Author Archives: Kristin

Fall 2019 Speaker Series: Irene Soucy

  By Kristin • September 9, 2019 , ,

The Nutrition and Dietetics Club is excited to have Irene Soucy, MS, RD, CSG, LDN speak at tonight’s meeting.

Where: Willard 006
When: Monday, September 9th at 7:00 pm

A Pennsylvania native, Irene moved to Delaware in 1996 where she is currently President & CEO of Dietary Directions, Inc.

Irene is contracted by the State of Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Services for the Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities to provide monitoring and technical oversight of the senior nutrition programs throughout Delaware. In addition, she is an instructor of nutrition at the University of Delaware and previously taught at Penn State University’s Abington Campus / Aria School of Nursing. She is employed by Beebe Healthcare in Lewes, Delaware with the School Based Wellness Center at Cape Henlopen High School and the Dr. Dean Ornish Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Irene is an active member of the Delaware Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, currently serving as President and has held previous positions as President-Elect, Delegate to the Academy’s House of Delegates, State Policy Representative and acting Public Policy Coordinator. Irene is a 2015 recipient of the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year from the Delaware Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a 1993 recipient of the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year from the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association.

She received her BS in Nutrition from Penn State in 1986 and completed her Dietetic Internship in 1987 at York Hospital. She returned to Penn State, completing her master’s degree in 1995 with thesis: ‘Nutritional Supplementation in Elderly Adults at Nutritional Risk: The Effect on Dietary Intake’ and is currently a Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG), credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

Cultural Cooking: Filipino Cuisine

  By Kristin • December 4, 2017

by Rachel Cohen and Natalie Tee

Kumusta ka! On November 7th, the Food and Nutrition Education Lab was used to share an uprising cuisine trend with UD students – Filipino food. The Filipino Student Association (FSA) collaborated with the Nutrition and Dietetics Club to host a Filipino Cooking Night.

The Philippines make up 7,107 islands, with 95% of the population living on 11 of those islands. Coming from Spanish, Chinese, Indian and American influences, Filipinos are known to be a religious, very pleasant people who enjoy singing, dancing and performing.

 

Filipino cuisine is heavily influenced by Spain, China, and India. Local crops include mango, pineapple, corn, sugarcane, and rice, which is eaten at almost every meal. Common methods of eating is through the use of a spoon and a fork, picked up from the Spaniard peoples, or with using one’s hands. Filipinos also have an entire meal eaten with their hands, called “Kamayan”, which is banana leaves spread across a table as the main serving platter with portions of rice and a variety of food laid out.

One member of the FSA gave a brief introduction describing where Filipino people come from, how the country exists today, and classic foods. Nutrition students were paired with at least one Filipino student. We had six groups cooking different recipes, varying from Adobo, an unofficial “national dish”, to vegetarian options and adaptations from American dishes. The recipes included:

  • Pork Lumpia (spring roll)
  • Chicken Adobo
  • Vegetable Pancit (noodles)
  • Filipino-Style Spaghetti
  • Menudo (tomato-based stew)
  • Polvoron (shortbread)

Everyone shared their dishes and ate together once each dish was cooked. The students from the FSA shared how similar the recipes tasted to their family’s classic meals while the students from the NTDT Club enjoyed the flavors and new combinations from this culture.

Fall Student Panel

  By Kristin • November 27, 2017 ,

We are excited to have a student panel consisting of NTDT students who are involved in various nutrition activities at tonight’s meeting!

  • Meghan Bohny – Student Host for FNCE
  • Alanna Downey – volunteering with the Sports Nutritionist
  • McKenzie Weitz – Nutrition and Disabilities Club
  • Luke Smith – Russell Dining Hall Student Manager
  • Alysia Vega – shadowing RD focusing on Diabetes Education
  • Tristan – Cooperative Extension Farmer’s Markets

When: Monday, November 27th at 7PM

Where: Gore 116

NTDT Club at the Sanford School Health Fair

  By Kristin • November 16, 2017 , ,

by Anna Trevouledes

On the morning of November 8th a group of students from the Nutrition and Dietetics Club (including myself) made their way to The Sanford School in Hockessin, DE to help out with a health fair. The fair was held for children in kindergarten through grade 8 and was aimed at teaching kids about healthy food options and physical activity.

(l-r): Meghan Bohny, Beverly Iheanacho, Joe Katz, Tristan Bostock

(l-r): Rachel Cohen, Anna Trevouledes, Fiona Carbone, Meghan Bohny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Cohen explains “Eat the Rainbow” to students.

 

There were countless tables set up, all consisting of bright displays with health and nutrition information. The kids were very interactive and showed enthusiasm for learning about each display. The NTDT Club table and display focused on fruits and vegetables; we had cute fruit puppets, a rainbow diagram of fruit and veggie facts, as well as bananas, apples and tangerines for kids to take with them.

 

Beverly Iheanacho and Joe Katz play a trivia game with students.

 

We wanted our displays to not only teach kids about nutrition, but also to make healthy foods fun – we even had a trivia game where the kids could use their knowledge of nutrition to win prizes!

It is so important that kids learn about nutrition and health in a positive way – they take the behaviors and skills they learn in childhood and use them throughout their lives. We are glad we could positively impact the Sanford School and are excited to continue spreading the word about nutrition!

Gluten Free Night was a Hit!

  By Kristin • November 6, 2017 ,

by Emily Mathios

Who knew gluten free could taste soooo good! On November 1st, Gluten Free at UD paired up with the Nutrition and Dietetics club to host a gluten free holiday cooking night.

Gluten is a protein complex found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. To the average person, eating gluten has no effect on health. However, for a small portion of the population with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, eating gluten-containing foods can cause intense stomach pain, vomiting, and many other symptoms.

When a person with Celiac Disease eats gluten, the body mounts an immune response and attacks the villi in the small intestine, the structures responsible for nutrient absorption.  The only “cure” for Celiac Disease and the symptoms of gluten intolerance is to go on a strict gluten free diet.

Gluten-free foods tend to have a bad reputation. Many even think that gluten is bad for everyone and will completely cut gluten out of their diets without needing to. There is definitely a need for education about gluten! Through this event, the Gluten Free at UD RSO aimed to show students that gluten-free foods don’t taste as bad as people tend to think. In fact, all but one of the recipes were already gluten free!

Once students arrived, the students paired off and we got right to cooking! The recipes had very Fall themed colors and flavors:

  • gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies
  • apple dump cake
  • Sweet potato fries with a cilantro dipping sauce
  • Quinoa salad with butternut squash and cranberries
  • Parmesan roasted cauliflower

Students all dined together once each dish was finished cooking.  The NTDT club students shared that they were surprised by how easy it was to make regular recipes gluten free. Sometimes all it takes is a simple ingredient swap. Overall, the recipes were a hit!