet, how does this affect the human health?

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Hi! My name is Leidy *pronounced like lady lol* My favorite dish is a Dominican dish called pastelon. It is basically like a lasagna but instead of pasta it is replaced by mashed sweet plantains. It taste amazing! Im more curious to learn about carbs. Ive heard mixed information about carbs being bad for you but there are good carbs so I want to truly learn and see the truth about them.

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My favorite food is tacos or chicken, peppers, corn, and brown rice with lettuce. I love making chicken bowls with those ingredients when I am really hungry.

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In all my meals I add avocado. A question I have about nutrition is what is the ideal plate and how much protein should I consume in a day?

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This is what Ofada rice and Ayamase stew looks like. It just tastes better when served in leaves. I think the purpose is to mask the smell a little bit.

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Hi,
My name is Taiwo. It means i’m the first of a set of twins to be born. My favorite food is Ofada rice and Ayamase stew. It’s a Nigerian delicacy I can’t seem to perfect yet. It’s my favorite because the rice itself is different in taste, color and it smells bad but also in a good way. I also love pineapples but I’m allergic. You only live once I guess.
A nutrition question I have is what would be the correct way to increase one’s metabolism while on a weight loss journey? I read online that taking less food slows down one’s metabolic rate. The intention behind eating less is to lose weight not make it harder to lose weight.

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Hi everyone!

My name is Maria Khanam and I love many different kinds of food. I'm south asian and my favorite Bangladeshi food is tomato and potato bortha which is basically, pan seared tomatoes, potatoes, thai chillies, a few garlic cloves, and white onion. All of which are seasoned with salt and mashed up together with a mortar and pestle. It's essentially salsa but with potatoes mashed into it. It's my favorite side dish to have with a piping hot plate of rice! It has been my favorite comfort food for as long as I can remember. It's a meal packed with a lot of carbs, but a lot of Bangladeshi meals are carb heavy as rice is a staple in Bangladeshi households. One nutrition related question I have is, how much carbs in a meal is too much? I would really love to explore that question so I can make more health conscious food choices also while being able to eat the foods I enjoy.

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Hello :)
My favorite food would be the Brazilian Pastel. You could basically have it with anything you want inside, but my favorite would be the chicken corn and cheese pastel. I used to live in Brazil for a few years, so I basically grew up making them as well.

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I don't have a consistent favorite food at all, it usually changes with my moods! However, my favorite type of food is Asian. I love thai food, indian food, japanese, etc. As of recently, one of my favorites and something I've always been craving is sushi. I've been trying different types as well as different types of fish and my taste for it has been evolving. Right now, I've been more interested in trying sashimi and nigiri over sushi, but it's all good to me.
One question I have concerning nutrition is whether diet or lifestyle has a larger impact on our overall health. Would one be healthier with a quality diet and unhealthy lifestyle or with a low quality diet and healthy lifestyle? Can a low quality diet lead to long term/ chronic mental health issues?

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Hello!!
My favorite food is tacos. I love to try all the different combinations that I can make with them. I have tried all the different meats as well as birria tacos. My overall favorite has to be chicken tacos with sour cream, cheese, and guacamole.

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Hey guys
My name is Stephanie Orellana and I am Ecuadorian. Ecuadorian food is my favorite food to eat. It reminds me of home. This dish is called hornado which is shredded roasted pig, with llapingacho (mashed potatoes with butter and fried), mote (similar to corn), rice, and salad. You can add more meat but this is the basics.

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Hornado is an amazing dish found in market stalls and festivals throughout the Ecuadorian Andes. If you love roast pork and potatoes, it's worth going out of your way to taste the different variations found from north to south. This article will tell you about a few of them. If your favorite isn't listed, please send us a photo with the name and address of the venue where you tried the best versions of this roast pork plate! We'll add those photos to the article.

What is Hornado?

The word hornado comes from the Spanish horno for oven or kiln. To make hornado, an entire prepared pig is roasted in a wood-burning oven until its meat is deliciously tender and its skin crackles with crispy goodness. The meat can be basted or injected with chicha de jora or beer or fruit juices. Seasoning changes by region though salt is a definite constant!

A sign of an excellent preparation is crunchy skin or crackling. The skin is such a delicacy that it goes by distinct names in different parts of Ecuador: cuero, cuerito, cascaritas. Sometimes, it's even sold as a unique plate all on its own. Just check out the cascaritas stalls in Cuenca and Cañar to see what we mean!

