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UC Medical Students Offer Healthy Recipes and Samples For Kroger Shoppers

headshot of Cedric Ricks By Cedric Ricks 260-415-8554
3 minute read March 2, 2016

COVINGTON, KY— What do hot sweet potato fries, crunchy pretzel wands and a scoop of banana ice cream all have common? 


Each dish can be healthy, delicious and prepared on a shoestring budget. That's the message a group of students at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine say they hope to spread this weekend when they join forces with Kroger and Covington's Center for Great Neighborhoods to promote healthy eating.

The students, as part of the course "Physician and Society," will set up booths at the Covington Kroger, 1525 Madison Avenue, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. They will offer free samples of healthy cuisine along with recipe cards for hungry or sample-curious shoppers.

"We believe good nutrition is central to leading a healthy lifestyle," says Vasantham Annadurai, a first-year medical student in the UC College of Medicine. "As part of our community outreach project in Covington, we wanted to share recipes people can use that are both simple and nutritious. The Kroger in Covington is a great partner for us because of their focus on fresh food."

Annadurai is one of 11 classmates who have been assigned to work with the Center for Great Neighborhoods as part of a serving learning project designed to introduce first-year medical students to population health and health status of Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods through an assessment of the determinants of health. The students are given a chance to have a direct influence on the quality of health care in area communities.

Dan Petronio, associate director of the Center for Great Neighborhoods, says the center's partnership with UC is advancing its efforts to improve health in Covington through the Plan4Health initiative, which seeks to identify and improve access to, and consumption of healthy food, particularly fruits and vegetables for people with limited means.

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