As a wellness intern, I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful Sodexo RDs in campus and corporate accounts. One of my ongoing projects at Saint Peters University in Jersey City, New Jersey, is a series of hands-on cooking classes for the students. Our first class in November focused on healthy holiday side dishes and the students learned how to make Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with a Garlic Herb Sauce, and Citrus-Cranberry Sauce. For our second class, we chose to highlight Asian flavors and the students got to roll their own sushi, make healthy homemade ramen noodle soup, and learned how to make single-serving Matcha Green Tea Mug Cakes in the microwave. This class was a huge success and the students loved getting to try things that were outside of their comfort zones. For our latest, and last, class, we listened to requests from the students and taught them how to make “Better than Takeout” Pizza with whole –wheat crusts and veggie toppings, homemade salad dressings, and cannolis.
These classes have been so much fun to teach and have given us a great opportunity to talk with the students about making healthy food choices. Our big takeaway message for the students is that it’s up to them to start making healthy habits now that will impact them well beyond their time at college.