Hornado Is More Than The Pork

However, hornado would never arrive with only pork on the plate. That would be sacrilege! Indeed, a true Andean hornado includes some starch, usually llapingachos or tortillas de papa made of local potatoes or mote, a hominy-like sidedish of corn, or both. Some regions love to add slices of fried sweet plantain. And everyone offers at least a few kernels of toasted corn called tostado.

The next common ingredient to all hornado dishes is a sweet and sour salad ( ensalada agridulce) made of red onion and tomato dressed with vinegar and/or a splash of lime juice. Like the dish it accompanies, agridulce is slightly different for each and every kitchen.

Last but not least, a small bowl of will be placed on the table so that each and every person can spice their roast pork to taste. After that, regional changes abound! My favorite is the vegetable and rice stuffed "sausages" made in Otavalo by Rosario Tabango. In my mind, she makes the best hornado in all of Ecuador.

For recipes that you can make at home, check out these pages from Laylita.com:

Where is the Best Hornado?

It is unusual to find hornado in most sit-down restaurants in Ecuador. For tourists that fear eating festival food or buying from a stall at the local market, it can be tough to find a place to try this iconic meal. We challenge you to reach outside of your comfort zone and head to the local market for the best selection of hornado. This means you will be looking to eat early. Market stalls selling hot food tend to start closing around 2 pm. A good hornado stand may actually sell out much earlier as many Ecuadorians will eat it for breakfast!

Market Tips for the Best Hornado Experience

You will want to look for a stall that is neat and clean. That means someone is removing dirty dishes and wiping down tables. If you are worried about hygiene, look for a handwashing station near the stall. We also try to choose vendors who keep the food slightly removed from customers. It might not make for as pretty a stall, but it means that fewer people are breathing over the food you are just about to eat!

Next, look for the popular stalls. If locals are eating there, it means the food is good, in more ways than one. Locals are not going to eat at a place that makes them sick. Nor are they going to settle for nothing but the best in the town.

If you are still in doubt about which stall to try, don't panic! The women at the stalls will fight for your attention by offering a taste. Usually, they hand over a small amount of roast meat and sometimes a tiny bit of crackling. Feel free to walk up and down the line to try every single one before choosing your roast pork platter!

Once you've chosen, know that you can also determine what size plate you would like. In big cities, a small plate can run as little as $2.50. It will likely come with a decent serving of pork and salad but only one potato pancake. For around $3.50, expect larger portions of everything and about 2 potato pancakes. For $4.50 - $5.00, expect a large plate of food with plenty - enough for a couple to share.

Ask for La Yapa

Last but not least, consider asking for la yapa. This term is useful in many situations in Ecuador where you are shopping at the market or buying from a street vendor. You may even notice a few restaurants advertising la yapa with their own meals. It translates into "a little something extra." It's sort of like a Baker's Dozen (thirteen cookies instead of an even twelve).

Only ask if the vibe feels right. For example, look for a friendly vendor who is not harried or struggling to keep up with long lines. Of course, we recommend avoiding unfriendly vendors at all costs but sometimes it's hard to know until the moment of purchase.

If you decide to ask, I can almost guarantee you a look of surprise and perhaps a laugh when they see a gringo using Ecuadorian slang. Next, they'll add an extra dollop of something good on your plate.

Hornado From North to South

Starting from immediately across the border with Peru in Tulcan all the way to Loja (and possibly beyond!), you can find hornado. Below, we attempt to give at least a description and possibly a photo from each regional style of this truly comida típica de Ecuador.

Tulcan, Carchi Province

We heard rumors about the unique hornado pastuso of the Carchi Province long before we travelled so far north. The name pastuso comes from a region across the border with Colombia, Pasto. Before 1916, this part of Colombia was northern Ecuador. Unsurprisingly, the culture and traditions are as Ecuadorian as they are Colombian.

On our last trip to Ecuador, we crossed into the country via Colombia, giving us the perfect opportunity to explore Tulcan and to try this meat-and-potatoes dish. Served with a caldo, or broth, I ended up making a mess of the mashed potatoes. By the end of my meal, the plate was more soupy than I would have liked. We've heard its common to find this dish served with roast potatoes, a good solution for this style of roast pork.

While we won't rank it in our top three, it's unique enough that it's worth trying again!

Otavalo, Imbabura Province

If you are a regular reader of our pages, you'll already know that we love the hornado in Otavalo. We are especially fond of one vendor, Rosario Tabango. A few years back, she won the Best Hornado in Ecuador contest, proudly accepting a huge trophy from President Correa. Her booth shares this history as well as an old polaroid of one of her favorite guests (me!). Seriously, for a melt-in-your-mouth plate of roast pork and potato pancakes fried in lard, you can't go wrong. We also suggest you order a larger plate so that you can try her vegetable and rice stuffed sausage casings. They are delicious, though not vegetarian by any means.

