Nutrition Grad Student Helping Undergrads Eat Healthy On Campus

College life is full of temptations, with the opportunity to eat pizza at every meal among them.

"A lot of students know that they need to eat healthy but they really don’t know how to do that, and college is the first time they’ve become independent eaters,” says Angela Bruzina, a master’s of nutrition student at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS).

As a function of her CAHS graduate assistantship, Bruzina is overseeing UC’s new Eat Smart program— the nutrition education arm of the university’s "Healthy U” initiative, sponsored by the UC Campus Recreation Center and UC Dining Services.  

The Eat Smart curriculum, designed by Bruzina, gives residential meal plan holders the information and tools they need to navigate better choices in the dining hall. The program entails outreach and education to 5,500 of the university’s residential meal plan holders by offering free 30-minute sessions on Fridays throughout this semester. The sessions focus on portion sizing, substitutions, building a healthy plate and general wellness and nutrition information.

Bruzina says that so far about 50 residential meal plan holders have participated in at least one class.
Sophomore Carly Varland, who attended one of the sessions, says she’s made it her mission "not to do the whole college weight gain thing” and learned a few tricks and tips on how to eat healthy on a meal plan. "I already knew the basics, but one of the things I found out was that you can go to the Mongolian grill and get grilled chicken and wheat pasta, if you just ask.”

"We need to teach the kids the importance of a balanced diet with good amounts of fiber and less carbs and sugar,” says Jonathan Hunt, district executive chef for UC Dining Services. "Most of our dining options are offered a la carte so students can pick and choose which items they would like,” he says, adding that, for example, one of the dining hall’s heathier plates is the baked mesquite chicken breast, with steamed Brussels sprouts and roasted red potatoes.

It’s Hunt’s first year in the position and "he’s been very supportive of having healthy options available to students,” and is hands on during the sessions, says Bruzina.

While the program is designed to benefit undergraduates who dine on campus, Bruzina says she is also receiving a valuable benefit. "When I finish as a graduate assistant I will have real-life nutrition education experience.” 

The next round starts in Market Pointe on October 23rd. Sessions are open to all UC students. Registration is preferred but not required.  Register here.