College students are often subject to the stereotype of experiencing the “freshman 15,” which is the occurrence of gaining weight during the first few months of independence away from home as young adults that are in control of their own diets, eating habits and personal finance.
While gaining weight is not necessarily a bad thing, this change often happens due to students not being well-informed about both general nutrition and personal food shopping habits that are healthy and financially-savvy.
The University of Idaho’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics within the Family and Consumer Science Department held a nutrition workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 17 to inform students on the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients. They provided examples of both and taught students how to apply that knowledge to their own personal U.S.D.A MyPlate nutritional template.
“Our food is where we get our calories from each day to provide our bodies with enough energy to complete our daily tasks,” Elle Moore, a student presenter and junior within the department, said. “Having adequate nutrition is also important for reducing the risk for developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even stroke. In addition, nutrition is important for maintaining a healthy weight and can even help keep our immune system strong, which we as we know is super important nowadays.”
Moore defined the main macronutrients as lipids, fats and carbohydrates while also classifying carbohydrates into simple and complex categories. She established carbohydrates are one of the body’s main sources of energy.
Lynette Gannon and Bin Liang, other junior student presenters, defined lipids as non-soluble fats and proteins as important building blocks for the body. They also discussed micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, calcium, iron and dairy.
All presenters touched on the importance of drinking enough water to support the body’s regularity and functions.
They finished their presentation by introducing MyPlate, an online tool used to design and track one’s eating habits to create balanced and healthy meals.
“We know that moderation, variety and balance are key in the diet,” Moore said.
The presenters recommended researching U.S.D.A’s website for more information on MyPlate, as well as visiting Vandal Health Education’s informational tab for other workshops and information and Gritman Medical Center’s website. For further academic interest, students can register for FCS 205, Concepts of Human Nutrition with UI.
Vandal Health Education, a branch of the UI’s Recreation and Wellbeing program, is also taking steps to provide direct guidance to students for their own general health and nutritional goals.
“Vandal Health’s goal is to help students learn how to eat healthily and learn basic cooking skills,” Seth Rose, a graduate support assistant in charge of overseeing marketing and programming for the tours, said.
Rose said their workshops are designed to provide information on basic nutrition, budget shopping while still eating quality meals and hands-on experience making meals and snacks that are quick and easy.
“Nutrition philosophy is that health comes in all shapes and sizes and one’s health is not measured by a number on a scale and that everyone can benefit from nutritious eating habits that incorporate all types of foods,” Rose said. “We don’t label foods as “good” or “bad” and we don’t promote one type of eating plan over another; we also don’t promote diets.”
One key aspect of this philosophy is providing students with the opportunity to register for Vandal Health Education “Grocery Store Tours.” These tours are a product of Vandal Health Education and the Margaret Ritchies School of Family and Consumer Sciences Dietetics Program. UI’s own dietetic students guide registered students through some of Moscow’s popular local grocery stores.
“Students receive shopping tips and strategies to help stick to a budget and navigate a grocery store with ease,” Rose said. “Each tour is usually themed, (such as) gluten-free shopping, eating healthy on a college budget, and more. In addition, students will learn to shop the perimeter of the store for more nutrient-dense foods, then learn how to navigate the isles within the store.”
To register for a free tour, visit VHE’s informational tab on UI”s website and navigate to the “Register Now” link within the Grocery Store Tours informative graphic. A drop-down menu titled “Spring 2021 Tours” gives a list of all tours happening this semester. Fill out the required personal information under the “Sign-Up Online” section of the page, including first and last name, email, and the selected tour.
Upcoming tours include “Dairy-Free Shopping” on Wednesday, March 10 from 3-4 p.m. at Safeway, “Shopping for Healthy Snack Foods” on Wednesday, April 7 from 3-4 p.m. at Rosauers and “Shopping Healthy on a Budget” on Monday, May 3 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Safeway.
Rose recommends that interested participants register quickly, as space is limited and there are very few spots left for future tours this semester.
“We have 3 spots left for future tours since we are only allowing 2 students per tour,” Rose said. “Some last-minute cancellations make for open spaces sometimes the morning of the tours, so keep on the lookout for openings.”
Rose hopes that, with the normalization of COVID-19, there will be more availability for spots on tours for this continuing initiative.
For more information on tours and other Vandal Health Education programs and initiatives, visit their informational tab on UI’s website or their Instagram @vandalhealthed.
Katarina Hockema can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @katarina___h