Rosario and several other hornado vendors can be found in the Mercado Municipal 24 de Mayo, not far from the Plaza de Ponchos.

Quito, Pichincha Province

It took me a few years before I tried the hornado in Quito. When we first arrived to Ecuador, I was not game to eat at the local markets. Little did I know what I was missing! We think the best place to try a truly Hornado Quiteño is at the Iñaquito Market in the neighborhood of the same name. With several vendors to try, there isn't a bad version. Though, we do recommend heading to a vendor who looks about to sell out as it means she has made the best roast pork of the day.

Sangolquí, Pichincha Province

According to the local newspaper El Comercio, the hornado of Sangolquí takes three days to prepare. That's a lot of marinating and at least a few hours in the oven for the pork alone. It is always cooked using a wood-burning oven. Served with tortillas de papa, mote, and agridulce, the Sangolqui version is almost always accompanied by sliced avocado.

With more than 20 stalls selling roast pork, the Sangolquí market is the easiest place to compare vendors!

One last great link to a recipe for Hornado de Sangolquí from the second-place winner of the 2019 Best Hornado in Ecuador contest:

https://www.eluniverso.com/larevista/2019/08/11/nota/7461309/hornado-sangolqui-receta-segundo-puesto-feria-raices

Ambato, Tungurahua Province

The food markets in Ambato are known for their deep red sausages, locally grown apples and peaches, and huge slabs of artisan chocolate. We've also heard that they make a mean hornado. Next time we're in town, we'll make our way to the Mercado Simón Bolivar for a taste!

Riombamba, Chimborazo Province

According to the city's tourism page, Riobamba's hornado is roasted over coals kept in a wood box strewn with eucalyptus leaves, imparting a slightly smoky aroma and unique texture to the finished dish. Just head to the Mercado La Merced to find the best hornado in town! Thanks to Scott Haschen for providing this great photo!

Cuenca, Azuay Province

Cuenca is famous for its food! The indoor market at 10 de agosto is full of opportunities to try plenty of comida típica including hornado. The pork, while good, was not our favorite but we did hit the stalls around 1 pm, a little late in the day. We could have used a more potato, less mote, and missed the tomato in the salad. The lettuce version doesn't seem to pack that acidic touch that balances well with roast pork. We've since been told that we should also try the stands near Tres Puentes.

Gualaceo, Azuay Province

In the farmlands just outside of Cuenca, the small town of Gualaceo offers tourists many reasons to visit. High on our list is the delicious hornado found at the local, indoor market. Wonderfully tender pork, super fresh salad, and thick mashed potato pancakes make you tempted to ask for more. In fact, that's exactly what our local guide did after finishing most of his plate. He came back with la yapa, probably for bringing three gringos to dine at a friend's stall!

El Tablon, Loja Province

We've not been fortunate enough to try the hornado of El Tablon, a small community outside of Saraguro in the Loja Province. But word has it they make a version worth trying. In this region, hornado sometimes comes with roasted potatoes instead of llapingachos and always with mote and ensalada. The seasoning is said to be unique but few are willing to give up their family secrets to share it!

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Everything You Need To Know About Hornado - by Angie Drake

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Hornado is an amazing dish found in market stalls and festivals throughout the Ecuadorian Andes. If you love roast pork and potatoes, it's worth going out of your way to taste the different variations found from north to south. This article will tell you about a few of them.

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My favorite food has to be pasta. I could eat it everyday with a greek salad along with it.

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Hello!

My name is Emily but you can call me Em. I am half Dominican half Ecuadorian. Both countries have very different special food plates as well as traditions. I love both sides of my family and the different foods I get to try.

I am very excited for this course not only to learn more about nutrition as a whole but how to learn about what my body is intaking on an everyday basis

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Hey there,

My name is Melina and overall I have a good relationship with food. I was born and raised in Greece, something that made me love the Mediterranean diet.

I eat everything in moderation but every single day I eat a type of fruit and many vegetables. With raw, steamed, boiled, baked vegetables I can make any type of meal. I usually mix vegetables with a type of protein and some carbs and I am good for the day. Fish with steamed veggies and some quinoa or fresh green salad with some grilled chicken and rusks.

In almost all my meals I also add some cheese or yogurt and at some point during the day I will probably snack on a dark chocolate bar and some nuts. Also I love pasta but I am trying not to overeat it.