Weekly Wellness Newsletter - Winter - Week 3

Winter Quarter, Week 3

Hyde Park and Chicago at large are home to hundreds of outstanding restaurants. If you’ve been looking for the perfect opportunity to explore new spots without emptying your wallet, Friday, January 23, marks the start of the 19th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week.

This 17-day culinary celebration invites residents and visitors alike to experience the diverse flavors Chicago has to offer. With more than 500 participating restaurants, diners can enjoy specially curated, fixed-price menus that make trying new cuisines both accessible and affordable. Hyde Park has a variety of restaurants that participate, so click the link below to check it out!

Healthy and balanced eating is something we are often reminded about, but it is not always clearly explained how to put it into practice. As students, we are frequently low on time and energy to devote to cooking three meals a day, and eating out can become expensive very quickly. Below are some nutrition tips to help maximize your time and ensure you stay as energized as you need to be.

Meal-Prepping
- Cooking food in bulk at the beginning or end of the week can help save time and ensure you have lunch to take with you to school or work. You could save even more time by buying precooked or precut ingredients to aid in the cooking and preparing process.
- When grocery shopping, try to plan your meals for the week ahead and choose ingredients that can overlap and be used across a variety of different dishes.
Utilize Your Student Status to the Fullest
- There are many premade food services and restaurants that allow students to receive up to 20% off with a valid student ID. While these options are available, it’s worth taking advantage of the discounts 💵! The Undergraduate Student Government has also compiled a helpful list of Hyde Park locations that provide student discounts.
- Student Wellness also has an on-campus dietician!
One-pot meals
- There are a variety of one-pot dishes that can be easily prepared and that combine all the essential food groups needed for a satisfying and nutritious meal. These meals are convenient to make, require minimal cleanup, and help ensure a balanced intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables in a single dish.
- Bon Appétit 53 One-Pot Meals

Yu-Yun has been with Student Wellness since 2018. She works in several roles at Student Wellness, including Assistant Director of Access Management and Coordinator of Eating Concerns Assessment and Services. In these positions, she oversees and manages student access to services while also supporting outreach efforts to better understand how she and her team can support students across campus, as well as referring students to external resources when appropriate.

She finds her work deeply meaningful, as she believes our relationship with food is complex and offers ongoing opportunities to gain new perspectives, not only on nutrition, but also on our relationship with ourselves. She especially enjoys working with students and values the insight and perspectives they bring. She and the Eating Concerns team collaborate closely with campus partners and other professionals to ensure students have a safe and supportive space to discuss eating concerns and explore the underlying factors that shape their relationship with food.

Yu-Yun gently encourages students to let go of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” and instead to approach eating with intentionality, reflecting on how food is supporting them in the moment, whether by nourishing hunger, offering comfort, or simply bringing enjoyment. She emphasizes that maintaining a nutritious diet looks different for everyone and is far more nuanced than how it is often portrayed in the media. She also encourages students to reflect on how they find comfort, acknowledging that food can be one source, while also exploring other meaningful ways to care for themselves. Food is not only about nutrients; it is also cultural, social, and deeply connected to shared experiences with friends and family.

If you have any questions about Eating Concerns Assessment and Services or other offerings through Student Wellness, please click the link below to learn more about the resources available to you.

Education: BA in Chinese Literature, National Central University, Taiwan; MEd in School Counseling, Purdue University; PhD in Counseling Psychology, University of Louisville; Clinical Internship at University of Florida Counseling and Wellness Center

Can You Take the Heat: Test Your Cooking Comprehension

For many students at the University of Chicago, this may be the first time they are cooking regularly and consistently. This quiz tests how well you know your way around the kitchen! Whether your knowledge comes straight from MasterChef or from personal experience, this quiz features questions about delicious meals, essential cooking utensils, and kitchen know-how.

Energy and Mood: How Food Fuels the Brain 🧠

Is your New Year's resolution to eat "healthier"? What does that even mean? Pop culture often jokes and debates that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!🥞Whatever your stance is, nutrition scientists consistently agree that balanced meals play a role in keeping both your mind and body performing at their best.

Take a deep dive into how food can affect the brain! This 5-minute video explains everything from the afternoon sleepiness after lunch to the ways certain foods can influence your mood. While the overarching takeaway is that a balanced diet is key, what does that actually look like in practice, especially for us students? Check out the link below to find out. 🍽