Life 101: Cooking (and Beyond) for Carleton Seniors
- by Guest
Jenny Pope, board manager and registered dietitian, with a Carleton College student who stopped by to pick up healthy eating tips
College students are often so focused on academics — and turning in their last papers and taking final exams — that they often fail to make sure they have all the necessary real-life skills in their toolbox when they graduate.
That’s why Residential Life staff at Carleton College in Northfield, MN, has begun hosting an annual, campuswide program called Life 101: The Skills You Don’t Learn in Class for seniors. Professionals from around the Carleton community present on topics such as money management, apartment hunting, and transitioning from college to about 100 seniors. This year, Bon Appétit Registered Dietitian Jenny Pope shared information on healthy cooking, cooking for one, eating a balanced diet, and food safety tips.
The event was set up in the style of an organizational fair. The informal structure enabled Jenny to have great interaction with the students and provide personalized tips for their situation. Jenny specifically wanted to impart information that they could use after college when they will not have a dining hall to rely on for their food source. She provided handouts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on topics such as 20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables, and she provided recipes including black bean hummus, classic hummus, edamame burger, and black bean burger — for a focus on healthy, simple, and flavorful. It worked; there were no leftover handouts.
Submitted by Jennifer Pope, Board Manager